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 Second Volume of Luke-Acts
 Compare Luke 1:1-4 and Acts 1:1-2
Author was Luke, a companion of Paul
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Early church accepted author was Luke
“We” passages
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Acts of Holy Spirit or Acts of Jesus
Mission “to the ends of the earth”
 Why was the mission of the early church so successful?
 History and Theology Combined
 Significance of Acts for today

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 Written between AD 62 and 64
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Before Peter and Paul martyred.
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Paul had been imprisoned in Rome for two years
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Right up to date
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If written after AD 66, why are deaths of apostles omitted?
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Historical accuracy of Luke surprising if written later
Location of writing – Uncertain (Rome?)

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29 AD – Ascension and Pentecost
35 AD – Martyrdom of Stephen
37 AD – Paul’s Conversion
38 AD – Peter and Cornelius
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39 AD Paul in Tarsus
40 AD Paul’s first visit to Jerusalem
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43 AD Barnabas in Antioch
45 AD Paul’s First Missionary Journey

 51 AD – Council of Jerusalem
 52 AD – Paul’s Second Missionary Journey
 53 AD – Letters to Thessalonians
 58 AD – Paul arrested in Jerusalem.
Imprisonned in Caesarea
 59 AD – Paul’s journey to Rome
 60 AD Paul in Rome
 62 AD – End of Acts

 Major Sections
 Beginnings of the Church (1-2)
 The Church in Jerusalem (3-5)
 Expansion (6-9:31)
 Beginning of Gentile Mission (9:32-12)
 Missionary Journeys (13-20)
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Paul’s Arrest and Imprisonment (21-28)
 A fulfilment of Acts 1:8?
 Transition Points?

 Interest in Judaism
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Unworthy gods
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Philosophy tended to be religion-free
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Moral rigour of Judaism
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Diaspora
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But ethnic & required circumcision
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God-fearers
 From root of Judaism
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But negative aspects – Speech of Stephen.

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To tell us what happened next – a historical account as a legacy to the church
Addressed to Theophilus “lover of God”
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Acts 1:1-2; Luke 1:1-4
Author not an eye-witness
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Writing to a rich patron?
PR/spin/Propaganda?!
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Christianity’s founder had been crucified
 Its main spokesman was under house arrest
 It seemed to cause disturbance wherever it spread

 Genre of Acts exists in ancient world
 Refutation of Heresy (unlikely)
 Luke portrays Christianity as a Credible
Religion (ie political apologetic)
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Luke 23:13 Miscarriage of justice
Appeal to Caesar, cf Nelson Mandela
Instigators of riots – Religious Jews, tradespeople
 To show how the church, composed of
Jews and Gentiles, stands in continuity with Judaism

Continuity of God’s purposes
The Holy Spirit
The mission and message of the church
The Role of Prayer in church life
Jesus' concern for poor and women
Christianity as a Universal Faith – Inclusion of the Gentiles
Christianity as a Lawful Religion
Jesus as Saviour

 Jesus – the fulfilment of Israel
 The Church as the new People of God
 Life and Structure of the new Community
 The Holy Spirit as agent of Renewal and
Mission
 The Mission of God – Salvation to the ends of the earth
 Reaching out across Religious and
Cultural Boundaries

 About 30% of Acts consists of Speeches. Can we tell what the early Christians preached?
 Explanations – Acts 2, 3
 Fit into contexts
 Jerusalem
 Athens
 Quotations from the OT (Acts 2)
 Reference to culture/history
 Quotations from secular writers (Acts 17:8)

 Peter
 Acts 2:14-37; 3:12-26; 4:8-12; 10:34-43
 Stephen
 Acts 6
 Paul
 Acts 13:16-41, 46-47; 14:15-17; 17:2-3, 22-32
 Testimonies
 Acts 22:3-21; 24:10-21; 26:2-27, 29; 28:23-28

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The Age of Fulfillment has dawned, the “latter days” foretold by the prophets.
This has taken place through the birth, life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus.
By virtue of the resurrection, Jesus has been exalted at the right hand of God as Messianic head of the new Israel.
The Holy Spirit in the church is the sign of
Christ's present power and glory.
The Messianic Age will reach its consummation in the return of Christ.
An appeal is made for repentance with the offer of forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.

 Peter and Paul compared
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Healing
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Vision
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Release from Prison
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Raising the dead
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Bestowing the Spirit

 Begins in Acts 2
 Ends with Holy Spirit Acts 28:25
 Holy Spirit Empowering
 Jerusalem, Samaria, Caesarea, Ephesus, Paul
 True Israel – Inspired by Holy Spirit
 Boldness of ordinary men
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Power for service
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World Mission

 Jerusalem, Samaria, Gentile
 Subsequent experiences
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 Samaritan Pentecost
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Acts 8. Philip
Peter's power of the keys – Lampe
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Tied into Israel
Pentecost – birthday or coming of age of church?
A transition phase or a model of ministry for the
“last days”?

 Fulfilling commission in Acts 1:8?
 Breaking the mould
 Catalysts for movement
 Persecution and Holy Spirit
 Focus on Cities, New Regions
 Preaching & healing
 Baptism and Laying on of hands
 Methods of Proclamation

 We encounter many different churches in
Acts.
 Jerusalem
 Damascus
 Antioch
 Corinth
 Ephesus
 Rome
 Do they paint a uniform picture – or is there acceptable variation among churches?

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Acts 2 – Joel, Psalms
 Acts 3 – Deuteronomy, Genesis
 Acts 4 – Psalms
 Acts 7 – Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy,
Amos, Isaiah
 Acts 8 – Isaiah
 Acts 13 – Psalms, Isaiah, Habakkuk
 Acts 15 – Amos
 Acts 23 - Exodus
 Acts 28 - Isaiah

 Acts 15
 The Issues
 The nature of the church now that Gentiles were being included
 Were they expected to obey the Laws of
Moses?
 How is the church to relate to Judaism?
 What does Acts 15:16-17 tell us about the relationship of the church to the OT expectations of Israel?

 The term Christian first occurs in Acts 11:26
 The brethren (23x)
 Disciples (21x) – including a woman (9:36)
 Saints (4x) – Acts 9:13, 32, 41; 26:10
 The Church (19x); The Way (10x)
 Those who believe (2:44 etc)
 Those who call upon the name (9:14 etc)
 Those who are being saved (2:47)
 Those who received the word (2:41)

 Daily Distribution to widows
 Care of the dead
 Church in the home
 Worship and fasting
 Hymn singing
 Hospitality
 Financial giving
 Late, late church

 Ministry Gifts
 Apostles – Acts 1:2
 Prophets – Acts 13:1
 Teachers – Acts 13:1
 Evangelists – Acts 21:9
 Church Leadership
 Elders – Acts 20:17
 Deacons – Acts 6
 How do such gifts inter-relate?

 Matthias replaces Judas among the 12
 Healing and Preaching
 The Seven chosen to serve
 Calling of Saul of Tarsus
 Appointment of Elders
 Council of Jerusalem
 Prisca and Aquila teach Apollos
 Paul and the Ephesian Elders
 The Collection for poor saints in Jerusalem

 Theology of the Holy Spirit
 Ordo Salutis
 Signs and Wonders
 Gospel Proclamation in diverse settings
 Church growth & church planting
 Missiology
 Patterns of Christian Ministry
 Fresh Expressions of Church

 Disciple of Gamaliel
 Talmud
 Grandson of Hillel
 Native of Tarsus
 Died in Rome under
Nero (~AD 66)
 A Pharisee before his conversion (Phil
3:5)
 Missionary extraordinary
 Great letter writer

 Planned to visit
Spain (Rom 15:24)
 Worked in a team –
Col 4:10-14,
Philemon
 Focussed on cities
 Trained the next generation –
Timothy, Titus
 Anthony Thistleton sees
Corinth as a “post-modern” city. Paul experienced similar challenges to the ones we face.

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 Philippi
 Jerusalem
 Caesarea
 Rome
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 Prayer
 Letters
 Delegation

 A model for church ministry
 Only for overseas mission
 A heritage document
 Irrelevant