The Book of Acts

Acts tells the story of the early Church — the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome through Peter, Paul and the apostles.

Testament: New (28 chapters)
Type: History
Date: Probably 75-85 AD, concluding with Paul under house arrest in Rome.

The Spirit's mission

Jesus' last words promise 'ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you' (1:8). The book then traces the church spreading exactly as he said — Jerusalem (1-7), Judea and Samaria (8-12), 'to the uttermost part of the earth' (13-28). The Spirit drives the whole story.

Across every barrier

Acts shows the gospel crossing barriers — Jewish to Samaritan (8), Samaritan to Ethiopian (8), to Gentile (10), to philosopher (17), to emperor (28). The Council of Jerusalem (15) settles the question: Gentiles do not have to become Jewish to follow Jesus. The church becomes universal.

Key verses (KJV)

“Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” — Acts 1:8 (KJV)

“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” — Acts 2:38 (KJV)

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” — Acts 4:12 (KJV)

How to read Acts

Read straight through over a week. Chapters 1-2 (Pentecost), 8-10 (the gospel crosses ethnic lines), 13-14 (Paul's first journey), and 27-28 (Paul to Rome) are the spine. Pair with Paul's letters — Acts is the narrative; the epistles are the mail.

Read Acts on your iPhone

Read the full book of Acts in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.

Read Acts free on iPhone.

Download on the App Store

Popular chapters in Acts

Acts 2

More New Testament books

From the blog

Frequently asked questions

What is the Book of Acts about?

Acts is a book of History, running to 28 chapters. Its main threads: The Spirit's mission; Across every barrier.

Who wrote the Book of Acts?

Luke, the same author as the Gospel of Luke (the two are a single two-volume work).

Where does Acts come in the Bible?

Acts is one of the 27 books of the New Testament in the Protestant canon, grouped with the History books. You can walk the canon in order using the previous and next links on this page.