Adult Sunday Studies · Fall 2026
Deeper into Acts
Six weeks exploring the Book of Acts: its context, its people, and the church’s witness to Christ.
Where we’re headed
Class schedule
| Session | Date | Topic | Handout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Acts 1–12: Introduction & Overall Context | Session 1 PDF | |
| 2 | Acts 13–28: Overall Context | — | |
| 3 | Greco-Roman World and Government Structure | — | |
| 4 | Missions | — | |
| 5 | Jew and Gentile Relations | — | |
| 6 | Suffering | — |
Session 1 · November 1
Introduction & Overall Context of Acts 1–12
Begin with the larger story. Understanding the redemptive-historical context helps us read individual passages faithfully and see God’s plan unfolding across generations.
Why overviews are important
- Read in context. Set each passage within the story of God’s redeeming work.
- See the whole story. Look beyond individual details to the larger pattern of God’s faithfulness.
- Read in complementary ways. Make room for slow, prayerful reading; larger sections; and theological reading attentive to the stages of God’s revelation.
The handout also identifies a BibleProject video on Acts 1–12 as a class resource.
Read the complete four-page handout →Major themes in Acts
Summarized from the session 1 handout, which credits the ESV Study Bible for its themes and outline.
Worldwide witness
The gospel moves from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to the ends of the earth.
Acts 1:8
A witness for every kind of person
The good news reaches people across ethnic, social, cultural, and political boundaries.
Acts 2–5; 8:4–40; 10:1–11:18; 14:8–18; 16:11–15, 25–34; 17:22–31; 24:24–27; 26:1–29
God’s providence
God preserves his witnesses through opposition, danger, and trials.
Acts 4:5–22; 18:12–16; 19:23–41; 23:12–22; 24:1–23; 27:21–26
Suffering for Christ
Faithful testimony can bring suffering and even death.
Acts 5:41–42; 7:54–60
The Holy Spirit’s power
The Spirit empowers believers for witness and guides the church’s mission.
Acts 1:8; 2:1–13, 18, 38; 4:8; 7:55; 8:17; 10:44; 13:2–12; 19:6, 21
Signs and wonders
The apostles’ miracles point to the gospel’s truth and create opportunities for witness.
Acts Acts 3
The church’s unity
Shared life and unity support the church’s witness.
Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–37; 5:12–14
Jesus’ resurrection
The resurrection proclaims Jesus as Messiah and judge, calling people to repentance.
Acts 1:22; 2:22–36; 17:30–31
Response and sovereignty
Acts holds together people’s response to the gospel and God’s sovereign work.
Acts 2:47; 11:18; 13:48
The fulfillment of Scripture
The Old Testament points toward Christ’s death and resurrection and the mission of his followers.
Acts 1:16; the Old Testament citations in Acts’ sermons
A call to repentance
Gospel witness invites people to repent and receive forgiveness in Christ.
Acts 26:27–29; 2:38
Integrity before the world
Christian witnesses are called to live with integrity, even when accused.
Acts 18:12–15; 23:29; 25:18; 26:31–32
Continuing Jesus’ ministry
The apostles carry forward the ministry Jesus began, with experiences that echo his own.
Acts 1:1; 20:36–21:16; 21:36; 22:21; 24:1–26:32; compare Luke 9:22; 13:31–34; 18:31–34; 23:18; 23:1–25
The gospel’s advance
Despite opposition, the gospel bears fruit among Jews and Gentiles, ending with Paul’s open witness in Rome.
Acts 4:4; 11:20–21; 13:48–49; 17:4; 18:6–11; 21:20; 28:30–31
Outline of Acts 1–12
A condensed reading guide from the handout. The PDF includes the detailed subpoints.
Preparation for Witness Acts 1:1–2:13
- Jesus prepares the disciples (1:1–5)
- Jesus ascends (1:6–11)
- Matthias replaces Judas (1:12–26)
- The Spirit descends at Pentecost (2:1–13)
The Witness in Jerusalem Acts 2:14–5:42
- Peter preaches at Pentecost (2:14–41)
- The Christian community shares a life in common (2:42–47)
- Peter heals a lame man (3:1–10)
- Peter preaches in the temple square (3:11–26)
- Peter and John witness before the Jewish council (4:1–22)
- The community prays for boldness (4:23–31)
- The community shares together (4:32–5:16)
- The apostles appear before the council (5:17–42)
The Witness beyond Jerusalem Acts 6:1–12:25
- Seven chosen to serve the Hellenist widows (6:1–7)
- Stephen’s arrest, address, and martyrdom (6:8–8:3)
- Philip’s witness to Samaritans and an Ethiopian eunuch (8:4–40)
- Saul’s conversion, encounter with Ananias, and witness (9:1–31)
- Peter’s healings, Cornelius’s conversion, and testimony in Jerusalem (9:32–11:18)
- The Antioch church witnesses to Gentiles (11:19–26)
- The offering for Jerusalem (11:27–30)
- Persecution: James’s death, Peter’s deliverance, and Herod’s death (12:1–25)