A Study on Acts

Friends and family, 

We conclude our study on the Acts of the Apostles, which follows our January study covering The Gospels and our commitment to work through the Bible together in 2026. 

Our next sermon series will focus on the New Testament through the spring (I am particularly excited about the series on Revelation coming on May 17th). We’ll then switch to the Old Testament in June and work our way through the rest of the Bible up to Christmas. We chose to begin the year with the New Testament to more closely adhere to how Easter falls on the calendar. 

In our commitment to dive deeper and stay in God’s word, you are receiving a final recap study on Acts from Scott Cales. Scott is one of our Bible teachers and he put together our custom reading plan, which you can find on the back of each week’s worship bulletin.

Scott is also teaching a special four week class, “How to enjoy your Bible,” during our break from our normal adult education classes in May. Sign up on the Connection Card and enjoy four nights of meals and study together on Wednesday evenings in May. We’ll gather much like the early church for food and study. This will be a “hands on” learning event. 

In Christ, Pastor Bryan

A short study in Acts by Scott Cales

This second book written to Theophilus continues Luke’s story concerning the origin and growth of Christianity in the early first century. Most of Acts reveals the influence of the Holy Spirit in the development of the early church. In fact, while this book is called the Acts of the Apostles, we only find 3 of the 12 apostles doing any “acts” in Acts. Some scholars have even argued this book should have been titled the Acts of the Holy Spirit.

Both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles detail for us the life of Jesus, His Ascension as Christ, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance through Peter and Saul/Paul (remember Saul went through a name change to the more familiar “Paul” of the New Testament we know) in planting and growing the early church. Many interesting studies can be found in Acts – from the power at Pentecost (ch.2) to Paul’s journeys around the Mediterranean with all his struggles and successes (chs. 9-28).    

One study often overlooked is a theological study on Salvation. More precisely, how is one to be saved in the book of Acts? As Reformed Christians, we believe we are saved by Grace alone through Faith in Jesus Christ. However, as the early church dealt with rapid growth and trying to merge Jewish believers with their salvation of works and the pagan religions of the Gentiles, we see them fine tuning what in Latin is referred to as the Ordo Salutis: dthe order of salvation. 

For this study, try exploring the concept of “steps” to salvation in Acts by looking up the references below, jotting down the steps as you see them, and then compare the “steps” required for one to be saved. Consider as best you can the context of each example (what was happening in the scenario of the text you are reading), then ask, “Why was this the order or steps, and why are they all a bit different?”

     References: Acts 2:21; 2:38; 8:9-24; 10:43; 10:44-48; 15:1; 16:29-31, and 19:1-7. (For fun look at 1 Peter 3:21).  

 These are just a few of the orders of salvation found in Acts. Can you  find others? 

In Christ, Scott Cales