Book of Acts

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Book of Acts

• September 16, 2007
• Week 1

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Acts of the Apostles

• The second volume of a two books by the same
  author
• Written to Theophilus
• The two volumes together are more than one
  quarter of the New Testament
• Only books in the Bible written by a gentile

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Author

• Author is Luke, most likely a Greek
• The name Lucas (Luke) is probably an abbreviation
  from Lucanus. Means bringer of light.
• It is generally held that St. Luke was a native
  of Antioch or Macedonia
• It is thought that Luke was a Greek by birth and
  was educated in Tarsus at the medical school.

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Author

• Some believe he was a ship board doctor because
  of his extensive knowledge of the Mediterranean.
• Paul identifies Luke as a gentile and physician
• My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his
  greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.
  Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends
  greetings. These are the only Jews among my
  fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they
  have proved a comfort to me. . . Our dear friend
  Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.
  (Colossians 410-14)

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Theodicy to Theophilus

• Luke-Acts is a theodicy written to Theophilus
• Theophilus, means lover of God and the person
  to whom Luke wrote Luke-Acts.
• Luke 13
• Acts 11
• Theodicy is a defense of Gods work, or
  understanding the justice of God in an evil world.

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Date

• Luke-Acts is dated about 60-70 A.D. based on what
  is NOT in the book
• Neros persecution (A.D. 64)
• Pauls martyrdom (c. A.D. 6466)
• Fall of Jerusalem (A.D. 70).

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Companion of Paul

• Luke uses the pronoun we and us in Acts to
  reference his travels with Paul
• Acts 1610-17
• Acts 205-8
• Acts 271-8
• Acts 281-7
• Luke uses the pronoun they other times.
• Acts 171-4

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Eyewitness Account

• If I were to title this work and Luke was my
  client I would call it Declaration of Witness to
  the Gospel because the book is about
  contemporaneous witnessing events of the early
  church.

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Structure

• Part 1 Jesus witnesses spread his gospel in
  Jerusalem, the capital of the Jews, Acts 11-67.
• Part 2 Jesus witnesses spread his gospel
  throughout Judea and Samaria, Acts 68-1224.
• Part 3 Jesus witnesses carry his gospel to the
  ends of the earth, to Rome, the capital of the
  Gentiles, Acts 1225-28-31.

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Structure

• Acts 1 to Acts 1224 key on the person and
  ministry of the apostle Peter.
• Acts 1225 to Acts 2831 key on the person and
  ministry of the apostle Paul.

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Purpose

• But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit
  has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses
  in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
  the end of the earth. Acts 18
• The purpose of Acts is Jesus commission and
  mission strategy, which Luke documented

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Purpose

• Luke's two-volume work is an account of the
  appearance of God's salvation in human history.
  The first volume deals with the coming of the
  Messiah, his death and resurrection. The second
  volume deals with the ascension of the Messiah,
  the sending of the Spirit, and the evangelism of
  Jews, Samaritans and gentiles, beginning in
  Jerusalem and moving progressively outward. The
  focus of the Book of Acts is on Peter and Paul
  predominantly.

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Purpose

• A defense brief in support of Paul who was then
  in prison in Rome.

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Next Week

• Acts chapter 1