For the inquiring mind, my working title for the book of Acts is:
“The Acts of the Ascended and Reigning Christ as the Fulfillment of the Father’s Plan Whereby He Continues to Build His Church from Among the Nations through the Work of the Holy Spirit in the Preaching of the Gospel.”
Yeah, that’s a lengthy one.
I’m trying to convey that Acts is more than merely the “acts of the Apostles.” Whatever you think about my title, it is imperative that we all recognize that Acts stands as a powerful testament to the centrality of the gospel in the salvation of sinners. The preaching recorded in this God-breathed work is not about human achievement, self-esteem, liberation from earthly oppression, self-forgiveness, or your best life now.
Instead, it is a proclamation of the promises of God, now fulfilled in Jesus Christ—the Righteous One—who was crucified and resurrected for the sake of sinners. He is the One who is now ascended and reigning as King. Through Him, and Him alone, forgiveness of sins is offered to those who believe in Him and turn from their sin in repentance.
The Essence of the Gospel
The gospel preached by the apostles in Acts is unwaveringly Christ-centered. Consider Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost: “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses… Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:32, 36). Salvation hinges on the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, the fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
The preaching of Christ in Acts is not a vague call to moral improvement or personal empowerment, but a declaration that “there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
“Saved”, you say? Saved from what? The coming wrath of God!
This gospel demands a response. When the crowd, convicted by Peter’s words, asked, “What shall we do?” he replied, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:37-38). Faith and repentance are the inseparable responses required to the good news—belief in Christ’s finished work and a turning away from sin are the marks of those who receive forgiveness.
No Compromise
Without these foundational truths—the sinfulness of man, the righteousness of Christ, His atoning death, His victorious resurrection, and the call to faith and repentance—there is no gospel proclamation. The message of Acts is not negotiable. It is the bedrock of Christian proclamation.
To abandon the gospel of Acts is to abandon the gospel. Any church that abandons the gospel of Acts for a man-centered or watered-down substitute is not preaching the gospel of Christ. Such a message is anathema because it cannot save (Galatians 1:8-9).
It is alarming to me how much “gospel” preaching you can hear today, absent the gospel. Some preach a cross without a resurrection. Some preach a resurrection without a cross. Some fail to consider Jesus as the Righteous One. Others make the gospel a way to “get out of sin” failing to see the connection between our sin and our plight with a holy God whereby we deserve His divine wrath.
Anyway, there are so many ways to distort this precious gospel. And the plea here is to preach this truth as it has been delivered to us in the Bible.
The Spirit’s Work Through the Gospel
The preaching of this gospel is not a mere human endeavor in Acts. It is the means by which the Holy Spirit works to bring sinners to life. In Acts 16 the Spirit opens Lydia’s heart (Acts 16:14). Though it’s not explicitly stated, we know He does the same thing again later in the chapter with the Philippian Jailer (Acts 16:31ff).
Through the faithful preaching of Christ, sinners are drawn to faith and repentance by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. All who are appointed to eternal life will believe by these means! (Acts 13:48).
The Response of the Redeemed
Those transformed by the gospel in Acts do not remain isolated. They follow the Lord in obedience through baptism, as seen with the 3,000 on Pentecost (Acts 2:41) and many others. They then unite with a local church, committing to a visible, organized congregation where they serve Christ together. The early believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42), demonstrating that salvation leads to a life of worship and service within the body of Christ.
Baptism, then, is not a mechanism for receiving forgiveness of sins. Rather, it is the response of those who have received this forgiveness in Christ.
Conclusion
The gospel preached in Acts is the unchanging power of God for salvation (Romans 1:16). It is not a message that bends to cultural whims or personal preferences—it is the declaration of Christ crucified and risen, the only hope for sinners. Churches today must hold fast to this gospel, for any deviation is a betrayal of the truth. Through its faithful proclamation, the Spirit continues to work, calling sinners to faith, repentance, and a life of devotion to the Lord within His church. Let us cling to the gospel of Acts, for it is the gospel of Christ Himself.
