Acts Review: Chapters 15-28

Continuing my review of Acts, I found that many of the applications from chapters 1-14 can also be made based on the themes and principles in the last 14 chapters as well. There were a couple of additional ones which I will highlight. In addition to possible application questions I will look at several summary passages of Scripture found throughout Acts. I think you will be able to determine the key points of the book of Acts as a result of looking at these verses.

Application Questions:

       7.     Am I ready to give a response for the hope and belief I have in Jesus? Am I prepared to share my sorrows and my joys? Do I tell others the good things God has done for me? Do I make it clear that His blessings far outweigh life’s difficulties? Do I use every opportunity, every hardship, every struggle as a platform for sharing Christ? Is Christ the center of my conversations and in my writings? Do I make bold and faithful appeals? Do I see my limitations as the means for spreading the gospel truth?

            References: 2:14-15; 16:25; 20:18; 25:23; 26:30-32; 28:18

       8.     Do I share possessions to care for others? Do I consider how I may encourage and build up the body of Christ for the betterment of all? Do I encourage my local church to have the characteristics of a thriving congregation (unified, devout, attentive, and teachable)? How do we be unified in Christ as believers? Do I let others in the church help me and encourage me? Do I help other believers see and listen to God as He is working in our lives?

            References: 2:1; 2:46; 10:33; 10:45; 20:31

       9.      Do I keep myself pure from the things in this world that can be considered idolatry? Do I hold onto evil things . . . even those things in my thoughts and emotions? Is there spiritual fruit in my life? Do I do my best to “maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men?”

            References: 15:20; 16:33; 19:19; 19:37; 21:19

       10.     Do I take comfort in Christ’s presence even when I feel and think I’ve come to a standstill? Do I believe God has a purpose for my life? Do I consider persecution and trials as blessings from God? Do I rejoice in these blessings? Do I act as if God will not give up on me even if He has to repeat lessons multiple times?

            References: 5:41; 10:16; 20:18; 23:11; 25

Did any of those spark your interest? Make a plan and begin to change one area of your life today. It’s never too late to get started on transforming your life.

Now for the key summary verses found throughout Acts. I will just quote each one and summarize them all at the end. There are six of these verses.

                    1.       Acts 6:7       “And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”

                    2.      Acts 9:31       “So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”

                    3.      Acts 12:24      “But the word of the Lord continued to grown and to be multiplied.”

                    4.      Acts 16:5      “So the churches were being strengthened in the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”

                    5.      Acts 19:20      “So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.”

                    6.      Acts 28:31      “[Paul continued] preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.”

What are the common factors in all these verses? First I go back to the commission Jesus gave the disciples. The commission was found in Acts 1:8. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” The summary verses state how that command was being fulfilled in the lives of the disciples. For me, these summaries tell us what happened in the early church. They tell us that the spread of the gospel and the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ had begun. It’s up to us to continue the work begun in Acts. It’s our turn to spread the gospel and bring glory to the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.