Written before 64 AD 

-before Nero's persecution

1. Novel

      -fictional history/written as a Roman novel to entertain the reader

2. Biography

-intended to describe bios of different       people

3. Scientific Treasure

-concerned to pass on the tradition of accumulated teaching in this subject

4. Ancient Histography

-expansion of the church

Purpose of Acts 

Kerygmatic Purpose

-proclaims the continued confrontation of men and women by the Word of God through the church

-historical movement of the gospel from from Jerusalem to Rome

Purpose of Acts

Apologetic Purpose

-to present Christianity as the religio licita (legal religion) in the Roman Empire, and not a political threat to the empire

Purpose of Acts

Conciliatory Purpose

-to show how the church in Jerusalem has accepted the churches from the Diaspora

Purpose of Acts

Catechetical Purpose

Themes of Acts

God's Purpose

• especially revealed in the use of God's word "dei" (it is necessary)
• communicated: through angels, visions, prophecies; through instances of divine choreography of events, and through the activity of the Holy Spirit

Themes of Acts

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit

Themes of Acts

Salvation

• the central theme of the book of Acts
• the Message of Salvation

Themes of Acts

Ecclesiology

• Doctrine of the church
• Baptism- the early church continued practice of Jesus and his disciples
• The Lord's Supper
• Economic Koinonia (Christian communism)   
• koinonia- fellowship

• one of 3 major festivals of the Jews
• also known as the Festival of Weeks
• Harvest Festival
• special offering
• 50 days after Passover
• 3,000 people are added to the church 

• The Jews celebrated on that day the renewal of the covenant on Mt. Sinai
• Law of the Spirit: interesting that on the day of Pentecost God gave a new law

• a reminder of the flames on Mt. Sinai

• actual languages
• Pentecost was the reverse of Babel
• Luke lists 14 different nationalities

• birthday of the church
• breaking of barriers that have separated the human race since Babel
• A new relationship of the Spirit with believers -in OT the Spirit was given only to certain people, only temporary
• -in NT the spirit was poured upon "all flesh" and would dwell permanently in them

• texts that simply tell us what happened in the early church, not necessarily what should happen in 21st century churches
• The choice of Mathias to replace Judas

• Give instruction as to what should be done and often have a timeless application
• Peter's exhortation 

• a stopping, permanent or temporary; discontinuance
• Cessationist refers to someone who thinks that certain miraculous gifts ceased to exist long ago when the apostles died and scripture was complete

Work of the Spirit

• As Jesus was empowered by the Spirit, they were also empowered
• born again ≠ baptized with the Holy Spirit

Work of the Spirit

Soteriological

• Salvific (salvation) work of the Holy Spirit
• born again

Work of the Spirit

Missiological

• baptized with the Holy Spirit
• In the book of Acts, the spirit's role is more missiological that soteriological

4 Pillars

The Apostle's Teaching

• message about Jesus proclaimed by the apostles

4 Pillars

Koinonia Fellowship

• used only here in Acts (18 times elsewhere in NT)
• its basic idea is sharing, but also denotes intimacy and fellowship made possible by the Spirit
• Reflection of Koinonia- all things in common
• not Christian communism because it was done voluntarily

4 Pillars

The Breaking of Bread

• probably refers to the Lord's Supper
• teaching, fellowship, prayer

4 Pillars

The Prayers

• could refer to prayer during the set times of the temple which the disciples still attended

1. Hebrews: Palestinian Jewish Christians

Paul's 2 Cultures

Jewish Roots

• born in a Jewish family
• his family had close ties to Palestine
• from the tribe of Benjamin
• A Pharisee- devoted to Jewish law
• Studied in Jerusalem under Gamiliel

Paul's 2 Cultures

Hellenistic Roots

• born in Tarsus of Cilicia
• a Roman citizen
• Greek as a first language

View of Paul's Conversion

Jewish Scholars

• Saul's conversion was caused by early Greek influence in his life as he grew up in the city of Tarsus
• As a diaspora Jew, Saul never knew the real Judaism
• our objection: We know that Saul received his Jewish education in Jerusalem from Gamiliel

View of Paul's Conversion

Liberal Theologians

• a psychological experience: a gradual change of heart that culminated on the Damascus Road
• an emotional ecstasy
• a hallucination
• sun stroke

• Paul's experience was not a conversion, but a prophetic call
• Our conclusion: both a conversion and a call
• Conversion: converted from one form of Judaism to another --- from a self centered to a Christ-centered life
• Call: to preach Christ to the Gentile world

• Pursued pressure as the chief purpose in life
• did not deny the existence of gods, but believed they had nothing to do with man
• they denounced divine intervention and the afterlife

• Pantheists- everything was god and god was in everything
• Placed great emphasis on moral sincerity and a high sense of duty

• temple of Artemis commonly identified as one of the 7 wonders of the world

• marketplace

• resurrection

• Communicating the Gospel in ways that make sense w/in their local cultural context

Paul's Method of Contextualization

• builds bridges - starts with their religion - "unknown god"
• Quotes their poets- "we are his offspring"
• no argument from Scripture
• starts where they are and builds towards the uncomfortable -- Resurrection, Parousia, Judgement

• presence, coming
• refers to Jesus' second coming

1. Chose large cities as a strategic center
2. Began labors in synagogues
3. Preferred to preach to responsive people
4. Maintained contact with sending church
5. Planted churches
6. Maintained contact with the churches he planted
7. Made use of fellow workers
8. Became "All Things to All Men"
9. Made use of contextualization

• Paul's letters had similar structure as the ancient letters

1. I Thessalonians
2. II Thessalonians
3. Galations
4. I Corinthians
5. II Corinthians
6. Philippians
7. Philemon
8. Romans
9. Collossians
10. I Timothy
11. II Timothy
12. Titus
13. Ephesians

• Every Roman official declares Paul's innocence
• Every Jewish official treats Paul with contempt
• Paul is beheaded in Rome during Nero's persecution
• Paul's legacy continues to impact people around the globe

• Luke died
• Luke intended to write a trilogy
• Luke's purpose in writing the gospel was completed as the Gospel had reached Rome
• Our Conclusion: With the Gospel in Rome, the story is complete; Paul's fate is irrelevant

• Paul often used an amanuensis to pen his letters as he dictated them
• Latin for secretarial assistant

• Issue: Must Gentile Gentile Christians be circumcised
• Case for: Biblical sign of covenant
• Case against: Sign of legalism and exclusivism
• Decision: Circumcision is not to be imposed on Gentiles

• Antioch played a more important role in the early church than any other city
• 1st Gentile church was founded in Antioch by Paul

• no synagogue mentioned: very pagan city
• Paul heals paralytic man
• Gentiles worship Barnabus and Paul
• Paul: Hermes
• Barnabus: Zeus

Paul's Favorite Term for Describing the Church

• "The Body of Christ"
• Paul learned term at time of his conversion on the Damascus Road
• Paul learned the term from Jesus himself

1. All members are indispensable 
2. All members are different
3. All members are equal
4. All members are responsible

• Charismatic model
• center of authority rests with God working through the Holy Spirit

• Paul insisted that men and women have the same freedom and opportunity to play a full part in the life of the church
• I Corinthians 14: 33-35 -- these verses are not a part of Paul's original letter, but were added later by someone who wished to find Pauline authority for silencing troublesome women

• Paul was determined not to let racism have any part in Christian community

• Paul believed that masters had obligations to their slaves
• In Philemon, there is a real life situation of slavery