Themes from the book of acts

A guide to key events, characters, and themes of the bible. The mission of god part 1 book structure spanning roughly thirty years of early church history and covering dozens of unique stories, geographical locations, and complex theological realities, the book of acts is what john calvin called a kind of vast treasure calvin, the acts of the apostles. Doc chapter 6 key themes of lukeacts charles puskas. Both books are addressed to one named theophilus luke 1. Major themes in the book of the acts published by webmaster on february 16, 2019 february 16, 2019 luke, being the author of the acts, has written it in order to give a historical account about the impact of the gospel message and the spread of gods kingdom in the days of the early church.

Commentary on the book of acts bible study lessons. May 02, 2020 the book of acts shows how god essentially took a group of fisherman and commoners and used them to turn the world upside down acts 17. We come to the conclusion of our introduction to the book of acts today by looking at its purpose and theme. The tradition from the earliest days of the church has been that luke, a companion of the apostle paul, wrote the books of luke and acts colossians 4. Crump, an introduction to the gospel and acts, investigates the key themes, e. While acts is a record of history, luke weaves many theological themes into these stories to teach us about god and his mission. This paper will show the connection between these two works, will explore each book s general message and themes, and discover how acts builds upon luke as the second of the companion books. Major themes in the book of the acts published by webmaster on february 16, 2019 february 16, 2019 luke, being the author of the acts, has written it in order to give a historical account about the impact of the gospel message and the spread of. The debate over the historical accuracy of the book of acts is important, in no small measure because as i have pointed out already it.

That luke and acts are companion books can be seen in many ways. The passages listed below include some of the most familiar stories and passages from the old and new testaments. A third theme common to both lukes gospel and to acts is the inclusion of the gentiles in the new kingdom. This theme is highlighted at the outset of the book in verse 1. Acts tells of the witness of the early church to the truth of the gospela theme first. The purpose of god and the fulfillment of scripture. It continues to be a major festival day in the life of the church nearly 2,000 years later. The bible is filled with countless stories that inspire and challenge. As we mentioned earlier this week, acts is technically a sequel. Three great themes in the book of acts sermon by rick. The book of acts records the spread of the gospel from jerusalem to rome. Themes in the book of acts the book of acts begins with the outpouring of gods promised holy spirit on the day of pentecost. The themes of promise and fulfillment permeate the narrative of lukeacts. This paper will show the connection between these two works, will explore each books general message and themes, and discover how acts builds upon luke as the second of the companion books.

That is exactly what the acts of the apostles book is. This summary of the book of acts provides information about the title, authors, date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the book of acts. It portrays the beginning of the church from its roots at pentecost fifty days after the lords resurrection, to paul. Individual faiths build up traditions, customs, writings, and a history that people get pretty darn attached to.

This title accurately reflects the contents of the book, which is a series of vignettes chronicling the lives of key apostles especially peter and paul in. Jul 08, 20 three great themes in the book of acts acts 1. In the last century, critical thought generally held that acts was a secondcentury document from a thirdrate historian. Grayson baptist church may 12, 20 indianapolis pastor russ blowers was a member of the rotary club. The book of acts is about the mission of the church to bear witness to jesus. Martyrdom, or persecution resulting in death because of ones religious or political beliefs, was an emphasis of early christianity. Acts, as it is commonly called, is a second volume. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Particularly striking is that in many places in acts, when luke evidently joins the company of paul during his travels, the narrative stops saying that they did such and so, and says that we did such and so see acts 16. Discussion of themes and motifs in lukes acts of the apostles. Having these themes in mind can help to bring the events of this book to life.

Major themes in the book of acts the debate over the historical accuracy of the book of acts is important, in no small measure because as i have pointed out already it provides us our one and only narrative of what was happening among the. Major themes in the book of acts the debate over the historical accuracy of the book of acts is important, in no small measure because as i have pointed out already it provides us our one and only narrative of what was happening among the followers of jesus in the years immediately after his death. They believe that scripture predicted that jesus would come and be the. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. The beginning of acts reveals many of the books key themes.

Key verses and themes in acts bible commentary theology of. Luke wraps up his book with paul preaching under house arrest in rome, but there is more to be discussed in acts, particularly the important themes that. While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of what. The overall theme of the book of acts the source of a powerful witness traditionally, the theme of the book of acts is the story of the unfolding of acts 1. Purposes of the book of acts reformed bible studies. He shows us how god is working and speaking in this story and our own stories. God took a christianhating murderer and transformed him into historys greatest christian evangelist, the author of almost half the books of the new testament. Acts concerns the very vital period in christian history between the resurrection of jesus and the death of the apostle paul, the time when christian ideas and beliefs were. Johnson 1992 lists four theological themes present in the book of acts. In a similar way, when we read the book of acts, it quickly becomes evident that luke addressed some themes many times.

Who doesnt like sequels to their favorite books or movies. Andreas praefcke, wikimedia commons read the introduction one of the most well known events detailed in the book of acts is the pentecost episode and the gift of the holy spirit to the church. As you know, there are four accounts of jesus in the new testament. The book of acts presents a rich theology of the holy spirit. Lesson 3 explores the three major concepts that luke addressed as he unfolded the unhindered spread of the gospel of gods kingdom in the days of the early c.

While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of what was. We read about imprisonments, beatings, stonings and plots to kill the apostles. Themes and theology luke is often neglected as a theologian. Two of these were especially important to the earliest christians, and a third is vital to the followers of jesus christ today. A second theme is the validity of pauls apostleship. On one level, as is true of most literary works, luke had many purposes and acts has many themes. The witness is worldwidejudea, samaria, the end of the earth 1. Key themes acts tells of the witness of the early church to the truth of the gospela theme first introduced in 1.

There are several major themes in acts, and here let us consider three of them. The acts of the apostles major themes gospel renewal. Three great themes in the book of acts faithlife sermons. You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you. Another overriding theme in the book of acts is opposition. The overall theme of the book of acts the source of a. Major themes in the book of acts the bart ehrman blog. And at times in acts, the holy spirit moves powerfully and yet impersonally, and at other times its subtle and quietly but very personal. It describes him as the one that empowers the church to live transformed lives and to evangelize the world. Luke showed in acts 1 that the qualifications for an apostle were that he had spent three years with jesus and. Although discouraging, resistance to our witness for christ is to be expected. As a result, the preaching of the gospel and the witness of the newly formed church sparks a flame that spreads across the roman empire. The title of the book of acts comes from the greek word praxis, a word often used in early christian literature to describe the great deeds of the apostles or other significant believers.

This is, in effect, an outline of the book of acts see plan and outline below. From the start, luke emphasizes that jesus is the jewish messiah and the fulfillment of old testament hopes. The main theological emphasis of the book of acts is the holy spirit. Bayer, the lesson and, i think following the book of acts, really puts an emphasis on the holy spirit in the early life of the church. Key themes in the book of acts by joel garcia submitted on october 20, 2010 the theme verse of the book of acts is found in chapter 1, verse eight, and rightly so, since it illustrates key themes of this historical account written by luke, one of pauls traveling companions. It portrays the beginning of the church from its roots at pentecost fifty days after the lords resurrection, to paul being held under house arrest. This is unfortunate because he has a very developed theology and also wrote a larger portion of the new testament than any other author. At the club meeting each week, a different member told a little about his job. In acts, the disciples are proud of their jewish heritage, but also trying to get people to see those old traditions in a new way. Jun 28, 2018 the book of acts study guide anna willemstein. Christian life occurs in a community oriented with a vocation for the kingdom of god. It describes him as the one that empowers the church to live transformed lives and to evangelize the. These repeated motifs run throughout his book and are important keys to understanding lukes teaching. Author although the author does not name himself, evidence outside the scriptures and inferences from the book itself lead to the conclusion that the.

As prophesied, he is a descendant of king david born in bethlehem, who will reign forever on davids throne luke 1. It records that he performed many signs and wonders to validate the ministry of the apostles and other early church leaders. The main emphasis of the christian witness was to proclaim the reality of the resurrection as confirming jesus as gods messiah and to call all people to repent and place their faith in him as lord. Major themes in the book of the acts saint peter catholic. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament. Luke wraps up his book with paul preaching under house arrest in rome, but there is more to be discussed in acts, particularly the important themes that underlie the book.

Similarly, while a number of secondary themes could probably be identified, the primary theme of acts can be found in acts 1. So, if we hope to grasp the significance of the book of acts, we must pay careful attention to these repeated themes. From its humble beginnings gathering in an upper room, the church expands throughout. Here are some of the key themes that luke highlights for us. Key verses and themes in acts bible commentary theology. T he book of acts in the bible, written around 6263 a. Rejection of the gospel and persecution of its messengers, however, worked to accelerate the churchs growth. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The greatest of these themes in this book is the theme of gods sovergenity or gods providence. With acts, we are particularly well positioned to use the thematic approach because we can trace the development of particular ideas from the gospel through the history of the church. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. The book of acts records the founding and spreading of christianity and unlike many books in the nt this book is truly controlled by a set of themes that luke rigidity follows as he unfolds this book for us.

Another major, and unsurprising, theme of acts is martyrdom. The book of acts, also called acts of the apostles, does not specifically identify its author. Luke s narrative in acts demonstrated that paul did see jesus in his resurrection, spent years in personal study with christ before taking up the mantle of apostleship, and was accepted on an equal footing by the other apostles. For, if the theme of the story be what christ did, then the book is, not the acts of the apostles, but the acts of jesus christ through his servants. The book of acts, which continues the narrative that luke began in his gospel, is especially important because it was the first written history of the christian church. A guide to key events, characters and themes of the bible. As you read acts, keep your eyes open for the following themes. Scholars may find various themes in the book of acts. Our interest here is to highlight lukes overarching purpose and theme.