Through
The Bible
Session
#39 – Acts of the Apostles
March 17th, 2004
Acts is a unique book in that it’s a sequel to Luke. It picks up the story at the resurrection,
and moves through the ascension, the coming of the Holy Spirit, the spread of
the Gospel to other regions, and ends with Paul’s imprisonment in Rome.
- The average
reader probably approaches Acts as a history book of the early
church. If this was Luke’s
purpose, what was his purpose in doing so? Only Luke seems to write the early history of the Church in
this way. Why?
- “Luke grasps
the meaning of Jesus and the church for the world in a single vision, and
he tells the story so that what happens with Jesus foreshadows the
church’s experience and what happens in the church finds meaning as the continuation
of Jesus’ story.”[1]
-
The life of
Christ tells Christians what they can expect if they follow him.
-
What happens
in the Church finds meaning in the life of Christ.
-
So, Luke’s
purpose was not primarily historical but was theological.
Who was Acts written for?
Most likely…
- Mixed
communities of predominantly Gentile Christians
- Region was
thought to be Syrian Antioch (other destinations or regions could have
been: Achaia, Boeotia, or Rome)
Connections between Luke and Acts
Remember we said in our study of Luke that Luke & Acts originally
formed a single work. The separation of
the two must have occurred early because we have no manuscripts where the two
are together. Why were they separated?
- Volume 1
(Luke) fit better with the other Gospels.
- Volume 2
(Acts) provides a good introduction to the works/letters of Paul.
- Acts ends
with Paul in Rome and our next book in the Bible is Romans.
- These two
volumes cover some sixty years of time.
- Luke-Acts is
the longest collection in the New Testament canon. It has 52 chapters and occupies a full
25% of the New Testament.
- Most
scholars believe Acts showed up around AD 80-AD85. This was shortly after Luke’s Gospel
came on the scene. Places of
composition could have been Syrian Antioch, Rome, or even Ephesus.
Jerusalem is the geographical center of Luke-Acts.
- The whole
movement of the Gospel is toward Jerusalem.
- The whole
movement of Acts is away from Jerusalem.
See map below for this movement away
from Jerusalem.
The Message of Acts
- Acts is a
book about mission. Acts 1:8 would
not be an unfair summary of its contents.
The purpose of the Christian Church is to bear witness to
Jesus. Acts records how this
happened. The main story line in
Acts is concerned with the spread of the message of Jesus.
- The
resurrection and exaltation of Jesus stands at the center of the preaching
in Acts.
- Some other
themes in Acts subsidiary to the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus.
-
There is
progress in the spread of the Gospel despite opposition.
-
Gentiles are
included in the people of God.
-
We have a
picture of the life and organization of the early Church.
The flow of Acts
- Chapters 1-5
focus on the strengthening and growth of the group in Jerusalem. In Acts 1-8, Luke needs to address the
fundamental question of God’s dependability to his promises.
-
The early
Christians needed to know security and that the promises to Israel were kept
(in the giving of the Messiah).
-
If God’s
promises to Israel proved true, then God’s word to the Gentiles – who now were
putting their faith in him – would also prove to be true.
-
Acts begins
with a quick résumé of Luke. See Acts
1:1-2. Remember that Theophilus means,
“God lover.” Theophilus was the
recipient and we’re not sure if it was a single person or the symbol for all of
Luke’s readers.
·
Chapter 6
transitions to the widening of the message to other places.
-
By the middle
of chapter 9, the church has expanded to Judea, Galilee, and Samaria.
-
The inclusion
of Samaria is the first important movement of the church to people not fully Jewish.
-
By chapter 20,
the Gospel has moved throughout the Eastern Mediterranean area.
- The last
thirteen chapters of Acts (Acts 16-28) are devoted to Paul.
-
This is the
only sustained narrative account of Paul’s ministry.
-
Remember that
Acts is a secondhand primary source for Paul – it looks back on Paul’s life and
ministry. Paul’s letters are firsthand
primary sources. The letters speak of
situations as they arise.
·
Chapter 21
begins Paul’s journey back to Jerusalem where he’s arrested and then he moves
to Rome.
Brief Outline of Acts[2]
I.
The Early
Christian Community (1:1-26)
II.
The Mission of
Testimony in Jerusalem (2:1-8:4)
III.
The Mission of
Testimony in Judea and Samaria (8:5-40)
IV.
The Word is
carried further: testimony to the Gentiles (9:1-14:28)
V.
The Jerusalem
decision about Gentile Christians (15:1-35)
VI.
Paul’s
universal mission and testimony (15:36-22:21)
VII.
Paul
imprisoned for the sake of testimony to the word (22:22-28:31)
Next time: Evaluation of
different stories from Acts
- Acts 3:1-10
- Acts 8:1-3
- Acts 9:1-19
- Acts
11:19-30
- Acts
15:36-41
- Acts
19:11-20
- Acts
21:27-40; 23:11