The Acts
of the Apostles
The infectious news first appeared in Jerusalem, then spread quickly from person to person and from city to city. It fierce opposition everywhere it went, but the world was ill-equipped to fight it. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the followers of Christ relayed the Good News about Jesus everywhere. In less than thirty-five years, the gospel had reached cities from Jerusalem to Rome.
Luke wrote the Book of Acts to the show the fulfillment of Jesus' words, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He commanded His followers to make disciples of all nations (Luke 24:46-49). Luke begins Acts with a reiteration of that commission and a description of how it would be carried out (1:8). This commission not only ties the Book of Acts to the Gospel of Luke, but it also provides an outline for the book: the witness in Jerusalem and Judea (1:1-6:7); the witness to Judea and Samaria (6:8-9-31); and the witness to the end of the earth (9:32-28:31).
The Book of Acts begins in Jerusalem with the disciples huddled in a room on the Day of Pentecost. Then the Holy Spirit came upon them and authorized them to be His witnesses. The rest of Acts describes the ripple effect of that great event. Jesus' followers first witnessed to the Jews in Jerusalem, with Peter at the center of the movement. Then persecution broke out (7:60), scattering believers into Samaria and the rest of the known world. Saul of Tarsus, once a leader of the persecution, became a leader of the persecuted. In chapter 11, the focus on the Book of Acts moves from Peter's ministry to the Jews to Saul's ministry to the Gentiles. Under his more familiar name Paul, this converted persecutor established churches in Asia Minor and Europe. The Book of Acts records three of missionary journeys, as well as his voyage to Rome to face his trial. The book ends abruptly with Paul under house arrest in Rome. The ending is fitting, because the entire Book of Acts is itself just a prologue. Jesus has not finished His work on earth. The narrative begun by Luke in this book will not end until Jesus Christ returns in glory (1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:28).
Author: The Book of Acts begins with a reference to the author's "former account" written to a man named Theophilus (1:1), a clear reference to the Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:3). Even though the author does not mention himself by name in either the Gospel or Acts, early tradition identifies Luke as the author of both volumes. As early as the second century, ancient authors, such as Irenaeus (A.D. 180) indicate this.
Called "the beloved physician" by Paul (Colossians 4:14), Luke was a doctor Paul met in Troas (16:8-11). He cared for Paul during the illness he suffered on his missionary endeavors. Paul's references to Luke in 2 Timothy 4:11 and Philem 24 portray Luke as Paul's faithful traveling companion. After the two met in Troas, Luke included himself in the missionary team recorded in Acts (16:10). Luke's faithful friendship to Paul continued until Paul's death in Rome, for Luke was one of the few people who did not desert him (2 Timothy 4:11).
Date: The Book of Acts does not record Paul's death. Instead it ends abruptly during Paul's residence in Rome (28:30). Paul's house arrest in Rome occurred around A.D. 60, marking the earliest possible date for the book's completion. Acts makes no reference to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 or to Nero's persecution of Christians following the fire of Rome in A.D. 64. Surely Luke would have mentioned these significant events if they had occurred when he wrote. Moreover, the many references to Paul's vindication before Roman officials would not make sense if Nero had already started his vehement persecution of Christians. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that Acts was written between A.D 60 and 64.
Purpose: The Book of Acts provides a condensed history of the early church, and eyewitness account of the miraculous spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. The book details how the Holy Spirit authorized our spiritual forbearers to carry out Jesus' mandate to His witnesses throughout the world. The accounts in Acts include stirring examples for us to follow, but the recurring theme of the Book of Acts is that our spiritual ancestors were empowered by the Holy Spirit. That same power is available to us. God has not left us at the mercy of our own weaknesses; He has sent the Holy Spirit to help us follow their example (Ephesians 5:17, 18), and to be Jesus' witness in all of the earth.
Theology: The Book of Acts is a historical narrative, but at the same time it has a profound theological significance. A believer's faith rests upon the facts of history: the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. These historical events were recorded by Luke in his Gospel in order to evoke belief. If the historical fact of Christ's resurrection is not true, then the believer's faith has no foundation. As Paul states, "If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins." (1 Corinthians 15:17) The Book of Acts reassures readers that their faith in Christ rests on fact. The extraordinary growth of the early church was based directly on the resurrected Christ. His command and empowerment of the disciples through the Holy Spirit is the only reasonable explanation for the incredible and rapid spread of the gospel in the first century. The early Christians were not testifying about a dead Christ, but a living Christ whom they had seen with their own eyes. (1:1-5; Luke 24:36-52; 2 Peter 1:16). The same is true for us today. Jesus lives and continues to work through the church.