Acts

by Dennis Gaertner

The book of Acts is pivotal not only in our understanding of the events which established the Church of Jesus Christ, but also for providing a connecting link between the four Gospels and the Epistles of the New Testament. Without this record our knowledge of how the message of Jesus Christ came to be a missionary plea to the whole world would be severely weakened. Acts opens with a statement from Jesus which seems to set the tone for the entire work. Jesus promises the apostles that they will receive power in the form of the Holy Spirit. He then tells them that they will be his "witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (NIV). This theme of being a witness for the gospel is carried throughout the book of Acts. As the witnesses for Christ carried the gospel toward the far reaches of the world, the church advanced everywhere. This theme is also important in Acts. The expansion of the church is presented in a historical context. While Acts emphasizes that the apostles received the power of the Spirit (1:8), it also emphasizes how they used this power. They faithfully bore witness for Christ. In this commentary our approach is not only to highlight the theological implications of Luke's narrative, but also to recognize its value as a resource document regarding the history of the early church. Our confidence rests in Luke's abilities as a historian and in the promise of the Lord to direct his servants into all truth.

431 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 1995