One of the great themes of the acts of the apostles is how god, through the indwelling of the holy spirit, changed his elect to understand that all people are really gods chosen people. As a second volume to lukes gospel, it joins what jesus began to do and to teach 1. Acts, as it is commonly called, is a second volume of the gospel of luke. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of acts of the apostles by luke. Acts of the apostles is ostensibly a history of the early church, but an important, well disguised theme is the primacy of st peter over st paul, drawing them together in a number of subtle. Commentary on the book of acts bible study lessons.
The love in the gospel of peace spread from heart to heart, first 3000 were saved then. The book of acts tells how the multiethnic, international. He was a companion of paul and reflected paul, who saw the risen christ. The following outline is intended to be used while studying the book. Common themes in luke and acts of the apostles flashcards. For, if the theme of the story be what christ did, then the book is, not the acts of the apostles, but the acts of jesus christ through his servants. The book of acts ends just as it begins, emphasizing the apostles role as those who expanded gods kingdom on earth, through their proclamation.
First, we will look at the theme of the holy spirit, who empowered the church to expand christs kingdom. Start studying common themes in luke and acts of the apostles. From its humble beginnings gathering in an upper room, the church expands throughout. The acts of the apostles is not so much the acts of the apostles as it is the acts of the holy spirit. Bayer, in the book of acts, we find the apostles who at least initially might suspect that jesus is coming back fairly quickly, and their response is to build a church for longterm goals that can exist beyond their lifetime. Major themes in the book of acts the debate over the historical accuracy of the book of acts is important, in no small measure because as i have pointed out already it provides us our one and only narrative of what was happening among the followers of jesus in the years immediately after his death. Biblical literature biblical literature the acts of the apostles. His subsequent history is not recorded, which would indicate the book was written before that history was known. Major themes in the book of the acts saint peter catholic. These repeated motifs run throughout his book and are important keys to understanding lukes teaching. Like luke, acts is addressed to the unknown reader theophilus, and in the introduction to acts, it is made clear that it is a continuation of luke.
Outline your knowledge and understanding of the main characteristics and structure of the acts of the apostles 35 the acts of the apostles is the fifth book of the new testament which outlines the events of apostolic age of christianity. Major themes explores the three major concepts that luke addressed as he unfolded the unhindered spread of the gospel of gods kingdom in the days of the early church. The acts of the apostles is a unique and therefore crucial book of the new testament. The acts of the apostles is the second book written by st.
As the fifth book of the new testament and a sequel to the gospel of luke or the second volume of what is often called lukeacts, the acts of the apostles continues the story begun by luke. Both books are addressed to theophilus, and the latter acts refers to the former luke. It portrays the beginning of the church from its roots at pentecost fifty days after the lords resurrection, to paul being held under house arrest. On one level, as is true of most literary works, luke had many purposes and acts has many themes. Here are some of the key themes that luke highlights for.
The new testament describes the christian identity and vocation in many different ways, but in the acts of the apostles the dominant focus is the theme of witness. Beginning with the preaching of the apostles in acts 2. Each apostle serve a great purpose in pushing froth the great work of spreading the gospel. The esv study bible includes maps on many of the pages in the book of acts that help illustrate the various places mentioned in acts and routes taken by the apostles as they proclaim the gospel. Purposes of the book of acts reformed bible studies. Both volumes are dedicated to theophilus presumably an imperial official, and its contents are divided into periods. Whether that designated a supreme deity or simply one who might have been left out, paul took the opportunity to teach them about the god who. The title as we know it comes from the second century and only partially discloses the theme of the document. The author of the acts of the apostles is the same author of the gospel of luke. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Throughout acts, they are attacked, beaten, imprisoned, and sometimes killed for saying really loudly that jesus is lord.
The first part, the gospel of luke, tells how god fulfilled his plan for the worlds salvation through the life, death, and. Watch our overview video on the book of acts, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Theme acts is a history of the early church and of the spread of the gospel note 1. Pdf the theme of witness in the acts of the apostles. In acts, the disciples are proud of their jewish heritage, but also trying to get people to see those old traditions in a new way. The main theme of acts centers on the apostles being witnesses for christ, and converting others through preaching, teaching, and healing. Jesus said he would build his church, that he would not leave us orphans and that he would be with us to the end of the age. Major themes in the book of acts the bart ehrman blog. Aug 15, 2011 thoughts and notes about the bible book acts of the apostles. By the power of the holy spirit, men and women come to faith in jesus. The title of the book of acts comes from the greek word praxis, a word often used in early christian literature to describe the great deeds of the apostles or other significant believers.
Individual faiths build up traditions, customs, writings, and a history that people get pretty darn attached to. The acts of the apostles and the letters of paul contain both congruent and inconsistent accounts of pauls mission and message, which leads scholars of christian origins to inquire about the difference between story and history, or between fact and fiction. Second, we will focus on the apostles, the men called to testify to christ and authorized to lead and to serve. It begins with recording the spread of the christian church in jerusalem, judea and samaria got, n. Luke was the only gentile writer of the new testament colossians 4. When the gospel is preached in the book of acts, the resurrection is emphasized as much as the crucifixion. Acts of the apostles is the second section of the gospel according to luke, one of four canonical gospels written by early christian evangelists matthew, mark, luke, and john. Stay connected amidst social distancing receive weekly scripture encouragement to share with family and friends. Jesus sends the hs in acts 2, we see the person of the holy spirit fall like fire in power and.
Key verses and themes in acts bible commentary theology. Those who were called to jesus christboth jews and gentileshad to completely change the way they viewed one another. In the following essay, the lukan theme of witness in acts is explored with the. Jun 05, 2015 we come to the conclusion of our introduction to the book of acts today by looking at its purpose and theme. In acts chapter 1 verses 3 through 11, luke recorded that jesus spent forty days between his resurrection and ascension, teaching his apostles. The book of acts presents a rich theology of the holy spirit.
Themes in the book of acts the book of acts begins with the outpouring of gods promised holy spirit on the day of pentecost. In an indirect way, this reinforces the message that jesus mission continues through us, the church, today. Martyrdom and suffering are the second major themes of the book, with figures like stephen and james being killed for their religion. Another overriding theme in the book of acts is opposition. The book of acts provides a bridge for the writings of the nt. Similarly, while a number of secondary themes could probably be identified, the primary theme of acts can be found in acts 1. We will explore three major themes that are introduced in the opening of the book of acts and developed throughout its chapters. The importance of the book of acts the importance of this second of lukes twovolume work can. Unwilling to surrender their faith, many gave their lives. It contains the acts jesus carried out after his ascension, through the holy spirit, in establishing the church. To find out more about this part of the christian bible, read the accompanying lesson titled acts of the apostles.
Biblical literature the acts of the apostles britannica. Acts of the apostles, the second part of the work that begins with the gospel according to luke, is the story of the early church after jesuss martyrdom. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. The book focuses primarily on the acts of two apostles, peter and paul. There are several major themes in acts, and here let us consider three of them. The book of acts is an important book for understanding the actions of the apostles, mostly paul and peter, after jesuss ascension into heaven. Another major, and unsurprising, theme of acts is martyrdom. Our story starts off where the gospel of luke left offjesus is back now that hes resurrected, jesus decides to hang out and chat with his disciples whom luke calls apostles for forty days. As indicated by both its introduction and its theological plan see the gospel according to luke, acts is the second of a twovolume work compiled by the author of luke. It will help to keep the whole of the book before you as you work your way through each section. Paul to the romans in the new testament of the bible. His subsequent history is not recorded, which would indicate the book was. The acts of the apostles is a continuation of jesus mission on earth, and at the same time, the book has no real conclusion. Date the book ends with paul in prison in rome for the first time.
Luke showed in acts 1 that the qualifications for an apostle were that he had spent three years with jesus and. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Oct 04, 2016 watch our overview video on the book of acts, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. Scholars may find various themes in the book of acts. As we go through the book, well see a simple formula repeated over and over again. Our interest here is to highlight lukes overarching purpose and theme. The rest of the books major focus is on paul, the most. And it proposes to show the continuation of all that jesus began both to do and teach 1. Here are a few of the major themes weve already seen developed in the book of acts.
Discussion of themes and motifs in lukes acts of the apostles. It is an important book in understanding how we can be directed by the holy spirit and the role of jesus lessons in our lives. Analysis of acts of the apostles themes by phd students from stanford, harvard, berkeley. A second theme is the validity of pauls apostleship. Apologetics is the branch of theology that is concerned with defending christianity against accusations and. In the latter portion of acts, luke recorded three rejections of the jews to pauls overtures of salvation. The god of israel fulfilled promises to israel that. Intro to acts biblica the international bible society. The theme is the work of christ through the ages, of which each successive depository of his energies can do but a small portion, and must leave that portion unfinished. The acts of the apostles, the second volume of lukes twovolume work, continues lukes presentation of biblical history, describing how the salvation promised to israel in the old testament and accomplished by jesus has now under the guidance of the holy spirit been extended to the gentiles. The gospel, as a whole, outlines jesus christs origins, birth, lifes work, death, resurrection, and final ascension to heaven. Whereas jesus is the chief character in the gospels, the holy spirit, working through the apostles, is the dominant character in the book of acts. The holy spirit who empowered the early church to expand the kingdom of god. Explore this lesson to find out more about this exciting story.
The main characteristics and structure of the acts of the. Though communities often start out small with everyone agreeing and holding hands, divisions can come up pretty quickly. Peter, paul, james, john, luke, barnabas, stephen, mark, and the other early apostles carried the wonderful news of the gospel to all of the thenknown world. The book has been called the acts of the apostles, really a misnomer because acts has very little to say concerning most of the original twelve apostles. Acts and the gospel of luke make up a twopart work, luke acts, by the same anonymous author, usually dated to around 8090 ad. Such a great book showing the lives and works of the apostles.
Each had his story on how he was changed by the one and true god and how that transformation allowed them to effectively spread the gospel throughout the world. Nov 18, 2015 the main theme of acts centers on the apostles being witnesses for christ, and converting others through preaching, teaching, and healing. So, if we hope to grasp the significance of the book of acts, we must pay careful attention to these repeated themes. As it is expected, the book of acts has a similar literary style as the gospel of luke because it is the second volume of lukes account.
It is not a record of all of the acts of all of the apostles, but of just some of the acts of some of the apostles. He shows us how god is working and speaking in this story and our own stories. The church, as the body of christ to ensure that the gospel and the kingdom of god would continue to be spread throughout history. One of the most prominent themes has to do with god, who is the primary mover and agent of action in this story. The apostles, who were given the mission to testify christ and to lead and serve the church. While acts is a record of history, luke weaves many theological themes into these stories to teach us about god and his mission. The acts of the apostles, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament. When we understand the great themes of the acts of the apostles, seemingly disconnected individual events take on a new significance. Both volumes are dedicated to theophilus presumably an imperial. This seminarylevel study also retains its depth and uses an engaging interactive format. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. The book contains only a few of the acts of some of the apostles, primarily peter and paul. Finally, the role of the holy spirit, beginning on the day of pentecost, is prevalent throughout the book, providing supernatural guidance and power to the apostles. In a similar way, when we read the book of acts, it quickly becomes evident that luke addressed some themes many times.
The acts of the apostles was written by a physician named lucian in english luke. It is more a story of the expansion of the church from jerusalem to rome. Listen to chuck swindoll s overview of acts in his audio message from the classic series gods masterwork. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of bible. The acts of the apostles tell the story of the joy, suffering, and journeys across land and sea of the disciples and early christians. As a result, the preaching of the gospel and the witness of the newly formed church sparks a flame that spreads across the roman empire. As implied by the title acts of the apostles, the 5th book in the gospel is a contemporaneous document of what the apostles did after jesus resurrection. What is the theme of acts of the apostles in the bible. The purpose of the book of acts is governed by the jews response to peter and paul.
They believe that scripture predicted that jesus would come and be the. As we approach the book of acts, we must always keep in mind that luke wrote out of his background in the old testament and first century beliefs about the kingdom of god in christ. The holy spirit empowers the church to continue the ministry and mission of jesus acts 1. It describes him as the one that empowers the church to live transformed lives and to evangelize the world. Key verses and themes in acts bible commentary theology of. An overview of the book of acts the life of the early church is recorded and preserved for us in the book of acts and the epistles. It records that he performed many signs and wonders to validate the ministry of the apostles and other early church leaders. Luke recorded three rejections by the jews to peter and the apostles associated with him to the message of repentance and proclamation of the kingdom. Book of acts versebyverse bible study and indepth commentary of the acts of the apostles in plain english for everyone to understand. We read about imprisonments, beatings, stonings and plots to kill the apostles. Peters activities are described at some length, and john and philip are mentioned, but more than half of the book is about paul and his connection with the christian movement. The acts of the apostles, abbreviation acts, fifth book of the new testament, a valuable history of the early christian church.
It alone presents an extensive picture of early church life and history. Many signs and wonders are performed by the apostles. Acts of the apostles is the second section of the gospel according to luke, one. In acts, jesus sends the holy spirit to empower his disciples as they carry. Neither the third gospel nor the acts provide an explicit statement of authorship, but the testimony of the early church is clear, and there is internal evidence that demonstrates lucan authorship. The work of the holy spirit is so prevalent in acts that many commentators have suggested the book should be titled the acts of the holy spirit rather than the acts of the apostles. That the person and work of jesus is the basis of the gospel is clear from the preaching of the apostles in acts. In the book of acts, we discover how gods multiethnic, international church grew through persecution and missionary journeys throughout the world.
The importance of the book of acts and the apostles in the. Acts was written in greek, presumably by the evangelist luke, whose gospel concludes where acts begins, namely, with christs ascension into heaven. According to the acts of the apostles, paul, in addressing the athenians, noted that their altars included one to an unknown god. The acts of the apostles major themes gospel renewal. Martyrdom, or persecution resulting in death because of ones religious or political beliefs, was an emphasis of early christianity. That is exactly what the acts of the apostles book is. Rejection of the gospel and persecution of its messengers, however, worked to accelerate the churchs growth. But our first text supplies a deeper reason for regarding that title as inadequate, and even misleading.