|
Introduction to Acts: Acts was written by Luke. In his introduction to this book, he once again addresses his remarks to Theophilus, noting that "in my former book, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven." And it's clear from this initial statement that Acts is the continuation of his investigation into Jesus' life and the next chapter: what happened to the 12, the other disciples, and their response to the instructions he'd given them? In part, Luke was an eye-witness to the believers' response; he traveled with Paul during his last three missionary journeys (see Acts 16:10). Prior to his time with Paul, he had no doubt been in Jerusalem and its environs. Thus he'd watched as the disciples of Jesus multiplied, growing from a small group of 120 (1:15) to over 5,000 men in just a few weeks. How and why the small group of disciples was given the ability and desire to spread the Gospel is the subject of the book of Acts.
Time: Acts was written in the 1st century, perhaps as early as 63A.D., or as late as 70 A.D., but no later since he records nothing of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The events in the book cover 30 years, and as he did so carefully in his gospel, Luke uses historical and geographical markers to place the events in a context. In the first verses of the book, he tells us that Jesus appeared to the disciples over a period of 40 days following his resurrection. And we know that Pentecost was 50 days after Passover, so chapter 2 begins on that date. In ch. 4, the names of members of the Sanhedrin's leaders, "Annas, Caiphas, John, Alexander and other men of the high priest's family" are said to have put Peter and John on trial. These names are familiar, as they are the ones who fraudulently tried Jesus. Chapter 12 begins with Herod putting James, John's brother, to death; Herod died in 44 A.D., so James' execution occurred sometime between 33 and 44 A.D. Similar historic markers fill the book. Luke was a meticulous historian who saw the importance of such documentation of events.
People: The first 12 chapters concentrate on the ministries of Peter and other original disciples; from chapter 13 to the end, the focus is on Paul. Paul's conversion occurs in ch. 9, but while Paul is being prepared by Jesus (for three years; see Gal. 1:11-18), the others spread the gospel and establish the church. The book begins with the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2) and it is this empowering gift that propels the rest of the book's events and motivates the people. In John 7:39, John tells us that the Holy Spirit "had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." It is this baptism in the Holy Spirit, the showering of gifts and power on the believers, to which Jesus refers when he says in Luke 24: "I am going to send you what my Father promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high" (v. 49). The Holy Spirit is both the motivation and the energy which establishes the church and spreads the gospel far beyond Jerusalem's borders.
Politics: Keep in mind that the Romans had controlled the entire Mediterranean world since before the birth of Christ; in fact, the nation of Jerusalem had been under foreign control for at least 750 years at the time of Jesus' death. (The Assyrians defeated the northern kingdom in 721 B.C., carrying off its people into exile; the Babylonians defeated the Assyrians and took the southern kingdom captive in 586 B.C.; the Persians defeated the Babylonians and Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem in about 539 B.C., the Greeks defeated the Persians in 332 B.C., the Romans defeated the Greeks in 63 B.C., and the Romans controlled Israel until 70 A.D. when they destroyed the temple and much of the city.) Two benefits of Greek and Roman conquests allowed the Gospel to spread: a common language, Greek, dominated the Mediterranean world of Jesus' time; roads built by the Romans made travel between cities around the Medterranean easier.
Other background: Jesus had said frequently that because the nation of Israel had rejected God, the message would be taken to others. In Acts, we see this happening. Some Jews in Jerusalem are convinced of Jesus' saving death and resurrection, and become believers on the day of Pentecost. In fact, 3000 responded to Peter's message. And Paul always went to the synagogues to preach to the Jews first. But gradually, the Gentiles become the greatest number of believers. Paul tells us in his letters (e.g. Gal. 2) that he was sent to them. This caused conflict with Peter and other church leaders, a conflict that was resolved at a Jerusalem council convened to discuss whether circumcision would be required of the Gentiles who became Christians. Paul's missionary journeys testify to the passion and endurance of the early apostles; they knew who Jesus was and weren't afraid to die for him. Their great determination to spread the Gospel is responsible for our faith today.
|
