There are dozens of reasons that Christians should love and study the book of Acts, but we are narrowing that down to only five in this study. The first reason we noted is to learn about how to become a Christian. A second reason we need to know this book is to learn about the power of the gospel.
In the book right after the book of Acts (i.e., the book of Romans), we read the words, “the gospel of Christ…is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek” (1:16). But, in the book of Acts itself, we see those words. How powerful is the gospel of Christ? In Acts 2, the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was preached to a large gathering of Jews, many of whom were personally responsible for taking Jesus with their “lawless hands,” crucifying Him and putting Him to death (2:23). Three thousand of these cold-hearted killers were converted by the power of the gospel (2:41-47).
In Acts 6, the gospel was preached in Jerusalem and converted “a great many of the priests” (6:7). These men gave up everything, including their jobs and many friends, to become Christians! There is power in the gospel!
In Acts 8, the gospel reached the outcast, “halfbreed” Samaritans, whom the Jews hated (John 4:9; Acts 10:28), and “both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:12). The gospel sees no boundaries!
In Acts 9, the “chief” of “sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15) encountered Christ personally and had the gospel preached to him by Ananias. This “blasphemer…persecutor and…insolent man” (1 Tim. 1:13) “crucified” himself with Christ (Gal. 2:20) to become a Christian, and in the process, “counted loss for Christ…all things” that he had attained for himself (Phil. 3:4-8). The gospel is powerful!
In Acts 10, the gospel was preached by a Jew to “aliens…and strangers” (in the eyes of Jews), who had “no hope,” were “without God” and “were far off” from Christ (Eph. 2:11-13). But “salvation” was for the Gentiles also (Rom. 1:16), and they were baptized into Christ. The gospel’s power is impartial!
In Acts 17, the gospel came to the city of idols (i.e., Athens), and they got to hear about the one true God and the resurrection of Christ. “Some” of these idolaters were converted to Jesus Christ (17:23-34)! The gospel has power!
In Acts 18, the gospel was “delivered” (1 Cor. 15:3-4) to one of the most immoral cities on the planet in that day, and “many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). The gospel changes lives (1 Cor. 6:9-11)!
We need to study the great book of Acts!
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