Acts
Summary[i]
Writer: In the Acts of the Apostles Luke
continues the account of Christianity begun in the Gospel which bears his name.
In the "former treatise" he tells what Jesus "began both to do
and teach"; in the Acts, what Jesus continued to do and teach through His
Holy Spirit sent down.
Date: The Acts concludes with the
account of Paul's earliest ministry in Rome, A.D. 65, and appears to have been
written at or near that time.
Theme: This book records the ascension
and promised return of the Lord Jesus, the descent of the Holy Spirit at
Pentecost, Peter's use of the keys, opening the kingdom (considered as the
sphere of profession, as in Mat. 13) to the Jews at Pentecost, and to the
Gentiles in the house of Cornelius; the beginning of the Christian church and
the conversion and ministry of Paul.
The Holy Spirit fills the scene.
As the presence of the Son, exalting and revealing the Father, is the great
fact of the Gospels, so the presence of the Spirit, exalting and revealing the
Son, is the great fact of the Acts.
Acts is in two chief parts: In the
first section (Acts 1:1 - 9:43) Peter is the prominent personage, Jerusalem is
the center, and the ministry is to Jews. Already in covenant relations with Jehovah,
they had sinned in rejecting Jesus as the Christ. The preaching, therefore, was
directed to that point, and repentance (i.e. "a changed mind") was
demanded. The apparent failure of the Old Testament promises concerning the
Davidic kingdom was explained by the promise that the kingdom would be set up
at the return of Christ (Act_2:25-31; Act_15:14-16). This ministry to Israel fulfilled
Luk_19:12-14. In the persecutions of
the apostles and finally in the martyrdom of Stephen, the Jews sent after the king
the message, "We will not have this man to reign over us." In the
second division (Acts 10:1 - 28:31) Paul is prominent, a new center is
established at Antioch, and the ministry is chiefly to Gentiles who, as
"strangers from the covenants of promise" Act_2:12),
had but to "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" to be saved. Chapters
11,12, and 15 of this section are transitional, establishing finally the
distinction, doctrinally, between law and grace. Galatians should be read in
this connection.
The events recorded in The Acts cover a period of 32 years.