The Church is Established
You learned facts about the world into which Jesus came and the land in which He lived. Through the eyes of the four evangelists, you saw how He carried out His mission on the hillsides and cities of Palestine. You discovered how He proclaimed the kingdom of God, a kingdom
that was made up of all who would put aside their rebellion, accept His salvation, and acknowledge Him as their Lord. You followed Him through the momentous events of the Passion Week—His betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion. And you read the eyewitness accounts of His glorious resurrection. You also learned that He did not remain with His disciples very long after He rose from the dead but told them before He left to wait in Jerusalem until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).
As you study the books of Acts, James, and Galatians in this lesson, you will discover just what happened when the disciples gathered in Jerusalem in obedience to Jesus’ instructions. You will find out about the power they received and what happened as a result. You will see how God poured out His Spirit upon Jews and Gentiles alike and how the message of salvation spread throughout the Roman Empire. As you study, may you gain a deeper understanding of the church and the power that is available to you as you serve your risen Lord.
Acts: The Church in Action
The book of Acts tells how the gospel triumphed and spread from Jerusalem, the religious capital of the Jewish world, to Rome, the political capital of the Roman world. We will discover that the resurrected Christ is its central figure, as He worked mightily through His apostles and church by the power of the Spirit.
Author, Purpose, and Importance
As you have already learned, Acts was designed as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke. It is the second part of the history of the beginnings of Christianity that was written by Luke, the close associate and travel companion of Paul the apostle. Luke was an eyewitness of many of the events he described in the book of Acts. His presence during these events is indicated by his use of the pronoun “we” (see 16:10; 20:6; and 27:3; for example). Guided and inspired by the Spirit, he used literary skills and understanding of history to give a vivid and accurate picture of the first years of the church.
The Gospel of Luke concludes with the command Jesus gave to His disciples about waiting for the Holy Spirit to come and the account of His ascension (Luke 24:49, 51). The book of Acts begins with the same two events (Acts 1:4, 9), then describes the disciples’ activities after the ascension. The events described in Acts follow those in Luke in a natural, logical way. Through the book of Acts, Luke continued to instruct Theophilus in the Christian faith, demonstrating to him the certainty of the things he had been taught (Luke 1:4, Acts 1:1).
Acts is important because it provides the authoritative record of the formation of the church and the activities of its main leaders. It is the link between the Gospels and the Epistles, for the Gospels look forward to the establishment of the church while the Epistles demonstrate that it already exists. Without Acts, we would not know how the church began.
Main Features
Luke did not try to describe everything that happened during the church’s early days. As a skilled historian, he selected the most significant incidents and showed how they shaped the overall course of events. We will study the main features of his account.
1. The book of Acts emphasizes the missionary activity of the church.
Acts 1:8 can be used as a basic outline of the book. It summarizes the progress of the gospel during the 30 years following the Day of Pentecost. The message of Christ was preached first in Jerusalem (Acts 1–7), then in Judea and Samaria (chaps. 8–12), then throughout the northern Mediterranean region, with Rome as the last place mentioned (chaps. 13–28). In keeping with his historical presentation, Luke recorded the names of various Roman officials who were associated with the events he described (see Acts 24–26, for example, in which Felix, Lysias, Porcius Festus, and King Agrippa are mentioned). Peter is the main leader in chapters 1–12, and Paul in 13–28.
In the book of Acts, we see how the first believers responded to Christ’s command to evangelize the world. It shows us their problems and triumphs and gives a practical example of methods that can be followed in missionary work today.
2. The book of Acts depicts the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit was involved in every phase of the church’s establishment and expansion.
Other truths about the Holy Spirit are seen in Acts. Notice, for example, the judgment Ananias and Sapphira received because they lied to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1–11). Consider the rebuke the man Simon was given for asking to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:18–23).
The book of Acts gives evidence of the Holy Spirit’s reality and presence. It shows that the church is a supernatural work of God, brought into being, empowered, guided, and sustained by the Spirit of God himself. There is no other explanation for its success and endurance amidst the severe persecution and opposition it received.
3. The book of Acts demonstrated the true character of Christianity.
When the church was first established, Christianity appeared to be a special group within Judaism. Jesus was the Messiah the Jewish Scriptures had prophesied, and in the beginning, the church was made up primarily of Jewish believers. But the message of Christ was for the whole world (Luke 24:47). Acts describes how the gospel began to reach those who were not part of the Jewish community.
Peter, for example, witnessed mainly to the Jews. But God showed him that He had accepted the Gentiles who believed in Christ, and God used Peter to minister to them (Acts 10). Paul preached to the Jews also, but he turned increasingly to the Gentiles when most of the Jews rejected his message (Acts 19:9– 10; 26:16–18; 28:28). Acts shows how it became clear that Christianity was not a Jewish sect but a whole new way of life based on faith in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of all.
Besides showing the worldwide significance of Christianity, Acts also defended it against false charges. The book of Acts gave evidence that Christianity was not a political movement whose intent was to oppose the Roman government, as some said it was. When the Jews took Paul to court before Gallio, the proconsul, they accused him of teaching people to disobey the Law. But Gallio dismissed the case, saying that their accusation was not political, but religious (Acts 18:12–16). This was an important incident, for it showed that Christianity was not a seditious movement and therefore not a threat to Roman political power. Luke recorded other incidents that illustrated the same point.
4. The book of Acts describes the ministry of some of the more prominent leaders God used to establish the church.
As the early church grew, God raised up leaders to carry out His purpose for it. Luke told about the ministries of several of these leaders, concentrating mainly on Peter and Paul. At the time Acts was written, it was important to show that Paul’s apostleship was validated by the same signs that accompanied Peter’s ministry. This was important because, unlike Peter, Paul was not one of the original disciples. In fact, he had been a bitter enemy of the young church (Acts 8:1–3; 9:1–3). Luke gave a good deal of information about Paul that showed that his ministry had divine approval. He demon strated the similarities that existed between the ministries of the two men. For example, he showed how both men emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 19:2–6) and the importance of the resurrection of Christ (2:24–36; 13:30–37). He presented other ways in which their ministries were alike such as those you will study in the following exercise.
Along with Peter and Paul, Luke mentioned or described several other leaders such as John, James, Stephen, Philip, Barnabas, James, and Apollos. Each of these men had a part in the events that took place as the church moved forward. God used all of them to bring Jews, Gentiles, Samaritans, proselytes, and even former disciples of John the Baptist (Acts 19:1–3) into one new spiritual community with Christ at its center.
Content
In this section of the lesson, you will read through the book of Acts and follow the progression of the events Luke described. As you read, notice examples of the special features that you learned about in the previous section of the lesson.
ACTS: RECORD OF THE CHURCH IN ACTION
I. The Church Is Founded. Read 1:1–8:3.
The period of founding included the commission of the disciples for their work (1:1–11), the coming of the Holy Spirit to give them power (1:12–2:47), the events associated with the church and the gospel witness in Jerusalem (3:1–6:7), and Stephen’s preaching and martyrdom with the resulting persecution and scattering of the believers (6:8–8:3).
The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was an event of the greatest significance. The map entitled “The World of Acts 2” at the end of the lesson shows the areas from which pilgrims came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost (see Acts 2:5–12). When Peter addressed the vast holiday crowd and explained what had happened, pilgrims from all of these areas were present in the crowd. No doubt some of them were among the 3,000 who responded to Peter’s invitation.
II. The Church Undergoes Change. Read 8:4–11:18.
Change occurred when the gospel message reached further into the Gentile world. As greater numbers of Gentiles were converted, the focus shifted away from Jerusalem to Antioch. This period included the ministry of Philip, Peter, and John in Samaria and Judea (8:4–40), Saul’s conversion (9:1–31), and the preaching of the gospel in Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea (9:32– 11:18).
During this time, there was a gradual lessening of prejudice against the Gentiles. Peter, for example, ministered to the Samaritans—a people of mixed Jewish and Gentile background (Acts 8:14–17, 25). Later, he lived with Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43). Formerly Peter, as a strict Jew, would never have associated with a man who made his living this way. After this, God sent him to preach the message of Christ to a Roman centurion (Acts 10). These events were significant, for they showed that Gentiles were being accepted as part of God’s plan.
III. The Gentile Church Is Planted. Read 11:19–15:35.
The events that occurred at the time the Gentile church was planted include the teaching ministry of Barnabas and Paul in Antioch (11:19–30), Peter’s escape from prison in Jerusalem (12:1–25), Paul’s first missionary journey (13:1–14:28), and the decision made by the Jerusalem Council regarding the Gentiles (15:1–35).
IV. Paul Carries Out His Program. Read 15:36–21:16.
During this period, Paul went on his second and third missionary journeys. Paul began his second missionary journey by visiting the churches that were founded on his first trip. Paul wanted to continue evangelizing in Asia, but the Holy Spirit directed him to Europe (Macedonia) instead (Acts 16:6–10). As a result, several churches were started in Macedonia and Achaia. Paul’s third missionary journey took him eventually to Ephesus, where he ministered for three years (Acts 19:10; 20:31).
Can you see the strategy in the leading of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s ministry? After founding churches in Galatia, Macedonia, and Achaia, Paul stayed in Ephesus, which was centrally located. From that point, he was able to communicate easily with the surrounding churches while he carried on his ministry in Ephesus. Paul apparently expected the Ephesian elders to continue to oversee the churches, for it was to them that he gave his final instructions when he left for Jerusalem for the last time (Acts 20:22–31).
V. Paul Is Imprisoned in Rome. Read 21:17–28:31.
Events leading up to Paul’s imprisonment in Rome included his arrest and trial in Jerusalem (21:17–23:30), his imprisonment in Caesarea (23:31–26:32), his voyage to Rome (27:1–28:15), and his imprisonment there (28:16–31).
The book of Acts gives a pattern for missionary work (Acts 1:8). In this pattern, three elements are clearly mentioned:
1. The Power—the Holy Spirit
2. The Workers—the Christians
3. The Places—local, national, and worldwide
The book of Acts also shows the importance of prayer in carrying out the plan. The disciples gathered for prayer in response to Jesus’ command to wait for the Spirit (Acts 1:14), and the Spirit came (Acts 2:1–4). When they were persecuted for witnessing, the disciples prayed for boldness; the whole place where they were praying was shaken, and they preached fearlessly (Acts 4:23–31). Peter and John prayed and the Samaritans received the Spirit (Acts 8:14–17). Prayer was indeed the practice of the early church (Acts 2:42).
Acts shows us that whenever God-fearing individuals or groups prayed, God moved by His Spirit. The same is true today. The great revival that took place in Burkina Faso in 1965 came because a handful of students prayed.
Let us learn not only the facts but also the spiritual principles of the book of Acts. If we follow the pattern it reveals, God will pour out His Spirit and many people will be drawn to Christ.
James and Galatians: Letters to the Young Church
There are several New Testament epistles related to the book of Acts. It is likely that these epistles were written during the historical period it covers. They can be divided into three groups:
1. Those that were probably written before the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15:
James
Galatians
2. Those connected with Paul’s second and third missionary journeys:
1 and 2 Thessalonians
1 and 2 Corinthians
Romans
3. Those written during Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome:
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
Philemon
In this lesson, we will consider those belonging to the first group—James and Galatians.
James: The Standards of a Godly Man
It appears that the epistle of James was written early in the history of the church to the Jewish Christians who lived in Jerusalem and in other cities where the gospel had reached.
Author
Most Bible scholars agree that the author of the Epistle of James was not James the disciple of Jesus (Matthew 4:21), but James the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55; Galatians 1:19). This James did not believe at first (John 7:5, 10). But the resurrected Christ appeared to him (1 Corinthians 15:7), and he was among the disciples who received the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:14). Scripture indicates that he became a leader in the Jerusalem church and was in charge of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:13, 19). Paul met with him and the other elders at the end of his third missionary journey to tell them about God’s work among the Gentiles (Acts 21:17–19).
Historical Setting
We have learned that the church was strongly Jewish in character at first. In studying James, we see that its overall content and style fits well 
into this early period. It is addressed to the “twelve tribes”—a Jewish expression (James 1:1). It uses the word for synagogue (translated “meeting” in the NIV) to name the place where believers gathered (2:2). Several Old Testament figures are given as examples, such as Abraham (2:20–24), Rahab (2:25–26), and Elijah (5:17–18). These would be familiar to Jewish Christians.
Another fact about James leads us to believe that it belongs to the early period of the church. Although it deals with questions related to the Law, there is no mention of the controversy about the Gentiles or the decision made by the Jerusalem Council. It seems likely that James would discuss this important issue if the Council had already taken place, especially since the author was evidently the leader of the Council.
Content and Outline
In his letter to his fellow Jews who had accepted Jesus as their Messiah, James expressed his concern for them. He wanted them to have the right attitude toward trials and temptations and to practice the beliefs they professed. He warned them about the dangers of greed and self-centered living and encouraged them to have faith in God. As you read through his letter, use the following outline to guide you.
JAMES: THE STANDARDS OF A GODLY MAN
I. His Attitude When Tested. Read 1:1–18.
II. His Response to the Word. Read 1:18–27.
III. His Relationships. Read 2:1–26.
IV. His Speech. Read 3:1–12.
V. His Wisdom. Read 3:13–18.
VI. His Humility. Read 4:1–17.
VII. His Patience. Read 5:1–12.
VIII. His Faith. Read 5:13–20.
Galatians: The True Nature of the Gospel
In contrast to James, Galatians deals directly with the whole issue that was debated in the Jerusalem Council. It gives the background for the opinions that were expressed there and shows how Paul responded to the situation in Galatia.
Author and Historical Setting
Paul visited the area of Galatia on his first missionary journey. This area included the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:13–14:23). Together with Barnabas, Paul established churches in that region and then returned to Antioch of Syria (Acts 14:21–28).
While Paul was in Antioch, he learned that believers in Galatia had accepted a false gospel—a doctrine that people could be saved only if they were circumcised and kept the Law. Paul was horrified (Galatians 1:6). In writing to the Galatians, he spared no effort to make them realize the seriousness of their mistake.
The people who were influencing the Galatians to accept a false “gospel” had the same ideas as those who are described in Acts 15:1–2. But although Galatians deals with the issue that was the subject of the Jerusalem Council, there is no mention of its official decision. This fact makes it seem likely that the epistle was written shortly before the Council. Regardless of when it was written, though, its content is of the greatest importance. It proclaimed the truth that faith in Christ, not observance of the Law, is the foundation of the Christian life. The acknowledgment of this truth formed the basis for the tremendous advances of the gospel among the Gentiles.
Content and Outline
In the strongest language possible, Paul opposed the legalistic error, denounced its advocates, and defended the true gospel— salvation through faith in Christ alone. He urged the Galatians to reject the false teaching and stand firm in their freedom, using it to serve one another in love. As you read through his letter, follow the outline below.
GALATIANS: THE TRUE NATURE OF THE GOSPEL
I. Divine Origin of the Gospel. Read 1:1–24.
II. Defense of the Gospel. Read 2:1–21.
III. Explanation of the Basis of the Gospel. Read 3:1–4:7.
IV. Concern for Deserters of the Gospel. Read 4:8–31.
V. Exhortation to Apply the Gospel. Read 5:1–6:10.
VI. Boasting in the Gospel. Read 6:11–18.