Acts Introduction

It is very in vogue these days to cast doubts about the church as we currently find it in America. A lot people are rethinking the church, and thankfully they are asking some very questions. Questions like what is the church, what is the purpose of the church, how does the church accomplish its mission. Every Christian in every age should be asking these questions, and if you are not, then it is time that you start. Whatever “church” is, it is at the heart of what God is doing in this world. If you don’t understand it, if you are not part of it, then as a Christian you are not on the same mission as God is.

As beneficial as it is to rethink the church, every Christian should approach such analysis carefully. We are after all fallen creatures, so our natural inclinations about the church could very well be wrong. We are also creatures formed by our culture, so we are probably predisposed to cling to the water were used to swimming in, even if that water isn’t biblical. As a result, it is very wise to come to the table with suspicions about our own personal agendas. Instead of considering modern thoughts about the church, then, I think it is best to begin with Bible.

There is a lot of good counsel and instruction about what the church is and what it is to be doing in the NT. However, one of the best ways to understand the church is to see it in action. That’s what the book of Acts is. It is the picture of the church and its spread from the ascension of Christ until what was probably the martyrdom of Paul. Now not everything that happened in Acts should be happening today. In fact, there is a great debate going on as to just how much of Acts should be normative for the church today. I don’t plan on settling that debate. Nevertheless, we will see that a lot of it does and should guide us in our understanding of the church.