Acts: Welcome to our study in the Book of The Acts of the Apostles. To summarize the book of Acts in one sentence: The Kingdom of Israel Fades as the Body of Christ Grows.
To say simply that Acts is the story of the beginning of the church is to give a half-truth, for first, God offers the Earthly Kingdom to Israel and when that nation rejects their own risen Messiah, then God cuts off Israel, and grafts in the Body of Christ, replacing the covenant of law with the covenant of Grace.
Who were the major Apostles?
Jesus chose the 12 Apostles, Peter, James, John and the rest, and as He promised them, they would sit on 12 thrones, and judge the 12 tribes of Israel.
On the other hand, for the Body, Paul is the one apostle for the one Body of Christ, and neither Paul, nor the Twelve Apostles, will rule over us, but Christ alone is the head of the body, whereas Israel, as a political entity, as a kingdom, can employ 12 judges.
The title of the Book, The Acts of the Apostles, could be focused more precisely. It could be the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and Paul. For most of the Twelve Apostles, Luke the author of this book, mentions only their names, and that, only once. Whereas Peter and Paul are the main actors.
In Acts 1 through 8, Peter is the primary actor and through Peter God offers the Kingdom to Israel.
In Acts 9, God saves Paul and sends him to the Gentiles and it is only through Paul’s ministry that God tells us about the Body of Christ and the dispensation of Grace.
As The Acts opens, it’s all Peter and then as God cuts off Israel and grafts in the Gentiles in the Body, the story transitions and as Peter fades out, Paul replaces him as the primary actor.
The Book of Acts is the story of the transition from Israel to the Body of Christ. Get this entire verse by verse Bible study in four parts.
Acts: St Peter's Church Vol. 1
Acts: St Peter's Church Vol. 2
Acts: St Paul's Church Vol. 1
Acts: St Paul's Church Vol. 2
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Ezra: Fascinating ancient letters dramatize Israel's struggle with the ancient kings of the Medes and the Persians and with their neighbors. Why did God forbid the Jews from marrying their Gentile neighbors? Through Ezra the priest, God even commanded Israel to divorce their pagan wives. Contrarily, through the Apostle Paul, God commands Christians to stay married to unbelievers. Why did God issue different commands to Israel and the Body of Christ regarding divorce and marriage, what are the similarities, and what are the differences?