Acts 1:1-11 - Jesus: The Sequel

This book we most often call "Acts" was more formally called "The Acts of the Apostles" by the church from early days. But even though the narrative follows around the apostles as a group and as individuals, after the Lord Jesus has ascended into heaven, Jesus is still the main character in this account. And so some commentators have thematically referred to this book as the Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus.

The book follows the geographic spread of the gospel message and of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as indicated (and prophesied by the risen Jesus) in the highly programmatic verse in Ch. 1 v. 8.

Acts also gives us ample opportunities to examine what events were merely described as occurring vs. what have been prescribed (or commanded) as normative for the church.