Theology of Acts

1. Who wrote Acts?

2. When was Acts written? Purpose for the text?

3. Time Line:

4. Key Themes:

5. Literary Forms:

Narratives

Speeches

6. Sections of Acts

Who wrote Acts? Luke is seen to be the author of Acts. “As regards its authorship, it was certainly the work of Luke, the "beloved physician" ( Luk 1:1 -4; Act 1:1). This is the uniform tradition of antiquity, although the writer nowhere makes mention of himself by name.”[1] Although Acts was originally seen as a two part book, commonly associated with the gospel of Luke (Luke-Acts). “These volumes are the only New Testament works that explicitly link the life of Jesus to the origins of the early church.”[2]

Acts was written for the purpose of linking the Gospels and the epistles. “Luke also wrote Acts to record the key events that brought about the birth and rapid spread of the church, which began in Jerusalem and moved beyond Israel’s borders to the Roman Empire’s and other provinces. The book of Acts, explains how the early church changed from being totally Jewish, to including Gentiles and Samarians. By the end of the time period covered in Acts, the Gentiles comprised the majority of the believers.

The time of when Acts was written was about A.D. 62. Which would have been four years after Paul’s third missionary journey, and right as he is beginning his fourth missionary journey.

The Key themes discussed in Acts are first, the fulfillment of God through different activities. Different fulfillment of events, though out the book of Acts show how the divine promise is fulfilled. In Acts 4, “the glorious success of the gospel at Pentecost and for some time afterward could not last. The mighty dragon who had attempted to devour the Christ, who had been "caught up unto God, and unto his throne" (Revelation 12:5), then turned the full strength of his fury against the Woman, that is, the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.”[3] Next, “The Messiah as the bearer of Forgiveness and the spirit”[4] is the second theme. This offer is not just for the Jews, but for all men. “Refferences to forgiveness are linked to related images of the one who comes as the bringer of peace and the one who leads people out of darkness.”[5] The third theme is the reply to repentance, and by Paul and Peter reaching out to the nonbelievers. The fourth theme is that of Suffering, The church must go through suffering, because Jesus went through suffering. The final Key theme in the book of Acts, is a declaration of people being changed. Not just conforming to the “outside world”, but being Christ like throughout their existence.

The next thing mentioned are the Literary Forms that are taken on in the text. There are two major kinds of literary forms in the book of Acts. “First is the Narrative. Which is then sub categorized into four kinds of Narratives being: Summary, Episodic, Miracles, and Commissioning. The Other type of Literary form, is that of Speeches. This category is also then broken down into two major sub-catagories which are Missionary and Defense speeches.”[6]

Finally, the outline of Acts: “In chapters 1-8, we see the church formed and go through the many struggles. Secondly, in chapters 8:4-12:25 we see the church being scattered to the nations on into Palestine and Syria. In the next sections from chapters 13:1-28, we see the church expanding out into the other parts of the world.”[7] Through out all these sections, “there are seven "progress reports" on the unity and advance of the church (cf. 2:47; 6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:30, 31).”[8]

Works Cited

Strong, James. Strong’s Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon.

www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html - 9k - Nov. 2, 2002

Alexander, Desmond T. ed. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. “Luke Acts” by Bock, D.L. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000. 129-131.

Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Acts 4". "Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".

<http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=004>.

Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

Cranford, Lorin. “The Literary Genre of the Acts of the Apostles” http://www.cranfordville.com/r102frame.html: 11/04/02

Herrick, Greg. “A study outline of Acts” www.bible.org/docs/nt/ntbooks.htm - 24k - Nov. 2, 2002

[1] Strong, James. Strong’s Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon. www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html

- 9k - Nov. 2, 2002

[2] Alexander, Desmond T. ed. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. “Luke-Acts” by Bock, D.L. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000. 129-131.

[3] Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Acts 4". "Coffman Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".<http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=ac&chapter=004>.

Abilene Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.

[4] Alexander, Desmond T. ed. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. “Luke-Acts” by Bock, D.L. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000. 129-131.

[5] Alexander, Desmond T. ed. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology. “Luke-Acts” by Bock, D.L. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2000. 129-131.

[6] Cranford, Lorin. “The Literary Genre of the Acts of the Apostles” http://www.cranfordville.com/r102frame.html: 11/04/02

[7] Herrick, Greg. “A study outline of Acts” www.bible.org/docs/nt/ntbooks.htm - 24k - Nov. 2, 2002

[8] Herrick, Greg. “A study outline of Acts” www.bible.org/docs/nt/ntbooks.htm - 24k - Nov. 2, 2002