The Acts of the Apostles
ACTS
Author: Historically, Luke
Date: About A.D. 62
Theme: The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Early History of Christianity
Key Words: Jesus, Spirit, Resurrection, Apostle, Church
Author. The Book of Acts does not specifically mention its author, but many indicators point to Luke, “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14). The author was the same person as the one who wrote the Third Gospel (1:1, 2). He was a close associate of Paul, as indicated in the “we” sections of the book. The writer was a man of culture, as indicated by his literary style; he had a universal outlook; and he revealed an interest in medical matters. In addition, church tradition uniformly declares that Luke was the author of Acts. Therefore, the bulk of the evidence, both external and internal, supports Luke as the author.
Date. Luke tells the story of the early church within the framework of geographical, political, and historical details that could only fit in the first century. For example, Luke’s use of regional Roman governmental titles, which only someone living at the time could know precisely, suggests that the book was probably written within its actual time frame. Furthermore, there is no mention of the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and Nero’s persecution of the Christians, which began about A.D. 64. Therefore, because of these facts, and because the book does not record the death of Paul but leaves him a prisoner in Rome, it is logical to date the writing of Acts near the end of the apostle’s imprisonment there in about A.D. 62.
Content. Acts is a sequel to the life of Christ in the Gospels, and it records the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome. It is the initiation of Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18–20; Luke 24:46–49).
Acts 1:8 is the key to the book. Not only does this verse predict the outpouring of the Spirit and its powerful witness, but the geographical references present a simple outline of the narrative. In general, Acts relates the step-by-step expansion of Christianity westward from Palestine to Italy. The book thus begins in Jerusalem (chs. 1–7), with Peter assuming the major role and Jews as the recipients of the gospel.
Following the death of Stephen (7:0–8:1), widespread persecution broke out against the church, and believers scattered, sowing the seed of the gospel in Samaria and among the Gentiles (chs. 8–12). During this period of history the conversion of Saul occurred (ch. 9), an event of such importance that Luke includes three long descriptions of the incident (chs. 9; 22; 26).
The longest section of Acts focuses on the development and expansion of the Gentile ministry directed by Paul and his associates (chs. 3–28). It concludes with Paul’s arrival in Rome, capital of the empire and representative of “the end of the earth.” The book ends rather abruptly, because in all likelihood, Luke had brought the matter up to date, and there was no more to write.
Purpose. The key to the purpose of Acts is in the first verse, where Luke implies that the book is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel told what “Jesus began both to do and teach,” and Acts tells what the risen Lord continues to do and teach through the Holy Spirit.
Personal Application. Acts is a record of practicing Christianity under the power of the Holy Spirit. It teaches believers how to live together in meaningful Christian fellowship, sharing freely with one another (2:42; 4:32–35).
Conversely, Acts also shows that Christians inevitably will have disagreements (6:1; 11:1–3; 15:2, 7; 15:36–39), but that God gives wisdom and grace to settle differences (15:12–22). Even though the early church had its share of strong personalities, there was still a willingness to listen and to submit to one another (15:6–14).
Probably the most prominent characteristic of the early Christians was their spiritual power. They fasted and prayed fervently (2:42; 6:4; 13:3), and their faith released the miracle-working power of God (3:16). Acts is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Signs followed those who believed! See Mark 16:17, 18.
Christ Revealed. The Book of Acts records several examples of the early apostolic proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the pattern is consistent. First, Jesus is presented as a historical figure, a man empowered to perform signs and wonders (2:22; 10:38). Next, the death of Jesus is attributed equally to the wickedness of men and to the purpose of God. On the one hand, the Jews had “crucified” Him “by lawless hands” (2:23; see 3:13–15; 4:10; 5:30; 7:52; 10:39; 13:28). On the other hand, Jesus had been “delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God” (2:23; see 17:3). Then the resurrection of Jesus is emphasized, particularly as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and as God’s reversal of men’s verdict on Jesus (1:3; 2:24–32; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40, 41; 13:30–37; 17:31). The apostles declare that Jesus has been exalted to a position of unique and universal dominion (2:33–36; 3:21; 5:31). From that place of supreme honor and executive power Jesus had poured out the promised Holy Spirit (2:33), who bears witness to Him (5:32) and empowers believers (1:8). Jesus has been “ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead” (10:42) and will return in triumph at the end of the age (1:11). Meanwhile, those who believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sins (2:21; 3:19; 4:12; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38, 39) and “the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). Those who do not believe in Him are destined for terrible things (3:23).
The Holy Spirit at Work. The power of the Holy Spirit through the church is the most striking feature in Acts. The book has even been called The Acts of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Spirit in Acts, however, cannot be understood without seeing the relationship between Acts and the Gospels, which demonstrates an essential continuity. Both the public ministry of Jesus in the Gospels and the public ministry of the church in Acts begin with a life-changing encounter with the Spirit; both are essential accounts of the results of that event.
The power of the Spirit in Jesus’ life authorized Him to preach the kingdom of God and to demonstrate kingdom power by healing the sick, casting out demons, and setting the captives free (Luke 4:14–19; Matt. 4:23). The same Spirit power in Acts 2 gave the same authority to the disciples. Jesus is the prototype of the Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life (10:38). The Book of Acts is the story of the disciples receiving what Jesus received in order to do what Jesus did.
Luke’s terminology in describing people’s experience with the Holy Spirit in Acts is fluid. He is more interested in conveying a relational dynamic than in delineating a precisely worded theology. He notes that people were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4; 9:17), that “they received the Holy Spirit” (8:17), that “the Holy Spirit fell upon (them)” (10:44), that “the Holy Spirit had been poured out on (them)” (10:45), and that “the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 19:6). These are all then essential equivalents of Jesus’ promise that the church would “be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (1:5; see especially its immediate fulfillment in 2:4, which Luke describes as a filling).
Three of these five instances record specific special manifestations of the Spirit in which the people themselves participated. Those on the Day of Pentecost and the Gentiles of Cornelius’s house spoke with other tongues (2:4; 10:46); the Ephesians “spoke with tongues and prophesied” (19:6). Although it is not specified, it is generally agreed that there was also some type of manifestation in which the Samaritans participated because Luke says that “when Simon saw that ... the Holy Spirit was given” (8:18).
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
ACTS
Author: Historically, Luke
Date: About A.D. 62
Theme: The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Early History of Christianity
Key Words: Jesus, Spirit, Resurrection, Apostle, Church
Author. The Book of Acts does not specifically mention its author, but many indicators point to Luke, “the beloved physician” (Col. 4:14). The author was the same person as the one who wrote the Third Gospel (1:1, 2). He was a close associate of Paul, as indicated in the “we” sections of the book. The writer was a man of culture, as indicated by his literary style; he had a universal outlook; and he revealed an interest in medical matters. In addition, church tradition uniformly declares that Luke was the author of Acts. Therefore, the bulk of the evidence, both external and internal, supports Luke as the author.
Date. Luke tells the story of the early church within the framework of geographical, political, and historical details that could only fit in the first century. For example, Luke’s use of regional Roman governmental titles, which only someone living at the time could know precisely, suggests that the book was probably written within its actual time frame. Furthermore, there is no mention of the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and Nero’s persecution of the Christians, which began about A.D. 64. Therefore, because of these facts, and because the book does not record the death of Paul but leaves him a prisoner in Rome, it is logical to date the writing of Acts near the end of the apostle’s imprisonment there in about A.D. 62.
Content. Acts is a sequel to the life of Christ in the Gospels, and it records the spread of Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome. It is the initiation of Jesus’ Great Commission to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:18–20; Luke 24:46–49).
Acts 1:8 is the key to the book. Not only does this verse predict the outpouring of the Spirit and its powerful witness, but the geographical references present a simple outline of the narrative. In general, Acts relates the step-by-step expansion of Christianity westward from Palestine to Italy. The book thus begins in Jerusalem (chs. 1–7), with Peter assuming the major role and Jews as the recipients of the gospel.
Following the death of Stephen (7:0–8:1), widespread persecution broke out against the church, and believers scattered, sowing the seed of the gospel in Samaria and among the Gentiles (chs. 8–12). During this period of history the conversion of Saul occurred (ch. 9), an event of such importance that Luke includes three long descriptions of the incident (chs. 9; 22; 26).
The longest section of Acts focuses on the development and expansion of the Gentile ministry directed by Paul and his associates (chs. 3–28). It concludes with Paul’s arrival in Rome, capital of the empire and representative of “the end of the earth.” The book ends rather abruptly, because in all likelihood, Luke had brought the matter up to date, and there was no more to write.
Purpose. The key to the purpose of Acts is in the first verse, where Luke implies that the book is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke. The Gospel told what “Jesus began both to do and teach,” and Acts tells what the risen Lord continues to do and teach through the Holy Spirit.
Personal Application. Acts is a record of practicing Christianity under the power of the Holy Spirit. It teaches believers how to live together in meaningful Christian fellowship, sharing freely with one another (2:42; 4:32–35).
Conversely, Acts also shows that Christians inevitably will have disagreements (6:1; 11:1–3; 15:2, 7; 15:36–39), but that God gives wisdom and grace to settle differences (15:12–22). Even though the early church had its share of strong personalities, there was still a willingness to listen and to submit to one another (15:6–14).
Probably the most prominent characteristic of the early Christians was their spiritual power. They fasted and prayed fervently (2:42; 6:4; 13:3), and their faith released the miracle-working power of God (3:16). Acts is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Signs followed those who believed! See Mark 16:17, 18.
Christ Revealed. The Book of Acts records several examples of the early apostolic proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the pattern is consistent. First, Jesus is presented as a historical figure, a man empowered to perform signs and wonders (2:22; 10:38). Next, the death of Jesus is attributed equally to the wickedness of men and to the purpose of God. On the one hand, the Jews had “crucified” Him “by lawless hands” (2:23; see 3:13–15; 4:10; 5:30; 7:52; 10:39; 13:28). On the other hand, Jesus had been “delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God” (2:23; see 17:3). Then the resurrection of Jesus is emphasized, particularly as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and as God’s reversal of men’s verdict on Jesus (1:3; 2:24–32; 4:10; 5:30; 10:40, 41; 13:30–37; 17:31). The apostles declare that Jesus has been exalted to a position of unique and universal dominion (2:33–36; 3:21; 5:31). From that place of supreme honor and executive power Jesus had poured out the promised Holy Spirit (2:33), who bears witness to Him (5:32) and empowers believers (1:8). Jesus has been “ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead” (10:42) and will return in triumph at the end of the age (1:11). Meanwhile, those who believe in Him will receive forgiveness of sins (2:21; 3:19; 4:12; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38, 39) and “the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). Those who do not believe in Him are destined for terrible things (3:23).
The Holy Spirit at Work. The power of the Holy Spirit through the church is the most striking feature in Acts. The book has even been called The Acts of the Holy Spirit. The work of the Spirit in Acts, however, cannot be understood without seeing the relationship between Acts and the Gospels, which demonstrates an essential continuity. Both the public ministry of Jesus in the Gospels and the public ministry of the church in Acts begin with a life-changing encounter with the Spirit; both are essential accounts of the results of that event.
The power of the Spirit in Jesus’ life authorized Him to preach the kingdom of God and to demonstrate kingdom power by healing the sick, casting out demons, and setting the captives free (Luke 4:14–19; Matt. 4:23). The same Spirit power in Acts 2 gave the same authority to the disciples. Jesus is the prototype of the Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered life (10:38). The Book of Acts is the story of the disciples receiving what Jesus received in order to do what Jesus did.
Luke’s terminology in describing people’s experience with the Holy Spirit in Acts is fluid. He is more interested in conveying a relational dynamic than in delineating a precisely worded theology. He notes that people were “filled with the Holy Spirit” (2:4; 9:17), that “they received the Holy Spirit” (8:17), that “the Holy Spirit fell upon (them)” (10:44), that “the Holy Spirit had been poured out on (them)” (10:45), and that “the Holy Spirit came upon them” (Acts 19:6). These are all then essential equivalents of Jesus’ promise that the church would “be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (1:5; see especially its immediate fulfillment in 2:4, which Luke describes as a filling).
Three of these five instances record specific special manifestations of the Spirit in which the people themselves participated. Those on the Day of Pentecost and the Gentiles of Cornelius’s house spoke with other tongues (2:4; 10:46); the Ephesians “spoke with tongues and prophesied” (19:6). Although it is not specified, it is generally agreed that there was also some type of manifestation in which the Samaritans participated because Luke says that “when Simon saw that ... the Holy Spirit was given” (8:18).
Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible
