Acts
Verse-by-Verse Commentary, Chapter Outlines, and Study Guides for Acts
Choose a Path Through Acts
Select a starting point below to read Acts by chapter, passage, or theme.
Introduction to Acts
Authorship, date, historical context, and a big-picture guide for reading Acts well.
Read Acts Verse by Verse
Passage-by-passage commentary that follows Acts from Jerusalem to Rome, one scene at a time.
Read Acts by the Chapter
Chapter outlines and summaries for Acts 1–28, highlighting key movements and meaning.
Themes and Guides
Study guides on the Holy Spirit, mission, the church, speeches, trials, miracles, and the Roman world.
Acts 12 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 12 recounts Herod’s persecution, Peter’s miraculous escape after the church prays, Herod’s death for accepting worship, and the word of God growing and spreading.
Acts 11 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 11 shows Peter defending Gentile inclusion after the Spirit falls on Cornelius’ household and introduces Antioch as a new mission center marked by teaching and generosity.
Acts 10 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 10 shows God orchestrating the gospel's reach to Gentiles through visions to Cornelius and Peter, resulting in Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit and being baptized without becoming Jews first.
Acts 9 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 9 recounts Saul’s encounter with the risen Jesus, Ananias’ costly obedience, Saul’s early preaching and persecution, and Peter’s healings of Aeneas and Dorcas.
Acts 8 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 8 shows persecution scattering believers who preach everywhere, Philip's ministry in Samaria, Simon's attempt to buy the Spirit's power, and Philip baptizing an Ethiopian eunuch.
Acts 7 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 7 features Stephen’s defense and Israel’s story, his warning that God is not contained by the temple, and his martyrdom as witness spreads through persecution.
Acts 6 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 6 shows the church appointing seven Spirit-filled men to serve widows, Stephen performing wonders and signs, and his arrest on false charges of blasphemy against Moses and the temple.
Acts 5 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 5 recounts Ananias and Sapphira, apostolic signs and healings, the apostles arrested and freed, and Gamaliel’s counsel as witness continues under pressure.
Acts 4 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 4 shows Peter and John arrested for preaching Jesus, their bold testimony before the Sanhedrin, the church's prayer for boldness, and the believers' radical generosity in sharing possessions.
Acts 3 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 3 features the healing at the Beautiful Gate and Peter’s sermon proclaiming Jesus raised, calling for repentance, and promising restoration through Christ.
Acts 2 Outline Summary and Meaning
Acts 2 recounts Pentecost, Peter’s sermon on Jesus raised and exalted, the call to repent and be baptized, and the Spirit formed community of the early church.
Acts 11:19–30 The Church in Antioch
Acts 11:19–30 explores the birth of the Antioch church, the naming of Christians, Barnabas and Saul’s leadership, and a Spirit-shaped community formed through suffering and generosity.
Acts 11:1–18 Peter Explains His Actions
Acts 11:1–18 shows Peter explaining Gentile inclusion to the Jerusalem church, revealing how the Spirit reshapes boundaries, authority, and belonging in the early church.
Acts 10:24–48 Peter and Cornelius
Acts 10:24–48 shows Peter and Cornelius meeting as God pours out the Spirit on Gentiles, redefining holiness, inclusion, and baptism in the early church.
Acts 10:9–23 Peter’s Vision of the Sheet
Acts 10:9–23 explores Peter’s vision of the sheet, showing how God redefines holiness, challenges the law, and opens the gospel to all.
Acts 10:1–8 Cornelius’ Vision
Acts 9:32–43 recounts the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Dorcas, showing how the risen Christ restores bodies and communities.
Introduction and Outline for the Book of Acts
Introduction and outline of the Book of Acts, tracing how the risen Jesus works through the Holy Spirit as the gospel spreads from Jerusalem to Rome.
Acts 9:32–43 Aeneas and Dorcas
Acts 9:32–43 recounts the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Dorcas, showing how the risen Christ restores bodies and communities.
Acts 9:20–31 Saul Preaches in Damascus and Jerusalem
Acts 9:20–31 shows Saul preaching in Damascus and Jerusalem as the church discerns his conversion through conflict, mediation, and patient trust.
Acts 9:10–19 Ananias and the Cost of Obedience
Acts 9:10–19 tells the story of Ananias, whose costly obedience completes Saul’s transformation and reveals conversion as a communal act.