| Preface | xiii |
| Abbreviations | xv |
| General Introduction | 1 |
| A. | The Nature of the Book | 1 |
| B. | The Author | 2 |
| C. | Date of Composition | 5 |
| D. | The Purpose of the Book | 6 |
| E. | Context | 8 |
| F. | Text | 11 |
| 1 | Introduction (1:1-26) | 13 |
| A. | Dedication and Prologue (1:1-3) | 13 |
| The Acts of the Spirit | 16 |
| B. | The Promise of the Spirit (1:4-8) | 17 |
| The Reign of God and Our Reality | 20 |
| C. | The Ascension (1:9-11) | 23 |
| A Sight Set on Heaven | 24 |
| D. | The Election of Matthias (1:12-26) | 27 |
| Mission and Structure | 30 |
| 2 | Pentecost (2:1-41) | 33 |
| A. | The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:1-13) | 33 |
| The Disadvantage of the Advantaged | 37 |
| Each in Our Own Tongue | 39 |
| B. | Explanation and Response (2:14-41) | 39 |
| 1. | Peter's Speech (2:14-36) | 39 |
| 2. | The Response of the Crowd (2:37-41) | 43 |
| The Community of the Spirit | 43 |
| 1. | The Last Days | 43 |
| 2. | Dual Citizenship | 45 |
| 3. | A Leveling Spirit | 46 |
| 3 | The Church in Jerusalem (2:42-8:3) | 49 |
| A. | A Summary (2:42-47) | 49 |
| The Church between Fear and Joy | 52 |
| B. | A Miracle and Its Consequences (3:1-4:31) | 55 |
| 1. | The Miracle (3:1-10) | 55 |
| 2. | Peter's Explanation (3:11-26) | 56 |
| 3. | The Reaction of the Powerful (4:1-22) | 58 |
| a. | The Intervention (4:1-6) | 58 |
| b. | Peter's Speech (4:7-12) | 60 |
| c. | The Verdict (4:13-22) | 61 |
| 4. | The Response of the Faithful (4:23-31) | 62 |
| Today's Conflicts | 63 |
| C. | The Use of Goods (4:32-5:11) | 70 |
| 1. | Another Summary (4:32-35) | 70 |
| 2. | Concrete Cases (4:36-5:11) | 74 |
| The Nature of the Church and Its Inner Life | 76 |
| 1. | Interpretation and Ideology | 76 |
| 2. | Mission and the Use of Resources | 77 |
| 3. | The Price of Grace | 79 |
| D. | Persecution Increases (5:12-42) | 81 |
| 1. | The Gospel Gains Popularity (5:12-16) | 81 |
| 2. | Another Attempt to Silence Peter and John (5:17-42) | 82 |
| The Matter of Miracles | 84 |
| Beware of Gamaliel! | 85 |
| Those Who Turn Justice to Wormwood | 86 |
| E. | Hellenists and Hebrews (6:1-7) | 88 |
| Pluralism in the Church | 92 |
| F. | Stephen (6:8-8:3) | 95 |
| 1. | His Arrest (6:8-12) | 95 |
| 2. | The Trial (6:13-7:56) | 96 |
| 3. | Stephen's Death: Beginning of Persecution (7:57-8:3) | 99 |
| When the Enemy Calls Us to Obedience | 100 |
| 4 | New Horizons (8:4-12:24) | 105 |
| A. | Philip (8:4-40) | 105 |
| 1. | In Samaria (8:4-25) | 106 |
| Between Simon Magus and Simon Peter | 111 |
| 2. | The Ethiopian (8:26-40) | 114 |
| When the Promise Is Fulfilled | 118 |
| B. | Saul's Conversion (9:1-31) | 119 |
| 1. | The Conversion (9:1-19) | 119 |
| 2. | Saul as a Disciple (9:20-31) | 122 |
| Damascus Roads | 125 |
| Renewed Calls | 128 |
| C. | Peter's Work (9:32-11:18) | 128 |
| 1. | Two Miracles (9:32-43) | 129 |
| a. | The Healing of Aeneas (9:32-35) | 129 |
| b. | The Resurrection of Dorcas (9:36-43) | 129 |
| 2. | Peter and Cornelius (10:1-48) | 130 |
| a. | The Vision of Cornelius (10:1-9a) | 130 |
| b. | The Vision of Peter in Joppa (10:9b-23a) | 131 |
| c. | The Events in Caesarea (10:23b-48) | 132 |
| 3. | Reporting to the Church in Jerusalem (11:1-18) | 133 |
| What God Has Made Clean, You Must Not Call Profane | 134 |
| D. | The Church in Antioch (11:19-30) | 136 |
| The Greatness of the Small | 141 |
| Two-Way Mission | 142 |
| E. | Herod's Persecution (12:1-24) | 143 |
| 1. | Introduction: James Is Killed (12:1-2) | 143 |
| 2. | Peter Imprisoned and Freed (12:3-19a) | 144 |
| 3. | Herod's Death (12:19b-24) | 146 |
| Faith and Persecution | 147 |
| 5 | The Mission Is Defined (12:25-15:35) | 151 |
| A. | The Sending (12:25-13:3) | 152 |
| Calling and Community | 153 |
| B. | Cyprus (13:4-12) | 154 |
| Saul, also Known as Paul | 156 |
| C. | Antioch of Pisidia (13:13-51a) | 158 |
| The Power of the Gospel | 162 |
| D. | Iconium (13:51b-14:6a) | 164 |
| Gospel and Polarization | 165 |
| E. | Lystra and Derbe (14:6b-21a) | 166 |
| The Messenger and the Message | 167 |
| F. | The Return (14:21b-28) | 168 |
| Mission to Antioch | 169 |
| G. | The Council in Jerusalem (15:1-35) | 170 |
| 1. | The Problem Is Posed (15:1-3) | 170 |
| 2. | Events in Jerusalem (15:4-29) | 172 |
| a. | First Reception and Difficulties (15:4-5) | 172 |
| b. | The Assembly (15:6-29) | 172 |
| i. | Peter Intervenes (15:6-11) | 173 |
| ii. | James Intervenes (15:12-21) | 173 |
| iii. | The Decision (15:22-29) | 177 |
| 3. | Return to Antioch (15:30-35) | 178 |
| Mission and Vision | 178 |
| 6 | Mission to Europe (15:36-18:22) | 181 |
| A. | The Calling (15:36-16:10) | 181 |
| 1. | Paul and Barnabas Part (15:36-41) | 181 |
| 2. | Timothy Joins the Mission (16:1-5) | 182 |
| 3. | The Vision of the Macedonian Man (16:6-10) | 183 |
| Missionary Lessons | 185 |
| B. | Philippi (16:11-40) | 188 |
| 1. | The Beginning of the Mission in Europe (16:11-15) | 188 |
| Mission, Challenge, and Opportunity | 189 |
| 2. | The Girl with a Spirit of Divination (16:16-24) | 191 |
| When Evil Produces Good, and Good Produces Evil | 191 |
| 3. | The Jailer in Philippi (16:25-34) | 193 |
| A Radical Conversion | 194 |
| 4. | The Missionaries Are Absolved and Expelled (16:35-40) | 195 |
| Humility and Dignity | 196 |
| C. | Thessalonica (17:1-9) | 196 |
| A Subversive Message | 198 |
| D. | Berea (17:10-14) | 199 |
| The Zeal of the Opposition | 200 |
| E. | Athens (17:15-34) | 200 |
| Preaching and Popularity | 203 |
| The Purpose of the Human Creature | 204 |
| F. | Corinth (18:1-17) | 205 |
| The Acts of the Spirit and the Acts of History | 209 |
| G. | The Return (18:18-22) | 211 |
| Mission and Connection | 213 |
| 7 | At and around Ephesus (18:23-20:38) | 217 |
| A. | Deficient Disciples (18:23-19:7) | 217 |
| 1. | Apollos (18:23-28) | 217 |
| a. | A Summary (18:23) | 217 |
| b. | The Preaching of Apollos (18:24-28) | 217 |
| A Woman Who Taught Theology | 219 |
| 2. | The Twelve Disciples in Ephesus (19:1-7) | 219 |
| Jesus and the Spirit | 220 |
| B. | Miracles in Ephesus (19:8-22) | 221 |
| 1. | Paul's Teaching (19:8-10) | 221 |
| 2. | False Miracles (19:11-16) | 221 |
| a. | A Summary about Miracles (19:11-12) | 221 |
| b. | The Sarcastic Demon (19:13-16) | 222 |
| 3. | The Reaction of the People (19:17-20) | 223 |
| 4. | An Outline of the Future (19:21-22) | 224 |
| Victory over Today's Demons | 225 |
| C. | The Riot at Ephesus (19:23-41) | 228 |
| Serving the Pocket | 231 |
| D. | Journey to Macedonia, Greece, and Troas (20:1-12) | 233 |
| 1. | The Journey (20:1-6) | 233 |
| 2. | Eutychus (20:7-12) | 234 |
| The Greatest Miracle | 235 |
| E. | Farewell at Miletus (20:13-38) | 236 |
| 1. | From Troas to Miletus (20:13-16) | 236 |
| 2. | Farewell to the Ephesian Elders (20:17-38) | 237 |
| a. | Paul's Past Work (20:18-21) | 237 |
| b. | Paul's Present Situation (20:22-24) | 237 |
| c. | The Future (20:25-31) | 238 |
| d. | Conclusion (20:32-38) | 238 |
| Ministry Today | 239 |
| 8 | Paul's Captivity (21:1-28:31) | 243 |
| A. | From Miletus to Jerusalem (21:1-16) | 243 |
| The Mandates of the Spirit | 244 |
| B. | Turned over to the Gentiles (21:17-22:24) | 246 |
| 1. | Arrival at Jerusalem (21:17-25) | 246 |
| 2. | Paul's Arrest at the Temple (21:26-36) | 247 |
| 3. | Paul's Dialogue with Lysias (21:37-39) | 248 |
| 4. | Paul's Speech to the People (21:40-22:24) | 249 |
| Powers of Opposition | 250 |
| C. | Paul in the Custody of Lysias (22:25-23:33) | 254 |
| 1. | Paul Claims Roman Citizenship (22:25-29) | 254 |
| 2. | Paul before the Council (22:30-23:10) | 255 |
| 3. | A Plot against Paul (23:11-22) | 256 |
| 4. | Paul Is Sent to Caesarea (23:23-33) | 256 |
| Amidst the Powers | 258 |
| D. | Paul in the Custody of Felix (23:34-24:27) | 259 |
| 1. | First Interview with Felix (23:34-35) | 259 |
| 2. | The Trial before Felix (24:1-23) | 260 |
| 3. | Interview with Felix and Drusilla (24:24-27) | 262 |
| Power, Patience, and Corruption | 262 |
| E. | Paul in the Custody of Porcius Festus (25:1-26:32) | 263 |
| 1. | The Trial before Festus (25:1-12) | 263 |
| 2. | Paul before Agrippa and Bernice (25:13-26:32) | 265 |
| Witnessing amid Power, Indecision, and Curiosity | 268 |
| F. | Paul Is Sent to Rome (27:1-28:10) | 269 |
| 1. | The Beginning of the Voyage (27:1-12) | 270 |
| The Authority of the Experts | 271 |
| 2. | Storm and Shipwreck (27:13-44) | 272 |
| The Church, Hope of the World | 274 |
| 3. | On the Isle of Malta (28:1-10) | 275 |
| Beware of Cheap Theology! | 276 |
| G. | Paul in Italy (28:11-31) | 277 |
| 1. | On the Way to Rome (28:11-15) | 277 |
| 2. | Paul in Rome (28:16-31) | 278 |
| Epilogue: The Acts of the Spirit | 279 |
| Index | 281 |
