Jensens survey of the old testament adam 430
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CHART 52: ACTS: THE EARLY CHURCH’S
WITNESS OF THE GOSPEL
Compare the beginning (e.g., chap. 1) and
end (e.g., chap. 28) of Acts. What are your
observations? What is the last word of Acts?
What does that suggest?
On the basis of your survey studies so far,
how would you identify the theme of Acts?
From that theme, what title would you
suggest for the book?
E. SURVEY CHART OF ACTS
Chart 52 shows ways of identifying the
structure of the text of Acts. You have
already observed many of those things in
your survey study. Refer to this chart as you
read the brief discussion below.
1. The twenty-eight chapters of Acts fall
into three main divisions, with dividing
points at 8:16 and 13:1. What outlines show
this
threefold
organization?
The
geographical outline is a natural unfolding
of 1:8. The outline on the church shows a
progression of the church in the Acts
narrative.
2. Acts can also be divided into two main
parts, according to main characters. In
chapters 1-12, Peter plays the leading role,
whereas in chapters 13-28 everything
centers on Paul’s activities.
3. Note the divisions related to Jew and
Gentile. In the early chapters of Acts, the
Jews make up most of the audience of the
gospel. In chapters 10-12 the church sees its
responsibility to extend the invitation of the
gospel to Gentiles as well. This was a
transitional period for the church. From
chapter 13 on, the field is the world.
4. Paul as a missionary served well when
at liberty (13:1—21:17) and remained loyal
when in bonds (21:18—28:31).
5. A main outline of Acts is on the church
and appears under the main horizontal line
of the chart.
6. Note the outlines about Paul in Acts.
7. Geographically, where does Acts begin?
Where does it end?
8. The dates shown on the chart are not
obtained from the text of Acts, but are
shown
here
to
give
chronological
perspective.10 What is the time span of
Acts? How long was each missionary
journey?
IV. PROMINENT SUBJECTS
The number of prominent subjects in Acts
is unusually large. Only a few of those can
be identified here.
A. THE CHURCH IS BORN (2:1-47)
Acts 2 records a new experience in the
history of God’s people, involving the Holy
Spirit. The time was the Feast of
Pentecost,11 one of the three great festivals
of Jerusalem attended by Jews from all parts
of the world. In the design of God the day
had arrived for the beginning of an extended
ministry of the Spirit in the lives of
believers.
Pentecost day was the time when the
