Acts Explained: A Bible Study

Bible Explained
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Who wrote the Book of Acts? What is the Book of Acts about? How did a small group of disciples in Jerusalem become a movement that turned the world upside down? In Acts Explained, Dr. Toby Holt provides a rigorous, verse-by-verse exposition of the Book of Acts, tracing the sovereign expansion of Christ’s Kingdom and the vital work of the Holy Spirit. As the Scripture records: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NKJV) Drawing from the historical Reformed tradition—echoing the exegesis of John Calvin R.C. Sproul and others—this series examines the theological weight of Pentecost, the birth of the church, and the missionary journeys of the Apostles. This is not merely a history lesson; it is the account of the Risen Christ continuing His work on earth through His redeemed people. Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary. Dr. Holt's sermons have reached over 1.9 million listeners on SermonAudio. He focuses on clear, verse-by-verse teaching that makes the Bible easy to understand. Support New Geneva: To support Dr. Holt's ministry, please visit: newgeneva.org/give.

Episodes

  1. Turn The World Upside Down

    26 May

    Turn The World Upside Down

    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, accusing the missionaries of proclaiming "another king — Jesus." Holt notes the real opposition is spiritual, and contrasts the angry crowd with the fair-minded Bereans, who searched the Scriptures daily. Questions this study answers: 1. Why did the gospel cause such an uproar? Because it announces "another king, Jesus," and challenges the world's idols and power. A message calling for full allegiance to Christ always unsettles the way things are. 2. What was the real source of the opposition? Holt points beyond the angry crowd to a spiritual enemy. The struggle over the gospel is ultimately not against people but against spiritual darkness. 3. What made the Bereans different? Instead of reacting with anger, they searched the Scriptures daily to test whether Paul's teaching was true — showing us how to weigh everything by God's Word. "These who have turned the world upside down have come here too." — Acts 17:6 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    25 min
  2. The One Name That Saves

    01/09/2024

    The One Name That Saves

    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 Nazareth, the crucified and risen Messiah and rejected chief cornerstone, is the singular means of salvation, a claim the world rejected then and rejects now. The sermon presses hearers to trust in the one name by which they must be saved. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What is the main issue in this passage? In this expository sermon on Acts 4:12, Dr. 2. How does this text point us to Christ? It shows the need for God's grace and the hope fulfilled in the gospel. 3. How should Christians respond? With faith, repentance, and renewed trust in the Lord's Word. "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole." - Acts 4:8-10 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    26 min
  3. Salvation In The Wasteland

    03/03/2024

    Salvation In The Wasteland

    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 and, starting from that very passage about the suffering servant, “preached Jesus to him.” The man believes and is baptized on the spot. Dr. Holt highlights the string of God-arranged appointments that brought them together, and reminds us that we all once started like the eunuch — lost and searching — and are now called to be like Philip, ready to point others to Christ. Questions this study answers: 1. Why does God care for outsiders and rebels? Because His salvation reaches beyond Israel to people of every nation and background. Here He pursues a foreigner most would overlook, showing the wideness of His grace. 2. What was the Ethiopian reading? He was reading Isaiah 53, the passage about the suffering servant, without understanding who it described. Philip showed him it pointed to Jesus. 3. What hope does Acts 8 give for the lost people in our lives? It reminds us that God arranges “divine appointments” and uses ordinary believers to reach searching hearts. We were once like the eunuch; now we can be like Philip. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him.” — Acts 8:35 (NKJV) Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Listen and go deeper: This sermon is part of the Acts Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

    28 min
  4. The Whole Counsel Of God

    14/01/2024

    The Whole Counsel Of God

    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 wolves" would come — even from within the church — twisting the truth. His answer was not less Bible, but all of it, faithfully taught. Questions this study answers: 1. What is the "whole counsel of God"? The entire message of Scripture — every doctrine, command, and warning, not only the popular parts. Paul held none of it back. 2. Why did Paul warn about "wolves"? Because false teachers would rise, even from within the church, twisting God's Word to lead believers astray. Faithful elders must guard the flock with truth. 3. Why does Paul address "elders" rather than one leader? The church was led by a group of elders together, not a single ruler. Shared, accountable leadership helps protect the church from error. "For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God." — Acts 20:27 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    30 min
  5. The Stoning Of Stephen

    22/08/2021

    The Stoning Of Stephen

    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 had done the same to Jesus. As they raged, he saw heaven opened and Jesus standing at God's right hand. Even as the stones fell, he prayed for his killers. Watching, and approving, was a young man named Saul. Questions this study answers: 1. Why was Stephen killed? Not for any crime, but for boldly telling the truth about Jesus. Like the prophets before him, he was attacked for his message, not his behavior. 2. What did Stephen see as he died? Heaven opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, as if rising to welcome him home — God's assurance in his final moment. 3. How does Stephen's death echo Jesus' own? Like Jesus, he entrusted his spirit to God and prayed for those killing him. His death also scattered the believers and spread the gospel further. "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" — Acts 7:56 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    30 min
  6. Finish Well (Are You On Track)

    26/05/2019

    Finish Well (Are You On Track)

    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 aim was to complete the ministry God had given him. Finishing well, Dr. Holt warns, is not automatic. He points to leaders like Solomon, Samson, and David — men who knew better, yet stumbled badly near the end — and urges us to make wise choices now, in prayer and self-discipline, so that we finish the race with joy. Questions this study answers: 1. Why does Paul compare the Christian life to a race? Because a race must be finished, not just started. Paul wanted believers to see that staying faithful to the end takes endurance and intention, not coasting. 2. What does it mean to “finish well”? It means completing the life and work God gives you while still trusting and obeying Him at the end. Many start strong but drift; Paul aimed to cross the line with joy. 3. How can we stay on track? By dealing honestly with sin, staying in prayer, and keeping our eyes on Christ. Finishing well is the fruit of faithful choices made day by day. “But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” — Acts 20:24 (NKJV) Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, a Reformed seminary in Colorado Springs. He is known for clear, down-to-earth Bible teaching, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Listen and go deeper: This sermon is part of the Acts Explained study from New Geneva Theological Seminary. Find more verse-by-verse teaching across the Bible at newgeneva.org. To support this teaching ministry, visit newgeneva.org/give.

    25 min
  7. Atheists, Agnostics, And The Apostle

    12/05/2019

    Atheists, Agnostics, And The Apostle

    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 nothing from us, made every nation "from one blood," and in whom "we live and move and have our being." Drawing on Romans 1, Holt explains people do not lack the knowledge of God; they suppress it. Questions this study answers: 1. How are agnostics different from atheists? An atheist claims there is no God; an agnostic says a God may exist but cannot be known. Paul answers both by proclaiming the God who has made Himself known. 2. What was Paul doing in Athens? Surrounded by idols, he reasoned with the city's thinkers and preached the one Creator, turning their altar "to the unknown God" into a starting point for the gospel. 3. Does anyone truly not know God exists? According to Romans 1, no. People know God through what He has made but suppress that truth. Paul's job was to make the God they secretly know clear in Christ. "The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you." — Acts 17:23 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    27 min
  8. The Ascension And Return Of Christ

    21/10/2018

    The Ascension And Return Of Christ

    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 Christ's departure was necessary and coronation-like, that it secured the sending of the Holy Spirit and the global advance of Christ's kingdom, and that His ascension anticipates and guarantees the resurrection and reunion of His people. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What is the main issue in this passage? In this expository sermon on Acts 1:11, Dr. 2. How does this text point us to Christ? It shows the need for God's grace and the hope fulfilled in the gospel. 3. How should Christians respond? With faith, repentance, and renewed trust in the Lord's Word. "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:7-8 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    29 min
  9. Hallmarks Of A Healthy Church

    15/01/2017

    Hallmarks Of A Healthy Church

    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 counsel of God, sacrificial community, and earnest prayer—the same ordinary means by which God has always been pleased to grow His kingdom. Questions this sermon answers: 1. What is the main issue in this passage? In this expository sermon on Acts 2:42 from the book of Acts, Dr. 2. How does this text point us to Christ? It shows the need for God's grace and the hope fulfilled in the gospel. 3. How should Christians respond? With faith, repentance, and renewed trust in the Lord's Word. "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." - John 13:35 (NKJV) Dr. Toby Holt is President of New Geneva Theological Seminary, and his sermons have been downloaded more than 1.9 million times on SermonAudio. Find more verse-by-verse Bible teaching at newgeneva.org; support this ministry at newgeneva.org/give.

    28 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

Who wrote the Book of Acts? What is the Book of Acts about? How did a small group of disciples in Jerusalem become a movement that turned the world upside down? In Acts Explained, Dr. Toby Holt provides a rigorous, verse-by-verse exposition of the Book of Acts, tracing the sovereign expansion of Christ’s Kingdom and the vital work of the Holy Spirit. As the Scripture records: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NKJV) Drawing from the historical Reformed tradition—echoing the exegesis of John Calvin R.C. Sproul and others—this series examines the theological weight of Pentecost, the birth of the church, and the missionary journeys of the Apostles. This is not merely a history lesson; it is the account of the Risen Christ continuing His work on earth through His redeemed people. Speaker: Dr. Toby Holt Dr. Toby Holt is the President of New Geneva Theological Seminary. Dr. Holt's sermons have reached over 1.9 million listeners on SermonAudio. He focuses on clear, verse-by-verse teaching that makes the Bible easy to understand. Support New Geneva: To support Dr. Holt's ministry, please visit: newgeneva.org/give.

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