History Literature / ActsOfTheApostles

* SpiritualPredecessor: To the Epistles, since Acts is the only historical book of the New Testament where Paul (who wrote the majority of the epistles) is introduced.

* SocialEngineering: On trial before a Jewish tribunal, Paul notices that the group is evenly split between Pharisees (who believed in the resurrection) and Saducees (who didn't). Paul yells out that he is a Pharisee who believes in the resurrection, and, since JewsLoveToArgue, the tribunal promptly breaks down into an argument that gets too heated to continue with the trial.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: The reaction of many Jews to realizing that they had murdered the Messiah was extreme regret. Unlike Judas, however, they beg for mercy and join the fledgling Church.

* MoneyIsNotPower: Simon Magus tries to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit with money so that he could lay hands on people and give them the same power. Peter the apostle outrightly rejects it, saying that Simon's heart is not right before God and that he should pray that such a thought in his mind will be forgiven him for attempting it.

* NeverMyFault: Actually, Never the Romans' Fault. On Pentecost, Peter accuses his fellow Israelites of killing the Messiah. 3,000 were converted that day as a result, and many more in the following days.
** Later, when Peter is converting Cornelius to Christianity in Chapter 10, he implicitly denies that the Roman soldiers had anything to do with Jesus' death on the cross.

** For a straighter example, the members of the Sanhedrin, who had plotted against Jesus in the first place, now complain when the apostles preach the gospel that they are "bringing this Man's blood on them" in Chapter 5, disavowing that they had anything to do with Jesus' death on the cross.

** For a straighter example, the members of the Sanhedrin, who originally were willing to take the blame for Jesus' death in the Gospel of Matthew, now complain when the apostles preach the gospel that they are "bringing this Man's blood on them" in Chapter 5, disavowing that they had anything to do with Jesus' death on the cross.

* NeverMyFault: The Jewish leaders, who originally were willing to accept responsibility for Jesus' death in the Gospel of Matthew, now complain when the apostles preach the gospel that they are "bringing this Man's blood on them" in Chapter 5, disavowing that they had anything to do with Jesus' death on the cross.

* WhatTheHellHero: On Pentecost, Peter blames his fellow Israelites for killing the Messiah. 3,000 were converted that day as a result, and many more in the following days.

* YouBastard: From Peter's sermon on Pentecost: "God has made this Jesus, ''whom you crucified,'' to be both Lord and Messiah!" This results in a MassOhCrap moment from his hearers, but it's also strongly implied that the readers are meant to apply this to themselves as well; ''your'' sins caused Jesus' death, so [[HeelFaithTurn you'd better repent]].

* WhatTheHellHero: On Pentecost, Peter berates his fellow Israelites for killing the Messiah. 3,000 were converted that day as a result, and many more in the following days.

->''"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."''
-->--'''Jesus,''' Matthew 28:19-20a

* FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator: In several places, Luke offhandedly remarks, "So then we went to this place...", indicating that he was actually present for at least some of the events.

* MeatOVision: In chapter 10, before lunchtime, Peter sees a vision of giant sheet filled with animals coming down from heaven. A voice from heaven, possibly Jesus, tells Peter to eat those animals, to which Peter declines as it's not kosher, but the voice replied that "If God says it's okay, it's okay" (v. 15, The Message translation). This happened three times before the sheet was lifted up to heaven. Peter realizes that it's a vision concerning the conversion of Gentiles, such as the centurion Cornelius, who visited him later that day.

* MeatOVision: In chapter 10, before lunchtime, Peter sees a vision of giant sheet filled with animals coming down from heaven. A voice from heaven, possibly Jesus, tells Peter to eat those animals, to which Peter declines as it's not kosher, but the voice replied that "If God says it's okay, it's okay" (v. 15, The Message translation). Peter realizes that it's a vision concerning the conversion of Gentiles, such as the centurion Cornelius, who visited him later that day.

* MeatOVision: In chapter 10, before lunchtime, Peter sees a vision of giant sheet filled with animals coming down from heaven. A voice from heaven, possibly Jesus, tells Peter to eat those animals, to which Peter declines as it's not kosher, but the voice replied that "If God says it's okay, it's okay" (v. 15, The Message translation)

** Gets more amusing when Christian groups who think alcohol is sinful assert that the Bible's "wine" is basically unfermented grape juice. In which case these verses read more like "These guys are just on a sugar rush!"

** Deliberately invoked when a dispute arises of whether non-Jewish Christian converts should then follow the Torah, including circumcision and the Kosher dietary laws. In a meeting of the Apostles, it was agreed that Gentile converts should be exempted from the Torah in order to ease conversions.

* DrivenToSuicide: When an earthquake struck the jail at Phillippi, the keeper of the prison was going to kill himself, thinking the prisoners had fled, and he knew he'd probably die if that happened. He was stopped by Paul, one of the prisoners.

* HeelFaceTurn and HeelFaithTurn: Saul of Tarsus, the approving coat-bearer at the stoning of early martyr Saint Stephen, becomes the chief KnightTemplar on "witch hunts" to destroy all Christians until he encounters Jesus on the way to Damascus. Saul becomes known as [[MeaningfulRename Paul]] after he has (quite literally) seen the light.

* HopeSpot: The ending, again. Paul may be in house arrest, but the gospel message [[CantStopTheSignal is still going forward with no signs of stopping]].

* ChekhovsGunman: The man shown carrying the coats of the men stoning Steven, Saul, would become a major character a couple of chapters later.

* EunuchsAreEvil: Inverted by the Ethiopian eunuch, who was brought to the saving faith of Jesus Christ by Philip explaining the portion of the book of Isaiah he was reading.

** Barnabas, the man who is commended for his charity in chapter 4, later vouches for Saul after his [[HeelFaithTurn baptism]] when the church at Jersusalem doubts his change of heart and becomes one of his companions.

** Barnabas, the man who is commended for his charity in chapter 4, later vouches for Saul after his [[HeelFaceTurn baptism]] when the church at Jersusalem doubts his change of heart and becomes one of his companions.

** Barnabas, the man who is commended for his charity, later vouches for Saul after his [[HeelFaceTurn baptism]] when the church at Jersusalem doubts his change of heart.

* ChekovsGunman: The man shown carrying the coats of the men stoning Steven, Saul, would become a major character a couple of chapters later.