Acts of the Apostles

Structure

The Preparation for the Christian Mission • (Acts 1 – 2:13)The Mission In Jerusalem • (Acts 2:14 – 8:3)The Mission in Judeo and Samaria • (Acts 8:4 – 9:43)The Inauguration of the Gentile Mission • (Acts 10 – 15:35)The Mission of Paul to the Ends of the Earth • (Acts 15:36 – 28:31)

Preparation of the Apostles

• Jesus Ascends to Heaven• Apostles replace Judas with

Matthias• Judas’ death• Pentecost

Jesus-Followers in Community

• Worship in the temple• Break Bread• Baptism• Miraculous Signs• Selling of Possessions

Enemies of Jesus Return

• High Priests – Caiaphas & Annas

• Sadducees• Trial of Peter and John• Told to not teach in

Jesus’ name

Arrest and Trial

• Jesus Followers arrested• Angel frees them• Re-Arrested and

questioned• Gamaliel’s testimony• Scourged

Formalized Leadership

• Apostles choose helpers• Early Deacons• Stephen• Stoning of Stephen• Saul

Saul Persecutes the Church

• Apostles travel throughout Israel

• Jerusalem under siege from Saul

• New Communities connected to Apostles

Samaria

• Jews and Samaritans despised each other

• Philip arrives and baptizes• Requires Peter for the

Holy Spirit to come• Magician named Simon

Magnus• Tries to buy Holy Spirit

Saul in Damascus

• Saul blinded on the road• Brought to Damascus• Blind for 3 days• Baptized• Joins Jewish community

in Damascus• Forced to leave• Departs for Jerusalem

Back in Jerusalem

• Saul arrives in Jerusalem • Meets the Apostles• Becomes enemies with

Greeks• Sent off to Caesarea and

Tarsus

Progress Continues

• Communities throughout Galilee, Samaria, and Judea

• Goes back to Peter• Continuing to show

miraculous signs• Raises Dorcas from the

dead

Peter and Cornelius: Mission brought to the Gentiles

• Cornelius, Roman Centurion• Cornelius’ Vision• Peter’s vision• God does not make unclean

things• Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit

The Mission spreading Internationally

• followers scattered after Stephen’s stoning

• Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch• Spread to Greeks• Barnabas and Saul travel to

Antioch• First group to call themselves

Christians

Herod Antipas

• Kills James• Arrests Peter• Peter freed again by an

Angel• Herod struck down by an

Angel of the Lord

Leadership

• Barnabas and Saul commissioned

• Directed by the Holy Spirit• Travel from Antioch to

Cyprus, Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe

• Appoint Elders

Council of Jerusalem

• First major debate• 49 CE• Jewish Laws?• Apostles meet in Jerusalem

to settle question• Sent letters clarifying the

faith to the community in Antioch

Paul’s Arrest

• Arrested in Jerusalem• Mob mentality• Illegal to condemn a

Roman without trial• Sent to Governor Felix

Paul on Trial

• Accused by High Priests• Paul kept in prison for 2

years• New Governor, Festus• Appeal to Emperor

Rome

• Shipwrecked in Malta• Appeals to Rome’s Jewish

community• Two years preaching in Rome• Bible doesn’t record Paul or

Peter’s death• Paul beheaded under Emperor Nero

• Peter crucified upside down