Summary
Highlights
The video opens with Jesus giving instructions to his apostles after his resurrection, appearing to them for 40 days. He commands them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the Holy Spirit. After Jesus ascends to heaven, two men in white appear, promising his return. The apostles then return to Jerusalem, where Peter leads the believers in choosing Matthias to replace Judas.
On the day of Pentecost, the apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit, enabling them to speak in other tongues. A crowd gathers, bewildered as they hear the apostles speaking in their native languages. Peter addresses the crowd, explaining that this is a fulfillment of the prophet Joel's prophecy and proclaims Jesus as the Christ, resurrected by God. Many believe and are baptized, adding about 3,000 people to their number. The early believers devote themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer, sharing all their possessions.
Peter and John heal a man crippled from birth at the Temple Gate called Beautiful. The man, now able to walk, praises God, astonishing the crowd. Peter addresses the amazed crowd, explaining that the healing was done through faith in Jesus. The priests and Sadducees are disturbed by their teaching and arrest Peter and John. Many, however, believe, bringing the number of believers to about 5,000.
Peter and John are questioned by the Sanhedrin about the healing. Peter boldly declares that the miracle was done in the name of Jesus Christ, whom they crucified but God raised from the dead. The Sanhedrin, astonished by their courage and unable to deny the miracle, warn them not to speak or teach in Jesus' name. Peter and John refuse, stating they must obey God. After further threats, they are released, and the believers pray for boldness.
The believers share their possessions, and Barnabas sells a field and gives the money to the apostles. Ananias and Sapphira attempt to deceive the apostles by withholding part of the money from a sale. Peter confronts Ananias, who falls down dead. His wife Sapphira also dies after lying about the sale. Great fear seizes the church. The apostles perform many miraculous signs, leading to more conversions. The high priest and Sadducees arrest the apostles, but an angel releases them and tells them to continue teaching in the temple courts.
The Sanhedrin brings the apostles back and orders them not to teach in Jesus' name. Peter responds that they must obey God. Gamaliel, a Pharisee, advises the Sanhedrin to leave the men alone, suggesting that if their work is human, it will fail, but if it is from God, they cannot stop it. The apostles are flogged and released. Later, Stephen, full of God's grace and power, performs miracles but is opposed by some Jews. He is accused of blasphemy against Moses and God, and arrested.
Stephen delivers a long speech before the Sanhedrin, recounting the history of Israel and their resistance to God. He accuses them of always resisting the Holy Spirit and of betraying and murdering Jesus, the Righteous One. Enraged, the crowd drags him out of the city and stones him. Stephen prays for forgiveness for his persecutors and sees Jesus at the right hand of God before he dies. Saul is present and approves of his death.
A great persecution against the church in Jerusalem leads to the scattering of believers, who preach the word elsewhere. Philip goes to Samaria and proclaims Christ, performing miracles and healing many. Simon the Sorcerer, who had previously amazed the people, believes and is baptized. Peter and John are sent to Samaria, where they pray for believers to receive the Holy Spirit. Simon offers money for this power and is rebuked by Peter. Philip is then directed by an angel to a desert road, where he meets and baptizes an Ethiopian eunuch after explaining the scriptures.
Saul, still persecuting Christians, travels to Damascus with letters to arrest believers. On the way, a light from heaven flashes around him, and he hears Jesus' voice asking why he is persecuting him. Saul is struck blind and is led to Damascus. Ananias, a disciple in Damascus, receives a vision instructing him to find Saul and restore his sight. Ananias obeys, and Saul regains his sight, is baptized, and immediately begins preaching that Jesus is the Son of God, astonishing those who knew of his past.
Saul preaches powerfully in Damascus, baffling the Jews, who then plot to kill him. His followers help him escape in a basket. In Jerusalem, the disciples are initially afraid of Saul, but Barnabas vouches for him to the apostles. Saul preaches boldly but faces threats, leading to his relocation to Tarsus. Meanwhile, Peter travels and heals Aeneas of paralysis in Lydda and raises Tabitha from the dead in Joppa, leading many to believe.
In Caesarea, Cornelius, a Roman centurion, receives a vision from an angel telling him to send for Peter in Joppa. At the same time, Peter has a vision of unclean animals and is told not to call anything impure that God has made clean. Peter goes to Caesarea, where he meets Cornelius and his household. Peter realizes that God shows no favoritism and that the Gospel is for all. As he preaches, the Holy Spirit falls on Cornelius's household, and they speak in tongues. Peter then baptizes them.
Back in Jerusalem, Peter is criticized by circumcised believers for associating with Gentiles. He recounts his vision and the events with Cornelius, emphasizing God's will to extend salvation to the Gentiles. The other apostles accept this. Scattered believers, originally only preaching to Jews, begin to preach to Greeks in Antioch. Barnabas is sent from Jerusalem to Antioch and, seeing God's grace, seeks out Saul to join him. They teach in Antioch for a year, where the disciples are first called Christians.
King Herod arrests and executes James, John's brother. Seeing this pleased the Jews, Herod arrests Peter and plans to execute him after Passover. While Peter is imprisoned, the church prays earnestly for him. An angel of the Lord miraculously appears, strikes Peter, and leads him out of prison, past the guards and through an iron gate. Peter realizes it is real and goes to Mary's house, where many are praying. The guards face Herod's wrath, and Herod himself is struck down by an angel and dies because he did not give praise to God.
Barnabas and Saul (now called Paul) are set apart by the Holy Spirit for missionary work and sent from Antioch. They travel to Cyprus, where they encounter a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus, who opposes them. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, temporarily blinds the sorcerer, leading the proconsul Sergius Paulus to believe. They continue to Perga, then to Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preaches in the synagogue, recounting Israel's history and proclaiming Jesus as the promised Savior.
Paul preaches to Jews and Gentile worshipers in Antioch, explaining Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins through him. Many Jews and God-fearing Gentiles believe. The following Sabbath, almost the entire city gathers, causing jealousy among some Jews, who oppose Paul. Paul and Barnabas declare that since the Jews rejected the message, they will now turn to the Gentiles, fulfilling prophecy that they would be a light to the Gentiles. The Gentiles rejoice, but the Jews incite persecution, forcing Paul and Barnabas to shake the dust from their feet and leave.
In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas preach effectively, winning many Jews and Gentiles, but some unbelieving Jews stir up opposition. They perform miraculous signs, but a plot to stone them leads them to flee to Lystra and Derbe. In Lystra, Paul heals a man lame from birth, causing the crowds to believe they are gods (Zeus and Hermes). Paul vehemently denies this, urging them to worship the Living God. Jews from Antioch and Iconium arrive and incite the crowds, who stone Paul, leaving him for dead. Miraculously, he revives and the next day goes to Derbe, then returns to strengthen the churches in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, appointing elders.
Some men from Judea come to Antioch, teaching that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. Paul and Barnabas dispute this, and they are sent to Jerusalem to consult the apostles and elders. At the council, after much debate, Peter recounts his experience with Cornelius, testifying that God gave the Holy Spirit to Gentiles without circumcision. James proposes a resolution: Gentiles should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. The decision is sent to the churches via a letter carried by Judas Barsabbas and Silas.
Paul and Barnabas have a sharp disagreement over whether to take John Mark on their next journey, leading them to part ways. Barnabas sails to Cyprus with John Mark, while Paul chooses Silas and travels through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. Paul then goes to Derbe and Lystra, where he meets Timothy, whose mother is Jewish and father is Greek. Paul has Timothy circumcised to avoid offending the Jews. They deliver the council's decisions to the churches, which continue to grow.
The Holy Spirit prevents Paul and his companions from preaching in Asia, leading Paul to have a vision of a man from Macedonia begging for help. They sail to Philippi, where they meet Lydia, a worshiper of God, whose heart the Lord opens to Paul's message, and she and her household are baptized. Later, they encounter a slave girl with a spirit of divination. Paul casts out the spirit, angering her owners who drag Paul and Silas before the magistrates. They are beaten and imprisoned. At midnight, an earthquake opens the prison doors, and their chains fall off. The jailer, about to kill himself, asks how to be saved, and Paul tells him to believe in the Lord Jesus. The jailer and his household are baptized and filled with joy. The next day, the magistrates, realizing Paul and Silas are Roman citizens, release them.
Paul and Silas travel to Thessalonica, where Paul preaches in the synagogue, persuading some Jews and many God-fearing Greeks. Jealous Jews form a mob, causing a riot. Paul and Silas are sent to Berea, where the Jews are more receptive, eagerly examining the scriptures daily. When the Thessalonian Jews learn of this, they agitate the crowds in Berea, so Paul is sent to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy behind. In Athens, Paul is distressed by the idols and preaches to Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. He addresses the Areopagus, speaking of the unknown God and the resurrection of Jesus.
Paul leaves Athens for Corinth, where he meets Aquila and Priscilla, tentmakers with whom he works. He preaches in the synagogue, but when the Jews oppose him, he turns to the Gentiles. The Lord encourages Paul in a vision to keep speaking. Paul stays for 18 months. Later, in Ephesus, Paul encounters disciples who had only received John's baptism; he baptizes them in Jesus' name and they receive the Holy Spirit. He teaches boldly in the synagogue, then in the lecture hall of Tyrannus for two years. God performs extraordinary miracles through Paul, and many turn from sorcery, burning their magic books.
Demetrius, a silversmith who makes idols of Artemis, stirs up a riot in Ephesus due to Paul's message decreasing their business. The crowd shouts, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's companions, are seized. The city clerk eventually calms the crowd and dismisses the assembly. Paul then leaves for Macedonia and Greece, where he stays three months. On his return journey, in Troas, a young man named Eutychus falls from a window and dies during Paul's long sermon but is brought back to life by Paul. Paul gathers the elders from Ephesus in Miletus, delivering a poignant farewell address, warning them of false teachers and encouraging them to shepherd the church.
Paul sails from Miletus, and despite warnings through the Spirit not to go to Jerusalem, he is determined. In Tyre, disciples urge him not to go. In Caesarea, the prophet Agabus prophesies that Paul will be bound by the Jews in Jerusalem and handed over to the Gentiles. Paul remains resolute, willing to die for Jesus. Upon arrival in Jerusalem, he is warmly received by the brothers. Paul consults with James and the elders who advise him to participate in a purification rite with four men to demonstrate his adherence to the law and counter rumors that he teaches Jews among Gentiles to forsake Moses. While in the temple, Jews from Asia stir up a crowd, accusing Paul of teaching against the law and bringing Greeks into the temple. Paul is seized and beaten by the mob until a Roman commander intervenes and arrests him.
Paul, an educated Jew and Roman citizen, addresses the crowd in Aramaic, recounting his conversion experience and his commission to preach to the Gentiles. The crowd, enraged by the mention of Gentiles, demands his death. The commander orders Paul to be flogged but stops when he learns Paul is a Roman citizen. The next day, Paul is brought before the Sanhedrin. A dispute arises between the Pharisees and Sadducees when Paul declares he is on trial for the resurrection of the dead. Forty Jews conspire to kill Paul. His nephew learns of the plot and informs the commander, who sends Paul under heavy guard to Caesarea, to Governor Felix.
In Caesarea, Paul is brought before Governor Felix. Tertullus, a lawyer, accuses Paul of being a troublemaker and a ringleader of the Nazarene sect. Paul defends himself, stating he went to Jerusalem to worship, was not stirring up crowds, and believes in the Law and the Prophets, including the resurrection. Felix adjourns the case, keeping Paul imprisoned for two years, hoping for a bribe. Felix is succeeded by Porcius Festus. The Jewish leaders ask Festus to transfer Paul to Jerusalem, planning an ambush. Festus refuses and hears the case in Caesarea, where Paul again defends himself and, to avoid being returned to Jerusalem, appeals to Caesar.
King Agrippa and Bernice visit Festus, and Festus explains Paul's case, mentioning his appeal to Caesar and the Jewish charges concerning a dead man named Jesus. Agrippa expresses a desire to hear Paul. Paul delivers a passionate defense before Agrippa, recounting his past persecution of Christians and his conversion experience on the road to Damascus, where Jesus commissioned him to open the eyes of Gentiles. He testifies that he preaches repentance and turning to God. Festus exclaims that Paul is insane, but Paul insists he speaks truth. Agrippa tells Paul he nearly persuades him to become a Christian. Agrippa and Festus conclude that Paul has done nothing deserving death or imprisonment, and could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.
Paul, as a prisoner, sets sail for Italy with other prisoners and a centurion named Julius. Luke, the author of Acts, accompanies them. The voyage is difficult, with contrary winds. Paul warns against continuing the journey, but his advice is ignored. A violent storm, a 'northeaster,' strikes the ship, driving it off course. After many days without sun or stars, and giving up hope, Paul encourages everyone, assuring them that no lives will be lost, only the ship, according to an angel's message. On the fourteenth night, they sense land. They cast anchors and wait for daylight.
Before dawn, Paul urges everyone to eat for strength, assuring them of safety. The ship eventually runs aground on a sandbar near Malta. The soldiers plan to kill the prisoners to prevent escape, but the centurion, wanting to save Paul, stops them. Everyone reaches shore safely. On Malta, Paul is bitten by a viper but suffers no ill effects, astonishing the locals who initially believed him to be a murderer. He also heals Publius's father and many others. After three months, they sail to Syracuse, then Regium, then Puteoli, finally reaching Rome. Roman believers meet them, encouraging Paul. Paul is allowed to live under house arrest with a guard. He calls for the Jewish leaders, explaining his appeal to Caesar and preaching to them about Jesus, but many remain unconvinced. Paul declares that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen. He continues to preach and teach about Jesus for two years unhindered.