SOMETIMES CALLED THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, THE BOOK OF ACTS COULD BE MORE ACCURATELY CALLED THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT...
In the Gospels, Jesus had promised:
It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter will come not to you, but if I depart I will send Him unto you.
John 16:7
When Jesus became a man, he had locality. But the Holy Spirit indwells every believer. And on the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given to the Church. In the first chapter of the Book of Acts, Jesus gave the disciples their marching orders:
But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1:8
And that is exactly the sequence in which Christianity spread. In the first 12 chapters, Jerusalem was the center of the action and Peter was the chief figure. The gospel was taken as far as Samaria. In chapters 13-28, Antioch up north became the center of the Gentile church, and Paul became the chief figure. The gospel reached as far as Rome itself. Regarded by many as the most exciting and relevant book for the current believer, it is, indeed, one of the most essential for any serious student of the New Testament. Our updated study is now available on DVD.
