The Highlights Series Part 2 by John Luke RobertsonSample

This is volume two of the letter written by Luke, the physician. The word “Acts” comes from the Greek word praxis, a word used in early Christian literature to describe great deeds of the apostles or other significant believers. It is the perfect name for this book as it is a series of stories chronicling the lives, or the acts of, some of the apostles, mostly Peter and Paul, following the ascension of Jesus Christ. Once again, Luke’s name doesn’t appear as the author, but this book follows the book of Luke perfectly, making it clear Luke wrote both books. 

Acts is the only book in the bible that gives us the history of the church after the ascension of Jesus. That fact makes this book very valuable as we get an account of how the church was able to grow and spread out from Jerusalem into the rest of the Roman Empire. In only three decades, a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem were transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who were committed to Jesus Christ. Acts ends with Paul in prison, but waiting to stand before the highest official in the land—the Emperor of Rome. 

As you read Acts, you’ll see that it is divided into two parts. The first, chapters 1-12, deals with the ministry of Peter in Jerusalem and Samaria and the second, chapters 13-28, deals with Paul on his missionary journeys. 

The most important thing in Acts and in the teachings of Peter and Paul is that the gospel message was no longer for Jews only. The transition is illustrated by Peter’s vision where he heard a voice telling him, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (10:15). This led Peter to then share the gospel with many Gentiles. 

God wants His message of hope and salvation to extend to all people—“in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest parts of the earth” (1:8).