I. General Comments
A. The Old Testament- God's dealings with the Jews
1. under the patriarchs
2. under Moses
B. The New Testament
1. the Gospels- God's dealings with the Jews under the teaching
of Jesus
2. Acts- God's dealings with the Jews and Gentiles under the gospel
of Christ
3. The expansion of the gospel to all known parts of the world
(Col. 1:23)
a. accomplished in apostolic times
b. Acts concerns itself with the expansion of the gospel through
the Roman Empire.
C. ACTS- of whom?
1. the apostles
2. mainly Peter and Paul
3. mostly Paul
II. The Author
A. Author unnamed in the book
B. Can be deduced to be Luke (the beloved physician)
1. Luke- the only non-Jewish writer in the N.T.
2. A traveling companion of Paul's during much of the narrative
"we" (Ac. 16:10, 20:5, 27:1) "they" (Ac.16:40)
3. concerned with the facts (Lu. 1:1-4)
4. earliest writers ascribe the book to Luke Irenaeus, Clement,
Tertullian, all from the second century
C. Luke's source of information
1. eyewitness accounts- he was present at many of the events described
2. immediate source- Paul, Philip, Peter, James the Lords brother
3. divine inspiration
III. The Date- when was it written?
A. Probably written prior to the destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD)
B. After Paul's two years imprisonment (60-61 AD)
C. Approximately 63,64 AD
IV. Why was ACTS written?
A. So that Theophilus could have the true facts concerning Christianity.
B. Chief purpose- to present accounts of conversion as well as unsuccessful attempts (models of conversion)
C. Secondary purpose- the power of the H.S. shown
D. Third purpose- the preaching of Paul
V. Its Chronology and Divisions
B. Specific Divisions
1. see McGarvey's Commentary (pp. xxxiii-xxxiv)
2. refer to outline
3. refer to timeline