The Acts of the Apostles

“The Acts of the Apostles,” New Testament Seminary Student Study Guide (2003)


Who Wrote The Book of Acts?

The book of Acts was written by Luke, a disciple who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys.

How Is This Book Different from the Gospels?

The book of Acts is a continuation of the record Luke began in the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s Gospel is his account of the life of Jesus Christ; the book of Acts is his description of the fulfillment of the command Jesus gave His Apostles to preach the gospel “in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Both books were addressed to Luke’s friend Theophilus (see Luke 1:1–3; Acts 1:1–3).

Acts is not a complete record of everything that happened in the Church after the Savior’s Ascension. Luke wrote mainly about the ministry of the Apostle Paul and included a few records about Peter and the other Apostles. Acts is the last book in the New Testament that tells a story; the rest of the books are letters and visions from that time.

When Was Paul’s Ministry?

The book of Acts tells mainly about the ministry of Paul, beginning just after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and ending about A.D. 60 when Paul was a prisoner in Rome. You can learn more about the book of Acts in the Bible Dictionary, “Acts of the Apostles” (pp. 603–4).

Where Did Paul Travel?

A map of the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul is in the map section in the back of your Bible (see Bible map 13). The accompanying map gives some interesting facts about Paul’s time. Compare this with a modern map and find out what these countries are called today.

Mediterranean map

Macedonia

Asia

Achaia

Egypt

Rome

Athens

Corinth

Ephesus

Tarsus

Antioch

Thessalonica

Caesarea

Jerusalem

Mediterranean Sea

Red Sea

The capital of the Roman Empire

The cultural center of the Roman Empire

Paul established many branches of the Church here

Paul’s hometown

Believers were first called Christians here

Peter first taught the gospel to the Gentiles here

Early Church headquarters

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