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A Bird's-Eye View of Luke and Acts: Context, Story, and Themes
What do the books of Luke and Acts teach us about God, Jesus, and the early church? How do these two books relate to each other? And what do they mean for us today?
In this accessible and compelling introduction, Michael Bird draws us into the wide-ranging narrative of Luke-Acts to discover how Luke frames the life of Jesus and of the first disciples who set out from Jerusalem to "the ends of the earth" proclaiming the Good News. Bird shows us how these two books, when read together, tell a cohesive narrative about Jesus, the Church, and the mission of God—with implications for the whole of our lives today. Situating both books in their historical and literary context, Bird moves through an exploration of their central theological themes and culminates with consideration of the books' relevance for contemporary social issues.
In this accessible and compelling introduction, Michael Bird draws us into the wide-ranging narrative of Luke-Acts to discover how Luke frames the life of Jesus and of the first disciples who set out from Jerusalem to "the ends of the earth" proclaiming the Good News. Bird shows us how these two books, when read together, tell a cohesive narrative about Jesus, the Church, and the mission of God—with implications for the whole of our lives today. Situating both books in their historical and literary context, Bird moves through an exploration of their central theological themes and culminates with consideration of the books' relevance for contemporary social issues.
- GenresTheology
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2023
5 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
Michael F. Bird
87 books161 followersDr. Michael Bird (Ph.D University of Queensland) is Lecturer in Theology at Ridley Melbourne College of Mission and Ministry. He is the author of several books including Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission (2006), The Saving Righteousness of God (2007), A Bird’s-Eye View of Paul (2008), Colossians and Philemon (2009), Crossing Over Sea and Land: Jewish Missionary Activity in the Second Temple Period (2009), and Are You the One Who is to Come? The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question (2009).
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 12, 2024
Generally helpful but there are areas that require spiritual discernment. For example:
Seven observations on Chapter 9 - “Luke the Feminist? : Jesus, Women, and the Church”
1️⃣ Bird’s writing style is casual and enjoyable.
2️⃣ At times his insights are pedestrian - standard fare.
3️⃣ Surprisingly, this chapter generally sticks to basic observations of the text - see esp section on Priscilla. Bird is careful to always mention her with Aquilla, her husband, and doesn’t make typical egalitarian speculations to turn her into a preaching leader in the church.
In other words, he resists using a feminist hermeneutic to see egalitarianism where it’s not! But he does speculate about Mary Magdalene and Lydia in a typical egalitarian way.
Mary Magdalene is considered the “apostle to the apostles” yet according to Luke she’s not “sent” or singled out as such.
For Lydia, Bird can’t resist speculating that the church met in her home, “presumably under her leadership.”
But, overall, Bird restrains himself to what the text actually says about the 8 women he profiles in this chapter.
This is surprising since Bird is a vocal advocate for egalitarianism especially on Twitter/YouTube. He aggressively challenges complementarians, often subtlety mocking them and calling them out.
Yet here in print he mostly restrains himself to what the text actually says. His female egalitarian social media allies will be surprised by his restraint in this chapter as will complementarians! One wonders why this restraint in print?
The remaining observations on his chapter make this restraint all the more surprising.
4️⃣ The entire chapter is cast in a feminist, modern framework with all the accompanying language about patriarchy and asking whether Luke is an ally or adversary of women. This anachronistic approach is keeping with Bird’s evangelical feminism but is ironic in light of his overall restraint!
5️⃣ His entire recommended reading list of 5 books at the end of the chapter are authors who promote and practice a feminist hermeneutic!
There’s no doubt that Bird’s pushing a feminist hermeneutic to his readers and potential students! But he oddly restrains himself from applying it! Why?
6️⃣ Ironically, regarding the chapter title: “Luke the Feminist?”, Bird suggests being agnostic wondering “whether there is no strict answer here because one’s own presuppositions and experiences will determine” the answer!
Surrender to such relativism isn’t surprising.
7️⃣ Finally, Bird’s concluding thoughts so emphasize Luke as the human author that one questions whether he sees inerrancy of the Scriptures as a vital truth! Of course, Bird is known for decrying inerrancy as an American evangelical oddity.
Readers must learn to discern!
Seven observations on Chapter 9 - “Luke the Feminist? : Jesus, Women, and the Church”
1️⃣ Bird’s writing style is casual and enjoyable.
2️⃣ At times his insights are pedestrian - standard fare.
3️⃣ Surprisingly, this chapter generally sticks to basic observations of the text - see esp section on Priscilla. Bird is careful to always mention her with Aquilla, her husband, and doesn’t make typical egalitarian speculations to turn her into a preaching leader in the church.
In other words, he resists using a feminist hermeneutic to see egalitarianism where it’s not! But he does speculate about Mary Magdalene and Lydia in a typical egalitarian way.
Mary Magdalene is considered the “apostle to the apostles” yet according to Luke she’s not “sent” or singled out as such.
For Lydia, Bird can’t resist speculating that the church met in her home, “presumably under her leadership.”
But, overall, Bird restrains himself to what the text actually says about the 8 women he profiles in this chapter.
This is surprising since Bird is a vocal advocate for egalitarianism especially on Twitter/YouTube. He aggressively challenges complementarians, often subtlety mocking them and calling them out.
Yet here in print he mostly restrains himself to what the text actually says. His female egalitarian social media allies will be surprised by his restraint in this chapter as will complementarians! One wonders why this restraint in print?
The remaining observations on his chapter make this restraint all the more surprising.
4️⃣ The entire chapter is cast in a feminist, modern framework with all the accompanying language about patriarchy and asking whether Luke is an ally or adversary of women. This anachronistic approach is keeping with Bird’s evangelical feminism but is ironic in light of his overall restraint!
5️⃣ His entire recommended reading list of 5 books at the end of the chapter are authors who promote and practice a feminist hermeneutic!
There’s no doubt that Bird’s pushing a feminist hermeneutic to his readers and potential students! But he oddly restrains himself from applying it! Why?
6️⃣ Ironically, regarding the chapter title: “Luke the Feminist?”, Bird suggests being agnostic wondering “whether there is no strict answer here because one’s own presuppositions and experiences will determine” the answer!
Surrender to such relativism isn’t surprising.
7️⃣ Finally, Bird’s concluding thoughts so emphasize Luke as the human author that one questions whether he sees inerrancy of the Scriptures as a vital truth! Of course, Bird is known for decrying inerrancy as an American evangelical oddity.
Readers must learn to discern!
February 15, 2025
I read this as preparation for preaching through Luke at our Church.
A fantastic overview.
This is broadly accessible and still packs punch and depth.
Bird does a great job of bringing broad scholarship and perspectives into more traditional readings.
Bird reliably offers a Wright-esque reading of the relationships between Old and New, Israel and Christ, and Salvation... yet without the baggage and the love of rewriting whole swaths of Christian theology.
Anyone teaching Luke-Acts would benefit from reading this work.
A fantastic overview.
This is broadly accessible and still packs punch and depth.
Bird does a great job of bringing broad scholarship and perspectives into more traditional readings.
Bird reliably offers a Wright-esque reading of the relationships between Old and New, Israel and Christ, and Salvation... yet without the baggage and the love of rewriting whole swaths of Christian theology.
Anyone teaching Luke-Acts would benefit from reading this work.
March 17, 2024
Think of this book as a nice Introduction like you might find in a good commentary but presenting in a more appealing, accessible format. Its style extends past scholars only, while most of their issues are addressed, to other Bible students. The writing is easy to follow.
To my mind, the work covers much of the basics in the first few chapters. Chapter 8 on discipleship was thoroughly enjoyable and my favorite of the book. I might have discussed “salvation” differently in some ways, but he did a good job illustrating how big it is in these two books. The chapter on empire was interesting.
The design and even layout of the book is favorable. Several of the charts met a need too.
The book misses in some cases. The chapter that asks if Jesus is a feminist is a perfect example. Luke, as has long been noted, mentions women more often than other Gospels. That fact is, too, worthy of study. But why use the term “feminist”? It’s true that there has been a substantial bit of literature on feminism in the Bible, such as it was, that a comprehensive commentary might have to address, but a book to a wider audience would do better to avoid a word with so much baggage. The term means more than pro-woman and those modern notions are no where in Luke. Why write as if they were? I could argue the same way on the next chapter when he asks if Luke is a socialist. Luke speaks of the individual ethical use of money and just isn’t on the capitalist/socialist spectrum at all. It also sounds in these examples like we are taking our thoughts and judging Luke, and ultimately God, rather than the other way around.
Another problem for me is that in a work like this you can analyze Luke at the expense of the rest of the Bible. Of course, it’s good to study what he includes and excludes. But if the Spirit is the true author, then the inclusions and exclusions are better addressed theologically than with some discussion of Luke, say, just being a product of his time. Luke’s times are in play but mistakes because of it, for example, could not be.
My criticisms, to be fair, are not unique to Bird. After he traverses the landscape including some faint trails going no where, he finally concludes in a better place in most cases. I’m probably dwelling on the negatives and not sufficiently covering the far more numerous positives as well.
You’ll have to learn in this book; it’s inevitable. Luke/Acts is worthy of our learning. If your questions are exactly those scholarly questions that are hot at the moment, rather than just what you might ask usually, add a star to the rating.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
To my mind, the work covers much of the basics in the first few chapters. Chapter 8 on discipleship was thoroughly enjoyable and my favorite of the book. I might have discussed “salvation” differently in some ways, but he did a good job illustrating how big it is in these two books. The chapter on empire was interesting.
The design and even layout of the book is favorable. Several of the charts met a need too.
The book misses in some cases. The chapter that asks if Jesus is a feminist is a perfect example. Luke, as has long been noted, mentions women more often than other Gospels. That fact is, too, worthy of study. But why use the term “feminist”? It’s true that there has been a substantial bit of literature on feminism in the Bible, such as it was, that a comprehensive commentary might have to address, but a book to a wider audience would do better to avoid a word with so much baggage. The term means more than pro-woman and those modern notions are no where in Luke. Why write as if they were? I could argue the same way on the next chapter when he asks if Luke is a socialist. Luke speaks of the individual ethical use of money and just isn’t on the capitalist/socialist spectrum at all. It also sounds in these examples like we are taking our thoughts and judging Luke, and ultimately God, rather than the other way around.
Another problem for me is that in a work like this you can analyze Luke at the expense of the rest of the Bible. Of course, it’s good to study what he includes and excludes. But if the Spirit is the true author, then the inclusions and exclusions are better addressed theologically than with some discussion of Luke, say, just being a product of his time. Luke’s times are in play but mistakes because of it, for example, could not be.
My criticisms, to be fair, are not unique to Bird. After he traverses the landscape including some faint trails going no where, he finally concludes in a better place in most cases. I’m probably dwelling on the negatives and not sufficiently covering the far more numerous positives as well.
You’ll have to learn in this book; it’s inevitable. Luke/Acts is worthy of our learning. If your questions are exactly those scholarly questions that are hot at the moment, rather than just what you might ask usually, add a star to the rating.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
September 1, 2025
Bird's intro belongs up there with Joel Green's work on Luke as readable but detailed. Bird covers most of the main introductory issues, and does so with enough detail to set the reader running, but he does not get bogged down in minutiae. A few advanced issues are missing, such as manuscript traditions and early reception (Marcion's use, etc), but for a first level master's course on Luke-Acts, this would make an excellent textbook.
April 28, 2025
A helpful short book in the vein of the "Theology of" series. It's perhaps a bit too short and doesn't dive into topics as much as you'd like, but it's better than nothing if one is completely unfamiliar with Luke or Acts.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews