21:1-11. (4) The following discourses:  (a) The conversation with Nicodemus, Ch. 3; (b) The conversation with the woman at the well, Ch. 4; (c) The discourse on the shepherd and the sheep, Ch. 10; (d) The discussions of chapter 13; (e) The discourse on the vine, Ch. 15; (f) The Lord’s prayer, Ch. 17. (5) From the following passages find the cause or explanation of unbelief, 1:45; 3:11, 19, 20; 5:16, 40, 42, 44; 6:42, 52; 7:41, 42, 48; 8:13, 14, 45; 12:26, 44; 20:9. (6) From the following study the results of unbelief, 3:18, 20, 36; 4:13, 14; 6:35, 53, 58; 8:19, 34, 55; 14:1, 28; 15:5; 16:6, 9. (7) Make a list of all the night scenes of the book and study them. (8) Study each instance of someone worshiping Jesus. (9) Name each chapter of the book so as to indicate some important event in it-as the vine chapter or Good Shepherd chapter. (10) Find where and how many times each of the following words and phrases occurs and study them as time will admit. (1) Eternal life, 17 times, only 18 in all the other gospels, (2) believe, (3) believe on, (4) sent, (5) life, (6) sign or signs (Revised version), (7) work or works, (8) John the Baptist, (9) verily, always double and used by Jesus, (10) receive, received, etc., (11) witness, or testify, testimony, etc.. (12) truth, (13) manifest, manifested, (14) “I am” (spoken by Jesus).

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Chapter XXVIII.

Acts.

The Author.  The author is Luke who wrote the gospel of Luke.  Facts concerning him may be found in chapter twenty-seven.  He wrote this book about A. D. 63 or 64.

The Purpose.  It was addressed to an individual as a sort of continuation of the former thesis and aims to chronicle the growth and development of the movement inaugurated by Jesus as it was carried on by the apostles after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus.  It is taken up largely with the history of Christian work among the Gentiles and only gives enough of the history of the Jerusalem church to authenticate the work among the Gentiles.  The chief purpose, therefore, seems to be to give an account of the spread of Christianity among the Gentiles.  This view is further strengthened in the fact that Luke himself was a gentile (Col. 4:10) and that he was a companion of Paul (Col. 4:14) and the “we” section of Acts.  The book does not, therefore, claim to be a complete account of the labors of the early apostles.  But it does give in a simple, definite and impressive manner an account of how the religion of Jesus was propagated after his death and of how it was received by those to whom it was first preached.

The Spirituality.  In the Old Testament God the Father was the active agent.  In the gospels God the Son (Jesus) was the active agent.  In Acts (and ever after) God the Holy Spirit is the active agent.  He is mentioned about seventy times in Acts.  The Savior had told the apostles to wait at Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Ghost.  Until they were endued with His power they were very ordinary men.  Afterward they were pure in their purpose and ideals and were always triumphant in their cause.  The book is a record of mighty spiritual power seen in action everywhere.