Lectures on Acts

The book of Acts is the story of early Christianity. This book gives us a great many principles that should guide us in Christian effort at the present time. One is reminded of the Lord’s word to Moses when He commanded him to build the tabernacle: “Look that thou make them after their pattern which was showed thee in the mount” (Exodus 25:40). God has given us in the book of Acts a pattern of Christian testimony, missionary effort, world evangelism, and building of Christian churches—a pattern which we would do well to follow. Certainly we can be assured of this: the closer we come to following this holy pattern, the greater blessing will attend our efforts.The title of this book as given in our English Bibles is of course not inspired. These titles have been added to the books by editors. Sometimes they seem to have been given with great exactness; in other cases we may question their appropriateness. Actually this book does not contain the acts of the apostles as a whole. The fact of the matter is, very few of the apostles are even mentioned in it. The book is largely limited to the ministry of two of them—Peter, who was one of the twelve, and Paul, who was an apostle of a different order altogether and not one of the twelve. He did not know our Lord on earth, but received his commission directly from Heaven. Actually the book might be called, as others have suggested, The Acts of the Holy Spirit; or, if you will, The Acts of the Risen Christ through the Holy Spirit Working in the Church on Earth. In this book we have brought before us in a wonderful way the work of that promised Comforter who came to earth to witness to the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ and to convince men of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.