This book, commonly referred to simply as Acts, is the sequel
to the Gospel of Luke and records the exciting history of the first
three decades of the early church. The book begins with the ascension
of Jesus, followed by his sending of the Holy Spirit, and ends with
the gospel message being proclaimed by Paul as a prisoner in the
capital city of the Roman Empire. In the pages in between, the reader
is introduced to the key people, places, and events of this strategic
and crucial time of Christian history. The book of Acts provides
insightful and inspiring reading. It forms the backdrop for
understanding much of the NT (especially Paul’s letters), and
it provides important models for the contemporary church.
Historical
Background
In
order to understand the book of Acts, one must become familiar with
its historical background. This includes understanding the book’s
authorship, recipients, and setting. In terms of authorship, the book
technically is anonymous; however, there are good reasons for holding
to church history’s traditional view that its author is Luke.
This tradition dates back to the early second century and is
supported by internal evidence. This evidence further reveals that
Luke was a physician and close companion of the apostle Paul (in
fact, Luke was actually with Paul for some of the events that he
records in Acts; see the “we” passages, found in
16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:8–18; 27:1–28:16). Luke
was well educated, well traveled, and familiar with both the Jewish
and the Greco-Roman worlds. He was a Hellenistic God-fearer
and a Christian. He was also familiar with the Jewish Scriptures,
Greco-Roman rhetoric, and ancient histories, thus making him the
perfect candidate to write an accurate history of early Christianity.
The
specific recipient of Acts is Theophilus (1:1). Theophilus could be
characterized as a relatively new believer of high social status, a
person educated in Greco-Roman rhetoric and history, and one who
possessed the financial means to promote and publish Luke’s
work (both the Gospel of Luke and Acts). It is probable that in some
way Theophilus served as a bridge to a wider readership. It seems
likely that Theophilus was Luke’s ideal reader (i.e., an
influential Greco-Roman of high social standing).
The
specific setting of Acts is difficult to determine; however, it seems
clear that the book was written during a time of crisis for the
church. This crisis involved persecution and slander of Christians by
both Jews and Gentiles. Both groups were trying to persuade public
opinion against Christianity, including the opinion of Greco-Roman
authorities. The persecution and slander were taking their toll on
the church, and many Christians were demoralized and struggling to
remain faithful as witnesses of Jesus. Christianity needed someone to
write a response to this crisis. This response had to do three
things: (1) accurately relate the history of the church to
influential Greco-Romans of high social status; (2) show that
Christianity was an ancient religion (ancient religions were
considered to be legitimate by Roman authorities) and an asset to the
Roman Empire, not a threat; (3) legitimize Christianity over
against Judaism. The author of this reponse had to be someone who was
respected both inside and outside of the Christian faith community,
who knew the church’s history well, and who was educated in
Greco-Roman rhetoric. What better authorial candidate than Luke?
Finally, the church also needed a person of high social status and
financial means to help publish and promote the work; thus,
Theophilus was chosen.
Purpose
The
book of Acts was written for a variety of purposes. These include
apologetics, legitimization, discipleship, and witness to salvation.
The apologetic purpose of Acts focuses on how Christianity could be
recognized as an ancient, honorable, and officially protected
religion in the Roman Empire. Although Judaism had the status of
religio licita (legal religion) with Roman authorities for most of
the first century, Christianity encountered serious problems in this
respect. Acts itself reveals a substantial amount of such evidence in
this regard. For example, 16:20–21 shows that at Philippi, Paul
and Silas were charged with disturbing the peace by advocating
unlawful customs. In Thessalonica, the missionaries were accused of
defying Caesar by promoting another king named “Jesus”
(17:7). At Corinth, the charge was that of persuading the people
toward unlawful worship (18:13). Later in Acts, Paul was charged by
the Jewish priestly leaders with being part of an unacceptable sect
that was stirring up riots in Jewish communities (24:5–9). In
28:22, when Paul addressed the Roman Jews, they responded by saying
that “people everywhere are talking against this sect
[Christianity].” Such accusations, accompanied by the fact that
Christianity’s founder had been crucified by Roman authorities,
made it difficult for the Christians to gain credibility.
Christianity’s precarious position with Rome was further
exacerbated by a strong Jewish campaign to separate from Christians
and to label them as sectarian. This strategy certainly intended for
Christianity to be viewed by Rome as religio illicita (illegal or
forbidden religion). Thus, Luke writes Acts to defend Christianity by
showing that it is not a replacement of Judaism, but rather its
legitimate continuation. Therefore, it should be accepted by the
Roman authorities as a legal religion just as Judaism was accepted.
Luke’s
apologetic message also appears to be directed inwardly, to a
struggling church. This inward focus leads to Luke’s next main
purpose: legitimization of the Christian faith for its adherents. As
part of his defense, Luke intends to equip the church in the midst of
an identity crisis due to the constant threats of illegitimacy. This
explains Luke’s strategy of retelling the story of the church’s
origins so that followers of Christ would understand their true
position from God’s perspective. Thus, Luke verifies four
things: (1) the Jewish Scriptures prophesied a coming messiah,
and Jesus matched these prophecies; (2) the resurrection was
foretold in Scripture and verified by eyewitnesses; (3) it was
God’s plan all along for Gentiles to be included in God’s
redemptive work; (4) Jews who rejected Jesus were acting in the
same way their ancestors did; therefore, believers should not be
surprised by their negative reaction to Jesus. Luke uses stories such
as the one in Acts 2:41–47 to verify that salvation was
genuinely being accomplished in the church and that Christians were
experiencing the fulfillment of God’s ancient promises to
Israel. Luke’s writing is intended to encourage his
contemporary church members to remain faithful in their service and
witness for the Lord. He reminds them that they are the true
(legitimate) “people of God” and that God’s Spirit
will help them prevail and will give them abundant life even in the
midst of hardship and persecution.
Another
key purpose of the book of Acts is to foster discipleship. The
prologues of both Luke’s Gospel and Acts verify that Luke is
writing to provide instruction and teaching for Theophilus (see Luke
1:1–4; Acts 1:1–2). Part of this instruction reveals that
the ascension of Jesus was not the end of his relationship with the
world, but rather a new beginning. Jesus’ departure did not
mean abandonment; in fact, it meant just the opposite. Jesus verifies
his continuing presence and work in the world after his departure
just as he had lived and worked before. In other words, the same
Spirit who directed the ministry of Jesus is now going to direct the
ministry of Jesus’ followers. The rest of the book of Acts
provides instruction (with many personal examples) on how Christ can
fulfill the ministry of believers through the power and direction of
the Holy Spirit. Luke’s discipleship teaching includes helping
believers learn how to experience and follow God’s Spirit
(chap. 2), to boldly witness for Christ in the midst of persecution
(chaps. 3–4, 8, 14, 16–17, 19–28), to sacrificially
share resources with other Christians in need (chaps. 2, 4, 11), to
resolve disputes within the church (chaps. 6, 15), and to take the
gospel message of salvation to all people (chaps. 2, 11, 13–28).
The
book of Acts places great emphasis on the message of salvation and
the responsibility given to believers to share this salvific message
with all people. This salvation-witness concept is clearly one of
Luke’s key purposes for the book of Acts. The Pentecost event
of Acts 2 initiates the theme of salvation for all people and thus
sets the agenda for the rest of the book. In this passage, various
Jews from many nations hear the good news in their own tongue, which
suggests that this news is for peoples of all tongues and nations yet
for Jews first. The rest of Acts continues this theme of the
universal scope of salvation. Luke makes it clear that this salvation
crosses all geographical, ethnic, and social boundaries. In Acts,
Luke is bridging the gap between Jesus’ earthly ministry and a
later generation of Christ followers who are to take the gospel to a
much wider geographical area with even greater ethnic diversity. The
message of salvation should be joined with Luke’s emphasis on
witness. The centrality of the theme of witness in Acts is verified
by Jesus’ words right before the ascension: “And you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the ends of the earth” (1:8). The book of Acts tells the story
of how the early church received and obeyed the command of Jesus to
bear witness of him to the ends of the earth.
Literary
Features
These
key purposes of Acts are expounded through some distinctive literary
features found in the book. One such literary feature is that the
book of Acts was written in a literary genre called “apologetic
historiography.” This genre can be defined as the story of a
subgroup of people told by a member of the group who explains the
group’s traditions and history while using Greco-Roman literary
features. A good example of this literary genre is Josephus’s
Jewish Antiquities. Josephus tells the story of the Jews to
Greco-Roman readers in hopes that they will better understand Jewish
history and traditions and will accept the Jews in the larger
Greco-Roman world. This appears to be exactly what Luke is doing in
the book of Acts for Christians. However, Luke is not giving a
defense of a particular ethnic group; rather, he is defending a
multicultural people who transcend ethnic and geographical
boundaries. In fact, this is a key part of Luke’s message.
Throughout Acts, Luke is trying to explain why his religion is one
that crosses ethnic boundaries and is a universal religion inclusive
of all ethnicities. As Luke tells the story of Christianity, he is
careful to utilize Hellenistic literary features in order to connect
with his primary audience. Evidence of these Hellenistic literary
features in the book of Acts includes a narrative style illustrating
the history through the personal experiences of key characters (Acts
tells the history of the early church through characters such as
Peter and Paul), the frequent use of speeches, personal observation
of at least part of the narrative while maintaining anonymity of
authorship (the “we” passages of Acts), and the frequent
use of summaries to guide the narrative (Acts contains three major
summaries [2:42–47; 4:32–37; 5:12–16] and a number
of minor summaries [6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31]).
Outline
and Survey
Acts
can be outlined according to Jesus’ final words, recorded in
1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
I.
Witnesses in Jerusalem (1:1–8:3)
II. Witnesses in Judea
and Samaria (8:4–12:25)
III. Witnesses to the Ends of the
Earth (13:1–28:31)
I.
Witnesses in Jerusalem (Acts 1:1–8:3).
Immediately following his ascension, Jesus tells his followers to
return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. They
promptly obey, and after ten days of waiting, the disciples are
dramatically filled with the Holy Spirit and begin to share the
gospel with those around them. This event occurs at the Jewish
Pentecost festival, which was attended by Jews and Jewish proselytes
from throughout the Roman Empire. After the Spirit comes at
Pentecost, Peter boldly preaches to the crowds, and over three
thousand people respond with saving faith (2:41).
Luke
next provides an exciting summary of the Spirit-led life within the
early church. This life is characterized by the early believers’
participation together in the sharing of worship activities, material
possessions, and spiritual blessings (2:42–47). This summary is
followed by several dramatic healing miracles accomplished through
Peter and the subsequent arrest of Christian leaders by Jewish
religious authorities. Instead of squelching the Christian movement,
however, these arrests only enhance the spiritual revival and its
accompanying miracles. This revival is characterized by extreme
generosity and unity within the early church (4:32–37).
The
revival joy, however, is marred by the deceitful actions of Ananias
and Sapphira, who lie to the church and to the Holy Spirit and are
judged by God with immediate death (5:1–11). This story proves
that God will go to extreme lengths to protect the unity of his
church. Following more persecution and miracles, the disciples choose
seven men to oversee distribution of food to Hellenistic widows who
have been neglected in daily food distributions (6:1–7). One of
these leaders, Stephen, is arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin.
Stephen testifies boldly before the Jewish leaders and is promptly
executed by stoning (chap. 7). This execution is endorsed by Saul, a
zealous Pharisee who begins to lead fierce persecution against the
church in Jerusalem (8:1–3).
II.
Witnesses in Judea and Samaria (Acts 8:4–12:25).
Saul’s persecution forces many of the early church believers to
leave Jerusalem. These believers scatter throughout the surrounding
areas of Judea and Samaria. As they scatter, however, they continue
to preach the gospel (8:4). Philip preaches in Samaria and performs
many miraculous signs, producing a spiritual revival in the region.
Hearing about this, the apostles send Peter and John to Samaria to
minister to the Samaritans (8:18–25), thus confirming the
cross-cultural nature of the gospel (Samaritans traditionally were
hated by the Jews). Next Luke tells of Philip’s evangelizing of
an Ethiopian eunuch (8:26–40).
Following
the Ethiopian’s belief in Jesus, the narrative tells of Saul’s
dramatic conversion while traveling to Damascus to persecute
Christians there (9:1–19). Saul’s dramatic turnaround is
met with suspicion by the other disciples, but eventually he is
accepted by the believers with the help of Barnabas (9:27–30).
Next Peter travels to the Judean countryside and heals the paralytic
Aeneas and raises Dorcas from the dead (9:32–42). These
miracles produce an exciting spiritual revival in the region.
Following this, God gives Peter a vision to go to the coastal city of
Caesarea in order to minister to Cornelius, a Roman army officer.
Cornelius is a God-fearer, and through Peter’s witness he
responds to the gospel message and receives the Holy Spirit (chap.
10). Peter explains his actions with Cornelius to his concerned
Jewish companions and verifies that God has indeed included the
Gentiles in his plan of salvation (11:1–18).
This
verification is followed by the report of what is happening in the
church at Antioch, where Jews begin to share the gospel with larger
groups of Gentiles (11:19–21). This cross-cultural evangelism
produces a spiritual revival in Antioch, causing the Jerusalem church
to send Barnabas to the large Syrian city to investigate (11:22–30).
Barnabas confirms that God is indeed at work in Antioch and invites
Saul to come and help him disciple the new Gentile believers
(11:25–26). Next Luke reports more persecution breaking out
against Christians in Jerusalem, resulting in the arrest of James and
Peter by King Herod. James is executed, but Peter miraculously
escapes from prison with the help of an angel (12:1–19), and
the church continues to increase, spreading throughout the Roman
Empire.
III.
Witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 13:1–28:31).
Starting with chapter 13, the narrative shifts its focus from the
ministry of Peter to that of Paul (formerly Saul). The church at
Antioch begins to take center stage over the church at Jerusalem.
This church commissions Paul and Barnabas and sends them off on their
first missionary journey, accompanied by Barnabas’s
cousin John Mark. The missionaries first sail to Cyprus, where they
preach in synagogues and encounter a Jewish sorcerer, Bar-Jesus. Next
they sail to Pamphylia, thus crossing into Asia Minor, and preach the
gospel in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (this area was
known as part of the region of Galatia). In these cities, God
provides numerous miracles, and the missionaries experience a great
response to the gospel as well as much persecution because of the
gospel. On one occasion, Paul is actually stoned and left for dead
(14:19–20).
Unfazed,
Paul and his team boldly continue their mission. Eventually, they
retrace their steps, strengthen the churches that they have started,
and sail back to Syrian Antioch, where they give an exciting report
to the church (14:26–28). Following this report, Luke tells of
an important meeting of church leaders in Jerusalem. The subject of
the meeting involves whether or not the new Gentile Christians should
be required to follow the Jewish laws and customs. After debating the
issue, the leaders side with Paul, determining that the Gentiles
should not be burdened with Jewish laws and traditions, but simply
must live moral lives and not eat food that has been sacrificed to
idols (chap. 15).
Following
this meeting, Paul and Barnabas decide to make a second missionary
journey. Unfortunately, the two missionaries get into a dispute over
whether to take John Mark with them again. The argument is such that
the missionaries decide to separate, and Paul chooses a new partner,
Silas. They travel by land back to Galatia. Barnabas takes John Mark
and sails to Cyprus. Paul and Silas return to Derbe and Lystra and
then make their way to Macedonia and Greece. They spend significant
time in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth before returning to
Caesarea and Antioch (chaps. 16–18). Following his return, Paul
makes a third missionary journey, revisiting churches in Galatia and
Phrygia and staying in Ephesus for three years before visiting
Macedonia and Greece for a second time.
Paul
concludes his third missionary journey with a trip to Jerusalem,
where he is falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the temple.
This accusation creates a riot, and Paul is rescued by Roman
soldiers, who arrest him and transfer him to a prison in Caesarea,
where he spends two years awaiting trial under the rule of Felix and
Festus (23:34–25:22). Paul eventually exercises his right as a
Roman citizen to have his case heard by the emperor. He is sent to
Rome by boat and is shipwrecked on the island of Malta. Eventually he
makes his way to the capital city, where he is placed under house
arrest. While in Rome, Paul maintains a rented house and is free to
receive visitors and write letters. In fact, it is thought that Paul
penned his “prison letters” during this time of house
arrest (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon). The narrative
of Acts ends with Paul ministering boldly in Rome while awaiting his
trial.
Acts
and the Contemporary Church
The
book of Acts provides a model for today’s church on numerous
topics. These include understanding the role of the Holy Spirit,
practicing community life within the church, dealing with hardship
and persecution, overcoming social injustices, and carrying out
missions.
Acts
reveals that the key issue for Christians is learning to experience
and follow God’s Holy Spirit, who enables believers to be bold
in their witness for Christ, generous in their physical and spiritual
support of each other, and effective in their ministries. Acts
consistently reveals that one’s joy, power, and purpose come
from the Holy Spirit. According to Acts, learning to follow and
depend upon God’s Holy Spirit is the key to having a healthy
church.
Acts
also shows that the Holy Spirit produces a unique community life
characterized by worship, generosity, blessing, and unity. Luke calls
this Spirit-led common life koinōnia, which is explained and
illustrated in the first five chapters of Acts (see esp. 2:42–47).
It should be the desire and goal of every church to re-create this
koinōnia community first experienced by the primitive church in
Acts.
In
addition to its koinōnia, the book of Acts serves as a model for
the church in overcoming persecution and hardship. The narrative of
Acts consistently reveals the sovereign power of God in overcoming
opposition. The early church found great joy and growth in the midst
of hardship and persecution, and today’s church can do the
same.
Another
important example for the church provided by Acts is in the area of
social justice. Luke’s primitive church consistently removed
ethnic prejudices, eliminated social hierarchy and status within the
church, and elevated the role of women. Acts provides inspiration and
guidance for today’s church in facing these same social issues.
In
addition to overcoming social injustices, the church in Acts provides
an excellent example of mission ministry. These believers
consistently revealed God’s heart for the nations and made it a
priority to share the gospel with all people everywhere. Acts’
emphasis on the universal nature of the gospel, the responsibility of
individual Christians to witness for Christ, and the importance of
planting new churches and discipling new believers sets a pattern for
today’s church in the area of missions.
These
examples should serve to inspire and guide the contemporary church as
it seeks to follow and experience the Holy Spirit, who is so
powerfully revealed in the book of Acts.
