The second half of Luke's history of the church, which was commissioned by Theophilus. It covers the actions of the Apostles from Christ's ascension to heaven to Paul's imprisonment in Rome.
##Acts of the Apostles##
The fifth book of the New Testament canon, the Acts of the Apostles is unique within the New Testament in continuing the story of Jesus within the events of the early church. Acts follows events from the ascension of Jesus to Paul's journey and arrival in Rome.
Acts is widely considered the second volume in a two part work along with the the Gospel of Luke. Together, this two-volume work is referred to as Luke-Acts. Collectively, Luke and Acts make up over a quarter of the New Testament, contributing more words than any other single writer.
The central figures in Acts are Peter, James (the brother of the Lord), and Paul. Acts reviews Peter's activities in the early years after Easter, including noteworthy events like Pentecost and the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentiles. James is a major figure in the events around Jerusalem, including the significant Jerusalem Conference of Acts 15. Paul's conversion, multiple imprisonments & trials, and 3 missionary journeys are recorded.
Acts does not provide a full, sequential account of the activities of any of these men, but does provide many details of the process by which the Gospel went to the Gentiles, and the course & key events of Paul's travels.
The narrative in Acts runs from immediately after Easter to approximately AD 62.
Bibliography
Bock, D. L. (2007). Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Bruce, F. F. (1990). The Acts of the Apostles. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Fitzmyer, J. A. (2008). The Acts of the Apostles: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 31). New Haven; London: Yale University Press.
Johnson, L. T. (1992). The Acts of the Apostles. (D. J. Harrington, Ed.) (Vol. 5). Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press.
Pervo, R. I. (2009). Acts: A Commentary on the Book of Acts. (H. W. Attridge, Ed.). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
Tannehill, R. C. (1994). The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interpretation: The Acts of the Apostles (Vol. 2). Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.
