BIBLE STUDY TEXT BOOK
Acts Made Actual
A New
* Commentary,
* Workbook,
* Teaching Manual.
Don De Welt
Ozark Bible College
Joplin, Missouri
Teacher of New Testament,
Sacred History, Homiletics,
Personal Evangelism
Author of:
Sacred History And Geography
If You Want To Preach
The Church In The Bible
COLLEGE PRESS
Joplin, Missouri
Copyright 1958
Don DeWelt
All rights reserved
First Printing
October 1953
Second Printing
January 1954
Third Printing
February 1958
(Revised)
Fourth Printing
September 1960
Fifth Printing
December 1961
10,000 copies in print
Drawings of Jerusalem by Frank Stamper
Maps by James Campbell
Permission to use the American Standard Version of the New Testament has been secured from International Council of Religious Education.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my dear wife, who has been to me a constant challenge to a higher and holier life in Christ.
PREFACE
HOW THIS BOOK CAME TO BE.
This material was prepared to meet a definite need. The need found in the Bible College class room. The same need you find as you teach a Bible class. A simple comprehensive commentary was needed. There was a call for a teaching manual. A certain type of workbook could be used with profit. Several works in print could be combined to meet this three-fold need, but nothing under one cover. And even when combined they left something to be desired.
In 1946, after teaching the book of Acts for several years, a work was begun that it was felt would combine the features of a commentary, manual, and workbook, to be a help both to the student and the teacher. As it was written, it was printed in mimeographed form. The mimeographed material has gone through four or five editions. It has been used by several hundred students of the book of Acts.
NOTE SEVERAL OF THE FEATURES OF THIS BOOK:
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It is planned that each page be complete within itself. Each page can be read and your knowledge of its contents can be tested by answering the questions at the bottom of the page. (Some questions can be more completely answered by supplemental reading).
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The entire book of Acts is given in outline form. This can be observed by referring to the opening pages of the book. This outline is memorized by the class members.
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Eight exams that have been used in class are included with this work.
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A special study of the Holy Spirit is a feature in the back of the book.
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Every person, place, and event of the book of Acts can be visualized from the ten chart-maps that appear consecutively.
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Almost all of the important places in the Acts record are shown in accurate drawings.
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Large charts for use in the class room are being prepared. These are an enlargement of the chart-maps that appear in the book.
This book is prepared to be practical. The student of the Bible who for the first time begins his study of the wonderful book of Acts will find here a real help in enabling him to comprehend the general outline of the book, as well as a simple verse by verse comment on its contents.
The Bible student who has already studied Luke's second treatise will find here an outline from which he can teach. A wealth of information is given on points that are not usually discussed. With only one or two exceptions the books quoted from are out of print.
With a prayer to our heavenly Father, who has enabled the production of every part of this work, I send this book forth to be used wherever the book of Acts is studied or taught.
Don De Welt
INTRODUCTION TO THE FIRST EDITION
It is my pleasure and great honor to introduce to you the author of this book. I have personally known Brother Don De Welt since 1939. I have found him in every way to be a real consecrated servant of Christ, He has endeavored to put into practice in his own life that which he teaches to others.
Because of his consecration and devotion in his study of the Word of God, and his deep compassion for the souls of men, he was called as a teacher to labor with us at the San Jose Bible College. Since 1943 he has been teaching young people the Word of Life and challenging them to be evangels of the cross of Christ. In this way his ministry has been multiplied a thousand-fold.
His class in the book of Acts has been a high point in the life of each student. Out of his personal experience and storehouse of knowledge he was written this material and presents it to you that you might come to know God's word in a greater way.
I know as you study this book you, too, will come to know the author, for his radiant Christian personality is seen on every page; his evangelistic zeal will be felt as you read through the book. No greater honor can be paid the author and the Christ he serves than to stir you to greater depths of consecration and service as you study this exegesis of the book of Acts.
May God bless this work, and may every reader be richly blessed and led to a closer walk with Christ.
W. L. Jessup
President, San Jose Bible College
INTRODUCTION TO THE REVISED EDITION
Text books for the Bible College classroom that are really usable are not many in number. It was a great joy to me to learn of Brother DeWelt's desire to write. Many have the desire, but Brother De Welt's ambition is being fulfilled not only with this book but several others.
This text book comes from the pen of a scholarly teacher and from one who is unusually practical. Few men are as popular in the classroom, and yet he possesses a rare quality to be equally effective as a preacher. Those of us who know Brother Don were delighted that Acts Made Actual was so gladly received, and we were not surprised. We are now rejoicing that it is being published again. May it have a wide reading and study beyond the college classrooms. Churches have used it for study periods and have written to us telling of the blessings which they have received.
The Book of Acts is perhaps the most misunderstood book in the New Testament. If all Christendom would study and practice New Testament Christianity as revealed in the Book of Acts, then the divisions that plague the churches could be eliminated. The Holy Spirit, the plan of Salvation, the, purpose and work of the Church are taught in Luke's history of first century Christianity. To see these truths clearly is the purpose of Acts Made Actual.
Don Earl Boatman, President,
Ozark Bible College, Joplin, Missouri
GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ACTS
1.
The name of the book.
A better term would be simply, Acts, or Some of the Acts of Some of the Apostles, for it neither contains all the acts of some of the apostles nor some of the acts of all the apostles. The term Acts is applied to the book in some of the ancient manuscripts.
2.
The author of the bookthe Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
3.
The writer of the bookLuke, Evidence to prove this:
a.
Both Acts and Luke addressed to the same person. Cf. Acts 1:1 and Luke 1:3.
b.
The style the same: Fifty words used, common to the two books and that are not found elsewhere in the New Testament.
c.
Luke was a companion of Paul and was therefore qualified to write this book. Cf. Acts 16:10; Acts 20:4-6; Acts 28:16; Colossians 4:14; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24.
4.
The date of writing A.D. 63-64. History supports the thought that Luke lived and wrote at this time. The book closes before the trial of Paul before Nero was completed. The strong inference is that Luke completed the book during Paul's two-year imprisonment and began its circulation before the trial was completed. Since we know the reign of Nero included the years 63-64 A.D. we feel safe in assigning the book this date.
5.
A general view of its content.
a.
This is the first history of the church.
b.
It covers a period of thirty-two years in twenty-eight Chapter s.
c.
The book, like Genesis, is one of beginnings and is just as important. It contains the following beginnings:
1)
The beginning of the Holy Spirit's work of evangelization.
2)
The beginning of gospel preaching. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
3)
The beginning of the church of the Lord.
4)
The beginning of the Christian dispensation.
5)
The beginning of salvation through the blood of Christ.
6)
The beginning of world-wide evangelism.
d.
The book centers around the work of two great apostles:
1)
Peter to the Jews.
2)
Paul to the Gentiles.
e.
The book evolves around four geographical centers: 1) Jerusalem, 2) Antioch, 3) Ephesus, 4) Rome.
f.
The book gives to us the divine execution of the Great Commission. Cf. Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:46-47.
THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM
All the events of the first seven Chapter s can be summed up under the heading: The Church in Jerusalem. In the picture of the preceding page you can observe an artist's conception of Jerusalem as it appeared in the time of the events recorded in the book. Within the walls are designated four buildings. These are lettered and named as follows:
A.
The Upper Room,
B.
The Temple,
C.
The Public Ward or Jail,
D.
The Synagogue of the Libertines.
In and around these buildings, (which, with the exception of the Temple, are conjecturally located) all the events recorded in the first seven Chapter s took place. These events can be counted as eighteen in number and are so designated on the preceding page. You can follow these events, one by one, as to where they took place and as to what happened by following the numbers on the chart from one through eighteen and reading the scripture references given.
The pages following are simply an enlargement upon the points or numbers you found upon the foregoing picture. The scripture is printed under the heading of the points and the comment following is intended to make the events recorded in the text a living reality to your mind and heart.