PLAN OF SALVATION – 8 (Conversions in the Book of Acts)

Most of you, no doubt, have heard teaching on the subject of conversion, but have you ever really studied it for yourself?  The outline that follows is intended to aid you in your study.  Examples of conversion from the Book of Acts are given, along with a few key verses from each passage.  Study these carefully, noting that while some examples give only a summary of what happened, others provide more specific details.  Don’t be satisfied with what you know right now, or what you think you know—study diligently.

1.         Jews on the Day of Pentecost—Acts 2:14-41.

a.         “Know assuredly (believe--BG) that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” (v. 36).

b.         “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (v. 38).

c.         “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized” (v. 41).

2.         More Jews in Jerusalem—Acts 3:1-4:4.

a.         “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…” (3:19).

b.         “...God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities” (3:26).

c.         “Many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand” (4:4).

3.         Still more Jews in Jerusalem—Acts 5:14.

a.         “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord…” (v. 14).

b.         This happened, despite the recent punishment of Ananias and Sapphira.

4.         Priests, among others—Acts 6:1-7.

a.         “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying…” (v. 1).

b.         “Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith” (v. 7).

5.         People of Samaria, including Simon—Acts 8:5-13.

a.         “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip…” (vv. 12-13).

6.         Ethiopian eunuch or treasurer—Acts 8:26-40.

a.         Philip “preached Jesus to him” (v. 35).

b.         When they came to some water, the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” (v. 36).

c.         Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (v. 37).

d.         “Both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him” (v. 38).

e.         The eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (v. 39).

7.         Saul—Acts 9, 22, 26.

a.         Saul came to believe in Jesus on the road to Damascus, after the light shone around him and the Lord spoke to him (9:1-6; 22:1-10).

b.         He immediately showed signs of repentance by asking, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (9:6).

c.         “And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16).

d.         “And he arose and was baptized” (Acts 9:18).

8.         People of Lydda and Sharon—Acts 9:32-35.

a.         “So all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord” (v. 35).

9.         People of Joppa—Acts 9:36-43.

a.         “And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord” (Acts 9:42).

10.     Cornelius, and his household—Acts 10:1-11:18.

a.         “Send men to Joppa and call for...Peter, who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved” (11:13-14).

b.         “Whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” (10:43).

c.         “Then God has also granted the Gentiles repentance to life” (11:18).

d.         “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? (10:47).

e.         “He commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord” (10:48).

11.     Gentiles in Antioch of Syria—Acts 11:19-24.

a.         “A great number believed and turned to the Lord” (v. 21).

b.         “A great many people were added to the Lord” (v. 24).

12.     Sergius Paulus—Acts 13:6-12.

a.         “This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God” (v. 7).

b.         “Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord” (v. 12).

13.     Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia—Acts 13:42-52.

a.         “Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed” (v. 48).

14.     Jews and Gentiles in Iconium—Acts 14:1.

a.         “…and so spoke that a great multitude of the Jews and of the Greeks believed” (v. 1).

15.     People in Derbe—Acts 14:20-21.

a.         “And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples…”

16.     Lydia and her household—Acts 16:11-15.

a.         “The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul” (v. 14).

b.         “And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay’” (v. 15).

17.     Philippian Jailer and his household—Acts 16:25-34.

a.         He asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (v. 30).

b.         “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household” (v. 31).

c.         “Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house” (v. 32).

d.         “And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized” (v. 33).

e.         Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household” (v. 34).

18.     Jews and Gentiles in Thessalonica—Acts 17:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:5-10; 2:13.

a.         “Paul...reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (v. 2).

b.         “And some of them (Jews) were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas” (v. 4).

c.         “They turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven” (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10).

d.         “...when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God...” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

19.     Jews and Gentiles in Berea (Acts 17:10-12).

a.         “…they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so (v. 11).

b.         “Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men” (v. 12).

20.     Gentiles in Athens—Acts 17:22-34.

a.         “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (v. 30).

b.         “Some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them” (v. 34).

21.     Crispus and other Corinthians—Acts 18:1-8.

a.         “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (v. 8).

22.     Twelve men in Ephesus—Acts 19:1-7.

a.         These men were described as “disciples,” but had only been baptized into John’s baptism.

b.         “When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 6).