A C T S

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GENERAL OUTLINES

Fivefold Fractal

PART Α: The Church Established at Jerusalem (ch. 1–8:3)

PART Β: The Church Established beyond Judea — Mission to the Gentiles (8:4–ch. 11)

PART Ο: Paul’s Missionary Travels (12:24–ch. 20)

PART Ω: The Passion of Paul — From Jerusalem to Rome (ch. 21–28)



Long-Range Palistrophic


Α.Α. The Pentecostal Church (ch. 1–2)

          Α.Β. Healing of the lame man at the Temple: The Church emerges as an identity separate from the synagogue (ch. 3–4:22)

                    Α.Χ. The Church’s prayer to God (4:23‑31)

                              Α.Ο. The flowering of the Church at Jerusalem (4:32–ch. 6)

                                        Α.Ω. The witness of Stephen and persecution of the Church at Jerusalem (ch. 7–8:3)


                                                            Β.Α. The mission of Archdeacon Philip beyond Jerusalem 
(8:4‑40)

                                                                      Β.Β. The conversion of the persecutor Saul (9:1‑31)

                                                                                Β.Χ. Peter heals a paralytic at Lydda and raises one dead nearby at Joppa (9:32‑42)

                                                                                          Β.Ο. The conversion of the centurion Cornelius (9:43–11:18)

                                                                                                    Β.Ω. The Church at Antioch established, headed by Barnabas (11:19‑30)


                                                                                                                        Χ. Peter Freed from Herod’s Prison at Pascha Time (12:1‑23)


                                                                                                    Ο.Α. Paul’s first journey (12:24–ch. 14)

                                                                                          Ο.Β. The council at Jerusalem over circumcision (15:1‑35)

                                                                                Ο.Χ. Paul’s journey to Greece, and beyond the Jewish law (15:36–18:17)

                                                                      Ο.Ο. Paul’s success with Jews and Greeks at Ephesus; his vow to go to Jerusalem and Rome (18:18–19:22)

                                                            Ο.Ω. Paul concludes his missionary journeys (19:23–ch. 20)


                                        Ω.Α. Paul taken by Jews at Jerusalem and preserved by the civil authorities (ch. 21)

                              Ω.Β. Paul appeals to the Jews by telling them his story (22:1‑22)

                    Ω.Χ. Paul’s Roman citizenship saves him from the Jews (22:23–24:23)

          Ω.Ο. Paul appeals to Caesar, and to King Agrippa with his story (24:24–ch. 26)

Ω.Ω. Journey by shipwreck unto Rome (ch. 27–28)


DETAILED OUTLINES

Fivefold Fractal

PART Α: The Church Established at Jerusalem (ch. 1–8:3)

Α. The Pentecostal Church (ch. 1–2)

α. The Ascension of Christ, with promise of the Spirit and the Kingdom (1:1‑11)

β. The fall of Judas and restoration of the Twelve (Peter’s speech) (1:12‑26)

χ. The descent of the Spirit (2:1‑4)

o. Peter preaches to the world the Godman’s resurrection and adds to the Church 3,000 (2:5‑41)

ω. The communion of the Church (2:42‑47)

Β. Healing of the lame man at the Temple: The Church emerges as an identity separate from the synagogue (ch. 3–4:22)

α. Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple (3:1‑11)

β. Peter preaches, offering the Jews repentance for killing the Messiah, Who has risen (3:12‑26)

χ. The priests, grieved by Jesus and the resurrection, arrest the Apostles; but 5,000 believe (4:1‑4)

o. Peter preaches the resurrection of Christ before the high priests (4:5‑12)

ω. The high priests behold the miracle and are forced to release the Apostles, and yet deny Jesus (4:13‑22)

Χ. The Church’s prayer to God (4:23‑31)

α. The Church addresses the Lord God Who made heaven and earth (4:23‑24)

β. Reference to Ps. 2: the rulers’ rebellion against God and His Christ (4:25‑26)

χ. The Jews and Gentiles rejected Jesus, according to God’s plan (4:27‑28)

o. Prayer for boldness to preach and heal by Jesus’ name (4:29‑30)

ω. The place shakes and the Spirit fills them with boldness (4:31)

Ο. The flowering of the Church at Jerusalem (4:32–ch. 6)

α. The Church of one heart and soul, with great power and grace, holding all things in common (4:32‑37)

β. The fall of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1‑11)

χ. The high priest fails to imprison the Apostles and stop their preaching (Gamaliel’s speech) (5:12‑42)

o. The ordination of seven deacons (6:1‑7)

ω. The synagogue falsely accuses Stephen, who has the face of angel (6:8‑15)

Ω. The witness of Stephen and persecution of the Church at Jerusalem (ch. 7–8:3)

intro (7:1)

α. Call of Abraham (7:2‑4)

β. The land promised to his seed after bondage (7:5‑7)

χ/ξ. Circumcision covenant: Isaac, Jacob, Joseph over Egypt (7:8‑10)

o. Joseph gathers Israel in Egypt during famine (7:11‑16)

ω. New Pharaoh persecutes Israel, but Moses saved (7:17‑22)

ς. Moses kills Egyptian, but when rejected by Israelite, flees (7:23‑29)

ζ. God appears in the burning bush (7:30‑34)

η/α. Moses delivers the people and promises a prophet like him (7:35‑37)

β. Moses spake to an angel on Sina, but the people demanded a calf of Aaron (7:38‑41)

χ. Worship of Moloch and Remphan; ‘beyond Babylon’ (7:42‑43)

o. The Tabernacle brought in by Joshua becomes Solomon’s Temple (7:44‑47)

ω. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands (7:48‑50)

ς. Ye stiffnecked do always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers (7:51‑53)

ζ. As they gnash, Stephen beholds Jesus on the right hand of God (7:54‑56)

η. The martyrdom of Stephen (Saul consenting) (7:57–8:2)

extro (8:3)


PART Β: The Church Established beyond Judea — Mission to the Gentiles (8:4–ch. 11)

Α. The mission of Archdeacon Philip beyond Jerusalem 
(8:4‑40)

α. Philip preaches in a Samaritan city, exorcises and heals (8:4‑8)

β. Simon Magus had deceived the people, but they are baptized, and Simon also (8:9‑13)

χ. Peter and John come and complete their baptism in Jesus’ name with hands and Spirit (8:14‑17)

o. Peter rebukes Simon’s simony (8:18‑24)

ω. Philip sent to convert the Ethiopian eunuch on the desert road from Jerusalem to Gaza (8:25‑40)

Β. The conversion of the persecutor Saul (9:1‑31)

α. The appearance of the Lord Jesus to Saul on the road to Damascus (9:1‑7)

β. Ananias sent to heal and baptize Saul (9:8‑19a)

χ. Saul preaches Christ and avoids assassination down the city wall in a basket (9:19b‑25)

o. At Jerusalem, Barnabas helps Saul join the disciples (9:26‑28)

ω. Saul’s preaching provokes the Hellenists to seek to slay him; the Church sends him to Tarsus and knows rest (9:29‑31)

Χ. Peter heals a paralytic at Lydda and raises one dead nearby at Joppa (9:32‑42)

α. At Lydda Peter heals the paralytic Aeneas (9:32‑35)

          β. At Joppa, Dorcas, full of good deeds, dies and is laid in an upper chamber (9:36‑37)

                    χ. As Lydda is near Joppa, the disciples fetch Peter (9:38‑39a)

          o. In the upper chamber, Peter is shown the coats and garments Dorcas made (9:39b)

ω. Peter raises her from the dead (9:40‑42)

Ο. The conversion of the centurion Cornelius (9:43–11:18)

α. An angel of God appears to Cornelius and tells him to send for Peter at Joppa (9:43–10:8)

          β. Peter’s vision of the sheet of animals from heaven — ‘What God has cleansed, do not call common’ (10:9‑18)

                    χ. Peter sent by God and fetched by men; Cornelius reverences him and tells him his vision (10:19‑33)

          o. Peter preaches the Gospel to the Gentiles; the Spirit descends on them and they are baptized (10:34‑48)

ω. Peter rehearses the history of Cornelius’ conversion in defense before the Church at Jerusalem (11:1‑18)

Ω. The Church at Antioch established, headed by Barnabas (11:19‑30)

α. Dispersed at Stephen’s martyrdom, disciples have success with Jews at Antioch (11:19‑21)

          β. The Jerusalem Church sends Barnabas to Antioch (11:22‑24)

                    χ. Barnabas goes to Tarsus to fetch Saul (11:25‑26a)

          o. They teach the Church at Antioch for a year and are called Christians (11:26b)

ω. Prophet Agabus foretelling famine, Barnabas and Saul take alms to Judea (11:27‑30)


PART Χ: Peter Freed from Herod’s Prison at Pascha Time (12:1‑23)

Χ. Peter Freed from Herod’s Prison at Pascha Time (12:1‑23)

α. Herod martyrs the Apostle James and imprisons Peter with the same intent (12:14)

β. Prayer is made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him (12:5)

χ. An angel frees Peter, leading him past two wards and an iron gate (12:6‑11)

o. Peter is received with joy at the house of Mary, John-Mark’s mother (12:12‑17)

ω. Herod executes the guards, is smote dead by an angel when worshipped as a god (12:18‑23)


PART Ο: Paul’s Missionary Travels (12:24–ch. 20)

Α. Paul’s first journey (12:24–ch. 14)

α. The Spirit tells the Church at Antioch to send out Barnabas and Saul (12:24–13:3)

          β. On Cyprus, Paul rebukes the sorcerer Bar-jesus for turning away his friend from the faith (13:4‑12)

                    χ. Pisidian Antioch and Iconium: Paul preaches, Jews reject, Gentiles show interest (13:13–14:6)

          o. At Lystra, after healing a cripple, Paul and Barnabas narrowly avoid being worshipped as gods (14:7‑18)

ω. Further persecution from Antioch and Iconium; they re-visit all their communities and return home (14:19‑28)

Β. The council at Jerusalem over circumcision (15:1‑35)

α. Circumcision controversy at Antioch leads Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem (15:1‑5)

          β. Council convenes and Peter testifies against enforcing circumcision on Gentiles (15:6‑11)

                    χ. Barnabas and Paul declare the miracles God worked among the Gentiles (15:12)

          o. James confirms Peter’s testimony, gives sentence accepted by all, and epistles are written (15:13‑29)

ω. The epistle resolves the controversy at Antioch (15:30‑35)

Χ. Paul’s journey to Greece, and beyond the Jewish law (15:36–18:17)

α. The route to Macedonia, blessed by God (Luke joins them at Troas) (15:36–16:18)

          β. Run-in with Roman law at Philippi (16:19‑40)

                    χ. From base Thessalonica, to nobler Boroea, and alone to the sea (17:1‑14)

          o. Encounter with Hellenic wisdom at Athens (17:15‑34)

ω. Corinth — a land beyond Jewish law and blessed by God (18:1‑17)

Ο. Paul’s success with Jews and Greeks at Ephesus; his vow to go to Jerusalem and Rome (18:18–19:22)

α. Paul’s brief visit at Ephesus, where he is begged to stay; his vow to keep feast at Jerusalem (18:18‑23)

          β. Apollos’ success with Ephesian Jews by the baptism of John (18:24‑28)

                    χ. Paul returns to Ephesus and converts twelve disciples of Apollos, Pentecostal signs following (19:1‑7)

          o. Paul’s success with Ephesian Jews and Greeks (the failed Jewish exorcist) (19:8‑20)

ω. Paul intends to go through Greece with a vow to go to Jerusalem and Rome (19:21‑22)

Ω. Paul concludes his missionary journeys (19:23–ch. 20)

α. Uproar in Ephesus over Diana cult — started by self-interest and ended by reason; Paul’s disciples prevent him from involving himself (19:23‑41)

          β. Travels through Greece and back to Asia, spending Passover at Philippi (where Luke joins him) (20:1‑6)

                    χ. Raising fallen Eutyches back to life after a Sunday of preaching at Troas (20:7‑12)

          o. Traveling the Asian coast en route to Jerusalem for Pentecost (20:13‑16)

ω. Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesians at Miletus, how he is not afraid to suffer and is clear of all guilt (20:17‑38)


PART Ω: The Passion of Paul — From Jerusalem to Rome (ch. 21–28)

Α. Paul taken by Jews at Jerusalem and preserved by the civil authorities (ch. 21)

α. Journey to Jerusalem — prophets tell of Paul’s future bondage (21:1‑17)

           β. To quell controversy, James persuades Paul to purify himself at the Temple (21:18‑26)

                     χ. Jews seize Paul, removing him from the Temple, alleging he had brought Greeks there (21:27‑30)

           o. Civil authorities preserve Paul from the Jewish mob (21:31‑34)

ω. Paul, compared by the chief captain to the Egyptian (Moses), speaking Greek and Hebrew wins the attention of all (21:35‑40)

Β. Paul appeals to the Jews by telling them his story (22:1‑22)

α. How he had been a perfect Jew (22:1‑3)

          β. How he had persecuted Christians (22:4‑5)

                    χ. How Jesus appeared to him in light and left him blind (22:6‑11)      

          o. How Ananias healed and baptized him so that he could witness unto all men (22:12‑16)

ω. How Jesus appeared to him in the Temple and sent him the Gentiles — the Jews’ rejection (22:17‑22)

Χ. Paul’s Roman citizenship saves him from the Jews (22:23–24:23)

α. Paul being born a Roman saves him from interrogation by scourging (22:23‑29)

          β. Given to the Jews, Paul divides the council by the teaching of the resurrection (22:30–23:10)

                    χ. The Lord appears to Paul, saying as he has testified in Jerusalem, so in Rome (23:11)

          o. Paul saved from Jewish conspiracy by his nephews; Romans send him to Caesarea (23:12‑35)

ω. Asked for by the high priest, Paul defends himself before Felix, who decides to keep him (24:1‑23)

Ο. Paul appeals to Caesar, and to King Agrippa with his story (24:24–ch. 26)

α. Felix trembles at Paul’s preaching but desires a bribe, and to please the Jews keeps him bound (24:24‑27)

          β. Festus wanting to please the Jews offers Paul judgment at Jerusalem, but he appeals to Caesar (25:1‑12)

                    χ. Festus briefs King Agrippa, declaring Roman (natural) law and telling of Paul’s teaching that Jesus lives (25:13‑22)

          o. At the hearing Festus explains Paul’s appeal to Caesar and his want of any charge (25:23‑27)

ω. Paul appeals to Agrippa by telling him his story — and almost persuades him (ch. 26)

Ω. Journey by shipwreck unto Rome (ch. 27–28)

α. Sailing rough seas against Paul’s counsel (27:1‑20)

          β. Breaking bread at sea and crashing into an island, all being saved as angel had revealed to Paul (27:21‑44)

                    χ. Among barbarians, Paul survives a viper from the fire without harm, convincing them he is a god (28:1‑6)

          o. Healing performed for the gracious islanders (28:7‑10)

ω. Arrival at Rome where Jews refuse to be converted; Paul preaches freely (28:11‑31)


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