Module 9 · Spirit, Church, and Mission · Lesson 2
From Jerusalem to the Nations
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Big idea
Acts traces the gospel across geographic, ethnic, and religious boundaries as the Abrahamic promise moves toward the nations through Christ.
Learning objectives
- Explain Acts 1:8 as the geographic/theological outline of Acts.
- Connect mission to Abraham and Isaiah.
- Describe Samaria, Cornelius, and Acts 15 as boundary-crossing moments.
- Reject mission as cultural domination.
Primary text
Acts 1:8 — Witness moves from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
Scaffolded Scriptures
- Genesis 12:3 — The nations are already present in the Abrahamic promise.
- Isaiah 49:6 — God’s servant is a light to the Gentiles.
- Matthew 28:19 — The risen Jesus commands disciple-making among all nations.
- Acts 8:4–17 — The gospel crosses into Samaria.
- Acts 10:34–48 — Cornelius receives the Spirit, confronting ethnic/religious boundary assumptions.
- Acts 15:7–19 — The church recognizes Gentile inclusion without ethnic conversion to Judaism.
- Ephesians 2:14–18 — Christ creates one reconciled humanity.
Teaching movements
Movement 1
Mission Is Built Into the Story — Acts is not an afterthought; it is Abrahamic promise in motion.
Movement 2
Jerusalem Is the Beginning, Not the Destination — The gospel must cross boundaries.
Movement 3
Samaria — Historic hostility does not block Christ’s mission.
Movement 4
Cornelius — God forces Peter to rethink inherited categories about Gentile inclusion.
Movement 5
Acts 15 — Gentiles do not need to become ethnically Jewish to belong to Messiah.
Movement 6
Mission Is Not Cultural Erasure — The gospel enters cultures without making one earthly culture the norm.
Movement 7
One New Humanity — Unity in Christ does not require ethnic sameness.
Key terms / word study
- Nations / ethnē
- Peoples or nations; the term is central to the Bible’s expanding missionary horizon.
Christ at the center
Jesus is the promised blessing to the nations and the One who reconciles divided peoples into one body without erasing their distinctiveness.
Reflect
- How does Acts 1:8 function as more than geography?
- Why is Cornelius such a major moment?
- How does Acts 15 challenge cultural assimilation?
Practice
Trace the expansion of Acts on a simple map or list: Jerusalem → Judea → Samaria → Gentile mission. Note one major barrier crossed at each stage.
Remember
The gospel crosses boundaries because the King claims the nations.