The Church of the Resurrection of Peace

12/02/08

The Acts of the Apostles-Week 1

1.      1.  The Great Commission…

 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)

2.      Authorship and date…

Luke the Physician, who is also the author of the Gospel of Luke, penned Acts as both a friend to those that saw what Jesus had done and as a scholar that had read the other accounts concerning the life of Jesus (Luke 1:1). He also makes mention of Theophilus in both books (Luke 1:3, Acts 1:1) which is believed to be a Roman Official that was a Christian convert. The date of writing is set @ 60 AD or about 30-35 years after the ministry of Jesus. 

3.      3.  Audience…

The target audience is more for the church as a collected whole to show how the ministry and the message of Jesus was spreading. This would have been an encouragement to those that were striving for the faith.

4.      4.  Content…

Even though the title suggests the acts of the 12, it is more the acts of the 1, Paul of whom Luke was a close friend.  Acts picks up where Luke ends. There is some speculation that Luke was going to write another volume in the work or did and it was lost. This, however, is pure “maybe or might have”.

5.      5.  Acts, the beginnings…

The book opens at the very end of Christ’s life after the resurrection up to his ascension and the return of the Apostles to Jerusalem. This return to the city was with the anticipation of the receiving of the Holy Spirit as had been promised (Acts 1:8). This is the time that we call…Pentecost.