 Previous Chapter |
 Return to Outline |
 Ask Questions |
 Next Chapter |
Four people were led by the Holy Spirit to write accounts of the life and teachings of Christ. Each account has its own characteristics based on the Authors association with Jesus and the needs of the people to whom he was writing. Matthew wrote of what he had first hand knowledge of, to the Jew, always being careful to show where Jesus fulfilled scripture. This was important to the Jew. Mark wrote of what he had heard about the life and teachings of Jesus from Peter while he was an interpreter for him having, himself, neither heard nor followed the Lord. He wrote his Gospel primary for the Greek.
John wrote of what he had first hand knowledge of, that those who read it might believe that Jesus was the Christ and believing, have life through His name. Luke wrote primary from what he had heard from Paul up to Chapter 16:10, from that point on, he wrote of what he was able to gleem from others who did. Luke has been called the "Gentile Evangelist". He wrote because of his concern about the lack of belief among the Romans, but it is primarily, a "bridge" between Matthew's Gospel to the Jews and Marks Gospel to the Greeks. Many have called Luke's Gospel The Gospel according to Paul.
Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, was a physician by trade. He rendered, in this capacity, invaluable service to Paul. He joined Paul on his second missionary journey. His ability to speak and write Greek was a great help to Paul. He was with Paul the two years that Paul was imprisoned at Caesarea. It was probably during that time that Luke recorded much of the information found in the first 16 chapters of his Gospel.
Luke was well versed in many trades. He was acquainted with navigation. He had excellent literary abilities and a marked memory. He had been called a "kindly, evangelistic, literary genius", a first century physician who dedicated all that he had to the universal Christ in varied services to his fellow man. It just seems natural that Luke should have written the Book of Acts of the Apostles sense he spent so much time with them. No where does Luke claim to have been personally tought by Jesus, but only to have been close to those who were.
Luke's purpose for writing this book was to compile, from existing records, an accurate account of Christian beginnings. It was primarily written for intellectual Gentiles outside the church. He was not concerned for prophecy or fulfillment of prophecy. He wrote, as he was led by the Holy Spirit, the facts that he believed would have universal appeal. Somehow he was able to emphasize prayer and the work of the Holy Spirit without getting involved in "theology".
Luke writes this book as he did his Gospel to a man by the name of Theophilus. The name means, "one who lives God". Some believe that the name simply represented the Roman Gentile elite, others believe he was a real person. I am inclined to believe that he was a real person that Luke got to know as a Roman official whom he addressed as "Most Excellent" in his first letter, the Gospel, and whom he later got to know as a friend, indicated by the way he refered to him in his second letter, the book of the Acts of the Apostles, as O Theophilus.
Luke begins this book as he ended his Gospel, with the instructions that Jesus gave the Disciples before He assended, "Stay in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high." It would appear that there was approximately 20 years between the writing of the two books. The Gospel appears to have been written about 70 AD and the Acts about 90 AD. Some believe that the Acts was written sooner because the death of Paul is not mensioned but some have suggested that Luke purposely left this out of his book to keep from discouraging the new Christians.
The Book of the Acts of the Apostles has been described as a special history of the establishment and extension of the church among the Jews and the Gentiles from Jerusalem to Rome. Some call it an historic sermon on Christian Power, the source of this Power was the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The effect was the conversion of some 3,000 souls. Later, the conversion of one Saul of Tarsus, who would become the Apostle Paul, the world's greatest missionary.
Manford Gutzke, in his book "Plain Talk on Acts" says the book is summed up in Chapter 28:16, when Luke says of himself and Paul, "And we came to Rome." Rome was the goal for Paul. At Rome Paul looked back at all the events recorded in the book of Acts. Rome represented the end of a lifetime of service.
In our study of this book, I have used the following references:
Luke arranged the book in a chronological order. The following is our break down of this and the listing of the lessons into which we have divided the book.
Previous Chapter |
Return to Outline |
Ask Questions |
Next Chapter |