Acts Explained: A Bible Study

Why does the gospel stir up so much trouble? In Acts 17:1-15, the message of Jesus turns whole cities upside down. Dr. Toby Holt explains why the good news unsettles the world — and why that is exactly what it is meant to do. In Thessalonica, Paul reasoned from the Scriptures for three Sabbaths that Jesus is the Christ who had to die and rise. Some believed, but jealous opponents stirred up a mob,...

What does Acts 4:12 teach us in The One Name That Saves? In this expository sermon on Acts 4:12, Dr. Toby Holt of New Geneva Theological Seminary teaches that salvation is found in no one but Jesus Christ, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Preaching from Peter's defense before the Jewish Sanhedrin, he expounds the exclusivity of Christ: Jesus of Naz...

Does God pursue the outsider? Yes. In Acts 8:26-40, God sends Philip into the desert to reach one searching foreigner — an Ethiopian official. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt shows how far God will go to save the people the world overlooks. On a lonely desert road, Philip meets an Ethiopian official riding home, reading aloud from Isaiah 53 but unable to understand it. Philip climbs into the chariot...

Should preachers teach only the easy parts of the Bible? No. In Acts 20:17-38, the Apostle Paul charges the Ephesian elders to preach the whole counsel of God — not just the comfortable parts. Dr. Toby Holt explains why every truth of Scripture matters. Meeting the elders one last time, Paul reminded them how he served through tears and trials, holding nothing back. He warned that "savage wol...

Why do people attack the messenger? In Acts 7, Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr — stoned to death for telling the truth. Dr. Toby Holt shows that God's people are often attacked not for what they do, but for what they say. Dragged before the council on false charges, Stephen walked them through Israel's history, showing how God's messengers were rejected again and again — and now they ha...

Will you finish the Christian life well? In Acts 20:17-24, the Apostle Paul says goodbye to the elders of Ephesus, determined to finish his race no matter the cost. In this study, Dr. Toby Holt asks a searching question: are you on track to finish well? Paul was heading to Jerusalem, knowing that prison and hardship waited for him. Yet he told the Ephesian elders that none of it moved him; his one...

Is there really such a thing as an atheist? In Acts 17:19-28, the Apostle Paul stands before the thinkers of Athens and points them to the God they do not know. Dr. Toby Holt shows from Scripture that deep down, everyone knows God is real. Athens was full of idols, even an altar "To the Unknown God." Paul used it as his starting point, preaching one true God who made everything, needs no...

What does Acts 1:11 teach us in The Ascension and Return of Christ? In this expository sermon on Acts 1:11, Dr. Toby Holt of New Geneva Theological Seminary teaches the doctrine of Christ's ascension and second coming: the risen Jesus was taken up in the cloud of God's glory to reign from His throne at the right hand of the Father, and the same Jesus will return in like manner. Holt shows that Chr...

What does Acts 2:42 teach us in Hallmarks of a Healthy Church? In this expository sermon on Acts 2:42 from the book of Acts, Dr. Toby Holt of New Geneva Theological Seminary teaches that a healthy church is marked by three ordinary means of grace: doctrine, fellowship, and prayer. He argues that the early church grew not through gimmicks or programs but through the faithful preaching of the full c...