ACTS, Continuing the Work of Jesus

ACTS, Continuing the Work of Jesus

The Book of The Acts of the Apostles fittingly takes up where the Gospels leave off. It begins by giving a summation the book in the words, “You shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8b). The transition is made by Christ’s glorious ascension back to the Father (Acts 1:9). Acts is historical in nature and therefore it is not primarily doctrinal. Acts is an inspired record of the “acts” of the Holy Spirit through Christ’s apostles and the infant church. All of the apostles are not discussed instead focus is given to the ministries of Peter and Paul. Another important reason why doctrine must be more carefully discerned in Acts is due to the book’s transitional nature. The book serves as a transition from the ministry of Christ recorded in the four Gospels to the epistolary instruction to the churches in the first century. Luke is the writer of the book of Acts. He also wrote the Gospel According to Luke. It is proper to consider Acts to be the second part of the Gospel of Luke. This becomes apparent when we examine the introductions to both Luke and Acts. Both of these are addressed to the same individual, a man named Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). Luke 1:1