This is a Precept Bible Study on the book of Acts, which means you will be looking at the Bible one verse at a time in order to understand God's Word so that you can apply it to your daily life.
The four Gospels described Jesus's life and ended with His death and resurrection. The book of Acts continues HIS-story after the resurrection and follows the transition from the Old Covenant into the New Covenant, where the Holy Spirit came to live in the heart of the believer.
This is a ten-week study and is the second of three studies on the book of Acts:
Acts: The Birth of the Church (12-week study)
Acts: Paul's Three Missionary Journeys (10-week study)
Acts: Paul's Arrest, Trial and Imprisonment (8-week study)
The first study covered the first twelve chapters of the book of Acts, which followed the birth of the church in Jerusalem and its growth into the surrounding areas outside of Judea. The Holy Spirit used ordinary people like Peter, Barnabas, Paul, Stephen and Philip to spread the good news and establish His church.
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth. (Acts 1:8 NASB)
This second study begins with the church in Antioch sending Paul and Barnabas to Galatia to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. The Galatians were so hungry for the word of God, they begged Paul and Barnabas to stay. Do you remember when you first accepted Jesus as your Savior? How excited you were to read and hear the word of God? That's how these Galatian believers felt too!
After Paul and Barnabas returned from Galatia, the church in Antioch sent Paul on two more journeys that took him all the way to Europe and back as he evangelized most of the Mediterranean world. Paul faced opposition from kings and magicians and demons and more, and was beaten and thrown in jail on numerous occasions. He was harassed by Judaizers who spread lies and followed him from city to city, creating chaos. They even hired thugs in Thessalonica to give false witness against him. Then, there were the Greek philosophers who threw Paul out of the Athenian Areopagus just for mentioning the resurrection!
There were heroes too, such as Lydia, who started the first church in Europe; Apollo, who was a charismatic apologist; and Aquila and Priscilla, who were tentmakers and good friends with Paul. Let's not forget Timothy and Titus, whom Paul considered his spiritual sons, and Doctor Luke, who traveled with Paul on most of his journeys and wrote the book of Acts.
Paul performed many miracles, like bringing Tabitha and Eutychus back to life and healing a crippled man in Lystra. Then, there were the men who tried to buy the Holy Spirit's power, and the Seven Sons of Sceva who tried to cast out demons without the power of the Holy Spirit. These men learned quickly that the Holy Spirit was not for sale! The Holy Spirit is not for sale because its free to all who repent and call on the name of the Lord.
Hold on to your hat as we travel with Paul and his companions on his three iconic journeys, courageously planting churches and sharing the Gospel throughout the Mediterranean region.
