Understanding The Bible
STUDY REFERENCE
Clarence E. Mason's "Earlier New Testament Epistles"
The Acts of the Apostles

EXPOSITORY ANALYSIS

 

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BY THE AUTHOR
Dr. Clarence E. Mason, Jr.
Philadelphia College of Bible
1971

THE BOOK OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
EXPOSITORY ANALYSIS

 

INTRODUCTION:
The Fifty Days from Passover to Pentecost 1
1. The forty days' ministry and ascension of Christ 1:1-11
2. The prayer meeting (choice of Matthias) 1:12-26

  1. REJECTION by Jews and Proselytes (IN Judea) 2:1-8:3
    See Pertinent Comment No. 1 - "Was Joel's prophecy said by Peter to be fulfilled?"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 2
    - "Peter's use of the Keys of the Kingdom"

    The re-offer of the Kingdom TO Israel and the final rejection of the Kingdom BY Israel!

    1. The first offer at Pentecost--the Birthday of the Church 2:1-41

    2. Further offers and the Kingdom witness to Israel 2:42-8:3

      1. Family love and unity of Church 2:42-47

      2. Tacit offer of Christ's return (if repentance is forthcoming) 3
        (See w. 19-20: Healing at Gate Beautiful and resulting sermon.)

      3. The first persecution (holy boldness): warned 4:1-31

      4. Purification and power of Church 4:32-5:16

      5. The second persecution: beaten 5:17-42

      6. Sweet reasonableness of Church 6:1-7

      7. The third persecution: martyred 6:8-8:3

        1. Stephen's ministry 6:8-10

        2. Stephen's sermon to Sanhedrin 6:11-7:53

        3. Stephen's dying testimony 7:54-60

        4. Saul's guilty participation 8:1-3
           

  2. TRANSITION from Jews and Proselytes to Gentiles (FROM Judea) 8:4-12:25
    See Pertinent Comment No. 3 - "Peter's tacit offer of the Kingdom"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 4 - "The right of private property - Christianity or Communism?"

    1. Through Philip (to Samaria and Africa) 8:4-40

      1. Samaria 8:5-25

      2. Ethiopia (Africa) 8:26-40
        Parenthesis: The apostle to the Gentiles converted 9:1-31

    2. Through Peter (Judea and Caesarea) 9:32-11:18

      1. Peter at Lydda and Joppa 9:32-43

      2. Peter goes to Caesarea 10

      3. Peter explains at Jerusalem 11:1-18

    3. Through Barnabas and others (to Syria) 11:19-12:25

      1. At Antioch (in Syria) 11:19-30

      2. 2. At Jerusalem 12
         

  3. EXPANSION among the Gentiles ("To the uttermost") 13-28
    See Pertinent Comment No. 5 - "Was the Church revealed only to Paul, or also to Peter and Others?"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 6 - "Another pivotal point"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 7 - "Precise accuracy of Luke as a historian"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 8 - "Philosophers at Athens"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 9 - "Seven external factors favoring Paul and the spread of his message"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 10 - "Six elements of Paul's missionary strategy"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 11 - "How many missionary journeys were there? Three? Four? Five?"
    See Pertinent Comment No. 12 - "Which day should Christians particularly keep as a worship day?"
    See Pertinent Comment No.  13 - "The Herodian family"

    1. Paul's three missionary journeys 13:l-20:3a

      1. Paul's first missionary journey (with Barnabas) 13-14
        (to Asia Minor)
        Parenthesis: The First Church Council (at Jerusalem, AD 50) 15:1-35
        Judaizers answered and gospel of grace approved.

      2. Paul's second missionary journey (with Silas) 15:36-18:22
        (to the Balkans: Eastern Europe)

        1. Disagreement with Barnabas over John Mark 15:36-39

        2. Paul and party revisit first journey cities 15:40-16:5

        3. Paul and party enter Europe at Macedonia (Philippi) 16:6-40

        4. Evangelization of Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, and Ephesus 17:1-18:22

      3. Paul's third missionary journey (with Silas) 18:23-20:3a
        (to the Balkans: Eastern Europe)

        1. Revisiting Galatia and Phrygia 18:23

        2. Revisiting Ephesus 18:24-19:41
          (ministry to Roman "Asia")

        3. Revisiting Macedonia and Greece (Achaia) 20:l-3a

    2. The trip to Jerusalem with Gentile Christians' gift, and its results 20:3b-26:32

      1. On the way 20:3b-21:17
        Via Macedonia, Troas, Miletus, Tyre, Caesarea.
        Paul exceeds instructions "that he should not set foot in Jerusalem," 21:4.
        See note on the First Day of the Week at end of Acts notes.

      2. Paul at Jerusalem 21:17-23:33

        1. Paul arrives and reports 21:17-19

        2. Unwise counsel to sponsor men making blood sacrifice 21:20-26

        3. Providential interruption of sacrifice and protection of Paul 21:27-32

        4. Paul arrested but permitted to preach to mob 21:33-22:23

        5. Paul asserts Roman citizenship 22:24-29

        6. Paul before Sanhedrin 22:30-23:10

        7. Paul encouraged 23:11

        8. Paul transferred to Caesarea for safety 23:12-33

      3. Paul at Caesarea (in prison) 23:34-26:32

        1. Paul's first hearing (public) before Felix 23:34-24:23

        2. Paul's second hearing (private) before Felix 24:24-26

        3. Paul's two years' wait 24:27

        4. Paul's hearing before Festus 25:1-12

        5. Paul's hearing before Agrippa (and Festus) 25:13-26:32

    3. The trip to Rome and its results (to Western Europe) 27-28

      1. Shipwreck 27

      2. Malta 28:1-11

      3. Malta to Rome 28:12-16

      4. Ministry to Jews 28:17-29

      5. Two years' ministry to many in "his own hired house" 28:30-31

        ABRUPT ENDING! Presumably released.

 

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