Thoughts on the Book of Acts: Part 1

Acts: Overview Thoughts

It would be very easy to say that the book of Acts is about Paul, or Peter, or the early church, but that would be wrong. They may play a prominent role in what appears to be the spotlight, but they are really dropping to the background to let God take his rightful spot as the main character of the story. Acts is about the sovereign God who reigns using His people: the church, for His purposes: the expansion of His kingdom through the proclamation of the gospel, to His glory.
For New Testament Survey we read through the whole book, tracing the apostles steps and particularly Paul's movements, and meditating on the activity of the early Church.
Here are some initial thoughts and then I hope to write a few meditations on some passages that really struck me while reading.

1. The Holy Spirit empowers ordinary people for extraordinary things as the gospel stretches throughout the known world. The apostles and the early Christians are regenerated, empowered, led, controlled, and comforted by the Holy Spirit. They speak, act, think, move, go, stay, change course, all at His direction and leading. They play the background while he takes center stage to use them for the glory of God.

2. The gospel goes forth through suffering and persecution. Through the stoning of Stephen and the first persecution on the church, God sends his people into the nations to proclaim Jesus. And throughout the entire expansion of the early church in Acts there is suffering associated with the expansion of God's kingdom.

3. The radical nature of the gospel. Economies are overturned as people stop idol worship, people sell everything they own, the apostles suffer the loss of all things including their life, and every decision is made in regards to God's glory as the good news of Jesus expands. There just is not room for lukewarmness towards Jesus.

4. Missionary zeal. Paul and the apostles travel so much, so fast. They stay long enough to plant churches, get elders rooted in the gospel, entrust them with the local ministry and then move on. They see God's heart for all nations and desire to proclaim the gospel where it has not yet been heard.

5. This is the most important feature, I think, and the one that I alluded to earlier: the sovereignty of God, which makes Him the main character. When I think of passages that teach the sovereignty of God in planning, ordaining, and accomplishing all things in accordance with his will, I think of Romans 8 and 9, Ephesians 1, Proverbs 16, or the book of John. But, I think that the whole of the book of Acts creates one of the strongest biblical cases for it, and gives us an insight into why God has set it up this way: the expansion of his kingdom through the salvation of sinners by the grace of the gospel to his glory. We see throughout Acts the sovereignty of God in ordaining the cross (2:23, 3:18, 4:27-28), calling and appointing people to eternal life (2:39, 2:41, 2:47, 5:14, 11:24, 13:48), and in God granting faith and repentance to people (3:16, 5:31, 11:18, 15:8-9, 16:14, 18:27). It's also seen in the providence of God in things as simple as Paul's heritage and upbringing. A Jew and a Roman citizen, trained in the law as a Pharisee and able to engage with Greeks and Romans. The perfect heritage to be the apostle to the Gentiles and take the gospel to literally every major world leader. This is no accident but planned by God for His glory and the salvation of sinners.

All of these things are very encouraging for ministry, challenging for my walk with Jesus, and beautiful displays of who God is and how he works.



I thought of a great deal of this after a day at Panera reading Acts and listening to the song "Background" by Lecrae on his album Rehab.
Here is the music video, enjoy:
Lecrae "Background" ft. C-Lite from Rive Video on Vimeo.

You can buy the full album on iTunes.


-In Christ alone,
Josh Holowell