Luke, the physician and friend of Paul, wrote the
book of Acts
- Acts is the sequel to the gospel of Luke
About Luke
- The only Gentile author of the New Testament
- Wrote in koine Greek; used the Septuagint for his Old Testament verses
- A physician
- Believed to be a native of Antioch in Syria
- Likely knew Barnabas, Mark, and Paul in the early days of the Antioch church (40’s AD)
- Traveled with Paul on part of his 2nd and 3rd missionary journeys and on the trip to Rome (51, 58-61 AD)
- Stayed with Mnason in Jerusalem at the end of the third missionary journey where he met James, Jesus’ half-brother (58 AD)
- Stayed for two years in Caesarea during Paul’s trials before Felix/Festus/Agrippa II where he likely met Philip the Evangelist (58-60 AD
The divisions of the book:
- Chapters 1-7—witnessing in Jerusalem
- Chapters 8-12—witnessing in Judea and Samaria
- Chapters 13-28—witnessing throughout the Roman world
The significant people in the first 12 chapters are:
- Peter
- Stephen
- Philip
- James the half-brother of Jesus
The significant people in the final 16 chapters are:
- Paul
- Barnabas
- Silas
The themes of the book:
- The birth of Christianity
- The final rejection of God’s attempt to reach Israel through priests, judges, kings, prophets, and finally His Son
- The rise of the predominantly Gentile church
Summary of Chapter 1:
- The resurrected Jesus teaches the disciples for forty days
- Jesus ascends to heaven
- The apostles have an expectation that the kingdom of God will come immediately
- The eleven pick a twelfth apostle, Matthias
The kingdom of God is
both:
- A realm (a place)
- A reign (an authority)
The Holy Spirit:
- Indwells for the benefit of the believer
- Empowers for the benefit of others
Urim and Thummim in the OT—used to determine
yes/no; guilt/innocence decisions
- How the priests and leaders heard from God in addition to prophetic words, dreams, and visions
- Had something to do with the high priest’s breastplate, which was worn over his ephod or vest
