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Acts



Lecture


 

Provenance of Luke-Acts


Authorship
The author of Luke-Acts is not mentioned in either book. Traditionally, the authorship of Luke-Acts is ascribed to Luke, gentile Christian physician who sometimes accompanied Paul on his missions. There is some internal evidence for this, mainly the "we passages" in Acts 16:10-17, 20:5-15, 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16. Ancient Christians studied the passages to see who was with Paul, and concluded that Luke the physician was the most likely candidate. Luke and Acts are both long books, at the upper limit for the amount of material that could fit in a single scroll.
Date
c 80-90 AD. This is the best guess IMHO. That's assuming, as I do, that Luke used Mark to compose his gospel rather than the other way around.
Place
Both books address their audience as Theophilus (θεόφιλος), meaning loving God or beloved by God. Theophilus could be a generic gentile Christian or God-fearing gentiles (God fearers were gentiles who were attracted to Judaism.), or he could be a literal individual. The location of the original audience is open to wide speculation: some say Rome, others Alexandria, Egypt, at the other end of the empire.


The Structure of Acts


  1. Introduction to the Beginning of the Church (1)
    1. The Lord Prepares the Disciples (1:1-11)
      1. The Reaffirmation of the Promise (1:1-5)
      2. The Re-orientation to the Program (1:6-8)
      3. The Ascension and Predicted Return (1:9-11)
    2. The Lord Re-Establishes 12 Apostles (1:12-26)
      1. The Apostles and Others Gathered in Jerusalem (1:12-14)
      2. The Motion of Peter to Choose Another Apostle (1:15-26)
        1. Judas' apostatizing fulfilled Scripture (1:15-20)
        2. The criteria for an apostolic replacement (1:21,22)
        3. The Method of choosing (1:23-26)
  2. The Church in Jerusalem (2-8:3)
    1. The Church is Born (2:1-11)
      1. Pentecost
        1. The Coming of the Holy Spirit (2:1-4a)
        2. The Sign: Tongues (2:4b-11)
        3. The Reaction: Mixed (2:12-13)
      2. Peter's Explanation in a Sermon (2:14-36)
        1. Pentecost: The fulfillment of Joel 2 (2:14-21)
        2. Pentecost: Based upon Christ's Work (2:22-36)
      3. The Reaction to Peter's Sermon (2:37-41)
        1. People cut to the heart (2:37-40)
        2. 3000 saved (2:41)
    2. Summary of the Young Church (2:42-47)
      1. Unity among the people (2:42-46)
      2. Praise to God from the people (2:47)
    3. The Church Ministering in Jerusalem (3-8:3)
      1. A Sign to Israel: A Lame Man Healed (3:1-11)
      2. A Warning to Israel: Peter's Sermon (3:12-26)
      3. The Reaction: Persecution (4:1-37)
        1. The animosity of the religious leaders (4:1-22)
        2. The prayer for boldness (4:23-31)
        3. The continuing unity of the church (4:32-37)
    4. Struggle from Within and Without
      1. The deceit of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11)
      2. The Sanhedrin and the apostles (5:12-42)
        1. The apostle's respected by people (2:12-16)
        2. The jealousy of the leaders (5:17-42)
      3. The first racial tension in the Church (6:1-7)
        1. The Problem (6:1)
        2. The solution (6:2-6)
        3. The result (6:7)
    5. The Climax of the Persecution in Jerusalem: Stephen Killed (6:8-8:3).
      1. Stephen brought before a council (6:8-15)
      2. Stephen's sermon (7:1-53)
      3. Stephen's death (7:54-60)
    6. The Church is Scattered (8:1-3)
  3. The Church Scattered into Palestine and Syria (8:4-12:25)
    1. The Ministry of Philip (8:4-40). PIVOTAL PERSON # 2
      1. Philip in Samaria (8:4-25)
      2. Philip and the Ethiopian Eunich (8:26-39)
      3. Philip en route to Caesarea (40)
    2. The Conversion of Saul (9:1-30). PIVOTAL PERSON # 3
      1. Paul Sees the Lord (9:1-9)
      2. Ananias Ministers to Paul (9:10-19a)
      3. Paul Proclaims Jesus as the Christ (9:19b-30)
    3. A Summary Report of the Church (9:31)
    4. The Ministry of Peter (9:32-11:18)
      1. Peter in Lydda: A man healed (9:32-35)
      2. Peter in Joppa: A woman healed (9:36-43)
      3. Cornelius' Vision (10:1-8)
      4. Peter's Vision (10:9-16)
      5. Peter Goes with the Men from Cornelius (10:17-22)
      6. The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit (10:23-48)
      7. Peter Defends Himself Before the Jerusalem Church (11:1-18)
    5. The Church at Antioch: A New Center of Operations (11:19-30)
      1. The Church established (11:19-21)
      2. The Church Sanctioned by Jerusalem (11:22-24)
      3. Barnabas Brings Paul Back to Antioch (11:25, 26)
      4. The Unity in the Church: Antioch to Help Jerusalem (11:27-30)
    6. God Continues To Protect Jerusalem Church (12)
      1. James Put to Death (12:1, 2)
      2. Peter Delivered (12:3-17)
      3. Herod Put to Death (12:18-21)
    7. Summary Report of the Church (12:24, 25)
  4. The Church Advancing to the End of the Earth (12-28)
    1. The First Missionary Journey (13, 14)
      1. The Holy Spirit Set Paul and Barnabas Apart (13:1-3)
      2. Cyprus and the Proconsul (13:4-12)
      3. Pisidian Antioch: Paul's Sermon & the Reaction (13:13-52)
      4. From Iconium to Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe (14:1-7)
      5. Lystra: A Lame Man Healed & the Reaction (14:8-20a)
      6. The Return to and Stay at Antioch (14:20b-28)
    2. The Jerusalem Council (15:1-35)
      1. The Problem: Those from Syrian Antioch (15:1-5)
      2. The Discussion: The Argument from James (15:6-18)
      3. The Conclusion and Application (15:19-35)
        1. The Consensus Among the Leadership (15:19-22)
        2. The Letter Written (15:23-29)
        3. The Letter Delivered to Antioch (15:30-34)
      4. Paul and Barnabas Stayed In Antioch to Teach (15:35)
    3. The Second Missionary Journey (15:36-18:22)
      1. Paul and Barnabas Disagree on John Mark (15:36-40)
      2. Syria and Cilicia Revisited (15:41)
      3. Paul/Timothy in S. Galatia To Deliver Council's Decrees (16:1-5)
      4. From Galatia-Mysia- To Troas (16:6-10)
      5. The Work in Philippi (16:11-40)
      6. The Work at Thessalonica (17:1-9)
      7. The Work in Berea (17:10-14)
      8. The Work in Athens (17:15-34)
      9. The Work in Corinth (18:1-17)
        1. Paul's Work in the Synagogue (1-6)
        2. Paul's Work at the House Titus Justus (7-11)
        3. Paul Charged by the Jews (12-17)
      10. Paul in Ephesus en route to Antioch of Syria (18:18-22)
    4. The Third Missionary Journey (18:23-19:19)
      1. Paul in Galatia and Phrygia (18:23)
      2. Apollos Goes from Ephesus to Corinth (18:24-28)
      3. Paul in Ephesus (19:1-41)
        1. The Twelve Men (1-7)
        2. In the Synagogue & School of Tyrannus (8-10)
        3. God Confirming Paul's Message by Miracles (11, 12)
        4. Seven Sons of Sceva (13-17)
        5. Mass Repentance (18, 19)
        6. A Summary Report of the Church in Asia (20)
        7. Paul's Statement of His Plans: Jerusalem & Rome (21, 22)
        8. Demetrius and the Riot in Ephesus (23-41)
      4. Three Months in Greece (20:1-5)
      5. Paul's Sermon & Healing at Troas (20:6-12)
      6. Paul's Words at Miletus with the Ephesian Elders (20:13-38)
      7. Paul at Caesarea with Philip the Evangelist (21:1-14)
    5. Paul in Jerusalem (21:15-23:22)
      1. Welcomed by Brethren (21:15-26)
      2. Arrested by the Jews (21:27-40)
      3. Paul's Defense (22:1-21)
      4. The Response of the People (22:22-29)
      5. Paul Before the Sanhedrin (23:1-10)
      6. The Plot Against Paul (23:11-22)
    6. Paul in Caesarea (23:23-26:32)
      1. Paul Escorted to Caesarea (23:23-35)
      2. Paul Before Felix (24:1-21)
      3. Paul Imprisoned (24:22-27)
      4. Paul Before Festus (25)
      5. Paul Before Agrippa (26)
    7. Paul in Rome (27, 28)
      1. The Shipwreck (27)
      2. Paul in Malta (28:1-15)
      3. Paul in Rome (28:16-31)
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