Revised by F. Scott Spencer, 4/23
SUMMARY
The Acts of the Apostles portrays Jesus’ followers from their days with the risen JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God’s saving act for humanity. More in Jerusalem to Paul’s mission in Rome. Initial chapters focus on the life of the early community of believers in Jerusalem and the work of the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine More Spirit among them. Called, inspired, and even driven by the Holy Spirit, the apostles and associates spread the gospel throughout the eastern Mediterranean world. Relating Paul’s dramatic call to spread the news of Jesus (9:1‒18; 22:3‒21; 26:1‒23) is the central emphasis of the second half of Acts. The final verse of Acts summarizes the book’s themes: welcome of all, bold proclamation and teaching about the kingdom of GodThe kingdom (reign) of God is a central theme of Jesus’ teaching and parables. According to Jesus this reign of God is a present reality and at the same time is yet to come. When Christians pray the Lord’s Prayer, they ask that God’s kingdom… More, and God’s plan as unstoppable.
SO WHAT?
Because it provides a perspective on the work of the apostles and PaulThe Apostle Paul, originally known as Saul of Tarsus, was the author of several New Testament letters and the founder of many Christian communities. More that we get nowhere else, theBook of Acts of the Apostles is invaluable as a witness to the development of followers of “the Way” of God disclosed in Jesus. Driving the message of Acts is the conviction that God’s Holy Spirit, now inextricably bound to the risen Jesus, empowers and legitimates the activities of believers at many critical points. The opening of salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. More (being in covenantA covenant is a promise or agreement. In the Bible the promises made between God and God’s people are known as covenants; they state or imply a relationship of commitment and obedience. More relationship with the God of Israel) to all people is the beating heart of this book. Around this central theological idea Acts also emphasizes that believers are called to hospitality, friendship, and boldness in proclamation and interpretation of Scripture.
WHERE DO I FIND IT?
The Acts of the Apostles is the fifth book in the New Testament. It comes directly after the four Gospels and before the Letters of Paul.
WHO WROTE IT?
Acts was written by the same author who produced the Gospel according to LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul. More (see Acts 1:1), yet there is no hard evidence about exactly who this person was. The texts of Luke and Acts imply a sophisticated, educated writer well-versed in the Greek language and the Jewish Scriptures in Greek, who probably lived and wrote in an urban area.
WHEN WAS IT WRITTEN?
Acts was probably written late in the first century C.E. after the Gospel according to Luke, which many scholars date between 75 and 85 C.E. Some scholars, however, argue for an earlier date in the 60s (before Paul’s death) or a later one in the first half of the second century.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The story of Acts tracks the progress of the Christ-centered gospel from the earliest Jesus community in Jerusalem (following Jesus’ ascension) outward to parts of Judea, Samaria, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome. Along the way, communities of believers were established and developed, baptized in the name of Jesus and gathered around prayer, Scripture study, meals, and care for one another.
HOW DO I READ IT?
Acts should be read as history interpreted from the author’s theological perspectives. The writer’s goals included clarifying how the beginnings of the Jesus movement yielded an increasingly GentileA gentile is anyone who is not Jewish. The term, which is derived from words that the Bible uses to denote the “nations” of the world, reflects beliefs that God had designated Israel as a nation that would be distinct from others, and a blessing… More membership that remained faithful to the God of Israel but no longer strictly adhered to Jewish law. Acts also attempts to make clear that this group of religious women and men did not pose a major threat to civic order, even though the God who sent Jesus for the salvation of all people was the supreme God no earthly ruler could challenge, and in their own way the missionaries of Jesus were “turning the world upside down” (17:6).
