The Gospel As Recorded in Acts

[n david]

"""I remember a few years ago, I realized: “I don’t know how to make a coherent gospel presentation?!” Sure, I could quote John 3:16, but what was the actual, practical real life response and consequences of accepting this? Was it just a cognitive exercise where you had to remember a few facts, go to church on Sunday and then, voilá, you’re saved? I realised, that I had no clue what the gospel was and how it related to real life."""

"""One thing I did was finding every single Gospel presentation in the Book of Acts. I combined them and removed all redundancy. This gave me what I, in all my unique creativity and a with a brilliant, original and artistic touch, call: “The Gospel of Acts”.

If anything, this must be the example to follow: The Gospel as preached and recorded by the first Christians. As you will see very soon, it’s quite powerful, inspiring and straight to the point!"""

"""The text below is directly from the first Christians proclaiming the gospel in the Book of Acts, chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 ,13, 14, 16, 17, 20, 22, 24 and 26."""

http://andrejao.com/gospel-of-acts/

[n david]

Gospel of Acts, shorter version:

"""God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, so that they would seek and find him, as he is not far from each one of us.

In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, but although God has overlooked times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness. And God does not show favoritism in dealing with people!

The good news is, that you can have peace through Jesus Christ, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Jesus went around doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the devil and doing miraculous signs, because God was with him.

By God’s own plan and foreknowledge, people crucified and killed Jesus, but God raised him up from the dead on the third day. God have now exalted him to His right hand as Lord and Savior, to give us repentance and forgiveness of sins through him. Now there is not salvation in any other name given to man, by which people can be saved and forgiven of their sins.

So, what shall you do to receive that forgiveness? Be saved by repenting from your sins and turn to God. Then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. If you believe and are baptized you will be saved! This promise of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit is for you and your children and everyone God is calling around the world.

It’s a promise we see in the book of Acts, fulfilled when people repent and are baptised and speaking in new tongues – I am a witness of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God gives to those who obey him!"""

[n david]

Gospel of Acts, longer version:

"''God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. And we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.

From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move about and exist.

In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy. Although God has overlooked times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead.

And God does not show favoritism in dealing with people but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him. We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn from worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.

The good news is, that we can have peace through Jesus Christ! God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit and with power; He went around doing good, powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.

But by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God people killed him by crucifying him on a tree. God then raised him up on the third day, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.

Now there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved.

We must obey God rather than people, and He has commanded us to preach to the people and to warn you that Jesus is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead- and everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

So save yourselves from this perverse generation! Repent and perform deeds consistent with repentance, so: that your sins may be wiped out. Then be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

If you believe and is baptized you will be saved!"""

[FlamingZword]

Actually you find the same message in almost every chapter, you just have to see that it is arranged differently.

Written
Acts 1 through the mouth of David, it is written in the Book of Psalms
Acts 2 by the prophet Joel
Acts 3 by the mouth of all his prophets
Acts 4 through the mouth of your servant, our father David
Acts 5 -

His death
Acts 1 After his suffering
Acts 2 put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
Acts 3 killed the Prince of life, that Christ should suffer
Acts 4 whom you crucified
Acts 5 whom you killed by hanging him on a cross

His Resurrection
Acts 1 many convincing proofs that he was alive, his resurrection
Acts 2 But God raised him from the dead
Acts 3 whom God hath raised from the dead, having raised up his Son
Acts 4 God raised from the dead
Acts 5 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead

Witnesses
Acts 1 a witness with us of, you will be my witnesses
Acts 2 we are all witnesses of it
Acts 3 whereof we are witnesses
Acts 4 we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard
Acts 5 We are witnesses of these things

Preaching
Acts 1 to the ends of the earth
Acts 2 from every nation under heaven
Acts 3 all the kindreds of the earth be blessed
Acts 4 the apostles were teaching the people
Acts 5 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem

His name
Acts 1 Jesus
Acts 2 in the name of Jesus Christ
Acts 3 Jesus
Acts 4 by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, in the name of Jesus
Acts 5 in the name of Jesus

Holy Spirit
Acts 1 you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit
Acts 2 a violent wind came from heaven, I will pour out my Spirit in those days
Acts 3 seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord
Acts 4 filled with the Holy Spirit
Acts 5 so is the Holy Spirit

Power
Acts 1 But you will receive power
Acts 2 miracles, wonders, and signs, the right hand of God
Acts 3 our own power or godliness
Acts 4 By what power, healing, signs, and wonders
Acts 5 Many signs and wonders, His right hand

Repentance
Acts 1 -
Acts 2 Repent and be baptized
Acts 3 Repent ye therefore and be converted
Acts 4 turning away every one of you from his iniquities
Acts 5 that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.

[Originalist]

Great post, NDavid.

The center point of what the Apostles preached was the exaltation and Lordship of Christ , and that by obeying him through repentance and baptism, we would be made new creations through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

What you presented here is a far cry from what is commonly preached today, a message that exalts the sinner instead of Christ.."God thinks you are great and has a wonderful plan for your life..." We preach a God today who is begging men everywhere to "give him a chance" instead of a God that "commandeth men everywhere to repent".

[aegsm76]

Agreed, great thoughts and post.

[n david]

Actually you find the same message in almost every chapter, you just have to see that it is arranged differently.
Correct. He just combined it all together.

[n david]

Great post, NDavid.

The center point of what the Apostles preached was the exaltation and Lordship of Christ , and that by obeying him through repentance and baptism, we would be made new creations through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

What you presented here is a far cry from what is commonly preached today, a message that exalts the sinner instead of Christ.."God thinks you are great and has a wonderful plan for your life..." We preach a God today who is begging men everywhere to "give him a chance" instead of a God that "commandeth men everywhere to repent".
Thanks, and you're spot on about messages today and how they exalt the sinner instead of Christ. The part in bold is especially good.

I enjoyed Andre's breakdown of the message as preached in Acts.