June 24, 2014 (Tuesday)
The Book of Acts gives an account of how the gospel was spread from Jerusalem to Judea and Samaria and to the world of that day. Jesus told his followers that they would be his witnesses once the power of the Holy Spirit had come upon them. When the Spirit came in great power on the Day of Pentecost, believers began speaking in languages they had never learned and the people visiting in Jerusalem from other places heard, in their own languages, these believers telling about Jesus. Peter preached and that day 3,000 people accepted Jesus as their Messiah. In time, the gospel spread to Gentiles. Following the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, the gospel was preached in other lands to Jews and Gentiles. Our Bible usually entitles the book, “Acts of the Apostles,” but a more proper name would probably be, “Acts of the Holy Spirit,” who is mentioned in the book 71 times. The author of the Book of Acts is Luke the physician, a Gentile who wrote The Gospel of Luke and who joined the Apostle Paul in his missionary journeys. Luke was reached by missionaries, became a Gentile convert to Christ, and joined that team to take the gospel abroad. He set the pace for all of us who have come to Christ to share the gospel with others, just as he did.
Acts – A devotional thought
There is a legend (not in the Bible) that Jesus was asked his plan for spreading the gospel. His reply, “I have given the message to Peter, Mary, John and the rest of my disciples. They will share the word with others.” “But what if they fail? What is your plan then?” Jesus replied, “I have made no other plans. I am counting on them.” That’s just a legend, but the record shows that Jesus’ confidence was not misplaced. It is our privilege to “tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love,” just as early believers did. Read about them in the Book of Acts.
OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF ACTS
by J. B. Tidwell
Introduction, 1:1-3.
I. The Church Witnessing in Jerusalem, 1:4-8:11.
1. Preparation for witnessing, 1:4-2:4.
2. First witnessing, 2:4-47 end.
3. First persecution, 3:1-4:31.
4. Blessed state of the church, 4:32-5:42.
5. First deacons, 6:1-7.
6. The first martyr, 6:8-8:1.
II. The Church Witnessing in Palestine, 8:2-12:25.
1. The witnesses are scattered abroad, 8:2-4.
2. Philip witnesses in Samaria and Judea, 8:5-40.
3. The Lord wins new witnesses, 9:1-11:18.
4. Center of labor changed to Antioch, 11:19-30.
5. The witnesses triumph over Herod’s persecution, 12:1-25.
III. The Church Witnessing lo the Gentile World, 13:1-28:31.
1. Witnessing in Asia, Chs. 13-14. Paul’s First Missionary Journey.
2. The first church council, 15:1-35.
3. Witnessing in Europe, 15:36-18:22. Paul’s Second Missionary Journey.
4. Further witnessing in Asia and Europe, 18:23-21:17. Paul’s Third
Missionary Journey.
5. Paul, the witness, rejected and attacked by the Jews at Jerusalem,
21:18-23:35.
6. Two years imprisonment at Caesarea, Chs. 24-26.
7. Paul, the witness, carried to Rome, 27:1-28:15.
8. Paul, the witness, at Rome, 28:16-31..
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THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF PAUL
(Outline by Dr. David Smith)DATE – EVENT
A.D. 1 Saul’s birth at Tarsus
April 33 Martyrdom of Stephen
Summer 33 Saul’s conversion
Summer 33 – summer 36 Stay at Damascus
Summer 36 Visit to Jerusalem
Summer 36 – summer 45 In Tarsus and Syria-Cilicia
Spring & early summer 44 Agrippa’s persecution
Summer 45 Paul’s call to Antioch
Summer 46 Benevolence expedition to Jerusalem
Summer 46 Conference at Jerusalem
Spring 47 – Summer 49 FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
March 47 The departure
March – June47 Cyprus
July 47 Pamphylia
Aug – Oct 47 Pisidian Antioch
Nov 47 – Early summer 48 Iconium
Early summer – End of Aug 48 Lystra
Sept 48 – Mid-winter Derbe
Midwinter – Spring 49 Return through Southern Galatia
Spring 49 Departure from Pisidian Antioch
June 49 Departure from Attalia
Midsummer 49 Arrival at Syrian Antioch
(Late summer 49 – Some place “Galatians” here)
Early 50 Council at Jerusalem
Spring 50 – May 53 SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
April 50 Departure from Syrian Antioch
June 50 Derbe
July 50 Pisidian Antioch
Aug 50 Troas
Aug – Dec 50 Philippi
Jan – May 51 Thessalonica
May – July 51 Berea
Aug 51 Athens
Sept 51-Feb 53 Corinth
Oct 51 Arrival of Silas and Timothy from Berea
Oct 51 ** First Letter to the Thessalonians **Nov 51 ** Second Letter to the Thessalonians **July 52 Accession of Gallio
Aug 52 Arraignment before Gallio
Feb 53 Departure from Corinth
May 53 Arrival at Jerusalem
May 53 Return to Antioch
June 53 ** Letter to the Galatians **
July 53-May 57 THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
July 53 Departure from Syrian Antioch
Aug – Oct 53 Galatia
Oct 53-Jan 56 Ephesus
Autumn 54 ** First Letter to Corinth (lost) **Feb 55 ** Second Letter to Corinth (1 Cor) **Autumn 55 Paul’s hasty visit to Corinth
Close of 55 ** Stern letter to Corinth (part of 2 Cor) **Jan 56 Riot at Ephesus and flight of Paul
Jan – summer56 Troas
Summer-Dec 56 Macedonia
Sept 56 ** Glad letter to Corinth (part of 2 Cor)**Dec 56-March57 Corinth
Dec 56-March57 ** The letter to the Romans**March 57 Departure from Corinth
Passover 57 Philippi
April 57 Troas to Assos
April 57 Assos, Mitylene, Chios, Trogyllium, Miletus
May 57 Interview with the Ephesian elders
May 57 Melitus, Cos, Rhodes, Jerusalem
(TRIALS AND IMPRISONMENT:)
May 57 Trial before Sanhedrin
June 57 Arrival at Caesarea
June 57 Trial before Felix
June 57-July59 Imprisonment at Caesarea for two full years
July 59 Trial before Festus
July 59 Examination before Agrippa
Aug 59 Embarcation for Rome
Oct 59 At Fair Havens, Crete
Nov 59 Shipwreck on Malta
Feb 60 Arrival at Puteoli
March 60 Arrival at Rome
March 60 – March 62 The First Imprisonment at Rome
Summer 60 – Arrival of Epaphroditus from Philippi
November 60-December 61 ** Letter to Philippi **
Close of 61 – Arrival of Tychicus from Ephesus
Early 62 – ** Letter to the Ephesians **
Early 62 – ** Letter to Colosse **
Early 62 ** Letter to Philemon **
March 62 – Trial and Acquittal
(—–END OF BOOK OF ACTS—–)
(AFTER THE BOOK OF ACTS:)
April 62 – At Ephesus
Rest of 62 – In Macedonia
Early 63 till June 63 – At Colosse
Early 63 ** First letter to Timothy **
Late summer 63 – Progress through Southern Galatia
Winter 63-64 – At Syrian Antioch
Spring 64 – Spring 66 – Mission to Gaul and Spain
Summer of 66 – Evangelisation of Crete
Late Autumn 66 ** Letter to Titus written from Corinth **
Winter 66-67 – At Nicopolis
Spring 67 – Departure on Westward Mission
Late Summer 67 – Arrival at Rome
Sept 67 – Arrest and Precognition
Sept 67 – ** Second letter to Timothy **
Nov 67 – Trial and Execution ten days later
—————————————————–
Information from “The Life and Letters of St. Paul,” by
David Smith.
This chronological list of events is based upon Dr.
Smith’s studies of the writings of Paul in the New
Testament. Dr. Smith’s account of Paul’s life after
the book of Acts is based upon serious study of
the letters of Paul.