Rooting Path · New Testament Survey · Lesson 4 of 7 · Acts: From Jerusalem to the Ends of the Earth · about 20 min
Acts. On the timeline this is ‘The Early Church’ and the first part of ‘Mission and Letters’: the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost, the martyrdom of Stephen, Philip going to Samaria, the conversion of Saul, Cornelius and his household believing, the founding of the church at Antioch; then Paul’s three missionary journeys, the Council at Jerusalem, and Paul’s arrest and journey to Rome.
Before he was taken up, Jesus said to his disciples:
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 · WEB
After the power came down, the first believers lived like this:
42They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
Acts 2:42 · WEB
In the last lesson the disciples went back to Jerusalem and waited in the city for “power from on high” (Luke 24:49). In this lesson the power comes down.
Acts carries on from Luke’s Gospel, and again it opens by addressing Theophilus: “The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach” (Acts 1:1). The first book told what Jesus did himself; this one tells what he went on doing through his disciples. The words Jesus spoke before he was taken up—Jerusalem, all Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth—are like a table of contents for the whole book: the gospel moves outward in that order, circle after circle.
When the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were gathered in one place, and “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak” (Acts 2:4). Peter, who had denied the Lord three times, stood up and preached: “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). The people “were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37) Peter told them to repent and be baptized; “There were added that day about three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41). The gifts of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and the mode of baptism are things churches understand differently; please ask your own church.
That is how the church in Jerusalem began: listening to the apostles’ teaching, sharing fellowship, breaking bread and praying, and “The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). When the authorities threatened the apostles and forbade them to speak any more, they answered, “we can’t help telling the things which we saw and heard” (Acts 4:20); when they were beaten, they went away “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for Jesus’ name” (Acts 5:41).
Stephen was stoned to death. As he died he knelt and cried out, “Lord, don’t hold this sin against them!” (Acts 7:60); a young man named Saul stood by, approving of his death. From that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and the disciples “were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria” (Acts 8:1). Persecution did not hold the gospel down; it pushed it out: “those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Philip went down to a city in Samaria and preached Christ, and then on the desert road toward Gaza told an Ethiopian official about Jesus—Lesson 6 of Old Testament Survey read this passage.
The next two events carried the gospel across its old boundaries. First, Saul, who had been ravaging the church, met the risen Lord on the road to Damascus; the Lord said, “he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). Second, Peter was led to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, and his first words were, “Truly I perceive that God doesn’t show favoritism” (Acts 10:34). When the believers in Jerusalem heard about it, “they held their peace and glorified God, saying, ‘Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!’” (Acts 11:18). In Antioch, Gentiles and Jews became one church together, and “The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).
From Antioch the gospel went toward the ends of the earth. Paul and his co-workers set out to preach three times, passing through Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth and Ephesus and founding churches everywhere; on the timeline you can open these three journeys one at a time and walk them through. Along the way the church met to decide whether Gentiles had to keep the law of Moses, and Peter said, “we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are” (Acts 15:11). Some called them “These who have turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6); but Luke says, “So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty” (Acts 19:20).
In the end Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and taken in chains to Rome. Acts stops in Rome: Paul is living in a rented house, “preaching God’s Kingdom and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance” (Acts 28:31). The book stopped; the gospel did not. All along the way Paul was writing letters to the churches—in the next lesson we read those letters.
On the day of Pentecost Peter said to the crowd: “this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh’” (Acts 2:16–17).
In Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles, saying: “For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you as a light for the Gentiles, that you should bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth’” (Acts 13:47). These are words from Isaiah; ‘the uttermost parts of the earth’ are the very words Jesus spoke in Acts 1:8.
Open the timeline and click, in order, the events in ‘The Early Church’ and ‘Mission and Letters’ that come from Acts: the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the martyrdom of Stephen, Philip and the Ethiopian official, the conversion of Saul, Cornelius and his household, the church at Antioch, the three missionary journeys, the Council at Jerusalem, Paul’s arrest and journey to Rome. For each, write two things: where had the gospel reached by now? Who carried it there?
For reference: Pentecost—Jerusalem; Peter and the apostles. The martyrdom of Stephen—still Jerusalem; persecution scatters the disciples. Philip—a city in Samaria, then the road to Gaza; Philip. The conversion of Saul—the road to Damascus; the Lord himself appears to him, and Ananias goes to lay hands on him. Cornelius—a Gentile household in Caesarea; Peter. Antioch—scattered disciples speak to Greeks, and Barnabas and Saul teach there. The three journeys—Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus and more; Paul and his co-workers. The Council at Jerusalem—the apostles and elders decide that Gentiles too are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus. Taken to Rome—Rome; Paul in chains. Each circle is wider than the last, and more and more of those carrying the gospel are ordinary disciples.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
Acts 1:8 · WEB
This week, read Acts 1–2, or Acts 9–10. Afterward write one sentence: once the Holy Spirit came, what was different about the disciples?
Just this one thing. When you do it, tap that day below; if you don’t, that’s all right—try again next week.
Good. Tap each day you do it this week:
Putting down roots is not something you do alone. Find a brother or sister you trust (ideally of the same sex) and talk this question over this week:
The gospel went out circle after circle until it reached you. Who told you the gospel the first time you heard it?