It’s the only NT narrative that describes events of the early church… the next 3 decades (~AD 30-62)…
It describes many important church leaders (e.g., James the bro of Jesus, Stephen, Philip, etc.) about whom we would know little otherwise…
It narrates much of the life of Paul… including his dramatic conversion… and missionary journeys…
It illustrates the importance of prayer, the Holy Spirit, and evangelism in the life of the early church…
It describes how Christianity transitioned from a purely Jewish movement into a worldwide religion…
Historical Background of Acts…
Title: “Acts of the Apostles” = somewhat of a misnomer because it doesn’t really describe the history of the Twelve Apostles…
Author: Luke
Same author as GLuke (common prologues, language, style, purpose, distinctives)
“We” sections on 2MJ (16:10-17), 3MJ (20:5-15; 21:1-18), and to Rome (27:1-28:16)
Date: AD 70s or 80s
Even though Acts ends (28:30-31) with Paul in prison in Rome ~AD 62 without describing the outcome of his trial or how he died, most likely Acts is written much later than AD 62.
GLuke was written before Acts and is based on GMark… and Acts presents history more in retrospect, not as current events…
Recipient: Theophilus (1:1)… and a wider Gentile audience
Purpose: Why was Acts written?…
To provide a comprehensive history of the Twelve Apostles?... No.
To describe the church spreading in all geographical directions?... No.
To tell the life story of Paul?... No.
To describe how the Gospel went to the Gentiles?... Yes!
From start to finish, Acts is all about how the church realized that Gentiles do not have to become Jewish to become Christians…
Consider: Acts 1:8 (“to the ends of the earth”)… Philip & the Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40)… Peter & Cornelius (10:1-11:18)… Paul’s mission to the Gentiles (9:15; 13:46-52; 28:28-31)… the Jerusalem Conference (15:1-29)…
To show Christianity is not anti-Roman?… Yes!
Christians were often misunderstood as being anti-Roman: Jesus was crucified… Nero blamed the fire in Rome on Christians (AD 64)… Jews revolted against Rome (AD 66-73)… Christians were wrongly considered cannibals… atheists… incestuous… unpatriotic…
The innocence of Christians is pervasive in Luke-Acts: Pontius Pilate (Lk 23:4, 14, 22)… the Roman centurion (Lk 23:47)… Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48)… Sergius Paulus (13:7-12)… magistrates of Philippi (16:11-40)… city authorities in Thessalonica (17:1-9)… Gallio (18:12-17)… town clerk of Ephesus (19:35-41)… Lysias (21:31-40; 22:22-30; 23:10-30)… Procurator Felix (24:1-27)… Procurator Festus (25:1-27)… Herod Agrippa 2 (25:31-32)…
Major Themes in Acts:
❶ God is in control of history… (“it is/was necessary”)
❷ Divine guidance… through the Holy Spirit, prophets, angels, visions…
❸ God makes & keeps promises…
❹ God’s faithfulness to Israel…
❺ *Mission to the Gentiles* (see above)
❻ Centrality of Jerusalem…
❼ Lukan Generosity…
❽ Jesus Absent & Present…
❾ Salvation: The message of the Apostles in Acts…
The age of fulfillment has dawned…
…through the ministry, death & resurrection of Jesus:
Jesus was a descendant of David…
Jesus publicly did signs and wonders…
Jesus died by crucifixion at the demand of Jewish officials…
God raised him from the dead…
Jesus was exalted at the right hand of God as Messiah of the new Israel…
The Holy Spirit in the Church is the sign of Christ’s power & glory…
The Messianic Age will soon reach its consummation in the return of Christ…
Therefore: repent, be baptized, be forgiven, & receive the Holy Spirit and the promise of the age to come
❿ Charismatic manifestations of the Spirit… (or “Pentecost” episodes)
The Jewish Pentecost (Acts 2:1-42)…
The Samaritan “Pentecost”… Philip to the Samaritans (Acts 8:4-8, 14-17)
The Gentile “Pentecost”… Peter to Cornelius & his household (Acts 10:1-48)
The Spirit coming down on followers of JBapt… at the hands of Paul (19:1-7)
The dramatic conversion of Saul of Tarsus (aka, Paul) (9:1-31)…
Peter evangelizes Cornelius, a Roman centurion (10:1-48)…
Peter defends himself to the Jewish-Christian leaders (11:1-18)…
James the Apostle is martyred (12:1-2)… and Peter is miraculously released from prison (12:3-17)…
Key Episodes in Acts: Chaps 13-28…
(Acts 1:8, Witnesses to “the ends of the earth”…)
Paul’s first missionary journey (chaps 13-14)… with Barnabas & John Mark… to Cyprus & south Galatia…
The Jerusalem Conference regarding the Gentiles (15:1-29)…
Paul’s second missionary journey (chaps 16:1-18:22)… with Silas and others… to S Galatia, Philippi, Thessalonica, Athens, Corinth, and elsewhere…
Paul’s third missionary journey (18:23-21:16)…with many others… mostly at Ephesus (2+ years)…
Paul is falsely accused & imprisoned in Jerusalem…then imprisoned in Caesarea (2+ years)… then he appealed to Caesar and was taken to Rome… (21:16-28:31)
Acts ends with Paul in Rome without mentioning the outcome of Paul’s trial… or how he died…
