The Book of Acts was written by Luke around 80-90 CE. This book is addressed to Theophilus just like the gospel of Luke. The Book of Acts focuses on the early Christian church with all the flair of an exciting adventure novel (Powell, 191). Along with the beginnings of the church, the book focuses on two people the apostle Peter and Paul. It gives a detailed account of the Gospel spread from Israel, northward to Antioch, and then westward to Asia Minor, Greece, and finally Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire. The first 12 chapters of the Book of Acts deal with Peter, and the remainder of the book, the last 16 chapters are devoted to the apostle Paul. The major areas of history with which the author has dealt are: 1) The establishment and progress
Setting the Stage A. An approximate chronology of Acts: The Ascension (Acts 1) 30 AD - Matthias chosen by Lot (Acts 1:12) 30 AD - The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost (Acts 2) 30 AD - Peter heals and preaches (Acts 3) 30 AD - Peter and John arrested and released (Acts 4) 30 AD - Believers share all (Acts 4:32) 31 AD - Deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) 30 AD - Apostles preach and heal (Acts 5:11) 31 AD - Stephen’s speech, stoning, and death (Acts 6, 7) 31 AD - Saul persecutes the Church (Acts 8) 31 AD - Philip in Samaria (Acts 8:3) 31 AD - Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9) 31 AD - Philip and the Ethiopian (Acts 8:26) 34 AD - Saul’s conversion (Acts 9) 37 AD - Peter preaches to the Gentiles (Acts 10, 11) 42 AD - Barnabas sent to Antioch (Acts 11:22) 42 AD - Peter led from prison by the Angel (Acts 12) 44 AD - Herod Agrippa dies (Acts 12:20) 48 AD - Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13) 48 AD - Paul preaches in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14) 48 AD - Paul and Barnabas in Iconium (Acts 14) 48 AD - Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe (Acts 14:8) 48 AD - Paul and Barnabas return to Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:21) 48 AD - Return to Syrian Antioch (Acts 14:24) 48 AD - The Council at Jerusalem (Acts
b) Pentecost through the conversion of Cornelius the Centurion In the second section of Acts, the message of the gospel spreads beyond Jerusalem and reaches the Gentile population, including Cornelius the Centurion. This challenges the traditional boundaries of Judaism and demonstrates the extent of God's love and salvation. c) Paul's ministry around the Roman Empire In the third section, Paul embarks on multiple missionary journeys, facing opposition and persecution as he spreads the message of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire.
The book of ACTS was important back in the time after Jesus' death, up to the present day. The foundation of Christianity is what we believe from the effect of Jesus giving up His life for our sins. Luke wrote ACTS to make sure the Christian doctrine was followed the right way. There are 3 basic insights that came to my mind when studying ACTS. The first main insight to me was the Ascension of Jesus Christ, Acts 1:9-11 (pg 197, 198).
Throughout the books of the bible, we are introduced to many wonderful stories and parables. The most fascinating thing about these stories are their intricate attention to details which can be followed up on and expounded upon in todays time. I have been given the opportunity to write a biography of all of the rulers which are mentioned throughout the book of Acts. Some of the rulers during this time period have a wealth of information, having achieved many great things within their lifetimes. While others are barely mentioned in the history books at all.
Paul’s life can be described as two different parts that paint a picture of a Pharisee who persecuted the first Christians and a great missionary that spreaded the new religion in non-Jewish commiunites and established the first chruches of Europe. Research shows that Paul was transformed due to encountering a revelation, or apokalypsis of Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12), (Harris, 2014, p.319). In (Acts 9:1-9), the revelation is described as a blinding vision of the risen Messiah on the road to Demascus (Harris, 2014, p.319). Interestingly, the revelation is mentioned three times in Acts. Also, in (Gal. 1:15), Paul speaks of his experience as being an encounter by God’s grace and in (1 Cor. 9:1 and 1 Cor.
As I did research on the book of Acts, I found out that Luke actually wrote this book. Some say that the book of Acts is almost like a sequel or a continuation on the Gospel of Luke. Like the the book of Luke, it is also addressed to the same man which is Theophilus. Even though the author was not identified by name in either book, the opinion of the majority of early Christians and the supporting evidence from within the two books do in fact point to Luke. The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to write to Theophilus to fill a need in the church-- specifically to the first Gentile Christians throughout the middle-eastern and Mediterranean regions of the Roman Empire.
In the book of Acts, Luke makes it clear that the leaders of the Jerusalem church and the missionaries who first helped carry “the new way” into the larger world beyond the Jewish capital to Greece and Rome did so with the same divine spirit that Jesus led his teachings (Harris, 2014). This level of dedication to spread Christianity, otherwise referred to as “the new way”, was necessary because even though these leaders had no interest in political interference, “the new way” would directly clash with current Greco-Roman tradition (Harris, 2014). Luke focuses on a select few leaders in the book of Acts even though he specifically mentions eleven of them (Harris, 2014). These select few apostles represent the leadership that began the spreading
James and First Peter were written for a very vague audience, and Second and Third John were written for us. Like all of Paul's books, these books were also written in order of length. Hebrew starting as the longest book and ending with Jude as the shortest book. Although, Second and
In Chapter 4, Acts of the Apostles, Warrington, specifies, “The Spirit baptized and fill them, provided guidance, reveals sin, empowers people for service, inspire prophecy, and inspires and supports the proclamations of the Gospel.” God the Father fulfilled his promise to give them the Holy Spirit as a sign of forgiveness. During the first century, Jews and gentiles’ community had idolatry. Warrington, discuss about the Pentecost day when Jews were filled with the pneuma. The Spirit chose who He wants to baptize with the gifts.
The Book of Acts in the New Testament is a unique work from the author Luke. It gives an unprejudiced history of the early church, providing a natural transition with the first three gospels, which deal with Jesus and his teachings and information about the development of early Christianity after Jesus’ death. Luke had several historical and religious purposes for writing, including being committed to achieving for Christianity the status of a legal religion and to promoting an image of harmony between both Jewish and Gentile factions of early Christianity. And generally spreading Christianity from Jerusalem to Rome and from Jews to Gentiles by the apostles, who are under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The basic literary genre of the book of Acts is Early Christian literature recounting the lives and works of the apostles of Jesus. Acts is important as it recounts the concept of “apostolic succession.” The author writes mainly of the activities of Peter, John, and Paul. Although the author is not specifically named, we know it is Luke from three of the letters that Paul wrote. Luke was a traveling companion and disciple of Paul.
In the Gospel According to Mark, the author in no way identifies himself in the book. Bible scholars have been unable to authenticate the writer and consider the work to be anonymous (Harris, S.L., 2014). Numerous scholars believe more than one source contributed to this book and not one specific author. Two historical observations made by Papias, “a Christian writer who was bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor about 130-140 CE.”
The author is referenced several times in the New Testament starting in the book of Acts and finally in the book of Mark was probably written in Italy, and perhaps even Rome. This book has 16 chapters and is the shortest book of the four gospels. However, the details of the events and miracles of Jesus in this book are
2 Peter and Jude are books found near the end of the New Testament. The authors of these books are Simon Peter, the apostle, and Jude, the brother of James and the half-brother of Jesus. Jude was written in about A.D. 65, and 2 Peter around A.D. 67, both during the reign of Emperor Nero. They are often simple “grazed through” by believers because of their shortness in nature. However, an intricate study of these works beneath their surface reveals many hidden gems.
The gospels comprise subjective perspectives on the life of Jesus. Other books, for instance, the book of Acts with Luke’s historical account of the church and its activities during early Christianity, are considered historical texts. Other books were letters or epistles, the most prominent being Paul’s letters,