Introduction
Enjoy the real life drama of Acts

Act one – Listen and Read | chapter 1

Welcome to Amazing Acts—act one!

What could be more exciting, challenging or relevant today than to see how a small, dejected and defeated body of believers became the first members of the early church which, though sorely persecuted, were empowered by the Holy Spirit to turn the world upside down with the gospel?

Each chapter of Amazing Acts—act one whether in writing or by audio, contains the passage of the book of Acts covered in that chapter. Amazing Acts—act one covers the first nine chapters of Acts, except for a few verses which best fit into Amazing Acts—act two.

How can you best use this book for your own and for others’ blessing? (The Correspondence Course book and Appendix One to this book explain how best to use that course.)

  1. Pray that God will help you understand and trust His word, and put it into practice in your life.
  2. Play the relevant track and listen to the passage and explanation while you read it in the book.
  3. Read two or three times through the verses of Acts printed in each chapter of Amazing Acts—act one.
  4. Ask ‘What is the main point of the passage?’ How do the footnoted Bible references relate to that?
  5. Answer the three questions in each chapter, using the Bible verses noted there to help you.
  6. Pray over what you have learned. Ask God to help you to apply it faithfully to your own life.
  7. Read and listen through the chapter again to see if you have missed anything important.

You may adapt these points to use Amazing Acts—act one for Bible studies, study groups, or one-on-one teaching.

Amazing Acts—act one may be used with any Bible translation of the book of Acts, although the New King James Version (‘NKJV’) is the one generally quoted. The Bible references function as follows: Acts 1:1–14 means Acts chapter 1, verses 1 to 14.

The 28 chapters of the Acts of the Apostles are covered in three books, Amazing Acts—act one, chapter 1:1-9:31,  Amazing Acts—act two, chapter 9:32-18:23, and Amazing Acts—act three, chapter 18:23-28:31.

Amazing Acts—act one (Acts 1:1–9:31) covers the birth, growth, witness and cruel persecution of the church up to the conversion and early evangelistic ministry of Saul, later to be known as Paul.

  • Jesus’ commission to the church to witness to Him in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).
  • The birth, growth, witness, and persecution of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1 to Acts 8:3).
  • The spread of the gospel into Judea and Samaria by Christians fleeing persecution (Acts 8:4).
  • Concentration of gospel preaching in Samaria by Philip, Peter and John (Acts 8:4–25).
  • Concentration of gospel preaching in Judea by Philip (Acts 8:26–40).
  • Moving on from Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria: the conversion and nurturing of Saul, the arch-persecutor of the church, near Damascus in Syria (Acts 9:1–19); Saul immediately preaches the gospel in Damascus with the believers there (Acts 9:20–22); After a Jewish death-threat Saul flees to Jerusalem via Caesarea (Judea), from where he escapes another death-threat by going north to his home town of Tarsus in Cilicia. (Acts 9:23–30).
  • A period of freedom from persecution and further growth for the church, after Saul’s departure (Acts 9:31).