At a Glance
Acts at a Glance
Acts is the bridge between the Gospels and the letters. It tells how the church went from a handful of disciples in an upper room to a witness in Rome.
- Author. Luke, who wrote his Gospel as the first volume (Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3). In the sections where he says we, Luke himself is traveling with Paul (Acts 16:10; Acts 20:5; Acts 27:1).
- Date. About AD 62. The book ends with Paul in Rome, still waiting under guard (Acts 28:30–31).
- Written To. Theophilus (Acts 1:1), and through him the churches.
- Setting. About thirty years, from Jesus' ascension to Paul's house arrest in Rome, across Jerusalem, Judaea, Samaria, Asia Minor, Greece, and Rome.
- Key Verse. Acts 1:8: ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- Key Word or Theme. Witness, and the Holy Ghost, who is named about forty times. The theme is the risen Christ building His churches by His Spirit through the witness of His people.
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Further reading
For Deeper Study
- The Acts of the ApostlesAmazon Charles C. RyrieA concise commentary (Everyman's Bible Commentary) by a leading dispensational teacher.
- Exploring ActsAmazon John PhillipsA clear verse-by-verse exposition in the Exploring series.
- The Message of ActsAmazon John StottAnglican (The Bible Speaks Today). We differ with him on baptism and church government, but he follows the flow of the book with care.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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How the Bible Fits Together
The Bible is sixty-six books written by about forty men over some fifteen hundred years, yet it tells one story of God's redemption from creation to the new earth, and its center is Jesus Christ.
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