From the Ascension to The Church at Antioch.

Acts Chs. 1-12.

The Book of Acts. The book of Acts is the only purely historical book
of the New Testament. It is as a continuation of the gospel of Luke.
It follows the fortunes of the infant church and gives us all the
light we have in regard to its further organization and development,
but it does not claim to be a complete history of the work of the
early church. As a history it is as remarkable for what it omits as
for what it narrates. The central theme is the triumph and progress of
the gospel in spite of all the opposition and persecution which its
advocates met. The chief purpose seems to be to show the progress of
Christianity among the Gentiles and only so much of the work among the
Jews is given as will authenticate the other. The whole book falls
into three sections: (1) The church at work in Jerusalem, chs. 1-7.
(2) The church at work in Palestine, chs, 8-12. (3) The church at work
among the Gentiles, chs. 13-28.

The material of the period which we are now to study includes the
first two points and should be read in connection with the following
outline:

I. _The church at work in Jerusalem, chs_. 1-7.

1. Preparation for witnessing, 1:1-2:4. Under this there is given: (1)
Christ's last instructions and ascension and (2) The church in the
upper room including the election of Matthias and the coming of the
Holy Spirit.