WRITER, Luke, the beloved physician
The book is in some sense a sequel to the Gospel of Luke, and is addressed to the same unknown person, Theophilus # Ac 1:1

MAIN THEME, The history of the development of the early church, from the Ascension of Christ to Paul’s imprisonment at Rome, and the opening of his ministry there. Many Bible students see in the book the formal beginning of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. The departing Christ makes the announcement of a great campaign of world-wide missions, through human agency under the power of the Spirit. # Ac 1:8

THE BOOK MAY BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS, The period of Home Missions, and the period of Foreign Missions.

I. THE PERIOD OF HOME MISSIONS, with Jerusalem as the centre. The Work mainly in Palestine among the Jews; the apostle Peter being the most prominent figure.

(1) The Preparatory Events.
(a) The divine commission # Ac 1:4-8
(b) The ascending Lord # Ac 1:10,11
(c) The descending Spirit # Ac 2:1-4
(d) The workers’ equipment # Ac 2:4 4:31

(2) The Ministries.
(a) Of Peter at Pentecost # Ac 2:14-40
Peter’s second sermon # Ac 3:12-26
Peter’s address to the Sanhedrin # Ac 4:5-12
(b) Of Stephen # Ac 7:1-60
(c) Of Philip and Peter # Ac 8:5-25
(d) Of Philip # Ac 8:26-40

(3) Facts Concerning the Church.
(a) The growth of. SEE Accessions, 733
(b) The infilling of, with the Holy Spirit # Ac 4:31
(c) The unity and benevolence of # Ac 4:32-37
(d) The spiritual power of # Ac 5:12-16
(e) The appointment of deacons # Ac 6:1-6

(4) The persecutions of the Church # Ac 4:1-3, 17-22 5:17,18,40 6:8-15
Persecutions under Saul of Tarsus # Ac 8:1-3 9:1

II. THE PERIOD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS.
Opening with Jerusalem as the centre of operations, which was soon transferred to Antioch in Syria.
(1) Preliminary Events Leading up to World-wide Missions.
(a) The ministry of Philip in Samaria, in association with Peter and John # Ac 8:5-25
(b) The conversion of Paul, who becomes the great missionary, and the leading figure in the church during this period # Ac 9:1-30
(c) The broadening of Peter’s views by his vision at Joppa, resulting in his ministry among the Gentiles at Cæsarea. # Ac 10:1-43
(d) The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles at Cæsarea, and the vindication of Peter’s ministry there # Ac 10:44 – 11:18
(e) The sanction of the work at Antioch by Barnabas, the representative of the church at Jerusalem # Ac 11:22-24
(f) The bringing of Paul from Tarsus to Antioch by Barnabas, and the co-operation of the two men in establishing the church in the place where the disciples were first called Christians
# Ac 11:25,26
(g) Parenthesis, The persecution of the church at Jerusalem by Herod. The death of James and the imprisonment and deliverance of Peter # Ac 12:1-19

(2) The Epochal Event in the History of Foreign Missions. Under the Direction of the Holy Spirit, the sending forth of Paul and Barnabas as missionaries by the church at Antioch. John Mark accompanies them # Ac 13:1-5

(3) Paul’s First Missionary Journey. Missionaries, Paul, Barnabas and John Mark, # Ac 13:4 – 14:26
Places visited and outstanding events: The island of Cyprus where the proconsul was converted and Saul’s name changed to Paul in the record # Ac 13:4-12
Perga in Pamphylia, where John Mark deserted the party # Ac 13:13
Antioch in Pisidia, Paul’s great sermon in the synagogue # Ac 13:14-41
Opposition by the Jews and work among the Gentiles # Ac 13:44-49
Driven from the city by the Jews, the missionaries go to Iconium. Here they work for some time, but persecution arising, they flee to Lystra and Derbe # Ac 14:6
The healing of the lame man at Lystra results in the people proposing to worship Paul and Barnabas, but the Jews stir up opposition and Paul is stoned. Undaunted, the two heroes escape to Derbe, where they preach the gospel and teach many # Ac 14:8-20
From this point the missionaries retrace their steps, revisiting and organizing the churches, and return to Antioch in Syria, where they make a report of their journey # Ac 14:21-28

(4) The Council at Jerusalem.
(a) The question at issue # Ac 15:5,6
(b) Peter’s argument in favour of Christian Liberty  # Ac 15:7-11
(c) Paul and Barnabas relate their experiences # Ac 15:12
(d) The speech of James and the decision of the Council in favour of exempting the Gentiles from the rules of the ceremonial law # Ac 15:13-29
Judas and Silas are sent to Antioch to deliver the letter from the Council to the church # Ac 15:27-30

(5) Paul’s Second Missionary Journey # Ac 15:36 – 18:22
(a) Preliminary events. A disagreement between Paul and Barnabas concerning John Mark. Silas chosen by Paul to accompany him on the journey # Ac 15:36-40
(b) Places visited and outstanding events: Visitation of the churches of Syria and Cilicia # Ac 15:41
at Lystra, Timothy joins the missionaries, and various cities of Asia Minor are visited and the churches strengthened # Ac 15:41 – 16:5
The Spirit guides them to Troas, where they are called into Europe by the Macedonian vision
# Ac 16:7-10
At Philippi Paul and Silas are imprisoned, and the jailor converted, and a church is established.
# Ac 16:12-34
The next important event is the founding of a church at Thessalonica, where persecution arises and they depart for Berea # Ac 17:1-10
Here the missionaries find some candid students of The Word who become ready converts
# Ac 17:11,12
The storm of persecution breaks out again, and Paul goes on to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy to establish the church # Ac 17:13-15
At Athens Paul finds a city filled with idols, and preaches a sermon on Mar’s Hill, but secures only a few converts to the faith # Ac 17:15-34
At Corinth Paul is soon joined by Silas and Timothy, and a church is founded. The work is carried on in the midst of persecution for eighteen months # Ac 18:1-17
After a considerable time Paul bids the brethren farewell, and sets sail for Syria, making a brief stop at Ephesus, and closes his journey at Antioch # Ac 18:18-22

(6) Paul’s Third Missionary Journey # Ac 18:23 – 21:15
Places visited and outstanding events: Visitation of the churches in Galatia and Phrygia
# Ac 18:23
-Apollos at Ephesus # Ac 18:24-28
-Paul returns to Ephesus and finds a company of imperfectly instructed disciples, and leads them into the larger life of the Spirit  # Ac 19:1-7
-He continues in the work at Ephesus for two years # Ac 19:8-10
-The Lord showed his approval of the work by bestowing upon Paul the gift of healing # Ac 19:11,12
-Sinners were confounded and many burned their evil books # Ac 19:11-20
-Then there arose a great uproar among the silver-smiths, fearing that Paul’s doctrine would destroy their business of idol making # Ac 19:23-41
-Paul leaves Ephesus, and after visiting the churches of Macedonia, comes to Greece
# Ac 20:1,2
-He spends three months in Greece, then returns to Macedonia, and comes to Troas, and preaches
# Ac 20:3-12
-From Troas he goes to Miletus, and sends for the Ephesian elders to come to him.
-Here at Miletus he delivers his great farewell address to the elders # Ac 20:17-38
-From Miletus Paul starts for Jerusalem, although warned by the Spirit of the sufferings awaiting him there # Ac 21:1-17

(7) Paul in Jerusalem and Cæsarea.
(a) He relates to the church the experiences of his ministry among the Gentiles # Ac 21:18-20
(b) To silence suspicion, he is urged to take a Jewish vow, which he does # Ac 21:20-26
(c) Is seized by Jewish enemies in the Temple, and rescued from their fury by Roman soldiers
# Ac 21:27-40
(d) His defence before the multitude # Ac 22:1-21
(e) He asserts his Roman citizenship to escape being scourged # Ac 22:25-30
(f) His appearance before the Sanhedrin # Ac 23:1-10
(g) The Lord appears to him in the night with a message of cheer # Ac 23:11
(h) A conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, leads to his being sent to Cæsarea # Ac 23:12-33
(i) The accusation brought against him by the Jews, and his defence before the governor, Felix
# Ac 24:1-21
(j) His speech before Felix concerning his faith in Christ # Ac 24:24-26
(k) His defence before Festus and his appeal unto Cæsar # Ac 25:1-12
(l) His address before Agrippa # Ac 26:1-29
(8) Paul’s Journey to Rome as a Prisoner # Ac 27:1-28:16
(a) The first stage of the voyage # Ac 27:2-13
(b) The storm and the moral ascendency of Paul # Ac 27:14-36
(c) The shipwreck and the escape to land # Ac 27:38-44
(d) The experiences on the Island of Melita # Ac 28:1-10
(e) The arrival at Rome and Paul’s ministry there # Ac 28:16-31