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Bible #44
Acts, KJV
This is a single volume from the complete set of large print individual Bible books available from Sunlight Desktop Publishing (Sunlight Bibles).
"These Bible books are ... perfect for Bible studies." - Darlene Sauber
"The size of the print ... is so easy to read, even at a distance." - Paul Carpenter
About Acts: A continuation of the Gospel of Luke, Acts records the doings of the Spirit-filled apostles and churches after the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven. Obeying His last command, they set out as eye-witnesses of His death, resurrection, and glory.
Large print complete book of the Acts of the Apostles from the Holy Bible (King James Version, KJV). Printed in clear, large print, the slim size and light weight of this book is easy to hold and carry. It can be used for personal and group Bible studies or given as a gift.
"These Bible books are ... perfect for Bible studies." - Darlene Sauber
"The size of the print ... is so easy to read, even at a distance." - Paul Carpenter
About Acts: A continuation of the Gospel of Luke, Acts records the doings of the Spirit-filled apostles and churches after the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven. Obeying His last command, they set out as eye-witnesses of His death, resurrection, and glory.
Large print complete book of the Acts of the Apostles from the Holy Bible (King James Version, KJV). Printed in clear, large print, the slim size and light weight of this book is easy to hold and carry. It can be used for personal and group Bible studies or given as a gift.
81 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 90
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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December 30, 2023
I feel like we don’t appreciate Acts enough. It’s such a beautiful, encouraging picture of the early church—pushing through persecution, no matter how cruel, and boldly, gladly, constantly sharing the good news. The selflessness and courage, the faith and Godliness of those early Christians is really so inspiring—and would teach churches now so much if they only listened! There’s so much to unpack in these chapters, so much to ponder over and treasure up in our hearts, even in this era—or, perhaps, even more in this era. I love studying the different ways the Gospel was presented by different—or sometimes even the same—people. I love how much truth is woven through these pages. I love this Book!
February 16, 2017
کتاب کارهای رسولان، پنجمین کتاب عهد جدید، بعد از چهار انجیله، که به ماجرای حواریان مسیح بعد از مسیح می پردازه که چطور به شهرهای مختلف سفر کردن و مردم رو به اومدن مسیح بشارت دادن، چطور کلیساهای اولیه رو بنیان گذاشتن و مخالفت هایی که از طرف جامعه یهودی و رومی با اون ها شد.
چند بخش از کتاب به صورت خاص مهم هستن.
نخست،
بخشی که حواریان در خونه ای جمع شدن، و ناگهان روح القدس در شعله آتش بر اون ها نازل میشه، و به واسطه روح القدس، قدرت پیدا می کنن که به زبان های مختلف تکلم کنن، در نتیجه می تونن به شهرهای مختلف غیر یهودی سفر کنن.
دوم،
ماجرای ایمان آوردن شائول (که بعداً پولس نامیده میشه) است. شائول ابتدا یک یهودی فریسی متعصبه که از کاهنان یهودی مجوز گرفته، و مسیحی ها رو تعقیب و بازداشت می کنه. وقتی برای مأموریتی مشابه به دمشق سفر می کنه، در راه نوری بر اون ظاهر میشه، و فردی در نور، بهش میگه: «شائول شائول، چرا بر من جفا می کنی؟»
شائول میگه تو کی هستی؟ و فرد در نور میگه: «من عیسای ناصری هستم، همانی که تو بر او جفا می کنی.»
شائول از شدت نور نابینا میشه. به دمشق میره، و توسط یکی از مسیحیان دوباره بینا میشه. چند بار مکاشفات مشابهی بهش دست میده، و به دین مسیح ایمان میاره و شروع میکنه به تبلیغ مسیحیت. بیشتر کتاب کارهای رسولان، شرح سفرهای شائوله (پولس) به شهرهای مختلف ترکیه و یونان و در آخر شهر رم، برای بشارت مسیح.
سوم،
در ابتدای امر یهودیان تازه مسیحی شده، حاضر نبودن که غیریهودیان رو به جمع مسیحی ها راه بدن و می گفتن این غیریهودیان فقط در صورتی می تونن به دین مسیح دربیان که ختنه بشن و به آیین یهود پایبند باشن. در طی سفرهای پولس به شهرهای غیریهودی این مشکل به معضل تبدیل شد، چون عده زیادی از غیریهودیان بودن که حاضر بودن مسیحی بشن، اما نمی خواستن توی شصت سالگی ختنه بشن!
پس طی شورایی در اورشلیم، رهبران مسیحی به این نتیجه رسیدن که مسیحیت منحصر در یهود نیست، و اقوام غیریهودی هم می تونن بدون این که به آیین یهود پایبند باشن، مسیحی بشن. و این تصمیم، سبب گسترش پرسرعت آیین مسیح در شهرهای غیریهودی شد.
کارهای رسولان در سنت اسلامی
۱. قرآن
در قرآن، آیات ابتدایی سوره یس به ماجرای سفر پولس و برنابا و یوحنّا (ملقب به مَرقُس) به شهر انطاکیه پرداخته و از اون ها به عنوان "رسول" یاد کرده. در ماجرای قرآنی (که خیلی به اجمال و مختصر نقل شده و اسمی از افراد یا شهرها نیومده) صحبت از اینه که ابتدا دو رسول (پولس و برنابا) به شهر انطاکیه رفتن، ولی بعداً نفر سوم (یوحنّا ملقب به مرقُس) به اون ها اضافه شد. اما توی روایت قرآن صحبت از شخصی شده که از حاشیه شهر به مرکز شهر اومد و گفته های رسولان رو تأیید کرد و به خاطر همین توسط مردم شهر کشته شد. این ماجرا (یا مشابه اون) در کارهای رسولان ذکر نشده.
۲. روایات
در روایات اسلامی دیدگاهی بسیار منفی به پولس هست. پولس در دیدگاه اسلامی مثل یهودای اسخریوطی، یک خائن در لباس رسول بوده. به این شکل که ایمانش به دین مسیح ایمانی ظاهری بوده، برای این که تلاش کنه مسیحیت رو از درون خراب کنه. در همین راستا، ماجراهایی در روایات نقل شده از تحریف انجیل به دست پولس و اختلافاتی که با پطرس (جانشین مسیح) بر سر مسائل دینی (از جمله تجسم خدا بودن مسیح) داشت و در نهایت تونست نظر خودش رو تحمیل کنه. این که این روایات تا چه حدی صحت داشته باشن، نیازمند کار حدیثیه. اما حداقل این هست که از دید قرآن، پولس در کنار برنابا و یوحنّا، به عنوان یکی از رسولان فرستاده خدا (إذ ارسلنا إلیهم اثنین) یاد شده و به نظر میرسه عنوان "رسول" در قرآن همیشه با قداستی همراهه که با منافق بودن پولس سازگار نیست.
چند بخش از کتاب به صورت خاص مهم هستن.
نخست،
بخشی که حواریان در خونه ای جمع شدن، و ناگهان روح القدس در شعله آتش بر اون ها نازل میشه، و به واسطه روح القدس، قدرت پیدا می کنن که به زبان های مختلف تکلم کنن، در نتیجه می تونن به شهرهای مختلف غیر یهودی سفر کنن.
دوم،
ماجرای ایمان آوردن شائول (که بعداً پولس نامیده میشه) است. شائول ابتدا یک یهودی فریسی متعصبه که از کاهنان یهودی مجوز گرفته، و مسیحی ها رو تعقیب و بازداشت می کنه. وقتی برای مأموریتی مشابه به دمشق سفر می کنه، در راه نوری بر اون ظاهر میشه، و فردی در نور، بهش میگه: «شائول شائول، چرا بر من جفا می کنی؟»
شائول میگه تو کی هستی؟ و فرد در نور میگه: «من عیسای ناصری هستم، همانی که تو بر او جفا می کنی.»
شائول از شدت نور نابینا میشه. به دمشق میره، و توسط یکی از مسیحیان دوباره بینا میشه. چند بار مکاشفات مشابهی بهش دست میده، و به دین مسیح ایمان میاره و شروع میکنه به تبلیغ مسیحیت. بیشتر کتاب کارهای رسولان، شرح سفرهای شائوله (پولس) به شهرهای مختلف ترکیه و یونان و در آخر شهر رم، برای بشارت مسیح.
سوم،
در ابتدای امر یهودیان تازه مسیحی شده، حاضر نبودن که غیریهودیان رو به جمع مسیحی ها راه بدن و می گفتن این غیریهودیان فقط در صورتی می تونن به دین مسیح دربیان که ختنه بشن و به آیین یهود پایبند باشن. در طی سفرهای پولس به شهرهای غیریهودی این مشکل به معضل تبدیل شد، چون عده زیادی از غیریهودیان بودن که حاضر بودن مسیحی بشن، اما نمی خواستن توی شصت سالگی ختنه بشن!
پس طی شورایی در اورشلیم، رهبران مسیحی به این نتیجه رسیدن که مسیحیت منحصر در یهود نیست، و اقوام غیریهودی هم می تونن بدون این که به آیین یهود پایبند باشن، مسیحی بشن. و این تصمیم، سبب گسترش پرسرعت آیین مسیح در شهرهای غیریهودی شد.
کارهای رسولان در سنت اسلامی
۱. قرآن
در قرآن، آیات ابتدایی سوره یس به ماجرای سفر پولس و برنابا و یوحنّا (ملقب به مَرقُس) به شهر انطاکیه پرداخته و از اون ها به عنوان "رسول" یاد کرده. در ماجرای قرآنی (که خیلی به اجمال و مختصر نقل شده و اسمی از افراد یا شهرها نیومده) صحبت از اینه که ابتدا دو رسول (پولس و برنابا) به شهر انطاکیه رفتن، ولی بعداً نفر سوم (یوحنّا ملقب به مرقُس) به اون ها اضافه شد. اما توی روایت قرآن صحبت از شخصی شده که از حاشیه شهر به مرکز شهر اومد و گفته های رسولان رو تأیید کرد و به خاطر همین توسط مردم شهر کشته شد. این ماجرا (یا مشابه اون) در کارهای رسولان ذکر نشده.
۲. روایات
در روایات اسلامی دیدگاهی بسیار منفی به پولس هست. پولس در دیدگاه اسلامی مثل یهودای اسخریوطی، یک خائن در لباس رسول بوده. به این شکل که ایمانش به دین مسیح ایمانی ظاهری بوده، برای این که تلاش کنه مسیحیت رو از درون خراب کنه. در همین راستا، ماجراهایی در روایات نقل شده از تحریف انجیل به دست پولس و اختلافاتی که با پطرس (جانشین مسیح) بر سر مسائل دینی (از جمله تجسم خدا بودن مسیح) داشت و در نهایت تونست نظر خودش رو تحمیل کنه. این که این روایات تا چه حدی صحت داشته باشن، نیازمند کار حدیثیه. اما حداقل این هست که از دید قرآن، پولس در کنار برنابا و یوحنّا، به عنوان یکی از رسولان فرستاده خدا (إذ ارسلنا إلیهم اثنین) یاد شده و به نظر میرسه عنوان "رسول" در قرآن همیشه با قداستی همراهه که با منافق بودن پولس سازگار نیست.
March 17, 2017
Love reading about the early church and the amazing boldness of the early Christians!! One of my favorites. <3
December 15, 2022
I just love reading about God's awesome miracles and works! So much happens in Acts, and you never get bored reading it!
July 11, 2024
While every book of the Bible is important, Acts is second to the Gospels when it comes to utmost importance. The beginnings of the church are described here, along with the story of Paul, which helps you understand his epistles. If you're a Christian, and you have never read Acts in its entirety...what are you waiting for? Either read it or listen to a dramatized version; The Word of Promise does a great job of making the stories leap off the page.
September 17, 2020
Sidenote: The reason for such vague and short and "eh" words on each of these books, is because I wasn't challenging the study of the Bible when I read these. I was challenging myself to read the whole Bible in a year because I knew it would be discipline to keep at it daily. I do, however, plan to pick up a book and study what it is saying. Those will be longer reads and more notes.
So here is my review from my "Read the Bible in a Year" challenge. Usually just snippets of thoughts and random things I liked about the book itself. Nothing in-depth.
So here is my review of Acts!
Acts starts basically with Jesus being lifted up into heaven and the few followers of Christ spreading the word and starting the first church of Christianity. I had memorized a lot of this book from grade school but it is nice to actually think about the words instead of memorizing them. Great read into the rest of the New Testament!
So here is my review from my "Read the Bible in a Year" challenge. Usually just snippets of thoughts and random things I liked about the book itself. Nothing in-depth.
So here is my review of Acts!
Acts starts basically with Jesus being lifted up into heaven and the few followers of Christ spreading the word and starting the first church of Christianity. I had memorized a lot of this book from grade school but it is nice to actually think about the words instead of memorizing them. Great read into the rest of the New Testament!
Read
January 4, 2023This is by far the hardest book of the Bible I've read so far. First of all, the names are more confusing than a Sicilian wedding, where everyone is named Tony or Joe, or a Serbian one where everyone is named Dan or David. John is actually Mark, Saul is actually Paul, Simon is actually Peter, and there are like three other Simons, and three Marys, two Judases, etc.
Also, like a David Lynch film, people don't respond the way you expect to direct questions or events. It's hard to know what is a dream, a vision, or reality. I have no idea what is going on sometimes.
For example, we are told twice about the same event that occurs to Peter, where a "vessel" descends from the sky like a sheet held by all four corners, and a voice tells him to "kill and eat." He then sees a bunch of animals (in a dream?) and Peter says, "I don't eat unclean things," and the voice says that "what the Lord has cleansed is no longer common." The very next thing that happens is three messengers from Caesarea arrive and want him to have a chat with their boss Cornelius (but I'm not sure about what) and then Peter is arrested by Herod, though none of these events are related.
What's going on here? Flying saucers? Artistic representations depict a few angels and a bunch of domestic animals flying around on a literal sheet. Some say the message is that with the new covenant, God's people don't need to adhere to the Old Testament culinary rules. Others say that the point was that Peter did not need to restrict himself to only spreading the word about Jesus to Jews, but to everyone, even the "unclean." I think that this latter interpretation is more likely, since the Apostles were already getting grief by Sadducees for hanging out with uncircumcised Gentiles, and since Cornelius, who was a centurion, had sent word that he wanted to meet with Peter, God was saying that it was His will that Peter do so. But the whole thing is weird and has strange gaps in logic.
My point is that though Acts and the Gospel of Luke are supposed to be written by the same person, and Acts is literally a direct sequel to the Lukan Gospel, they feel like two very different texts to me. Whereas the Gospel is more of a straight Hellenistic biography of Jesus, the Acts is more of a fever dream. It is assumed that both these books were written by an actual eyewitness, as the author occasionally refers to himself as present in the action by using "I," "we," and "us." But despite their being many parallels in structure between Luke and Acts, there are several contradictions. The Gospel places the ascension of Jesus into heaven on Easter Sunday, but Acts says it happened 40 days after Jesus rose from the dead. Now, it is possible that Luke seems so different from Acts because the author used previous writings as a basis for his Gospel, such as Matthew and the mysterious Q document. If scholars are convinced that Luke-Acts was written by the same person, I can only assume that he had the same problem as anyone in the writing business. Continuity is hard.
Acts is one of the most important sacred writings to Christians, as it concerns the very earliest days after Jesus' death and how the new religion of the Christ was spread throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus' companions are granted extraordinary powers for their mission, are able to speak other languages, heal the sick, and raise the dead. They convert a wide following to Christianity, most notably Paul, who had previously persecuted the early Christians. Much of the latter part of Acts concerns Paul's ministry and capture in Jerusalem, which mirrors the fate of Jesus, though Paul remains in prison much longer, from where he is able to continue his ministry through various written correspondence.
Overall, Acts answers the question of how the Messiah of the Jews came to have a non-Jewish church, but it also serves as a defence of Christianity as a sect of Judaism, and thus entitled to certain legal protections from the Roman government.
This is an immensely interesting text, but while I recognize the importance of this work in human history and civilization, this is not one that seems to get any easier for me with subsequent rereadings.
Also, like a David Lynch film, people don't respond the way you expect to direct questions or events. It's hard to know what is a dream, a vision, or reality. I have no idea what is going on sometimes.
For example, we are told twice about the same event that occurs to Peter, where a "vessel" descends from the sky like a sheet held by all four corners, and a voice tells him to "kill and eat." He then sees a bunch of animals (in a dream?) and Peter says, "I don't eat unclean things," and the voice says that "what the Lord has cleansed is no longer common." The very next thing that happens is three messengers from Caesarea arrive and want him to have a chat with their boss Cornelius (but I'm not sure about what) and then Peter is arrested by Herod, though none of these events are related.
What's going on here? Flying saucers? Artistic representations depict a few angels and a bunch of domestic animals flying around on a literal sheet. Some say the message is that with the new covenant, God's people don't need to adhere to the Old Testament culinary rules. Others say that the point was that Peter did not need to restrict himself to only spreading the word about Jesus to Jews, but to everyone, even the "unclean." I think that this latter interpretation is more likely, since the Apostles were already getting grief by Sadducees for hanging out with uncircumcised Gentiles, and since Cornelius, who was a centurion, had sent word that he wanted to meet with Peter, God was saying that it was His will that Peter do so. But the whole thing is weird and has strange gaps in logic.
My point is that though Acts and the Gospel of Luke are supposed to be written by the same person, and Acts is literally a direct sequel to the Lukan Gospel, they feel like two very different texts to me. Whereas the Gospel is more of a straight Hellenistic biography of Jesus, the Acts is more of a fever dream. It is assumed that both these books were written by an actual eyewitness, as the author occasionally refers to himself as present in the action by using "I," "we," and "us." But despite their being many parallels in structure between Luke and Acts, there are several contradictions. The Gospel places the ascension of Jesus into heaven on Easter Sunday, but Acts says it happened 40 days after Jesus rose from the dead. Now, it is possible that Luke seems so different from Acts because the author used previous writings as a basis for his Gospel, such as Matthew and the mysterious Q document. If scholars are convinced that Luke-Acts was written by the same person, I can only assume that he had the same problem as anyone in the writing business. Continuity is hard.
Acts is one of the most important sacred writings to Christians, as it concerns the very earliest days after Jesus' death and how the new religion of the Christ was spread throughout the Roman Empire. Jesus' companions are granted extraordinary powers for their mission, are able to speak other languages, heal the sick, and raise the dead. They convert a wide following to Christianity, most notably Paul, who had previously persecuted the early Christians. Much of the latter part of Acts concerns Paul's ministry and capture in Jerusalem, which mirrors the fate of Jesus, though Paul remains in prison much longer, from where he is able to continue his ministry through various written correspondence.
Overall, Acts answers the question of how the Messiah of the Jews came to have a non-Jewish church, but it also serves as a defence of Christianity as a sect of Judaism, and thus entitled to certain legal protections from the Roman government.
This is an immensely interesting text, but while I recognize the importance of this work in human history and civilization, this is not one that seems to get any easier for me with subsequent rereadings.
June 15, 2020
May 2018 Read-Through
Ah, I really loved reading a chapter of Acts a day this month! I haven't read through this whole book in a long time, so I was intrigued and wanting to read more than just a chapter each day! Really awesome. So great exploring the happenings in the early church and getting to know a little more about Paul, Peter, and the rest.
***
Intriguing to read of the early church and the journeys and adventures of Apostle Paul! Lots of good stuff packed into this book!
Ah, I really loved reading a chapter of Acts a day this month! I haven't read through this whole book in a long time, so I was intrigued and wanting to read more than just a chapter each day! Really awesome. So great exploring the happenings in the early church and getting to know a little more about Paul, Peter, and the rest.
***
Intriguing to read of the early church and the journeys and adventures of Apostle Paul! Lots of good stuff packed into this book!
May 16, 2017
by Andrea Renee Cox
The book of Acts never fails to inspire me. Such passion for the Way is encouraging. This is a book I come back to again and again because I often need the encouragement that if Paul can be used in great and fantastic ways for God's purposes, then so can I. This is a must-read, y'all. Have you read it yet?
The book of Acts never fails to inspire me. Such passion for the Way is encouraging. This is a book I come back to again and again because I often need the encouragement that if Paul can be used in great and fantastic ways for God's purposes, then so can I. This is a must-read, y'all. Have you read it yet?
February 2, 2018
I don't think that in my Christian walk I have ever read Acts all the way through. So I can now truly say I love this book! Definitely one for my favourite bible book list. I may be a little bias though because Paul is one of my favourite bible characters. I just love reading his passion and uncompromising stand for God :).
Acts is a must read!
Acts is a must read!
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February 4, 2023Once again I read this book in a few sittings rather than a chapter at a time, and once again I feel like I've been rewarded for my procrastination! Acts is such a gripping a story when read from beginning to end. Some of the chapters were very, very familiar, and I confess I haven't felt very warm toward them in isolation, although I owned they were important. In this reading, I found that the sum is much greater than the parts, and Acts as a whole so much more beautiful than one chapter or episode by itself.
By the time I neared the end, I started thinking of the progress of the book like the progress of a day. The morning dawns, the disciples are regrouping after Jesus' departure; the early hours are full of promise and excitement and plans and projects at the unfolding of a new era, but everyone is still dealing with remembered grief over the loss of their Leader; the newness of their calling to ministry without him is invigorating, but also somewhat painful. It's like waking up while still yearning for your pillow; you know it's your duty to begin the day's work, and you're enthusiastic about it, but still feel some pain in being wrenched from the sweetness of slumber. But as the morning continues Jesus' followers make a good start on the work and come into their own as Christ's apostles preaching to the Jews; people convert and are baptized, churches are formed and organized.
Around noon, we have Paul's conversion and Peter's dream, and suddenly the horizons of the book expand dramatically to include the entire Hellenistic world. The apostles are constantly (and sort of casually) traveling to major cities around the Mediterranean, and we encounter an interesting cross section of people in this cosmopolitan world -- expatriate Jews, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans -- with the names and cultural assumptions that you'd expect them to have. Paul and Barnabas are mistaken for Hermes and Zeus, Paul speaks on the Areopagus and quotes Greek poets, Roman citizenship and Roman law become an important plot point more than once, the Ephesians defend worship of Artemis. This is my favorite part of the book, both because it's so transportative to the world in which the story takes place (it would be hard to paint a livelier picture of the Hellenistic world if you were writing a historical novel) and because this is where I come into the story, as the apostles are sent out to the gentiles, which makes this portion feel very personal and moving.
Eventually the book zooms in on Paul, the others drop out of the narrative, and the story mellows. The Hellenistic afternoon and all its bustling energy ripens into evening; there is a sort of melancholy foreboding of the difficulties Paul will experience and also of his destiny (Aeneas-like) to end up in Rome. Now at the center of the story, he makes his most poignant addresses -- I even think we can see him maturing as a speaker by this point in the story. I've never found Paul as sympathetic a figure as I did in reading the last several chapters of Acts.
By the time I neared the end, I started thinking of the progress of the book like the progress of a day. The morning dawns, the disciples are regrouping after Jesus' departure; the early hours are full of promise and excitement and plans and projects at the unfolding of a new era, but everyone is still dealing with remembered grief over the loss of their Leader; the newness of their calling to ministry without him is invigorating, but also somewhat painful. It's like waking up while still yearning for your pillow; you know it's your duty to begin the day's work, and you're enthusiastic about it, but still feel some pain in being wrenched from the sweetness of slumber. But as the morning continues Jesus' followers make a good start on the work and come into their own as Christ's apostles preaching to the Jews; people convert and are baptized, churches are formed and organized.
Around noon, we have Paul's conversion and Peter's dream, and suddenly the horizons of the book expand dramatically to include the entire Hellenistic world. The apostles are constantly (and sort of casually) traveling to major cities around the Mediterranean, and we encounter an interesting cross section of people in this cosmopolitan world -- expatriate Jews, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans -- with the names and cultural assumptions that you'd expect them to have. Paul and Barnabas are mistaken for Hermes and Zeus, Paul speaks on the Areopagus and quotes Greek poets, Roman citizenship and Roman law become an important plot point more than once, the Ephesians defend worship of Artemis. This is my favorite part of the book, both because it's so transportative to the world in which the story takes place (it would be hard to paint a livelier picture of the Hellenistic world if you were writing a historical novel) and because this is where I come into the story, as the apostles are sent out to the gentiles, which makes this portion feel very personal and moving.
Eventually the book zooms in on Paul, the others drop out of the narrative, and the story mellows. The Hellenistic afternoon and all its bustling energy ripens into evening; there is a sort of melancholy foreboding of the difficulties Paul will experience and also of his destiny (Aeneas-like) to end up in Rome. Now at the center of the story, he makes his most poignant addresses -- I even think we can see him maturing as a speaker by this point in the story. I've never found Paul as sympathetic a figure as I did in reading the last several chapters of Acts.
October 11, 2020
Acts is a bridge between the Gospels and the letters of the New Testament. Its focus is the development of the early Christian church and Paul's role in bringing the Gentiles into God's resurrected kingdom. The result is the redefinition of the "people of God" as it no longer is just for Jews but for peoples of all nations. I love reading Acts and knowing that it is through the early work of Paul and his other apostles that those of us that are not of Jewish descent were given the road to salvation.
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May 20, 2024Reading straight through is reads like the craziest adventure novel you haven’t read
March 16, 2021
"To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." ~Acts 26:18
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May 3, 2023Read most of acts + most of the Pauline letters so technically not this exactly but 🙏
February 23, 2019
Learning of the early Christian church and the many travels and tribulations of Paul!
December 13, 2023
Think of Acts as the Gospel--the Sequel. Luke wrote his gospel first and then the book of Acts. It is a dramatic and exciting history of the church from about 30 AD to 62 AD or so.
The book picks up where Luke ends up--with Jesus ascending to heaven in front of the apostles. Jesus' last command was to wait ten days for the Feast of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection.
The apostles and disciples gathered for worship in an upper room in Jerusalem and then the Holy Spirit descended. They spoke in foreign languages and preached the gospel. Peter gave a sermon to the crowd and about 3,000 people were baptized as Christians that day.
Miracles followed the apostles. Peter healed a lame man and preached another sermon. 5,000 more people were baptized that day. Opposition to Christians increased. They were arrested and freed by an angel at night.
The first deacons were ordained and Stephen was martyred. Saul of Tarsus is introduced. Soon he goes to Damascus to persecute Christians there. Jesus meets him and he becomes a Christian and the apostle to the Gentiles. The rest of the book documents his work as an apostle to Gentiles, Paul's four trips to Cyprus, Asia Minor, Greece, Jerusalem, and Rome.
Highly recommended for Christians and non-Christians, Bible, and history students.
The book picks up where Luke ends up--with Jesus ascending to heaven in front of the apostles. Jesus' last command was to wait ten days for the Feast of Pentecost, fifty days after the resurrection.
The apostles and disciples gathered for worship in an upper room in Jerusalem and then the Holy Spirit descended. They spoke in foreign languages and preached the gospel. Peter gave a sermon to the crowd and about 3,000 people were baptized as Christians that day.
Miracles followed the apostles. Peter healed a lame man and preached another sermon. 5,000 more people were baptized that day. Opposition to Christians increased. They were arrested and freed by an angel at night.
The first deacons were ordained and Stephen was martyred. Saul of Tarsus is introduced. Soon he goes to Damascus to persecute Christians there. Jesus meets him and he becomes a Christian and the apostle to the Gentiles. The rest of the book documents his work as an apostle to Gentiles, Paul's four trips to Cyprus, Asia Minor, Greece, Jerusalem, and Rome.
Highly recommended for Christians and non-Christians, Bible, and history students.
October 28, 2019
I found this work of immense interest and importance.
The compilation of historical accounts, wisdom & proverbial insights, and thought provoking texts, along with descriptive and informative footnotes, are of great value.
Explanations, including varying scholarly views depicting the material related in this book, are available for each of the 66 individual books of the Bible.
This book is but one of the individual 66 books/letters which were written by forty different authors over at least 1500 years in three different languages on three different continents, which comprise the Bible.
Read for life-related reasons and personal research.
Overall, a great resource for the researcher, enthusiast, and devotee.
The compilation of historical accounts, wisdom & proverbial insights, and thought provoking texts, along with descriptive and informative footnotes, are of great value.
Explanations, including varying scholarly views depicting the material related in this book, are available for each of the 66 individual books of the Bible.
This book is but one of the individual 66 books/letters which were written by forty different authors over at least 1500 years in three different languages on three different continents, which comprise the Bible.
Read for life-related reasons and personal research.
Overall, a great resource for the researcher, enthusiast, and devotee.
September 3, 2018
“ The Acts of the Apostles” was written in Greek between 80 and 90 AD presumably by the Evangelist-gospel writer Luke. The text copyright in my reference was established in 1982; with art works and photographs from Reproducta. The scripture text is from Good News Bible (copyright 1976). All meditations which appear in the book are by Rev Stephen Doyle. The book is edited by Roger Courts of the Sacred Heart League. This book is a great reference. I especially enjoyed reading the meditations while looking at the book’s photographs and pictures of art. (P)
November 4, 2022
I don’t know how many times I’ve gone through the Book of Acts, but I always get something new out of it. This time we did it with a women's group. Discussions were terrific.
So much to learn and so encouraging.
So much to learn and so encouraging.
November 14, 2015
Excellent ...
February 5, 2022
Paul has a great character arc. Love to see it👏
August 12, 2022
I have now read several of the volumes from the Catholic Truth Society in the CTS Scriptures Series. All of the ones I have read to date have an introduction by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB. The ones I have read and single one I have remaining are:
The Gospel According to Mark (Introduction)
The Gospel According to Matthew (Introduction)
The Gospel According to Luke (Introduction)
The Gospel According to Luke: Gospel for the Year of Mercy
The Gospel According to John (Introduction)
The Acts of the Apostles (Introduction)
The Letters of Paul (Introduction)
The Psalms (Introduction)
I first read the four gospels, then Psalms, then the Letters of Paul and finally this volume. I have really enjoyed reading the books of the bible in these booklet formats. My son who is 14 has asked for them and has read them after I have finished. I feel like there are some volumes missing, I would love the following in the same format:
Proverbs
Revelation
The Epistles
That way you would have the whole New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs in little volumes, but back to this specific volume. The description of this volume is:
“The Acts of the Apostles was penned by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. It is a gripping story of the adventures of Paul and Apostles taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.
The Acts of the Apostles was penned by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. It is a gripping story which follows the adventures of Paul and the other Apostles taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Contains the famous Pentecost narrative and the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the newly formed Church.”
First I want to call out that Dom Henry was the chief editor of the work of The Revised New Jerusalem Bible Study Edition, The introduction in this volume is taken directly from that work. At one point in the introduction it states:
“The book reads like an adventure story, with plenty of trials leading to the freeing of a hero, dangerous journeys and ordeals, escapes from prison, shipwrecks – just the stuff of the novels of the time. Yet it is serious history. Luke has done his research and makes no mistake about the complex and varied political circumstances of the Greco–Roman Empire of the eastern Mediterranean where Paul was spreading the message. Many of the details of route, distance and lodgings seem to go back to a diary or log-book kept by the travellers.”
And it ends with:
“Two widely differing forms of the text of this book have been preserved. The Western text (so called because it was used by early Christians in North Africa, such as Cyprian and Augustine) is nearly one-third longer than the Alexandrian text. In many cases it is impossible to say which text is the older, more reliable or more ‘correct’. This, however, explains why in some cases only a verse number without a text is here given, following a scholarly judgement that the text was a later addition.”
It was wonderful to read through Acts in this booklet format. It does read like an adventure story and a story we are still living out today. These are great little booklets. It is an excellent resource from the Catholic Truth Society! I just wish that proverbs and the remainder of the New Testament was available in booklets as well. It is great to pick up and read in a sitting or two and then pass on to a friend.
Read reviews of other books by from the Catholic Truth Society on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!
The Gospel According to Mark (Introduction)
The Gospel According to Matthew (Introduction)
The Gospel According to Luke (Introduction)
The Gospel According to Luke: Gospel for the Year of Mercy
The Gospel According to John (Introduction)
The Acts of the Apostles (Introduction)
The Letters of Paul (Introduction)
The Psalms (Introduction)
I first read the four gospels, then Psalms, then the Letters of Paul and finally this volume. I have really enjoyed reading the books of the bible in these booklet formats. My son who is 14 has asked for them and has read them after I have finished. I feel like there are some volumes missing, I would love the following in the same format:
Proverbs
Revelation
The Epistles
That way you would have the whole New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs in little volumes, but back to this specific volume. The description of this volume is:
“The Acts of the Apostles was penned by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. It is a gripping story of the adventures of Paul and Apostles taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.
The Acts of the Apostles was penned by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. It is a gripping story which follows the adventures of Paul and the other Apostles taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Contains the famous Pentecost narrative and the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the newly formed Church.”
First I want to call out that Dom Henry was the chief editor of the work of The Revised New Jerusalem Bible Study Edition, The introduction in this volume is taken directly from that work. At one point in the introduction it states:
“The book reads like an adventure story, with plenty of trials leading to the freeing of a hero, dangerous journeys and ordeals, escapes from prison, shipwrecks – just the stuff of the novels of the time. Yet it is serious history. Luke has done his research and makes no mistake about the complex and varied political circumstances of the Greco–Roman Empire of the eastern Mediterranean where Paul was spreading the message. Many of the details of route, distance and lodgings seem to go back to a diary or log-book kept by the travellers.”
And it ends with:
“Two widely differing forms of the text of this book have been preserved. The Western text (so called because it was used by early Christians in North Africa, such as Cyprian and Augustine) is nearly one-third longer than the Alexandrian text. In many cases it is impossible to say which text is the older, more reliable or more ‘correct’. This, however, explains why in some cases only a verse number without a text is here given, following a scholarly judgement that the text was a later addition.”
It was wonderful to read through Acts in this booklet format. It does read like an adventure story and a story we are still living out today. These are great little booklets. It is an excellent resource from the Catholic Truth Society! I just wish that proverbs and the remainder of the New Testament was available in booklets as well. It is great to pick up and read in a sitting or two and then pass on to a friend.
Read reviews of other books by from the Catholic Truth Society on my blog Book Reviews and More.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2022 Catholic Reading Plan!
December 26, 2022
I first heard of journaling Bibles from Matt Whitman on one of his TMBH videos. Later one of my Pastors purchased Galatians for everyone who went through a summer adult Bible study class on how to study the Bible using Galatians as the example. Although I ended up missing a decent amount of the class, I enjoyed having the journaling Bible. I myself was getting ready to teach an adult Bible study series in the fall on the sermons in the book of Acts, and decided I wanted to have the journaling Bible for myself. When searching for that I stumbled across this Illuminated edition, and since it was the same price (or close to) I went ahead and purchased this. I enjoyed marking up the text and writing notes on the facing pages. I did this as I prepared for my study over the summer and reviewed on Saturdays what I was going to be teaching on Sunday. As I was doing so I had a mug of erasable: highlighters, colored pencils, and pins. My wife would tease me that I was "coloring for Jesus". I found it very relaxing, and that it forced me to really take in the text and contemplate it. As I use this predominantly to focus on the Bible study I was going to be teaching, there are large portions of the text where I read to understand the narrative in-between the sermons, but did not take the time to study more deeply or mark up the text. However there's plenty of room left for me to go back through and make notes again on a future read-through.
My wife looked at mine and told me that she liked it. I then decided to get her a set of the whole Bible for Christmas, which I found a good deal on Amazon's Prime Day. I had also put it on my Christmas list, but didn't really expect to get it. Unbeknownst to me my wife got me the whole New Testament one. We always jokingly compete at Christmas to see who "wins" by getting the best gift of the year. I thought that the Bible said might do it for me. When she opened her NT (I wrapped the two halves separately) she couldn't believe it and had me open mine immediately afterwards. We both thought we had probably won Christmas with that, but if she said we probably won marriage instead. I'm so excited to use my new ones and study the word alongside her. And maybe someday we'll get me a copy of the Old Testament ones as well.
Now that I've told my story I suppose I should review the book itself. I really enjoy the ESV translation. The text is easy to read and accurate to the original. The illuminated editions are gorgeous to look at, and yet the art is not disruptive. The text is easy to read. It's simple to carry around just a single book of the Bible. It feels less permanent marking it up, since they are very affordable individually. The journaling can be used for all sorts of reasons, and I found there is plenty of space for anything that I wanted to note. In addition to that, my wife likes the cream colored paper because she finds it's easier on her eyes. The only thing I'm torn on the dot grid to take notes on. I have fairly sloppy handwriting and I tend to do notes and not pictures, so personally I think I would prefer lines (and if I remember correctly the non-lluminated edition has lined pages instead of dot grid pages for note-taking), that or maybe just a slightly darker dot grid because I found it hard at times to see it with the text of the next page showing through. Nonetheless, as I said already I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to using the whole set that I have now.
My wife looked at mine and told me that she liked it. I then decided to get her a set of the whole Bible for Christmas, which I found a good deal on Amazon's Prime Day. I had also put it on my Christmas list, but didn't really expect to get it. Unbeknownst to me my wife got me the whole New Testament one. We always jokingly compete at Christmas to see who "wins" by getting the best gift of the year. I thought that the Bible said might do it for me. When she opened her NT (I wrapped the two halves separately) she couldn't believe it and had me open mine immediately afterwards. We both thought we had probably won Christmas with that, but if she said we probably won marriage instead. I'm so excited to use my new ones and study the word alongside her. And maybe someday we'll get me a copy of the Old Testament ones as well.
Now that I've told my story I suppose I should review the book itself. I really enjoy the ESV translation. The text is easy to read and accurate to the original. The illuminated editions are gorgeous to look at, and yet the art is not disruptive. The text is easy to read. It's simple to carry around just a single book of the Bible. It feels less permanent marking it up, since they are very affordable individually. The journaling can be used for all sorts of reasons, and I found there is plenty of space for anything that I wanted to note. In addition to that, my wife likes the cream colored paper because she finds it's easier on her eyes. The only thing I'm torn on the dot grid to take notes on. I have fairly sloppy handwriting and I tend to do notes and not pictures, so personally I think I would prefer lines (and if I remember correctly the non-lluminated edition has lined pages instead of dot grid pages for note-taking), that or maybe just a slightly darker dot grid because I found it hard at times to see it with the text of the next page showing through. Nonetheless, as I said already I really enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to using the whole set that I have now.
June 3, 2024
The book of Act has the account of Jesus being received into the clouds after His resurrection, how the church was reformed and the Gentiles became included in the blessing of God, plus about how the Holy Spirit came to the earth to help minister to us and guide us. It follows the disciples who were still alive after the accounts of the four Gospels, and tells about their continued ministry and how they are martyred, or murdered. It also has the story of Saul, who later changes his name to Paul after he becomes a follower of Christ. It tells of the struggle for the old church to let go of their beliefs and to accept the fact that God, in the form of His son Jesus, had come to earth and had been killed for our transgressions, and that He rose from the grave three days later.
The book of Acts is one that I have enjoyed reading very much. I love stories, especially when they are stories of true events, about missionaries and followers of Christ who risk everything (including theirs lives) to bring the word of God to those who would otherwise not have heard the Gospel. This book tells us how dangerous it is to bring Christianity to different parts of the world, but how it is very much worth fighting for. Because if we do not spread the word of God, who will? As Christians we are commanded to live a Christian life, and that includes reading God's word, and to act and speak appropriately both in public and in private. Even if we don't spread God's word by telling others and speaking in front of huge crowds of people, we can also reach others by living a holy and righteous life. Great works don't make the ministers, God directs His ministers to the right places and to do the right things. We must strive to do the best and to be the best person we can possibly be. We can't be perfect, because if we were perfect then there would be no need to witness to people or to win them to Christ; they would be perfect too. Don't say to be as perfect as possible, because you will be disappointed, but rather say to be as Christlike as possible.
The book of Acts is one that I have enjoyed reading very much. I love stories, especially when they are stories of true events, about missionaries and followers of Christ who risk everything (including theirs lives) to bring the word of God to those who would otherwise not have heard the Gospel. This book tells us how dangerous it is to bring Christianity to different parts of the world, but how it is very much worth fighting for. Because if we do not spread the word of God, who will? As Christians we are commanded to live a Christian life, and that includes reading God's word, and to act and speak appropriately both in public and in private. Even if we don't spread God's word by telling others and speaking in front of huge crowds of people, we can also reach others by living a holy and righteous life. Great works don't make the ministers, God directs His ministers to the right places and to do the right things. We must strive to do the best and to be the best person we can possibly be. We can't be perfect, because if we were perfect then there would be no need to witness to people or to win them to Christ; they would be perfect too. Don't say to be as perfect as possible, because you will be disappointed, but rather say to be as Christlike as possible.
February 15, 2023
Luke, the human author inspired of the Holy Spirit, picks up where he left off in his gospel to give us the inspired account of the early church. The power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the early church are inspiring, interesting and informative. Every Christian should seek God's power to do God's work God's way.
On a related note, did you know Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other author? Though he was only led to write two books there is more material in them than in the multiple epistles of John, Peter or even Paul.
On a related note, did you know Luke wrote more of the New Testament than any other author? Though he was only led to write two books there is more material in them than in the multiple epistles of John, Peter or even Paul.
October 30, 2019
slowly making my way thru the New Testament :)
April 6, 2023
I learned new information, gained new insights, and was reminded of great truths. This read was such a blessing!
March 16, 2021
I highly recommend pairing The Bible Recap studies (free podcast/youtube) to your Bible reading. It's helped to bring a fresh perspective to these well-loved books.
May 4, 2024
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