The Book of Acts Introduction Authorship
Comparing Luke 1:14 with Acts 1:1: We find that the same author wrote both books. McGarvey notes, “This claim of a common authorship is confirmed by the uniformity of style which pervades the two books. All the evidence, therefore, which tends to prove that Luke wrote our third Gospel has equal force in proof that he wrote the book of Acts. While unbelieving writers in general deny that he wrote either, all admit that the same author wrote both”. 1
Noting the “we” sections of the book: At various places in the Book of Acts the events taking place are cast in the first person plural, indicating that the author was present when these events took place, consider chapters 16:10-17; 20:5-21:18; 27:1-28:16. From these passages we learn: 1. The same author wrote the whole book. 2. The author of the book was one of Paul's traveling companions and was with him in Rome (28:16). 3. Most of Paul's traveling companions are mentioned in contrast to the author. Hence we already know that the author could not have been: Silas, Mark, Barnabas, Timothy (Acts 15:37-16:11), Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Tychicus, or Trophimus (20:5). McGarvey notes, “As then the writer was none of these, and yet he journeyed with Paul on his visit to Jerusalem, and thence to Rome, we can identify him with no other than Luke (Colossians 4:1014; Philemon 23-24)” (p. xi).
Luke the Historian: Luke 1:1-4 “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to draw up a narrative concerning those matters which have been fulfilled among us, even as they delivered them unto us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and 1
Commentary On Acts. J.W. McGarvey p. xii. 1
ministers of the word, it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus; that thou mightest know the certainty concerning the things wherein thou was instructed” Various observations need to be made from this section of Scripture. Stott reminds us, “Luke claimed in his preface to the Gospel to be writing accurate history, and it is generally agreed that he intended this to cover both volumes, for ‘it was custom in antiquity’, whenever a work was divided into more than one volume, ‘to prefix to the first a preface for the whole’. In consequence, Luke 1:14 ‘is the real preface to Acts as well as to the Gospel.’” 2 The writer of Luke and Acts is distinguished from those "who from the beginning were eyewitnesses", that is, the apostles (1:2). Other accounts of the life of Christ had been written. F.F. Bruce comments, “He himself, it appears, could not claim to be an eyewitness of the earlier events recorded in his history, but he had access to the information which such eyewitnesses could supply. He was not the first to draw up an account based on information of this kind, but he claims for his account that it rests upon thorough and accurate research and that it is arranged in a proper sequence”. 3 Even though Luke belonged to what we might call a "secondgeneration" of Christians; the teaching that had been handed down to him, he had thoroughly investigated, "having traced the course of all things accurately" (1:3). The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts contains fundamental and necessary information for the Christian. Stott notes, “Thus the events which had been accomplished, witnessed, transmitted, investigated and written down were (and still are) to be the ground of Christian faith and assurance”. The events recorded in the Bible really happened. These books contain inspired history. Stott makes the following insightful observation: “In addition to being a doctor (Colossians 4:14) and a friend of Paul, Luke had a third qualification for writing history, namely his residence in Palestine. It happened like this. Luke arrived in Jerusalem with Paul (21:17) and left with him on their voyage to Rome (27:1). In between was a period of more than two years, during which Paul was held a prisoner in Caesarea (24:27), while Luke was a free man. How did he use this time? It would be reasonable to guess that he traveled the length and breadth of Palestine, gathering material for his Gospel and for the early Jerusalem based 2 The Spirit, The Church, And the Word. The Message Of Acts. John Stott p. 22 3 The New International Commentary On The New Testament. The Book Of The Acts. F.F. Bruce p. 19 2
chapters of the Acts. He will have visited the places made sacred by the ministry of Jesus and the birth of the Christian community. Harnack was impressed by his personal knowledge of Nazareth (its hill and synagogue), Capernaum (and the centurion who built its synagogue), Jerusalem (with its nearby Mount of Olives and villages, and its 'Synagogue of the Freedmen'), the temple (its courts, gates and porticoes), Emmaus (sixty stadia distant), Lydda, Joppa, Caesarea and other towns. He surely will also have interviewed many eyewitnesses. Some of them will have known Jesus” (p. 24). Before moving on we need to realize that professional historians and archaeologists have long recognized the historical reliability and accuracy of the Book of Acts. Luke is always accurate in the titles that he gives for the various regional and local officials, even though titles often differed from province to province. “The ‘rulers of the city’ (Greek: politarchs) in Thessalonica (Acts 17:6) was unknown in any classical author a few years ago. It has now been found in 19 inscriptions ranging from the 2nd century B.C. to the 3rd century A.D., as a title of magistrates in Macedonian cities. Publius is called the ‘chief man’ of the Island of Malta (Acts 28:7). Inscriptions in both Latin and Greek have shown this to be a proper title” 4 “Luke was an intricate observer. James Smith, who was a seaman, in his ‘Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul’, shows that Luke is accurate even in the storm and wreck. They cast goods out of the hold, threw off the rigging, bound the ship around--and precisely the proper term in Greek is used for each activity. Every place where Luke's accuracy can be checked, he has been found to be exactly right” 5 The Date: The following timetable is man's attempt to fit the events of this book on a chronological table. The reader should note that various events recorded in the book, are confirmed by other sources. For example we know that Caiaphas was put out of office in 36 A.D., therefore, Peter's experience before the Sanhedrin (Acts chapter 4), took place sometime prior to 36 A.D. We also know that the Herod of Acts 12:1ff, died (12:20-23) in the spring of A.D. 44. From secular records we know that Sergius Paulus had been replaced by 52 A.D. (Acts 13:7). From inscriptions we know that Gallio was proconsul of Achaia somewhere between 50-54 A.D. Hopefully the following chart will be helpful: 4
Introduction To Christian Evidences. Ferrell Jenkins p. 64
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New Testament History. Acts. Gareth L. Reese p. xxxi 3
Year 30
Book of Acts Pentecost: Chapter 2
32-33 34-35 37
Stephen Stoned: 7 Saul Converted: 9
36-43
43-44 45-47 47-48 49 49-50 50-52 52-55 56-57
57-59
Contemporary Events Tiberius Emperor (1437) Pilate Governor (26-36)
Caligula Emperor (3741) Saul preaching in Herod Agrippa I, king of Jerusalem, Tarsus, Judea (41-44). Dies in Antioch: 9-11. spring of 44. Cornelius converted: 10 James Executed: 12 Claudius Emperor (4154) Famine in Judea: 12 First Missionary Journey: 13-14 Council at Jerusalem: 15 Claudius expels all Jews from Rome. Second Journey begins: 15:36 Paul at Corinth: 18 Gallio Proconsul Writes 1 and 2 ofAchaia. Thessalonians Paul at Ephesus: 19 Felix procurator of Judea: Writes 1 and 2 52-59 Corinthians Paul in Macedonia and Nero Emperor (54-68) Corinth: 20 Writes Galatians, Romans Voyage to Rome: 20-21. Felix procurator of Judea: Arrested, imprisoned in 59-61 Caesarea: 23:23-24:27 Paul stands before Festus and King Agrippa: 25:626:32 4
59-60 60-62
Paul’s voyage to Rome: 27:1-28:16 Paul under house arrest in Rome: 28:16ff. The book of Acts ends. Writes Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon
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Nero beings to persecute Christians. Jerusalem is destroyed.
70 Purpose of the Book:
All sorts of ideas exist as to why the book of Acts was written, but before we examine any of them, Stott reminds us, “Thank God for ‘The Acts of the Apostles!’ The New Testament would be greatly impoverished without it. We are given four accounts of Jesus, but only one of the early church. So the Acts occupies an indispensable place in the Bible” (p. 5).
What happened after Jesus ascended: The existence of the Book of Acts infers that tremendously important material is also found outside the Gospels. Great truths were revealed and important events happened even after Jesus ascended into heaven. Acts 1:1-2 informs the reader that much needed to be done even after Jesus was raised from the dead, and that Jesus would continue to work through His apostles via the Holy Spirit (1:8).
The spread of the gospel is documented (1:8): The Gospels end with the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-16; Matthew 28:1920; Luke 24:46-47). The Book of Acts reveals how this was accomplished. McGarvey notes, “the writer’s chief design was to set forth to his readers a multitude of cases of conversion. The cases recorded represent all the different grades of human society, from idolatrous peasants up to priests, proconsuls, and kings. They represent all the degrees of intellectual and religious culture; all the common occupations of life; and all the countries and languages of the then 5
known world; thus showing the adaptation of the one system of life and salvation to all the inhabitants of the earth.. If then, modern conversions accord with these, they must be right; if they do not, they must be to that extent wrong” (pp. xix-xx). We really need to emphasize the fact that this book teaches only one plan of salvation for all time, all cultures, and all people.
The establishment of the Church: This book describes the establishment of the Church that Jesus had promised to build (Matthew 16:18), including teaching concerning its growth (8:4) work (Acts 2:42) mission, worship (Acts 20:7), and organization (14:23; 20:17,28). From this book we learn what the church is, the terms and obligations of membership, how it overcame problems from within (Acts 6) and without (14:22), and we might just say, how the church of the First Century fulfilled its mission in a secular and often hostile society (Acts 17:6; 28:22).
The Credibility of Christianity: Some writers believe that the Book of Acts was written primarily as a defense of Christianity. In fact, some even speculate that this may have been the document that was presented to the Roman court in Paul's defense, as a kind of defense brief. Whether that is true or not, this much is true. The Book of Acts tells us that: Government has nothing to fear from Christians. The reader will find that the various accusations and persecutions that come upon Christians in this book, are brought about by unreasonable and or ignorant individuals (Acts 4:121; 5:17-42; 9:1; 13:45; 14:19; 19:24-25). F.F. Bruce reminds us, “We must recognize that in the eyes of those who set some store by law and order in the Roman Empire Christianity started off with a serious handicap. Its Founder had admittedly been condemned to death by a Roman governor” (p. 20). “The authorities, he argues, have nothing to fear from Christians, for they are neither seditious nor subversive, but on the contrary legally innocent and morally harmless. More positively, they exercise a wholesome influence on society. Roman officials were consistently friendly to Christianity, and some had even become Christians, like the centurion Cornelius. Secondly, the Roman authorities could find no fault in either Jesus or his apostles. As for Paul, in Philippi the magistrates apologized to him, in Corinth the proconsul Gallio refused to adjudicate, and in Ephesus the town clerk declared Paul and his friends to be innocent. Then Felix, Festus, and Agrippa all failed to convict him of any offence” (Stott p. 26). 6
Christianity is the fulfillment of O.T. prophecy (Acts 2:16; 3:24 “And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days”). From this book it is clear that the Church is part of God's eternal purpose (Eph. 3:10-11), because time and time again we find the apostles and other inspired speakers appealing to the fulfillment of O.T. prophecy. Thus we must reject the Premillennial claim that many of the O.T. prophetic promises still remain unfulfilled (Acts 17:2-3). Stott notes, “Far from being an afterthought (salvation), it had been planned and promised for centuries. The same emphasis recurs throughout Acts. In the sermons of Peter and Paul, not to mention Stephen's defense, Jesus' death, resurrection, reign, and Spirit-gift, are all seen as the culmination of centuries of prophetic promise” (p. 30). Christianity is inherently linked with real history. This book mentions real cities, political leaders, secular events, and so on. Years ago a writer by the name of Wilbur M. Smith wrote the following concerning the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ: “Let it simply be said that we know more about the details of the hours immediately before and the actual death of Jesus, in and near Jerusalem, than we know about the death of any other one man in all the ancient world. We know what He said to His disciples throughout Thursday of that week--the institution of the Lord's Supper that night, the agony of suffering in Gethsemane, the nature of the crowd that came out to arrest Him and how He was betrayed with a kiss. We know of the five trials which Jesus underwent within the last eight hours. We know what men said to Christ, what they said against Him, and what He said to them. We know how the soldiers despitefully used Him; how the Sanhedrin bribed witnesses to condemn Him. We know even the name of an obscure person who carried His cross to Golgotha. Nothing here is what we might call mythical, or even theological: it is all solid, definite, historical fact. The meaning of the resurrection is a theological matter, but the fact of the resurrection is a historical matter. The place is of geographical definiteness, the man who owned the tomb was a man living in the first half of the first century; that tomb was made out of rock in a hillside near Jerusalem, and was not composed of some mythological gossamer, or cloud-dust. The guards put before that tomb were not aerial beings from Mt. Olympus; the Sanhedrin was a body of men meeting frequently in Jerusalem. As a vast mass of literature tells us, this person, Jesus, was a living person, a man among men, whatever else He was, and the disciples who went out to preach the risen Lord 7
were men among men, men who ate, drank, slept, suffered, worked, died” 6 The book of Acts records the various persecutions inflicted on the Church. The Jewish authorities sought to put an end to this movement (Acts 4-9, 13-18), so did various heathen authorities and or special interest groups (Acts 16:16-21; 19:24ff). They sought to intimidate Christians, mock and physically hurt or imprison them, and yet we never find anyone being able to offer any objective proof that the gospel message was false (Acts 6:10). The one glaring "gap" in all the opposition that the Church faced is the absence of the great and or unanswerable Jewish, heathen, or Roman argument against the resurrection of Christ and the Christian faith. The book of Acts tells us that the world really does not have any argument against the validity of the Gospel message.
The Agreement among the Apostles: Some have argued that the book of Acts was written to contradict the claim that Peter and Paul were rivals, whether that is true or not, the case remains that the book very clearly teaches us that Peter and Paul taught the same gospel. The terms of salvation that Peter preached (Acts 2:38); are the same terms that Paul preached (Acts 18:8; 16:30-34). See also Acts 15:7-12; Galatians 2:1-10; 2 Peter 3:15-16. Themes and great concepts:
What must I do to be saved? At its very heart, this is a book that records cases of conversion (Acts 2, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 16, 18). This book plainly deals with the question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 2:37; 8:36; 16:30). Related to the above theme we also learn that salvation is conditional, there is something that one must do (2:37). Salvation by grace does not rule out certain conditions that a man or woman must fulfill. Salvation is only in Jesus Christ (4:12). The very fact that the gospel message was deliberately preached to those in Judaism, is proof that Judaism cannot save you (Acts 13:38-39), and if Judaism cannot save you (a religion which had God's approval), then most certainly all other religious systems are void of having any saving power (Acts 17:22-31).
The Necessity of Baptism: 6
Therefore Stand. pp. 360-361, 386. 8
When we study the conversion of Saul, we will find a man who actually saw the resurrected Jesus (9:4-5); was sincerely repentant and engaged in prayer (9:911), and yet who still had his sins prior to being baptized (22:16). The same is true in reference to Cornelius. A very good moral and religious man (10:2), extremely obedient and humble (10:24-33), baptized in the Holy Spirit (10:4445), and yet he was still commanded to be baptized in water (10:47-48). See also Acts 2:38; 22:16.
 What is involved in preaching Jesus? Preaching Jesus involves such more than merely talking about who Jesus was or some of the events that happened in His life. It involves teaching what Jesus taught and what He revealed through His apostles (Acts 8:5,12; 35-36). One cannot separate the "man" from the "plan" or the "Savior" from the "doctrine" (2 John 9).
 The importance of membership in a local congregation: From this book we learn that the Lord is the one who adds people to the church (Acts 2:41,47), and that the church is composed of those who are purchased with the blood of Christ (20:28). Therefore, the church can never be viewed as an optional relationship for the Christian. We also learn that when Christians moved into another community, they were to attach themselves to, and work with, the local congregation in that city (Acts 9:26; 11:26). We find a membership that has responsibilities attached to it (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-6:7). Some people erroneously assume that Paul was just a "member at large" and that he merely floated from one congregation to another, without really being a member of any. The picture we find in Acts is completely different. In Acts we find Paul working with specific congregations (9:26; 11:26), taking off from and reporting back to a local congregation (13:1, 14:26), performing work for a specific congregation (11:30; 12:25; 15:2), and worshipping with a specific group of Christians on the First Day of the Week (Acts 20:7).
 Truths concerning the miraculous: Speaking in tongues did not involve speaking in a heavenly or angelic language, but the miraculous ability to speak in a foreign dialect (2:1-11). The Spiritual 9
gifts could only be received through the medium of an apostle (Acts 8:14-19; 6:6,8; 19:6). The baptism of the Holy Spirit did not happen to every Christian (10:44; 11:15-17; 8:15-16). While angels appeared to people, and people had visions, and Jesus even appeared to Saul, God never directly told any human being in these situations what to do to be saved. Another human being was always used to impart the details concerning the conditions to receive the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2,8,9, 10). Faith was not a requirement to be healed (Acts 3:1ff). The type and or quality of healing miracles that Jesus had performed were also performed through the apostles and other inspired individuals (8:7; 9:32-42; 19:11-12).
The office of an apostle: Definite qualifications existed (1:21-26). They were the "witnesses" (1:8; 2:32; 4:33; 10:41; 22:14-15), therefore, no modern day apostles exist, and no one can meet the qualifications today, because Jesus, last of all, appeared to Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8). In addition, we are not the "witnesses". Many religious people today talk about “witnessing” for Jesus, but to apply that term to us, is a misuse of the term, because we are not eyewitnesses of the events recorded in the Bible. The only "testimony" we have is the "testimony" of the true and original eyewitnesses. We bring their testimony (the Gospel) to the world, and not our own. On this point, McGarvey notes, “many religious teachers depend much more, in their efforts at the conversion of sinners, on well told ‘experiences’, than on the direct preaching of the word” (p. xix). Carefully note the method the apostles and other inspired individuals used to convert people. They preached and reasoned from the Scriptures (Acts 17:2-3). They were “neither self-appointed, nor appointed by any human being, committee, synod, or church, but were directly and personally chosen and appointed by Jesus Christ himself (1:24)” (Stott p. 35).
Acts and the Epistles: “The book contains many points of incidental agreement with the epistles of the apostle Paul, which cannot be accounted for except on the supposition that he (Luke) and Paul both give a truthful account of these events” (McGarvey pp. xiixiii). Without the book of Acts it would be very difficult to place where and when the actual composition of Paul's letters took place. This Book also reminds 10
us that not only does every book in the Bible harmonize with the whole, but also every book is needed to understand the whole. Hence a common Author or Editor is over the entire Bible (2 Timothy 3:16). Some examples: Acts 19:4120:3, fits with 1 Corinthians 16:1-5,9. Acts 17:14 fits with 1 Thess. 3:1. Romans 15:25-26 fits with Acts 20:1-3. 2 Cor. 7:5 fits with Acts 20:1. Galatians 1:17 with Acts 9:19; and Galatians 1:21 with Acts 9:30.
Jesus Reigns: The book of Acts presents us with the Founder of the Christian religion, Who is still working, even after His physical lifetime was over (Acts 2:33; 4:30; 7:55; 9:4; 16:7; 18:9-10; 23:11). Outline:
Two Fold Division: Two great divisions are found in the book, from chapter one up to and including chapter 12, we have a basic history of the church, with much of the emphasis being on the Church in Jerusalem and the labors of the apostle Peter. From chapter 13 to 28, we have what you could call an almost exclusive description of the labors of the apostle Paul.
Three Fold Division: The book also basically outlines itself. We could breakdown this book into the divisions found in Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”. Thus we find the gospel in Jerusalem and Judea (2-7); the gospel in Samaria (8), and the gospel spreading to the surrounding countries (11-28). The Title: “The present title Acts of Apostles is of high antiquity, being found in Codices Vaticanus and Beza. Codex Sinaiticus has simply Acts. The book is often quoted in the Early Church Fathers as Acts” (Reese p. xxii). Stott notes, that when you examine Acts 1:1-2. “The most accurate (though cumbersome) title, then would be something like ‘The Continuing Words and Deeds of Jesus by His Spirit 11
through His Apostles’. Luke's first two verses are, therefore, extremely significant. It is no exaggeration to say that they set Christianity apart from all other religions. These regard their founder as having completed his ministry during his lifetime; Luke says Jesus only began His� (p. 34). Place of Writing: All the information places the book being written by Luke, around 62 A.D. and from the city of Rome (Col. 4:14; Philemon 24).
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