UNROLL
A worn Roman milestone beside a paved road at dawn, the road running down past olive trees to a harbor with ships and the open sea beyond.

The Book of

Acts Intro

What Jesus began to do, He keeps doing by His Spirit.

Before chapter 1≈ 2 min28 chapters

Images are artistic interpretations.

In 30 seconds

Jesus goes up. The Spirit comes down.

A small church in Jerusalem finds its voice.

The good news crosses every border.

A persecutor becomes its boldest voice.

And the story reaches Rome.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Who wrote it

Luke

Gospel writer and Paul’s traveling companion

  • Part two of a two-volume work. Like Luke’s Gospel, it is written to Theophilus.Acts 1:1
  • Early church writers name Luke, a doctor and friend of Paul, as the author.Church tradition
  • In places the story says ‘we’, so the writer seems to have traveled with Paul.Acts 16:10
  • Usually dated between the early 60s and the 80s AD. It ends with Paul waiting in Rome.Most scholars

How it’s built

Widening circles

Jerusalemchapters 1–7Judea andSamariachapters 8–12The ends ofthe earthchapters 13–28Romechapter 28

Whiteboard

Jesus’ words in 1:8 map the whole book. Peter leads the first half, Paul the second.

Big themes

Four threads to follow

Where it happens

JerusalemAntioch (Syria)PhilippiCorinthEphesusRome

Stylised map · locations approximate

Where it happened

Out across the sea

From Jerusalem to Antioch, across to Greece, and on to Rome, the heart of the empire.

Meet the cast

Tap a circle to meet them

Watch for

you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

Start reading

Question

Quick question

The church soon grew far beyond Jerusalem, and its people got a new name.

Where were the disciples first called Christians?

or swipe left