DOCSLIB.ORG

Overview of Acts of the Apostles

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Overview of Acts of the Apostles Acts of the Apostles Overview Intro: Acts is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke. In Acts, we see how the mission of Jesus is carried out through His disciples after He ascended into heaven. Luke’s Gospel records what Jesus “began to do and teach” during his earthly ministry (Acts 1:1), while Acts treats what Jesus continues to do and teach through his followers, after He was taken up to heaven and the Holy Spirit descended on them (Kurz, 13). In short, in Acts, we see the Holy Spirit powerfully at work through Jesus’ disciples, who in turn, wills to work through you. Below is a breakdown of percentages of the most prolific writers in the NT (138,020 words): • Luke (Gospel of Luke and Acts) 27% • Paul (13 letters) 23% • John (Gospel, 3 letters, Revelation) 20% Who: While the author of Acts is not named within Acts itself, the tradition as early as the second century attributes both the Gospel of Luke and Acts to Luke. According to tradition, Luke was from Antioch in Syria. Eusebius says, “Luke who was born at Antioch, by profession a physician.” Col. 4:14 refers to Luke as the beloved physician. Scholars debate whether Luke was a Gentile Christian or a Hellenistic Jew. If Luke was a Gentile, he would be the only Gentile author in the New Testament. Additionally, Irenaeus (130 – 202 AD) says that Luke was Paul’s follower (Gadenz, 16). Luke accompanied Paul on some of his journeys, e.g., he writes in the first-person plural (“we”) in certain sections of the Acts of the Apostles: 16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16. That said, Luke was present at some events in the latter half of Acts (Kurz, 15). Audience: Acts 1:1 addresses Theophilus (“loved by God” or “lover of God”), the same person addressed in the Gospel (1:3). If Theophilus is a person, he may have been a wealthy Christian who helped Luke get the two volumes copied and distributed. When: Acts covers about a 30-year period of the first century. Scholars debate when Acts was written. The majority of modern scholars argue that the book was written after the destruction of the Temple (70 AD). Traditionally, Acts has been dated in the late 60s. Themes: Acts serves as a hinge in salvation history. Luke’s Gospel relates how God fulfilled all of His promises in the life, death, and Resurrection of Christ. Acts relates how God brings the activity of Jesus (i.e., His words and deeds) to the nations by the Holy Spirit through the Church. Some major themes include: Power of the Holy Spirit; power of preaching (longer speeches and sermons), disciples imitating Christ (including martyrdom – St. Stephen), the importance of community life, and mission journeys with all their uncertainty. Acts Today: Acts presents a powerful paradigm for the life of the Church today (Kurz, 18). In Acts, we see the Holy Spirit powerfully at work through the apostles, deacons, and ordinary believers drawing people to Christ. Additionally, as vast numbers in the first century Church 1 were ignorant of Christ and a biblical worldview, so we see a familiar landscape in the world today. As we will see, Peter and Paul will present a metanarrative (or a way of seeing and being in the world), that includes creation, sin, evil, redemption, and God’s judgment. In short, Acts gives us a clear lens to see how we can bring Christ to the world today. Structure: Stephen K. Ray and Jennifer Phelps (Catholic Study Scripture International) 1. Prologue (1:1 – 5) 2. Ascension to Pentecost (1:6 – 2:13) A. Ascension of Jesus (1:6 – 14) B. Replacement of Judas (1:15 – 26) C. Pentecost (2:1 – 13) 3. The Gospel in Jerusalem (2:14—8:3) A. The Descent of the Holy Spirit (2:14 – 47) B. Peter’s Ministry and First Imprisonment (3:1—4:31) C. Donations and Discipline (4:32—5:11) D. Peter’s Ministry and Second Imprisonment (5:12 – 42) E. Selection of the First Deacons (6:1 – 7) F. Stephen’s Ministry and Martyrdom (6:8—7:60) G. The First Persecution of the Church (8:1 – 3) 4. The Gospel in Judea and Samaria (8:4—12:25) A. Philip’s Ministry in Samaria and Judea (8:4 – 40) B. The Conversion of Saul (9:1 – 31) C. Peter’s Ministry in Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea (9:32—11:18) D. Conversions of Gentiles in Antioch (11:19 – 30) E. Persecution of the Church, and the Death of Herod Agrippa (12:1 – 25) 5. The Gospel to the End of the Earth (13:1—28:31) A. Paul’s First Missionary Journey: Cyprus and Asia Minor (13:1—14:28) B. The Council of Jerusalem (15:1 – 35) C. Paul’s Second Mission Journey: Asia Minor, Greece, Ephesus (15:36—18:22) D. Paul’s Third Missionary Journey: Asia Minor, Ephesus, Greece (18:23—21:14) E. Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem and Imprisonment in Caesarea (21:15—26:32) F. Paul’s Journey to Rome (27:1—28:16) G. Paul’s Ministry in Rome (28:17 – 31) Gospel of Luke Acts of the Apostles Galilee to Jerusalem (9:51-19:44) Jerusalem to Rome (new center) https://christianity201.wordpress.com/2012/06/03/the-great-empowerment-for-the-great-commission-as-prayer-pattern/ 2 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Acts 1:6 and the Eclipse of the Biblical Kingdom
    EQ 66:3 (1994), 197-215 Anthony Buzzard Acts 1:6 and the Eclipse of the Biblical Kingdom Mr Buzzard, who teaches at Atlanta Bible College, Morrow, Georgia, argues that many biblical scholars have not done justice to the future hope of a divine kingdom involving Jerusalem and the land of Israel which he finds expressed in Acts 1:6. Many of the scholars discussed belong to the Reformed tradition, and it is right that we should give attention to the alternative point of view expressed by the writer. The relation of the political and the spiritual elements in the understanding the Kingdom of God is not easy to state, and fresh light on it is greatly to be welcomed. Few passages of Scripture have suffered more at the hands of hostile commentary than Luke's brief and brilliant summary ofJesus' last conversation with his apostles. It is in the nature of 'famous last words' that they communicate something of supreme importance. It is swprising, then, that the disciples' last question to their Master should have been the target of the indignation of so many commentators. The apostles' enquiIy related to Jesus' and Luke's favorite theme, the kingdom of God. They asked: 'Lord, has the time now come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?' (Acts 1:6.) There has been a common tendency among expositors to treat the Apostles' question as utterly out of tune with their Lord's teaching. Their enquiry is supposed to reveal a tragically inadequate under­ standing of Christianity's central theme. How, it is asked, could these associates ofJesus still cling so stubbornly to the crude notion of a theocratic restoration of the kingdom as the renewal of the Davidic empire on earth, 1ypical of the allegedly false hopes of Judaism? Fortunately, the argument continues, the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost rescued the apostles from their crudely literal understand­ ing of the kingdom of God and banished forever theJewish national hope they were harboring.
    [Show full text]
  • Authorship of Acts
    AUTHORSHIP OF ACTS Like all Scripture, the book of Acts was inspired by the Holy Spirit. But its divine inspiration should not lead us to diminish our attention to its human authors. The Holy Spirit kept the original writings of Scripture free from error, but he still employed the personalities, backgrounds and intentions of its human writers. Acts has traditionally been attributed to Luke, the author of the third gospel. But neither the third gospel nor the book of Acts specifically mentions the name of the author. So, we should look at the reasons for affirming the traditional view of Luke's authorship. We will explore the authorship of Acts from three perspectives. First, we will compare Acts with the Gospel of Luke. Second, we will examine early church history and its witness concerning Luke's authorship. And third, we will look briefly at other aspects of the New Testament that indicate that Luke wrote these books. Let's turn first to what we can learn about the authorship of Acts from the Gospel of Luke. Gospel of Luke When we compare the book of Acts with the third gospel, two types of evidence emerge that strongly suggest one person wrote both books. On the one hand, there is explicit information stated directly in both books that points in this direction. On the other hand, there is also implicit evidence from the style and content of these books. Let's begin with the explicit evidence that indicates a common author for both books. Explicit In Acts 1:1, the prologue of the book of Acts, we read these words: In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach (Acts 1:1).
    [Show full text]
  • Acts of the Apostles Bible Study Lesson # 1 “What Is the Role of the Holy Spirit in the Church?”
    Acts of the Apostles Bible Study Lesson # 1 “What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church?” Introduction The gospel writer Luke in his second volume, called “The Acts of the Apostles” or simply “Acts,” is giving Theophilus an account of the birth of the Church, how it organized and solved its problems, and its subsequent spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ following his ascension. Luke makes it clear that the Church did not start on account of any human endeavor but by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised to give. Because of the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church became an agent for change, bore witness to the faith and became a radically unique and diverse community. From Jerusalem at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit enabled the Church to spread to Syria, Asia, Europe and Africa. The Holy Spirit also took a wide range of people, from a Galilean fisherman to a learned scholar, to cities and towns throughout the Roman Empire to preach the good news, heal, teach and demonstrate God’s love. Despite the apostle’s imprisonment and beatings, and an occasional riot, the band of faithful managed to grow in spite of their persecution. The growth of the Church Luke credits to the guiding work of the Holy Spirit that cannot be bottled or contained. Women, children, Jews and Gentiles were coming together into a new sense of community and purpose through the common experience of encountering the transformative power of Jesus Christ. This bible study is produced to not only help the faithful understand God’s plan for the expansion of the Church but to challenge individual Christians as well as faith communities to seek to understand what God is asking them to do in light of God’s current movement of the Holy Spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • One Ethiopian Eunuch Is Not the End of the World: the Narrative Function of Acts 8:26–40*
    ONE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH IS NOT THE END OF THE WORLD: THE NARRATIVE FUNCTION OF ACTS 8:26–40* Curt Niccum Over the last century appreciation for the story of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26–40) has increased, although not at the same rate as Ethiopic Enoch. When modern interpreters began viewing the Book of Acts as a collection of roughly chronological vignettes, attention to the eunuch’s conversion centered on its minor contribution to the history of Christianity’s early expansion. As scholars turned to more literary approaches, the pericope’s perceived value rose because its indepen- dence from the surrounding narrative marked it as a source. Originally a Hellenistic Christian tale about the first Gentile convert, Luke poorly edited and purposely diluted its content in order to maintain Petrine primacy with the competing Cornelius story, which he favored.1 With the advent of narrative criticism, interest grew in the story’s contribu- tion to the overall message of Acts.2 Liberationist readings now have arguably given the passage its greatest prominence to date.3 At every stage in this development interpreters have associated the Ethiopian eunuch with Jesus’ statement in Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the end of the earth.” As a result, even though the story’s stock has appreciated, the verdict about its message has basically remained the same. Luke composed, incorporated, or edited this event to reveal “the * I am grateful to Jim for the hours spent reading 1 Enoch with me, his careful reading of a technical dissertation, and his critical, editorial eye.
    [Show full text]
  • Acts of the Apostles Chapter 13 – 14 Overview: Paul and Barnabas
    Acts of the Apostles Chapter 13 – 14 Overview: Paul and Barnabas begin their first missionary journey (13:4-12). Paul arrives at Antioch in Pisidia (13:13-15) and addresses the synagogue (13:16-43) and the Gentiles (13:44-52). Paul and Barnabas go to Iconium (14:1-7) and then to Lystra (14:8-20) and return to home (14:21-28). First Missionary Journey: 13:1 – 12 • Prophets/teachers: Two ecclesial ministries often listed by Paul (Rom. 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:28) • Worshipping/fasting: Provide an opening to listening to the Holy Spirit and receive direction • Lay hands: Expresses the community’s setting apart for God’s mission (Kurz, 203). Correct Order Incorrect Order Worship/fasting – flows into mission Plan mission – ask God to bless our plans • Seleucia: Named after the Hellenistic dynasty that ruled northern part of Greek empire • John (Mark): Holy Spirit called Saul and Barnabas, but they also brought John Mark • Note: Mark will abandon mission and go to Jerusalem; Barnabas is from Cyprus (Acts 4:36) • Bar-Jesus: “Son of Jesus”; he was a Jew, magician, and false prophet (Kurz, 206) • Sergius Paulus: Gentile who desires to hear God’s word; from Pisidia Antioch in Asia Minor • Opposed them: Those who reject the gospel throw up roadblocks to its expansion • Key: Just as Satan opposed Jesus from the beginning, so Elymas opposed Paul at beginning • Paul: Luke switches from Saul (Jewish name) to Paul (Roman name) for the first time • Twisting: Son of the devil twists the straight paths of the Lord (Is.
    [Show full text]
  • Acts 1:1) Reference to Former Writings
    ACTS – CHAPTER 1 Jesus Ascends to Heaven, A New Apostle Chosen A. Prologue. 1. READ VERSES 1-8. (Acts 1:1) Reference to former writings. V1 The former account I made: The Gospel of Luke and Book of Acts was a one, two volume book. Acts is written in the literary style of the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. Of all that Jesus began both to do and teach: Luke’s Gospel describes only the beginning of Jesus’ work; Acts describes its continuation; and the work of Jesus continues till today. Acts does not give us a full history of the church during this 30 year period. The churches in Galilee and Samaria are barely mentioned (Acts 9:31), and the church in Egypt isn’t mentioned at all. 2. (Acts 1:2-3) The last work of Jesus before His ascension to heaven. V2 Until the day in which He was taken up: Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, instructed the apostles what to do in His absence. He had given commandments to them. The Holy Spirit has a significant work in those who believe. If the glorified, resurrected Jesus relied on the Holy Spirit, so should we. This is a pattern for the rest of the Book of Acts. V3 To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs: Jesus also established the fact of His resurrection during the 40 days after his resurrection but before His ascension. He left no possible doubt that He was resurrected. 1 Corinthians 15:6: “He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present.” Most of them were still alive some 25 years later.
    [Show full text]
  • Bible Study Guide on the Acts of the Apostles
    Investigating the Word of God Acts Artist’s Depiction of the Apostle Paul Preaching at the Areopagus in Athens Gene Taylor © Gene Taylor, 2007. All Rights Reserved All lessons are based on the New King James Version, © Thomas Nelson, Inc. An Introduction to Acts The Author There are no serious doubts as to the authorship of the book of Acts of the Apostles. Luke is assigned as its author. As early as the last part of the 2nd century, Irenaeus cites passages so frequently from the Acts of the Apostles that it is certain that he had constant access to the book. He gives emphasis to the internal evidence of its authorship. Tertullian also ascribes the book to Luke, as does Clement of Alexandria. That Luke is the author of the book of Acts is evident from the following. ! The Preface of the Book. The writer addresses Theophilus (Luke 1:3), who is the same individual to whom the gospel of Luke was also directed, and makes reference to a “former treatise” which dealt with “all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was received up” (1:1-2). This is very evidently a reference to the third gospel. ! The book of Acts and the gospel of Luke are identical in style, as a number of scholars have pointed out and demonstrated. ! The book of Acts comes as an historical sequel to the gospel of Luke, taking up with the very events, and at the point where the gospel of Luke concludes, namely the resurrection, the appearances following the resurrection, and the commissioning of the Apostles to the task for which they had been selected and trained by the Lord, and the ascension of Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • 7 Sunday of Easter –A the Feast of Ascension of Our Lord a Beautiful Story Tells About How Jesus, After His Ascension Into
    7 Sunday of Easter –A The Feast of Ascension of our Lord A beautiful story tells about how Jesus, after his ascension into heaven, was surrounded by the Holy Angels who began to inquire about his work on earth. Jesus told them about his birth, life, preaching, death and resurrection, and how he had accomplished the salvation of the world. The angel Gabriel asked, “Well, now that you are back in heaven, who will continue your work on earth?” Jesus said, “While I was on earth, I gathered a group of people around me who believed in me and loved me. They will continue to spread the Gospel and carry on the work of the Church.” Gabriel was perplexed and asked, “You mean Peter, who denied you three times, and all the rest who ran away when you were arrested? Do you mean to tell us that you left them to carry on your work? And what will you do if this plan doesn’t work?” Jesus said, “I have no other plan- it must work.” Truly, Jesus has no other plan than to depend on the efforts of his followers! The ascension focuses on the heavenly reign of Christ as an everlasting king, judge, and a loving father. Christ goes to heaven to sit at the right hand of his Father and intercede for us forever. That’s why today’s responsorial psalm mentions the universal kingship of Jesus who rules his people forever. Fact of the Ascension -Today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles states, “While the disciples were still staring into the sky as he was going, the angels appeared and said to them, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking at the sky?’ ” The ascension of our Lord conveys a message of hope and a message of challenge.
    [Show full text]
  • The Ascension of Jesus and the Descent of the Holy Spirit in Patristic Perspective: a Theological Reading Keuy M
    EQ 79.1 (2007),23-33 The ascension of Jesus and the descent of the Holy Spirit in patristic perspective: a theological reading KeUy M. Kapic and Wesley Vander Lugt Kelly Kapic is Associate Professor of Theological Studies at Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, GA, and Wesley Vander Lugt is an MDiv. student in the same college. KEY WORDS: Ascension, Pentecost, Christology, Pneumatology, Patristics, Trinity. A woman we know recently recalled a powerful memory from her childhood in the early nineteen seventies. Her parents visited a large church in southern California to see an Easter play, and near the end of the drama this little girl witnessed, with a mixture of fear and delight, how Jesus, who was hooked up to a thinly disguised wire, was pulled up into the ceiling. What was all of this about? Why did Jesus go, and how could that possibly be a good thing? Such questions, however, are not reserved to children growing up in the Jesus move­ ment. Since the New Testament clearly testifies to the ascension of Jesus, theo­ logians throughout the ages have struggled to grasp its significance for those left behind. Scripture is replete with the antithesis of descent and ascent, and these bibli­ cal motifs have been indispensable hermeneutical devices throughout the his­ tory ofthe Christian Church. Following the lead of some early Church Fathers we will attempt to show how they employed the descent-ascent motif as a guiding framework for an exploration of the relationship between the ascension of Jesus and the sending (descent) of the Holy Spirit.
    [Show full text]
  • A= Ascension of Jesus, a New Apostle Chosen Acts 1
    Acts: What Jesus’ followers did as the Spirit worked in their lives A= Ascension of Jesus, A New Apostle Chosen Acts 1 Ascension: 40 days after Jesus arose from the dead, He went up to Heaven. Jesus now sits on the right hand of God (Colossians 3:1). Witness: person saw what Jesus did and told others. The apostles were witnesses. Sabbath’s Day Walk: the distance Jewish teachers had decided a Jew could walk on the Sabbath. It varies from 3/4 to 7/8 of a mile. Acts 1 review questions: Who wrote Acts?__________________ What other book did he write?_________________ Why did Luke write to Theophilus? _________________________ ______________________________________________________ How many days after Jesus died did he ascend to heaven? ______ How many apostles were there when Jesus ascended? ______ What gift were the apostles to wait for in Jerusalem? __________________________ Who told the apostles to stop gazing into heaven?______ Where else did Luke use the phrase “two men”?________________ How did Judas die? _______________________ Who replaced Judas?______________ ABC’s of Acts is a great way to remember what each book is about. Each letter of the alphabet represents the corresponding chapter number in Acts. There are 28 chapters in Acts so when we are done we will have an AA & a BB. Also, in your noted I have included important key words to make sure we know. Words such as ascension & witness. These are my definitions; Webster will not define them like I do! Luke wrote 2 books; Luke & Acts. Scholars believe he wrote the Gospel of Luke in AD 58, and then Acts in AD 61.
    [Show full text]
  • THE ACTS of the APOSTLES Introductory Notes
    THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES Introductory Notes 1 Who wrote Acts? u Acts of the Apostles is part 2 to The Gospel of Luke. The same author is thought to have written both books. u The Gospel of Luke describes the ministry of Jesus Christ, his birth, death and Ascension. u Acts of the Apostles focuses on the ministry of Peter in the first half of Acts and on Paul’s ministry in the second half. u Luke makes many comparisons between their ministries and the ministry of Jesus. 2 The Author u No where in either the Gospel of Luke or in Acts of the Apostles does the writer identify himself. u Both books are dedicated to “Theophilus” who may be a patron to whom the books are dedicated. u Tradition has called the author, Luke, a “fellow worker,” and companion of Paul or “the beloved physician” mentioned in Col 4:14, 2 Tim 4:11, and 2 Cor 8:18. 3 The “we passages” in Acts u Most of Acts is written in the third person as a narrator telling a story would. u In other places, Luke writes in the first person using "we," as in "we" did this or that. u These "we" narratives provide the most detailed accounts in Acts including the time Paul spent in Philippi. u These passages point to a person who was there with Paul and a witness to some of the events in 4 Acts. Genre u Acts is considered a narrative account. The text is a series of stories about the Apostles told in story form.
    [Show full text]
  • Ten Things You Might Not Know About Luke 1. Luke Never Met Jesus. in Fact, None of the Evangelists Did. After the Resurrection
    Ten Things You Might Not Know About Luke 1. Luke never met Jesus. In fact, none of the evangelists did. After the Resurrection, the Apostles went out to preach the good news, as instructed by Jesus, handing on stories of his miracles, sayings, teachings, and most importantly, passion, death and Resurrection, to the new Christian communities they founded. It was not until after the first Apostles began to die that the next generation of Christians began writing down some of the material they had received. Eventually, people such as Luke pulled this material together into a cohesive Gospel account. 2. Luke is also thought to be the author of the Acts of the Apostles, a book which continues the story where the gospel leaves off. There is much continuity between the books as many of the same themes found in the gospel are also developed in Acts. In addition, we see the Apostles performing many of the same miracles we saw Jesus perform in the Gospel, highlighting the connection between their ministry and Jesus’. 3. It is possible that Luke was at one point one of Paul’s travel companions. In his letter to the Colossians, Paul relays greetings to the community from several of his companions, including a physician named Luke. From the earliest centuries, many believe this companion to be the evangelist. 4. Luke was most likely a gentile from Antioch (Syria) addressing a gentile audience. Unlike Matthew, Luke makes few references to Old Testament quotes and explains Jewish traditions, in addition to being attentive to emphasizing that the Gospel message is addressed to all peoples, including gentiles.
    [Show full text]