Acts 3 - Introduction

The Rapid Growth of the New Israel (Chapter s 3-19).

‘The Lord added to them day by day those who were being saved.' This not only summarises the situation in chapter 2 but will now be the theme of Acts 3-19 which will reveal a huge emphasis on the continuing rapid growth of this new Israel. It will the beginning of the fruit of Pentecost. It will eventually include Gentiles being incorporated into the new Israel (compare Ephesians 2:11; Galatians 6:16; Romans 11:17) and will continue on until Rome itself is receiving the Gospel from the Apostles.

There will be many who will be involved in spreading the Good News: the Apostles, Stephen, those who were scattered abroad by persecution, Philip, more of those who were scattered by persecution, Peter, converted Jews of Cyprus and Cyrene. Then from 13 onwards we have the ministries of Paul and Barnabas and then Paul and Silas (Silvanus).

From 20 onwards we have the account of Paul's progression as a prisoner from Jerusalem to Rome. There it is as though God takes Paul by the scruff of his neck and makes sure that he gets to Rome. It is as though God is saying, ‘what are you doing still in Jerusalem when I want you in Rome?' Note also the parallel between Paul's journey from Jerusalem to Rome and that of the progress of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome which is the basis of the whole book (Acts 1:8). Salvation and suffering advance in parallel together towards Rome.

We will close this section by giving a rapid summary of the advancement of the Gospel in Acts as it reaches out and spreads and grows and multiplies. This is the fruit of Pentecost:

1). IN JERUSALEM.

· ‘And there were added to them in that day about three thousand souls' (Acts 2:41).

· ‘And the Lord added to them day by day those who were being saved' (Acts 2:47).

· ‘Many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand' (Acts 4:4; compare Luke 9:14).

· ‘And they spoke the word of God with boldness, and the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul' (Acts 4:31).

· ‘And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women' (Acts 5:14).

· ‘And the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith' (Acts 6:7).

2). IN ALL DIRECTIONS (INCLUDING JUDAEA AND GALILEE).

· ‘They therefore who were scattered abroad went about preaching the word' (Acts 8:4).

3). IN SAMARIA.

· ‘And the (Samaritan) multitudes gave heed with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip' (Acts 8:6).

· ‘They therefore (Peter and John), when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans' (Acts 8:25).

4). IN THE JUDAEAN COASTLAND.

· Here we have the conversion of The Ethiopian Eunuch who returned with rejoicing to Ethiopia to take the message further (Acts 8:26).

· ‘Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through he preached the Good News to all the cities, until he came to Caesarea' (Acts 8:40). These would include Jamnia, Joppa, and Apollonia.

· ‘So the church throughout all  Judaea, and Galilee, and Samaria  had peace, being built up, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the strengthening of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied' (Acts 9:31).

5). IN THE JUDAEAN AND SAMARITAN COASTLAND.

· ‘And all who dwelt in Lydda, and in Sharon, saw him (the paralysed man Aeneas whom Peter healed) and they turned to the Lord' (Acts 9:35).

· ‘And it (the raising of Dorcas) became known throughout all Joppa and many believed on the Lord' (Acts 9:42).

· Description of the conversion of Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:1).

6). IN PHOENICIA, CYPRUS, SYRIAN-ANTIOCH.

· ‘Those who were scattered abroad on the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none except only to Jews' (Acts 11:19).

· ‘But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who when they were come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus, and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord' (Acts 11:20).

7). IN GENERAL.

· ‘The word of God grew and multiplied' (Acts 12:24).

8). IN PAUL'S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS FROM SYRIAN ANTIOCH.

· In Pisidian Antioch - ‘Many of the Jews and of the devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who speaking to them urged then to continue in the grace of God. And the next Sabbath almost the whole city was gathered together to hear the word of God -- and as the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of God, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed, and the word of God was spread abroad throughout all the region (Acts 13:43; Acts 13:48).

· In Iconium - ‘a great multitude both of Jews and Greeks believed' (Acts 14:2).

· In Derbe - ‘they made many disciples' (Acts 14:21).

· In Lystra - ‘the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily' (Acts 16:5).

· In Beroea - ‘they received the word of God with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily whether these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, also of the Greek women of honourable estate, and of men, not a few' (Acts 17:11).

· In Athens - ‘certain men clave to him and believed, among whom also was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them' (Acts 17:34).

· In Corinth - ‘and Crispus the ruler of the synagogue believed in the Lord with all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptised' (Acts 18:8).

· In Ephesus - ‘all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks' (Acts 19:10) -- ‘so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed' (Acts 19:20).

· In Rome - ‘some (of the Jews) believed the things which were spoken and some disbelieved' (Acts 28:24) -- ‘and he received all who went in to him, preaching the Kingly Rule of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, none forbidding him' (Acts 28:30).

Thus as a result of the work of the Holy Spirit and the proclamation of the word will the Good News become established in Jerusalem and then sweep outwards and onwards until it comes to Rome itself, with the Apostle Paul present in his own house and able to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God without hindrance.