Acts picks up where Luke’s Gospel leaves off, recording the early progress of the gospel as Jesus’ disciples took it from Jerusalem throughout Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the Mediterranean world. The story begins with Christ’s ascension and the events of Pentecost. As Gentiles begin responding to the gospel, the focus shifts to Paul and his missionary journeys. Acts forms a bridge between the four Gospels and the rest of the New Testament, showing how the apostles carried on Christ’s work and providing a historical background for Romans through Revelation. The Acts of the Apostles is the second of two New Testament books written by Luke. Like his Gospel, Acts was a letter to Luke’s friend Theophilus, written sometime in A.D. 62–64. (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ac). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.)
Acts 1.1-5; Introduction; The Promise of the Holy Spirit
Acts 1.6-11; Story; Jesus ascends into heaven
Acts 1.12-14; Story; Remaining disciples devote themselves to prayer
Acts 1.15-26; Story; Matthias chosen to replace Judas
Acts 2.1-13; Prophecy fulfilled; The Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues. (Joel 2.28-32)
Acts 2.14-21; Sermon; Peter explains the giving of the Holy Spirit and the tongues
Acts 2.22-41; Gospel; Peter shares the gospel to the Jews at Jerusalem (Ps 16.8-11; 110.1)
Acts 2.42-47; Church; The first fellowship of believers. Apostles teaching, fellowship, eucharist and prayer.
Acts 3.1-10; Healing; The lame beggar healed at the Beautiful Gate in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
Acts 3.11-26; Gospel; Peter explains the healing by sharing the gospel at Solomon’s Portico (Dt 18.15,18,19)
Acts 4.1-22; Gospel; Peter and John are asked by the Council how they healed the man. Peter explains using the gospel. They try unsuccessfully to stop them from preaching.
Acts 4.23-31; Prayer; The believers pray for boldness. They are all filled with the Holy Spirit and speak with boldness.
Acts 4.32-37; Fellowship; They shared everything with one another. The apostles preached and there were no needy people.
Acts 5.1-11; Fellowship; Ananias and Sapphira lie about their giving and die.
Acts 5.12-16; Healing; The Holy Spirit performs many signs and wonders in the apostles ministry.
Acts 5.17-26; Conflict; The apostles are arrested by the Sadducees and freed by an angel. They are found again at the temple preaching Jesus.
Acts 5.27-42; Conflict-Gospel; The apostles are brought before the council who try unsuccessfully to stop them preaching Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 6.1-7; Fellowship; Seven Greeks are chosen to serve the community so the distribution of yiros is not neglected. The apostles devote themselves to prayer and ministry of the word.
Acts 6.8-15; Conflict; Stephen is seized because he was speaking about what Jesus said about the temple and Jewish customs.
Acts 7.1-53; Conflict; Stephen’s heroic stand before the Jewish council
7.1-8; Promise; Abraham and God’s promise of offspring and land
7.9-16; Sin; Joseph sold into Egypt by the patriarchs
7.17-43; Sin; Moses opposed by Israel while the LORD rescues them from slavery
7.44-50; Sin; David asks for and Solomon builds the temple when the LORD doesn’t need one.
7.51-53; Judgment; Stephen condemns these Jews as typical of their fathers sin, disobedience and resistance to the movements of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 7.54-60; Sin; They stone Stephen who then sees Jesus and as he dies he asks the LORD to forgive them. Saul the Pharisee has farmers laid down at his feet.
Acts 8.1-3; Conflict; Saul goes on a church hunting rampage putting many in prison.
Acts 8.4-8; Conflict-Gospel; The people preaching the gospel are scattered and more people hear the gospel. Good work Saul. Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria.
Acts 8.9-25; Story; Simon the magician believes and sins wanting to pay money for the ability to give the Holy Spirit. Peter rebukes and prays for him.
Acts 8.26-40; Gospel; Philip explains Isaiah 53 to the Ethiopian eunuch and baptized him. He is then teleported to Azotus by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 9.1-9; Vision; Saul meets Jesus. He believes and loses his sight.
Acts 9.10-19; Story; Ananias is commanded to lay hands on him. He does and Saul regains his sight. Ananias baptizes Saul.
Acts 9.20-22; Gospel; Saul proclaims Jesus as the Son of God in synagogues
Acts 9.23-25; Conflict; The Jews want to kill Saul. He escapes from Damascus in a basket.
Acts 9.26-31; Story; Saul goes to Jerusalem. The disciples are afraid, but later believe he is sincere. Saul preaches boldly in the name of the Lord.
Acts 9.32-35; Healing; Peter heals Aeneas who was paralyzed. More people believe.
Acts 9.36-43; Healing; Peter prays and the Lord restores Dorcas to Life
Acts 10.1-8; Vision; Cornelius is commanded to send for Peter
Acts 10.9-16; Vision; Peter has a vision concerning clean and unclean
Acts 10.17-33; Story; Peter is called down to Cornelius’ servant. He goes with him to see Cornelius. They explain each others visions.
Acts 10.34-48; Gospel; Gentiles Hear the Good News and the Holy Spirit comes. They get baptized.
Acts 11.1-18; Story; Peter is criticized for going to the Gentiles. He defends his actions by reporting the events to the church
Acts 11.19-26; Story; Barnabas and Saul minister in Antioch. The believers are first called ‘Christians’.
Acts 11.27-30; Prophecy; The church sends aid to their brothers in Judea using Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 12.1-5; Conflict; Herod persecutes the church. James is killed and Peter imprisoned. The church prays.
Acts 12.6-19; Story; Peter is rescued by an angel. He goes to the house of Mary and they don’t believe it is he. So he keeps knocking until they let him in. Herod kills the soldiers who failed to keep Peter.
Acts 12.20-25; Story; Herod dies and is eaten by worms because he did not glorify God. But the word of God increased and multiplied. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem.
Acts 13.1-3; Story; Barnabas and Saul set apart for mission and sent off.
Acts 13.4-12; Conflict; Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus. Paul confronts Elymas the magician.
Acts 13.13-43; Gospel; Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia. Paul preaches the gospel in the Jewish synagogue.
Acts 13.44-52; Conflict; The Jews oppose Paul, so he moves next door to the Gentiles.
Acts 14.1-7; Conflict; Paul and Barnabas at Iconium. Paul is still meeting opposition from the Jews. They hear of a murder plot so they flee to Lystra and Derbe continuing to preach.
Acts 14.8-18; Story; The crowds worship Paul and Barnabas as Hermes and Zeus at Lystra. Paul opposes them.
Acts 14.19-23; Conflict; Paul is stoned at Lystra, but survives. He moves on to Derbe and preaches the gospel again.
Acts 14.24-28; Story; Paul and Barnabas pass through Pisidia, Perga and return to Antioch.
Acts 15.1-3; Story; Paul and Barnabas argue with some who argue the Gentiles must be circumcised. They go to Jerusalem to sort it out hearing more about Gentiles coming to faith as they go.
Acts 15.4-21; Story; The Jerusalem Council over what the Gentile believers must observe to get along with Jews.
Acts 15.22-35; Story; The council’s writes a letter to be distributed to Gentile believers with the councils decision.
Acts 15.36-41; Story; Paul and Barnabas separate on whether to take Mark who left them before.
Acts 16.1-5; Story; Paul wants Timothy to accompany him in ministry. He has him circumcised because of the Jews. Paul continues telling others the decision of the Jerusalem council.
Acts 16.1-10; Vision; Paul has a vision that calls him to Macedonia and preach the gospel there.
Acts 16.11-15; Story; Paul and his company travel to Philippi (Macedonia) and a woman named Lydia believes.
Acts 16.16-24; Conflict; Paul exorcises a profitable spirit of divination from a slave girl and her owners resent it. They lie to the Roman authorities and have them thrown in prison.
Acts 16.1-There is an earthquake and the prison is shaken. Paul’s and his company are freed. The Philippian jailer is about to kill himself, but Paul stops him and brings him to Christ.
Acts 17.1-9; Story; Paul and Silas travel to Thessalonica. They persuade Jews and Gentiles about Jesus, but other Jews become jealous and bring trouble on Paul’s friend Jason.
Acts 17.10-15; Story; Paul and Silas preach in Berea. They receive the word and examine the scriptures eagerly. But the Jews from Thessalonica have pursued them and eventually they depart for Athens.
Acts 17.16-21; Story; In Athens, Paul starts speaking about Jesus and the resurrection in the marketplace. They become interested and bring him to the Areopagus so he can speak there.
Acts 17.22-34; Gospel; Paul Addresses the Areopagus and some believe.
Acts 18.1-17; Story; Paul meets Aquila and Priscilla in Corinth and continues in gospel ministry. The Jews reject jim and he goes to the Gentiles. Many Gentiles get baptised. The Jews try to stop him, but they fail.
Acts 18.18-23; Story; After many days Paul returns to Antioch. Strengthening existing churches as he goes.
Acts 18.24-28; Story; Apollos has his theology improved and continues to speaks boldly in Ephesus.
Acts 19.1-7; Story; Paul arrives in Ephesus and asks if the believers received the Holy Spirit when they believed. They say no, so Paul baptises them in the name of Jesus and they receive the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues.
Acts 19.8-10; Story; Paul continues to speak boldly about the kingdom of God in the synagogue.
Acts 19.11-20; Healing; Paul heals many and casts evil spirits out of people. Some try to do the same but they get powned. Many people eventually give up practicing the magical arts and the gospel spreads.
Acts 19.21-41; Story; Unbelievers riot in Ephesus because the gospel is taking away their income from idolatry. It gets taken to court and Artemis of the Ephesians is powned.
Acts 20.1-6; Story; Paul moves through Macedonia and Greece
Acts 20.7-16; Story; Paul speaks to believers in Troas. He speaks for so long Eutychus falls asleep and falls to his death. But Paul raises him to life and keeps on speaking. He leaves headed for Jerusalem.
Acts 20.17-37; Story; Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders giving a description of his ministry and some parting instructions. They weep because he said they will not see him again.
Acts 21.1-16; Story; Paul goes to Jerusalem and along the way people keep prophesying what will happen to him.
Acts 21.17-26; Story; Paul meets James and the other elders. They warn him of zealous Jews who believe Paul teaches other Jews to forsake the law of Moses. James suggests action that may put them at ease.
Acts 21.27-36; Story; The Jews are still against Paul and he is arrested in the temple and beaten up by the crowd.
Acts 21.37-22.21; Story; Paul speaks to the crowd in his own defense, giving his testimony and explaining his ministry.
Acts 22.22-29; Story; The Jews are jealous of the Gentiles. Paul is brought back in for examination and they find out he is a Roman citizen.
Acts 22.30-23.11; The Romans bring Paul before the Jewish Council. He provokes internal tensions and the Romans take him away lest they tear him to pieces. Jesus appears to Paul and comforts him.
Acts 23.12-22; Story; Some Jews vow not to eat or drink until they kill Paul. Paul finds out about the plot, tells the Romans and is brought safely to Felix the Gov at Caesarea. Presumably the Jews die of thirst.
Acts 24.1-21; Story; Paul is presented before Felix at Caesarea as one who stirs up riots among the Jews. Paul gives his defense standing up for Jesus’ resurrection.
Acts 24.22-27; Story; Paul kept in custody for two years being provided for by his friends. Felix is eventually succeeded by Festy.
Acts 25.1-12; Story; With the change in Gov, the Jews try again to have Paul killed. Paul, a Roman citizen, appeals to Caesar.
Acts 25.13-27; Festy brings Paul before Agrippa the king of Caesarea and Bernice informing him of the situation.
Acts 26.1-32; Story; Paul gives his defense before Agrippa. Giving his testimony and trying to persuade Agrippa to become a Christian. Paul would have been freed, had he not appealed to Caesar.
Acts 27.1-12; Story; Paul Sails for Rome predicting it will be a rough trip.
Acts 27.13-38; Story; A storm comes and they fear death. But Paul comforts them with a vision he received. The storm blows the ship to an unknown island.
Acts 27.39-44; Story; The ship strikes a reef and is run aground. The soldiers intend to kill everyone, but the captain spares them to save Paul.
Acts 28.1-10; Story; The learn they are on Malta and the people there treat them well. Paul is bitten by a snake and lives. He later heals several people.
Acts 28.11-16; Story; They set sail again and eventually Paul arrives at Rome. Paul is allowed to stay by himself with his guard.
Acts 28.17-31; Story; Paul meets the Jewish elders in Rome. They have not heard of his reputation and they want to know what his views are. He continues to preach with all boldness and without hindrance.