An Introduction to the Book of Acts
by Jeff Arnette
The book of Acts is a favorite of many in the church. It is perhaps the most widely taught and read book in the churches of Christ. Much of our doctrine and practice stems directly from this 28-chapter narrative history. The truth is that Acts is a remarkable story of promises and fulfillment.
This wonderful narrative was written by Luke, a physician, and addressed to Theophilus, the most excellent. Most scholars will agree that Acts is a continuation of the Gospel according to Luke, a part two, if you will. It begins where Luke’s gospel ends, with the ascension of Jesus Christ. Most people are unaware that Acts is one of the longest books in the New Testament. With 1003 verses, only Luke and Matthew’s gospels are longer.
The name of the book is somewhat of a misnomer, as the majority of the Apostles are not even mentioned. In reality, Acts is the account of Peter (chapters 1-8) and Paul (chapters 9-28) that traces the spread of the Lord’s church from Jerusalem to Judea, to Samaria, and the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8).
It is a wonderful account of the church that Jesus promised (Matthew 16:18). In dramatic fashion, we follow the disciples, guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit, as they take the gospel to the ends of the earth. We get to experience their struggles with the Jews, their failures, and their victories. We get to walk along with them as Peter takes the gospel to the Gentiles and Paul takes it all the way to Rome, standing up to political and religious powers who wanted nothing more than to stop them. Yet, God was with the church, and they continued to move forward by His power.
Darrell Bock, a New Testament scholar at Dallas Theological Seminary, makes this observation. He says the key character in Acts is God: His activity and His plan. The apostles are not the important characters of Acts. Rather, God’s activity stands at the center of the account. Acts narrate God’s work in establishing the church through Jesus' activities. It tells us how the Holy Spirit worked through the disciples to create a new community for the people of God. Both Jews and Gentiles make up this new community. So, Acts is a sociological, historical, and theological work explaining the roots of this new community of Jesus followers.
An interesting aspect of Acts is that one-third, if not half, of the book consists of sermons and speeches. This includes eight addresses by Peter and by Stephen (Acts 7). There are sermons and speeches by individuals such as James, Paul, and the Jerusalem elders (Acts 15). It also includes addresses by notable figures such as Gamaliel, the Pharisees, Demetrius the silversmith, Festus, Tertullus, and Felix.
Let me encourage you to re-read Acts. Read like you would read any story. Observe the structure, the movement of the story, and the larger-than-life characters that it describes. I am sure you will see the hand of God as he moves them along, sometimes even against their will. Read it as a divinely inspired treatise on our origins and the struggles faced by these great men and women, bringing you pure New Testament Christianity.
