Episode 6: Expansion in the Holy Land

The Word of God Grew and Multiplied: Acts 12:1-24

Listen as Ed Underwood teaches on Acts in this sixth episode of the Recentered on the Word podcast.

Book 4 records the shift of the church’s center from Jerusalem to Antioch of Syria. Luke emphasizes the Gospel’s spread increasingly to Gentiles in three momentous stages: Peter’s ministry to Hellenistic Jews in the port cities of Palestine (9:23-43), Peter’s ministry to the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, and his friends in Caesarea (10:1-11:18), and the beginning of the church in Antioch (11:19-30). In the face of tremendous persecution, the Jerusalem church remains vital for opening their lives to Gentiles (12:1-23). This proves that the word of God, Jesus’ words and promises to His church, cannot be resisted by earthly powers (12:24).

Against all odds, the church expands into Gentile territory and establishes an outpost in Antioch to deploy to the end of the earth.

Do you want to be a door opener? Prepare to be attacked by Christians and Satan.

• Notes and Discussion Questions

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