OUR ROOTS The Book of Acts The Story of a Grain of Mustard Seed (Matt. 13) Why “Acts of the Apostles”? ! A. Resource document: ! - Pivotal piece of literature – Only apostolic history book ! - Vital link or bridge between Gospels and Epistles (a pivot) ! - Backdrop material for understanding the Letters ! - A “companion” (volume II) of a Gospel (greatest sequel ever written!) Why “Acts of the Apostles”? ! B. Fascinating narrative - exciting Christianity! ! C. Perfect “pattern” ! Other possible titles: – Acts of the Holy Spirit – Some of the Acts of some . The Author - LUKE the “pioneer” of Christian apologetics ! No certainty, but much evidence without and within: ! External: 1. Muratorian Canon (A.D. 170); 2. Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History, c.325) ! Internal: A companion of Paul (“we” passages) ! 16:10-17 20:5-21:18 27:1-28:16 –Luke the physician (Col. 4:14) – vocabulary (28:6) may or may not be evidence DATE of Composition ! I. Definitely in the Neronian (54-67 AD) or Flavian period (69-96 AD). Three possibilities: ! A. AD 62. • 1. Soon after the events of the last chapter. • 2. Evidence: Why else would it stop at those events? • 3. NOTE: this is an argument from silence. ! B. Soon after the death of Paul (c.65 AD) and/or the Jewish rebellion (66 AD). ! C. AD 70, or later. • 1. Author stopped where he intended to. • 2. Acts 1:8 – “"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."”. RECIPIENT – Theophilus – Greek word meaning “God lover.” – Same as for the Gospel of Luke. Theme and Purpose(s) – A. Theme: Acts 1:8 – “"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."”. – B. Purpose(s). • 1. To present a history. • 2. To give a defense. • 3. To provide a guide. • 4. To depict the triumph of Christianity. • 5. To vindicate (Peter &) Paul’s memory. Britain Londinium Belgica Cologne Atlantic N Ocean Lutetia G e r m a n i a S a r m a t i a G a u l W E I l l y D a c i a r i S c I u Black Sea T m A Moesia a S p a i n Italy eni L Arm Tarshish? Y Thrace Byzantium Pontus Rome ynia Macedonia ith Gades Pompey B Cappadocia Pergamum Actium Delphi Asia Tarsus Carthage AchaiaAthens Ephesus Syracuse Syria M a u r e t a n i a Africa Great Sea Damascus (Mar Nostrum) N Jerusalem Roman Empire u Cyrene m 1st Triumvirant c. 60 B.C. i d Cyrenaica Alexandria i a Nabatea Julius Caesar 44 B.C. E g Augustus Caesar 14 A.D. y Red Sea p Furthest extent 8-115 AD Scale of Miles t c 1999 MANNA 0 600 Damascus Kingdom of Iturea S Y R I A Herod the Great Tyre Caesarea c. 10 B.C. Philippi T r a c h on i t i s = major Herodian fortress Gaulanitis N Ptolemais Bethsaida B a t a n e a P GH O E Na I C lI A i l e e W E Sepphoris Sea of Hippos Galilee Nazareth Gadara S Caesarea D E C A P O L I S A u r a n i t i s Pella Jordan Great Sea S am a r i a River Gerasa (Mediterranean) Alexandrium Joppa Lydda Philadelphia P e r e a J u d e a Jericho Jerusalem Hyrcania Bethlehem Scale of Miles Herodium ASHKELON 0 50 Hebron Salt Machaerus Sea Masada ARABIA I d u m e a c 1999 MANNA N A B A T E A Ch. 1-7 - Jerusalem Ch. 8-12 - Damascus AD 47-57 (ch. 13-21) M A C E D O N I A Philippi Paul's Third Journey Berea Thessalonica Outbound Return B I T H Y N I A ILLYRICUM Troas Assos Aegean Mitylene G A L A T I A A S I A A C H A I A Sea Thyatira C A P P A D O C I A Corinth Athens Antioch Chios Ephesus P I S I D I A Iconium Samos Miletus Colossae Cilician Patmos Lystra Perga Gates Derbe Cos L Y C I A Attalia C I L I C I A Tarsus Patara Seleucia Antioch Knossos Rhodes N S Y R I A Crete Salamis W E Paphos Cyprus S Great Sea Tyre (Mediterranean) Ptolemais Scale of Miles Caesarea P A L E S T I N E c 1999 MANNA 0 200 Jerusalem Ch. 21-28 From Jerusalem to Rome The “Mustard Seed Syndrome” R. Stark (1996) EXPONENTIAL GROWTH YEAR AD Christians ! - 30 7,530 ! - 150 40,496 ! - 200 217,795 ! - 250 1,171,356 ! - 300 6,299,832 ! - 350 35,882,008 St. Peter’s Square, Rome - Bernini .