A Contextual Study of Acts

by Jason Gastrich

Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (LBTS - Liberty University campus

Chapter: 1:15

Speaker: Peter

Audience: 120 disciples

Purpose of Message: Choosing another disciple to replace Judas.

Special Emphasis: Quoting prophetic scriptures from Psalms, Matthias and Justus were the two possible replacements.

Chapter: 2:7

Speaker: random disciples

Audience: other disciples and eventually other people

Purpose of Message: The Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in different languages.

Special Emphasis: Some thought they were drunk

Chapter: 2:14

Speaker: Peter

Audience: everyone listening

Purpose of Message: The disciples were not drunk, they were fulfilling the prophecy of Joel.

Special Emphasis: A salvation message with the words, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Chapter: 2:37

Speaker: the receivers/listeners of Peter's message

Audience: Peter and the rest of the apostles

Purpose of Message: the gospel

Special Emphasis: "Repent and be baptized, then you will receive the Holy Spirit."

Chapter: 3:4

Speaker: Peter

Audience: lame man

Purpose of Message: glorifying God through the healing of a lame man

Special Emphasis: "I do not have gold or silver, but what I do have, I give to you; rise up and walk."

Chapter: 3:12

Speaker: Peter

Audience: men of Israel

Purpose of Message: to give glory to God for the miracle and preach the gospel, to show the prophecy had been fulfilled through Jesus Christ

Special Emphasis: "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord."

Chapter: 4:7

Speaker: the high priests

Audience: Peter (and possibly the apostles)

Purpose of Message: to get to the truth

Special Emphasis: "By what power or by what name have you done this?"

Chapter: 4:8

Speaker: Peter

Audience: the high priests

Purpose of Message: to give God glory and preach the gospel, to quote prophetic fulfillment

Special Emphasis: ""This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Chapter: 4:16-18

Speaker: the high priests

Audience: first themselves, then Peter and the apostles

Purpose of Message: to make them stop preaching Jesus Christ by mean of a threat

Special Emphasis: And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

Chapter: 4:19

Speaker: Peter and John

Audience: the high priests

Purpose of Message: we must preach the gospel

Special Emphasis: "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

Chapter: 4:24

Speaker: all the disciples

Audience: the people listening, but most importantly God

Purpose of Message: a prayer

Special Emphasis: "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus."

Chapter: 4:31

Speaker: the disciples and the apostles

Audience: everyone (not mentioned, actually)

Purpose of Message: spreading the gospel

Special Emphasis: "And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

Chapter: 5:3

Speaker: Peter

Audience: Ananias

Purpose of Message: to reveal Ananias' sin

Special Emphasis: Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.

Chapter: 5:8

Speaker: Peter

Audience: Sapphira

Purpose of Message: to reveal Sapphira's sin

Special Emphasis: Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.

Chapter: 5:20

Speaker: an angel of the Lord

Audience: apostles

Purpose of Message: to direct them and free them

Special Emphasis: They were in prison and the angel of the Lord freed them.

Chapter: 5:23

Speaker: prison guards

Audience: high priests

Purpose of Message: the apostles were gone

Special Emphasis: "Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!"

Chapter: 5:29

Speaker: Peter and the other apostles

Audience: high priests

Purpose of Message: to explain why they were spreading the gospel in the temple

Special Emphasis: "We ought to obey God rather than men."

Chapter: 5:35

Speaker: a Pharisee named Gamaliel

Audience: high priests ("Men of Israel")

Purpose of Message: He told the high priests that they should let the apostles be since others have come and gone who were like them, when their work was not from God.

Special Emphasis: "if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it; lest you even be found to fight against God."

Chapter: 6:2

Speaker: apostles

Audience: the disciples

Purpose of Message: to find someone to help the widows

Special Emphasis: They delegated power to 7 Godly men.

Chapter: 6:11-15

Speaker: liars and false witnesses

Audience: people, elders and scribes

Purpose of Message: to get rid of the preaching of Jesus Christ

Special Emphasis: They said that Stephen spoke blasphemous words about God and Moses. They also said that Jesus of Nazareth would overthrow the Mosaic law and "this place".

Chapter: 7:2

Speaker: Stephen

Audience: high priests

Purpose of Message: to summarize the humanity of Moses, Jacob and the Old Testament people, declared the majesty of God, explained how the prophets get persecuted

Special Emphasis: He was stoned to death right after seeing Jesus and God in Heaven.

Chapter: 8:10

Speaker: the people of Samaria

Audience: people

Purpose of Message: Simon was a man of God, due to his sorcery (false), Philip gave him the true gospel

Special Emphasis: Philip preached to him and Simon repented and was baptized. He became a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Chapter: 8:19

Speaker: Simon

Audience: Peter

Purpose of Message: to pay Peter for a spiritual gift

Special Emphasis: Spiritual gifts cannot be bought. God doesn't work that way.

Chapter: 8:26

Speaker: an angel of the Lord

Audience: Philip

Purpose of Message: Go on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza

Special Emphasis: It was desert.

Chapter: 8:30

Speaker: Philip

Audience: Ethiopian Eunuch

Purpose of Message: The Eunuch was reading Isaiah the prophet and didn't understand a prophecy about Jesus Christ. Philip gave him the gospel and he accepted it. The Eunuch was then baptized.

Special Emphasis: Salvation for the Eunuch

Chapter: 9:4

Speaker: Jesus

Audience: Saul, Ananias

Purpose of Message: to change Saul into God's apostle, to prepare Ananias for Saul's presence

Special Emphasis: A bright light blinded Saul.

Chapter: 9:34

Speaker: Peter

Audience: Aeneas, a bedridden and paralyzed man for eight years

Purpose of Message: "Make up your bed and walk"

Special Emphasis: Peter healed this man.

Chapter: 9:40

Speaker: Peter

Audience: Tabitha

Purpose of Message: to raise Tabitha from the dead

Special Emphasis: She was a woman of God.

Chapter: 10:3

Speaker: an angel of God

Audience: Cornelius, a man of God

Purpose of Message: send for Peter

Special Emphasis: He knew that Peter was with Simon the tanner.

Chapter: 10:13

Speaker: a voice from Heaven

Audience: Peter

Purpose of Message: A dream or vision illustrated how he should kill unclean animals and eat them, then to go to Cornelius

Special Emphasis: Peter had not done this, previously. This happened 3 times.

Chapter: 10:28

Speaker: Cornelius

Audience: Peter

Purpose of Message: Cornelius explains to Peter the way the angel of God talked to him

Special Emphasis: The gospel was given to this centurion. The Jews weren't the only people that could accept Christ.

Chapter: 10:34

Speaker: Peter

Audience: Cornelius and others

Purpose of Message: the gospel

Special Emphasis: Gentiles could accept Christ and be baptized.

Chapter: 11:5

Speaker: Peter

Audience: people who were bound by circumcision laws

Purpose of Message: to show how the Gentiles could receive Christ

Special Emphasis: When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

Chapter: 12:7

Speaker: an angel of the Lord

Audience: Peter

Purpose of Message: freed him from prison

Special Emphasis: And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel, and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jewish people."

Chapter: 13:2

Speaker: Holy Spirit

Audience: disciples

Purpose of Message: to separate Barnabus and Saul for ministry

Special Emphasis: They were fasting. The people laid hands on them and prayed and they went.

Chapter: 13:10

Speaker: Saul

Audience: the sorcerer Elymas

Purpose of Message: to cause him to quit his evil and punish him

Special Emphasis: And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

Chapter: 13:16

Speaker: Paul

Audience: "Men of Israel and you who fear God"

Purpose of Message: to give the gospel, first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles; to share some history of David and some Old Testament people and give them the knowledge of Christ

Special Emphasis: (Paul and Barnabus speaking) "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles."

Chapter: 14:10

Speaker: Paul

Audience: a crippled man in Lystra of Lycaonia

Purpose of Message: to heal him and give glory to God

Special Emphasis: He leaped and walked.

Chapter: 14:15

Speaker: Paul and Barnabus

Audience: the people and the priest of Zeus

Purpose of Message: Don't worship us.

Special Emphasis: They tore their clothes.

Chapter: 15:7

Speaker: Peter, Barnabus, Paul and Simon

Audience: believers in circumcision and keeping the Mosaic law, like the Pharisees

Purpose of Message: to give the true gospel

Special Emphasis: Concerning Gentiles, "So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,"

Chapter: 16:18

Speaker: Paul

Audience: a spirit possessed woman who was using her powers to make money for her owners

Purpose of Message: Get out of her.

Special Emphasis: Her owners were upset and turned Paul and Silas into the authorities, because their way of making money was gone.

Chapter: 16:28

Speaker: Paul

Audience: prison guard

Purpose of Message: salvation

Special Emphasis: The guard was about to kill himself since the prisoners were escaping. Paul gave him the gospel by his request.

Chapter: 16:37

Speaker: Paul

Audience: officers, then the magistrates

Purpose of Message: Paul, a Roman citizen, didn't want a public imprisonment and a private release. He wanted all to know that he was treated unjustly and should be let go.

Special Emphasis: They did as he requested and pleaded him to leave the city.

Chapter: 17:18

Speaker: Paul

Audience: certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers and Areopagus and others in Athens

Purpose of Message: the gospel was presented to godless people and some believed

Special Emphasis: "To the unknown God". They had this inscription on one of their idols, so Paul told them this speech of salvation was about the God they did not know.

Chapter: 18:6

Speaker: Paul

Audience: Jews

Purpose of Message: the gospel, but after rejection, decides to go to the Gentiles

Special Emphasis: But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

Chapter: 18:9

Speaker: the Lord

Audience: Paul in a dream

Purpose of Message: Don't be afraid or keep silent.

Special Emphasis: Jesus was talking to him.

Chapter: 18:14

Speaker: Paul

Audience: the Jews or Achaia

Purpose of Message: Judge yourself.

Special Emphasis: Paul defends Christ and tells them to be their own judge, he will not.

Chapter: 19:2

Speaker: Paul

Audience: disciples in Ephesus

Purpose of Message: salvation and baptism

Special Emphasis: They were baptized, Paul prayed and laid hands on them, then they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

Chapter: 19:13

Speaker: itinerant Jewish exorcists

Audience: an evil spirit

Purpose of Message: The Jews tried to cast out a spirit in Jesus' name, but they didn't know Jesus. The Spirit jumped on them and beat them up.

Special Emphasis: And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"

Chapter: 19:25

Speaker: Demetrius

Audience: people of Ephesus

Purpose of Message: Diana is God and Paul was evil.

Special Emphasis: Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

Chapter: 19:37

Speaker: Alexander

Audience: the people of Ephesus

Purpose of Message: Paul is innocent.

Special Emphasis: "Therefore, if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a case against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another."

Chapter: 20:10

Speaker: Paul

Audience: a dead young man named Eutychus' parents/friends

Purpose of Message: Paul raised this man from the dead.

Special Emphasis: And they brought the young man in alive, and they were not a little comforted.

Chapter: 20:18

Speaker: Paul

Audience: elders of the church

Purpose of Message: Paul explained his ministry and Christ

Special Emphasis: The people wept, kissed him and prayed with him.

Chapter: 21:11

Speaker: Agabus from Judea

Audience: Paul

Purpose of Message: They will bind Paul in Jerusalem.

Special Emphasis: "For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. The will of the Lord be done."

Chapter: 21:20

Speaker: James and the elders

Audience: Paul

Purpose of Message: the message that was being taught

Special Emphasis: it was good and the Gentiles didn't need to be circumcised

Chapter: 21:27

Speaker: Jews from Asia

Audience: "Men of Israel" or Jews

Purpose of Message: to tell them that Paul was evil and to get rid of him

Special Emphasis: And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut.

Chapter: 21:37-22:20

Speaker: Paul

Audience: first to the commander, then to the people

Purpose of Message: Paul recounts his life and God's calling

Special Emphasis: He spoke in Hebrew, which made the people listen more intently.

Chapter: 22:26

Speaker: centurion and commander

Audience: each other then Paul

Purpose of Message: to find out whether he was a Roman citizen

Special Emphasis: Roman citizens had special privileges and Paul was one.

Chapter: 23:1

Speaker: Paul

Audience: Pharisees and Sadducees

Purpose of Message: to reveal his Pharisee background and let the two groups talk about differences; perhaps to distract them

Special Emphasis: And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and the assembly was divided.

Chapter: 23:11

Speaker: the Lord

Audience: Paul

Purpose of Message: Paul did well, do not fear, you're going to Rome.

Special Emphasis: Jesus was talking to Paul about the future.

Chapter: 24:2

Speaker: Tertullus

Audience: the governor

Purpose of Message: to condemn Paul

Special Emphasis: They wanted to judge Paul according to their law (blasphemy would have meant stoning).

Chapter: 24:10

Speaker: Paul

Audience: his accusers

Purpose of Message: He believes all things written in the Law and the Prophets (Old Testament).

Special Emphasis: Paul was thrown in jail.

Chapter: 25:8

Speaker: Paul

Audience: Festus and accusers

Purpose of Message: to show that he is innocent

Special Emphasis: "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all." Festus ends up sending him to Caesar.

Chapter: 25:16

Speaker: King Agrippa

Audience: Festus

Purpose of Message: Paul would be tried by his accusers

Special Emphasis: They couldn't find solid things, only brought up Jesus and the fact that Paul said He was alive.

Chapter: 26:2

Speaker: Paul

Audience: King Agrippa

Purpose of Message: Defense

Special Emphasis: Paul tells his story of his life and calling by God. Agrippa says, "You almost persuade me to become a Christian!" (This verse has been interpreted in different ways)

Chapter: 27:10

Speaker: Paul

Audience: sailors

Purpose of Message: warn them that there was going to be dangerous seas

Special Emphasis: the ship was wrecked; no lives were lost, Paul made it to his destination after being on a certain island and getting bitten by a snake

Chapter: 28:17

Speaker: Paul

Audience: the leaders of the Jews

Purpose of Message: Paul shared the gospel

Special Emphasis: the people said, "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers, saying, 'Go to this people and say: Hearing you will hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive;"