Acts- Jensen Bible Self Study Guide

Team

Introduction

The study of a book of the Bible involves two approaches, in this order: survey of the whole and analysis of the parts. In survey, the main movements of the composition of the book are searched for in the large units of chapters and groups of chapters. In analysis, the study concentrates on the parts of a chapter, which are paragraphs, sentences, phrases, and words.

The lessons of this study guide, after the first lesson on background and survey, proceed through the book of Acts chapter by chapter or, more accurately, segment by segment.¹ The main method of study fostered in each particular lesson is paragraph by paragraph, for it is believed that this is the most efficient and fruitful approach in Bible analysis. The main parts of each lesson are:

1. Paragraph divisions

The verse references supplied here tell where each paragraph begins. Mark these divisions clearly in your Bible, so that as you read you will be paragraph conscious.

2. Observations and questions

The study questions given in this section are worded so as to encourage you to do independent study and to look for more than just the obvious truths. Also you are constantly reminded to look for the main truths of each segment (or chapter) and paragraph. The reason for this emphasis is that it is very easy to lose sight of the forest when one begins to examine each of the many trees. This is a serious pitfall in the study of any book. Typical questions for this section are:

What is the principal subject of this (segment, paragraph)?

Who are the principal persons in this (segment, paragraph)?

What does the (segment, paragraph) teach concerning Christ?

What are key verses in this segment?

What is the leading lesson of this segment?

3. Applications

In order that you may be constantly reminded that the application of the Bible to life is the ultimate purpose of Bible study, a space is devoted in each lesson for you to record these applications:

an example to follow

a sin to avoid

a command to obey

a promise to claim

a prayer to echo

Truth should not only be clearly seen but also applied to the heart and life. It is a dangerous thing to ask God to show an example that one should follow and then fail to follow it; or a promise to claim and then fail to claim it.

Prayerful study is of supreme importance. If one seeks the Holy Spirit’s guidance, He will reveal the truths that He wants the reader to learn.

4. A topical study

At the end of each lesson appears a brief study of a major doctrine of the Bible. The topic chosen is suggested by a word or phrase in the passage being studied in that lesson. The outline and description given is not intended to be exhaustive but rather to encourage further study in the subject. Be sure to read all Bible references cited in this section.

5. A final thought

The thought suggested here concerns a truth of the passage. Let it also serve as a reminder to review the things you have studied in the lesson.

Suggestions to leaders of classes

1. The object of this Bible study manual is to encourage the reader to study the Bible for himself, not only to read what someone else has studied. Therefore insist that the members of your class work out answers to the questions on the chapter assigned, at home, before coming to the class.

2. The leader should lead, not lecture to, the class. The charm of this method of study is the exchange of thought by the class members. Therefore the leader should let the members give the results of their study on each point first, before giving his own thoughts.

Also the members should not be led to think that their answers must always agree with the teacher’s in order to be correct. For example, each of two different verses may qualify as a key verse of a chapter. Class members should be urged to share their findings, regardless of whether or not their answers agree with everyone else’s.

3. The leader should adapt the study to the ability of the class. If the class is composed of people unaccustomed to formal study, simplify the work, at least to begin with, by requiring answers to only one or two of the easier questions, such as selecting the best verse or finding an example to be followed. It is amazing what other precious truths are discovered while looking for a favorite verse. Then gradually the members could be led on to study the other points. The important thing is to get everyone to study and think for himself, not merely to absorb what someone else has thought out.

4. The use of charts, maps, and chalkboard is very helpful. Charts enable the Bible student to see the large movements (survey) while he is studying the smaller parts (analysis). Charts are also helpful for review purposes. Never start a new lesson without reviewing the previous one.

5. Encourage the memorizing of Scripture. Have the class commit to memory the verse in each chapter chosen as the best by the majority of the class. Review these verses frequently.

Only a limited treatment of the story of Acts can be made by this study guide due to space limitations. It is hoped that by using this guide the reader will be inspired to make an even fuller study of this key book of the New Testament. Those who are interested in getting help to make such a comprehensive analysis are referred to the author’s book Acts: An Inductive Study.²

The Acts is a Book of Origins. Here are the beginnings of the Christian Church, of apostolic miracles, of apostolic sermons, of Christian persecution, of Christian martyrs, of Gentile converts, of disciplinary judgment in the Church, of Church Synods, of Foreign Missions, of Christian Baptism and Christian Assemblies, and of the denomination Christian. Acts is a dawn, a glorious sunrise, a bursting forth in a dark world of eternal light; it is a Book precious beyond all price.³

1. A unit of study longer or shorter than a chapter is here called a segment.

2. Irving L. Jensen, Acts: An Inductive Study (Chicago: Moody, 1968).

3. W. Graham Scroggie, Know Your Bible (London: Pickering & Inglis, n.d.), 2:76-77.

Lesson 1

Background of Acts

Before analyzing the text of any book of the Bible, it is well to learn the historical background. Also, it is best to take a skyscraper view of its general contents. Accordingly, this first lesson is divided into two parts: background and survey.

I. BACKGROUND

At the very outset of our study these are some of the questions that come to mind: Who wrote the book? When did he write it? What was his main object? What is the historical setting? How does the book serve a particular function in the entire Bible? The answers to these and other questions are given briefly below.

A. Name

The short name usually assigned the book is Acts. The full name "Acts of