Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary

By Patrick Schreiner

Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary is part of The Christian Standard Commentary (CSC) series. This commentary series focuses on the theological and exegetical concerns of each biblical book, thoughtfully balancing rigorous scholarship with practical application.

This series helps the reader understand each biblical book’s theology, its place in the broader narrative of Scripture, and its importance for the church today. Drawing on the wisdom and skills of dozens of evangelical authors, the CSC is a tool for enhancing and supporting the life of the church.

The author of Acts: The Christian Standard Commentary is Patrick Schreiner.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Aug 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781087757582

Patrick Schreiner

Patrick Schreiner (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology and endowed chair at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of The Kingdom of God and the Glory of the Cross; Matthew, Disciple and Scribe; The Ascension of Christ; and The Visual Word.

Book preview

Table of Contents

Series Introduction

Author Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

1.1 God the Father Orchestrates

1.2 The Risen and Enthroned Christ Rules

1.3 The Spirit Empowers

1.4 The Word Progresses

1.5 Salvation to All Flesh

1.6 The Church Is Established and Expands

1.7 Witness to the Ends of the Earth

2.1 Purpose

2.2 Genre

2.3 Editorial Techniques

2.4 Structure

3.1 Author

3.2 Date

3.3 Text

3.4 Historical Reliability

4.1 The Unity of Luke-Acts

4.2 The Disunity of Luke-Acts

1 The Triune God Establishes His Church (1:1–2:47)

1.1 Prologue, Mission, and Exaltation (1:1–14)

1.2 The Church Is Birthed (1:15–2:47)

2 God Empowers His Witnesses in Jerusalem (3:1–8:3)

2.1 Temple Restoration and Conflict (3:1–4:31)

2.2 The True Temple People: Generosity (4:32–5:11)

2.3 Temple Restoration and Conflict (5:12–42)

2.4 The True Temple People: Provision (6:1–7)

2.5 Stephen’s Temple Sermon (6:8–8:3)

3 God Propels His Witnesses into Judea and Samaria (8:4–12:25)

3.1 The Inclusion of Outcasts by Philip (8:4–40)

3.2 The Apocalypse of Saul (9:1–31)

3.3 Peter and the Gentile Pentecost (9:32–11:18)

3.4 The Multiethnic Church in Antioch (11:19–30)

3.5 Out of Jerusalem (12:1–25)

4 God Sends His Witnesses on Three Journeys (13:1–21:14)

4.1 Witness to Asia Minor and the Jerusalem Council (13:1–15:35)

4.2 Witness to Macedonia and Achaia (15:36–18:23)

4.3 Witness to Ephesus (18:24–21:14)

5 God Delivers His Witness to Jerusalem and Rome (21:15–28:31)

5.1 Paul’s Arrest and Proclamation in Jerusalem (21:15–22:30)

5.2 Paul’s Trials (23:1–26:32)

5.3 Paul’s Journey and Witness in Rome (27:1–28:31)

Bibliography

Name Index

Subject Index

Scripture Index

Extrabiblical Literature Index

Schreiner highlights in a particularly insightful and relevant way the theological message of Acts and its intertextual relationship to prior Scripture. This commentary is packed full of perceptive connections, and even veterans of Acts scholarship will learn many rich, fresh insights here.

Craig S. Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary

Schreiner’s multipronged approach to Acts provides the reader with fresh insights into a familiar story. His careful analysis within a theological, literary, historical, canonical, and ecclesial framework gives a concrete foundation for understanding the text of Acts holistically. His emphasis on the continuing work of the triune God is a refreshing reminder that through community and relationship, every member of the Godhead plays a key role in salvation history. Moreover, his thoughtful analysis of the inclusion/exclusion motif that runs like a thread throughout Acts demonstrates that unity in diversity has always been a key part of God’s plan. While his stated intention is to meet an ecclesial need, this excellent commentary is a must-have for the serious scholar.

Elizabeth Mburu, Langham Literature Regional Coordinator, Africa

This is an excellent commentary for anyone who would read the Acts of the Apostles as Christian Scripture. A good commentary would navigate the reader through the text with careful exegesis and appropriate engagement of scholarly ideas and debates. Schreiner not only does this well, but he presents a sustained reading of Acts as the triune God’s work of accomplishment of salvation and creation of the church through the Spirit’s witness to God’s Word. I highly recommend this work for those wanting to know how to teach, preach, and understand the theological message of the Acts of the Apostles.

Joshua W. Jipp, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

In providing us with a commentary on Acts that incorporates an awareness of the history of interpretation, the influence of the Old Testament, the relationship between Acts and the rest of the New Testament, and the theological message of Acts, Patrick Schreiner is to be commended for this fresh and invigorating commentary. Readers will have their imaginations stirred and their hearts encouraged as they journey with Dr. Schreiner through Luke’s ever-relevant account of the triune God’s saving purposes in the spread of the word to Israel and the nations.

Alan J. Thompson, Sydney Missionary and Bible College

As one who has taught courses on Acts in churches, camps, colleges, and seminaries, I have lost count as to how many commentaries I have read on the book. Nevertheless, having read this one, I can honestly say that I have a new favorite. In his exegesis of Acts, Dr. Patrick Schreiner not only strikes an outstanding balance of information that appeals to both New Testament scholars and local pastors, but he also refreshingly includes poignant theological reflections that are sure to captivate committed followers of Christ.

Joseph R. Dodson, Denver Seminary

Schreiner has written a beautiful commentary that is at once historically rooted and theologically oriented. I particularly appreciate his Trinitarian reading of this text. The Introduction itself could be a helpful book on Acts. Pastors, lay Christians, and scholars will benefit from this commentary.

Osvaldo Padilla, Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

General Editors

E. Ray Clendenen

Brandon D. Smith

Series Associate Editors

Old Testament

R. Dennis Cole

J. Gary Millar

Andrew E. Steinmann

Heath A. Thomas

New Testament

Darrell L. Bock

David S. Dockery

Darian R. Lockett

Richard R. Melick Jr.

Acts

Christian Standard Commentary: Acts

Copyright © 2021 by Patrick Schreiner

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978–1–5359–1494–9

Dewey Decimal Classification: 226.6

Subject Heading: BIBLE. N.T. ACTS — COMMENTARIES

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Christian Standard Bible®, copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible, which is in the public domain.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright

© 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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RRD

DEDICATION

To my dad, who taught me not only to carefully examine the Scriptures but to love them.

series introduction

The Christian Standard Commentary (CSC) aims to embody an ancient-modern approach to each volume in the series. The following explanation will help us unpack this seemingly paradoxical practice that brings together old and new.

The modern commentary tradition arose and proliferated during and after the Protestant Reformation. The growth of the biblical commentary tradition largely is a result of three factors: (1) The recovery of classical learning in the fifteenth–sixteenth centuries. This retrieval led to a revival of interest in biblical languages (Greek and Hebrew). Biblical interpreters, preachers, and teachers interpreted Scripture based on the original languages rather than the Latin Vulgate. The commentaries of Martin Luther and John Calvin are exemplary in this regard because they return to the sources themselves (ad fontes). (2) The rise of reformation movements and the splintering of the Catholic Church. The German Reformation (Martin Luther), Swiss Reformation (John Calvin), and English Reformation (Anglican), among others (e.g., Anabaptist), generated commentaries that helped these new churches and their leaders interpret and preach Scripture with clarity and relevance, often with the theological tenets of the movements present in the commentaries. (3) The historical turn in biblical interpretation in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This turning point emphasized the historical situation from which biblical books arise and in which they are contextualized.

In light of these factors, the CSC affirms traditional features of a modern commentary, evident even in recent commentaries:

Authors analyze Old and New Testament books in their original languages.

Authors present and explain significant text-critical problems as appropriate.

Authors address and define the historical situations that gave rise to the biblical text (including date of composition, authorship, audience, social location, geographical and historical context, etc.) as appropriate to each biblical book.

Authors identify possible growth and development of a biblical text so as to understand the book as it stands (e.g., how the book of Psalms came into its final form or how the Minor Prophets might be understood as a book).

The CSC also exhibits recent shifts in biblical interpretation in the past fifty years. The first is the literary turn in biblical interpretation. Literary analysis arose in biblical interpretation during the 1970s and 1980s, and this movement significantly influenced modern biblical commentaries. Literary analysis attends to the structure and style of each section in a biblical book as well as the shape of the book as a whole. Because of this influence, modern commentaries assess a biblical book’s style and structure, major themes and motifs, and how style impacts meaning. Literary interpretation recognizes that biblical books are works of art, arranged and crafted with rhetorical structure and purpose. Literary interpretation discovers the unique stylistic and rhetorical strategies of each book. Similarly, the CSC explores the literary dimensions of Scripture:

Authors explore each book as a work of art that is a combination of style and structure, form and meaning.

Authors assess the structure of the whole book and its communicative intent.

Authors identify and explain the literary styles, poetics, and rhetorical devices of the biblical books as appropriate.

Authors expound the literary themes and motifs that advance the communicative strategies in the book.

As an ancient commentary, the CSC is marked by a theological bent with respect to biblical interpretation. This bent is a tacit recognition that the Bible is not only a historical or literary document but is fundamentally the Word of God. That is, it recognizes Scripture as fundamentally both historical and theological. God is the primary speaker in Scripture, and readers must deal with him. Theological interpretation affirms that although God enabled many authors to write the books of the Bible (Heb 1:1), he is the divine author, the subject matter of Scripture, and the One who gives the Old and New Testaments to the people of God to facilitate her growth for her good (2 Tim 3:16–17). Theological interpretation reads Scripture as God’s address to his church because he gives it to his people to be heard and lived. Any other approach (whether historical, literary, or otherwise) that diminishes emphasis on the theological stands deficient before the demands of the text.

Common to Christian (patristic, medieval, reformation, or modern) biblical interpretation in the past two millennia is a sanctified vision of Scripture in which it is read with attention to divine agency, truth, and relevance to the people of God. The ancient commentary tradition interprets Scripture as a product of complex and rich divine action. God has given his Word to his people so that they may know and love him, glorify him, and proclaim his praises to all creation. Scripture provides the information and power of God that leads to spiritual and practical transformation.

The transformative potential of Scripture emerges in the ancient commentary tradition as it attends to the centrality of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the One whom God sent to the world in the fullness of time and about whom the OT anticipates, testifies to, and witnesses to. Further, he is the One whom the NT presents as the fulfillment of the OT promise, in whom the church lives and moves and has her being, and who the OT and NT testify will return to judge the living and the dead and who will make all things new.

With Christ as the center of Scripture, the ancient commentary tradition reveals an implicit biblical theology. Old and New Testaments work together as they reveal Christ; thus, the tradition works within a whole-Bible theology in which each Testament is read in dialectic relationship, one with the other.

Finally, the ancient commentary tradition is committed to spiritual transformation. The Spirit of God illumines the hearts of readers so they might hear God’s voice, see Christ in his glory, and live in and through the power of the Spirit. The transformational dimensions of Scripture emerge in ancient commentary so that God’s voice might be heard anew in every generation and God’s Word might be embodied among his people for the sake of the world.

The CSC embodies the ancient commentary tradition in the following ways:

Authors expound the proper subject of Scripture in each biblical book, who is God; further, they explore how he relates to his world in the biblical books.

Authors explain the centrality of Jesus appropriate to each biblical book and in the light of a whole-Bible theology.

Authors interpret the biblical text spiritually so that the transformative potential of God’s Word might be released for the church.

In this endeavor, the CSC is ruled by a Trinitarian reading of Scripture. God the Father has given his Word to his people at various times and in various ways (Heb 1:1), which necessitates a sustained attention to historical, philological, social, geographical, linguistic, and grammatical aspects of the biblical books that derive from different authors in the history of Israel and of the early church. Despite its diversity, the totality of Scripture reveals Christ, who has been revealed in the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God (Heb 1:1; John 1:1) and the One in whom all things hold together (Col 1:15–20) and through whom all things will be made new (1 Cor 15; Rev 21:5). God has deposited his Spirit to his church so that they might read spiritually, being addressed by the voice of God and receiving the life-giving Word that comes by Scripture (2 Tim 3:15–17; Heb 4:12). In this way, the CSC contributes to the building up of Christ’s church and the Great Commission to which all are called.

author preface

Commentaries sometimes get a bad rap, and the criticism is not without warrant. Nevertheless, my appreciation for commentary toil has increased immensely while working on this project. Writing a commentary is a difficult task; such a volume does not contain a single argument but has to be able to go deep and wide while also being readable, engaging, and applicable. Some days one feels inspired; other days writing is drudgery.

What is an author to include or exclude in the writing of a commentary? How historical, pastoral, or exegetical is it to be? Some help comes in that a plethora of good commentary series exist — and many good commentaries are on the book of Acts. Some of the more recent ones focus more on backgrounds and history (Witherington, Keener, Conzelmann), others on the narrative (Johnnson), while others go for a more historical-critical route (Barrett, Fitzmyer, Haenchen). Some commentaries are based on sermons or talks, with at least some emphasis on the practical side (Stott). Others ably try to combine a little bit of everything (Bock, Peterson, Polhill, Pinter, Schnabel).¹ Only Keener was able to produce a four-thousand-page commentary!

While there are many good commentaries on Acts, this commentary tries to distill and highlight especially the narratival and theological content of Acts with an eye toward the ecclesial. I will cover some grammatical and historical issues but only with a theological aim. Thus, this commentary will be exegetical, looking at literary techniques and grammar, but this is not a technical commentary in the true sense of the word. Some historical and background work is necessary, especially for a book like Acts, but that will not be my main focus unless the background information enlightens the exegesis. I will leave it to other commentaries to debate the niceties.

Its aim is ecclesial in two different senses. First, though Acts has fewer early interpreters than some books of the Bible, I read all of Chrysostom (AD 400), Bede (709–716), Erasmus (1535), and the Ancient Christian Commentary and the Reformation Christian Commentary on Acts. Thus, I attempted to read Acts with the whole church (catholica regula).

Second, it is ecclesial in that I have my eyes on those who teach the Scriptures week in and week out. Because of this I include more quotations than normal commentaries, but this was purposeful. Whether it is in a footnote or the main body, my hope is that these quotes awaken the imagination of the preacher. This is not primarily a scholarly commentary but a work for those who will stand up in front of a congregation and declare, Thus says the Lord. I share Karl Barth’s concern that, insofar as their usefulness to pastors goes, most modern commentaries are no commentary at all but merely the first step toward a commentary.

My most distinctive focus will be on the theology and narrative of Acts. These two will cohere, for Luke offers his theology through his narrative. The way he positions his stories mediates Luke’s ruminating about God, humanity, and the good life. In this way it is a biblical-theological commentary on Acts. The reason I have decided to go this route is I have not found as many self-consciously theological and canonical commentaries on Acts (Gaventa and Jennings are recent exceptions).²

This is probably because commentators have almost had to apologize for being theological. The genre straitjacket for a modern commentary has largely obstructed scholars from engaging in theological discussions. This commentary is distinct in that I will not shy away from jumping to other canonical and biblical-theological connections. I won’t only look for themes in Luke-Acts but the entire Christian canon to enlighten the reading. My horizon is larger than Luke-Acts because Acts sits in the larger horizon of God’s story.

I will also take a more symbolic/figural approach to Acts than many commentaries. This does not mean nonhistorical. Rather, meaning in the Bible is expansive and figurative. I agree with Johannes Brenz, who said in his homily on Acts 19,

Although many things in divine literature seem not to relate to us and to be written nonchalantly, nonetheless, because sacred Scripture is the work of the Holy Spirit, let us not think that anything in it, even the most minute and unessential thing, is so useless that it does not reward someone who scrutinizes it carefully. . . . Those things that in Scripture appear to be superfluous and nonchalant hold their own fruit. If the Holy Spirit, who is the author of Scripture, creates something out of nothing, how is he not able to give enormous blessings to believers through the minutiae of Scripture?³

Some might be bothered by this method, thinking all commentaries should be of the same ilk. To each his own. If this commentary will provide something distinctive, and not merely be an analysis and evaluation of all other commentaries on Acts, then an emphasis must be charted. This route also fits well with my bent and the goal of this series, as many have been increasingly frustrated by the modern separation of fields and lack of pastoral help in some series.

By claiming this is a theological-narratival-ecclesial commentary, I am not saying I will go into the nuances of anthropology, ecclesiology, or the nature of Christ’s bodily reign in heaven. Other good, in-depth studies specifically on these topics exist. My aim will be to bring a biblical-theology lens to the narrative of Acts, attempting not to misplace the narrative of the Scriptures as a whole, while also incorporating a distinctly theological perspective. In this sense I will look to: (1) the structure of Acts; (2) biblical-theological connections; and (3) identify some dogmatic concepts. I hope it will benefit the church, benefit the kingdom, and glorify our triune God.

Four final notes on reading. First, because I wanted to keep this commentary to a manageable length, I have at times included footnotes without engagement of the alternate views. My goal is to make readers aware of different perspectives without having to address every issue. Therefore, the presence of a footnote does not mean I agree with the argument, even if not explicitly stated in that particular footnote. Rather, I want to highlight disparate interpretations that may spur on other theological reflections.

Second, in the footnotes I have also put quotations from past interpreters. Sometimes hearing others speak about the text awakens something in us. These quotations do not always support my arguments in the main body of the text but aim at fostering a more communal reading of Acts from interpreters through the centuries.

Third, the temptation with commentaries is to communicate one has adequately covered the primary literature. Not only is this impossible at a human level (unless one is Craig Keener), but it is also impossible at a meta-philosophical level. The meaning of Acts cannot be locked into these pages. Acts is a living document––one that resists categorization.

The effect of Acts will continue to inspire future generations, and new meanings will be discovered. This commentary attempts not to stop the flow of meaning and claim I have cornered it but rather to open up new tributaries. Literature lives beyond its writing. What Walter Wangerin says about his novel The Book of the Dun Cow is entirely appropriate to Acts:

Authors resist the categorization of their works. It is too much like shaving the river: causing a narrower and narrower flow of meaning and thereby a swifter rush of contemplative thought. The many currents of a good novel are lost when only one or two are accounted the whole of the motion, and a reader’s response cannot help but be made the more shallow. . . . A good novel is first of all an event as distinguished from the continual rush of many sensations and the messy overlapping experiences of our daily lives. It is a composed experience in which all sensations are tightly related for which there is a beginning and an ending within which reader’s perceivings and interpretations are shaped for a while by the internal integrity of all the elements of the narrative. Meaning devolves from and must follow the reader’s experience. Meaning therefore springs from the relationship between the reader and the writing. Should I the author ever state in uncertain terms what my book means it would cease to be a living thing. It would cease to be the novel it might have been and would rather become an illustration of some defining and delimiting concept. Sermons do that well and right properly. Novels in which themes demand an intellectual attention can only be novels in spite of these didactic interruptions.⁴

Even though commentaries are didactic interruptions to the story line, my prayer is that this commentary will continually push readers back into the narrative of Acts and the narratives of their own lives to be witnesses for Jesus.

Finally, readers should heed John Webster’s warning in reading this commentary: However genuine they may be, exegetical difficulties are, in the end, not the heart of the difficulty in reading Scripture. The real problems lie elsewhere, in our defiance of grace.⁵

Reading the Scriptures (and a commentary on the Scriptures) is spiritual warfare because the message of God communicates the presence of God (Acts 10:33). Satan will do everything he can to thwart and undermine God’s presence on the earth. He is the true God-fighter (theomachos; Acts 5:39). Therefore, one should enter any sort of spiritual reading, including this one, bathed in prayer and wary of the schemes of the devil. What you most dislike may be the very thing that requires your attention.

Writing a book is a communal event. Many helped make this better than it originally was. Thanks to Brandon Smith who was the first person to reach out to me and ask me to work on Acts. I hadn’t planned on working on Acts, but his prodding has produced a great love for Acts and will likely spin out various books and articles on Acts. I am forever shaped by doing this commentary.

Darrell Bock read an early version and provided many helpful and detailed comments to make this better. My father read it after an early first draft and helped clarify some arguments. Craig Keener, Joey Dodson, Joshua Jipp, Alan Thompson, Matthew Thiessen, Mitch Chase, Whitney Woolard, Katlyn Richards, Julia Mayo, Jon Griffiths, J. J. Routley, Adam Moore, Donnie DeBord, Jonathan Hancock, Justin Love, Eric Rosberry, Quinn Mosier, and Osvaldo Padilla also read pieces of the manuscript and provided helpful feedback. Russell Meek edited the work and helped clarify, correct mistakes, and smooth out the manuscript in many ways.

I wrote much of this book while at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Chuck Conniry was especially supportive in my writing endeavors. I edited it and put some finishing touches on it at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. Jason Allen and Jason Duesing were very kind to give me space to finish this work as I entered their institution.

I am also thankful to many Southern Baptists who support our institution and allow our faculty to do scholarship for the church. They are to be commended for having the foresight to support long-term projects that build up the church for decades, even after we are all long gone.

Finally, thanks to my family who endured my many writing and research days. Hannah’s steadiness allowed me to take time to do these projects. She is my ballast in life. My kids (Lydia, nine; Kesid, eight; Julianna, five; Canaan, three) continually gave me new life as I came home worn out and sometimes confused by all the arguments I have read. Something about the simplicity and joy of kids tends to put everything in perspective and keep one’s head out of the clouds.

abbreviations

BIBLE BOOKS

APOCRYPHA, PSEUDEPIGRAPHA, AND OTHER ANCIENT WRITINGS

COMMONLY USED SOURCES FOR NEW TESTAMENT VOLUMES

ACTS

INTRODUCTION OUTLINE

1. Reading Acts Theologically

1.1. God the Father Orchestrates

1.2. The Risen and Enthroned Christ Rules

Excursus 1: Christ’s Atonement in Acts

1.3. The Spirit Empowers

1.4. The Word Progresses

1.5. Salvation to All Flesh

1.6. The Church Is Established and Expands

Excursus 2: The Law in Acts

1.7. Witness to the Ends of the Earth

2. Reading Acts Literarily

2.1. Purpose

2.2. Genre

2.3. Editorial Techniques

2.4. Structure

3. Reading Acts Historically

3.1. Author

3.2. Date

3.3. Text

3.4. Historical Reliability

4. Reading Acts Canonically

4.1. The Unity of Luke-Acts

4.2. The Disunity of Luke-Acts

5. Method

introduction

1 READING ACTS THEOLOGICALLY

Theology is the study of God, and God is the measure of all things. As Aquinas said, Theology is taught by God, teaches of God, and leads to God.⁶ Every piece of the Christian canon, including Acts, reveals God through his action in history. God comes before history and God defines history.

To put it another way, God is not derivative of human culture; he generates human culture and speaks through it.⁷ The Christian Scriptures are thus theocentric in their purpose. God is the only character who is on both the first page and the last page of the Scriptures, so it seems right to start with theology, even for a commentary.⁸

The triune God imparts a theology in Acts. This is not to put theology in opposition to history or literature, for salvation history leads to theology, and salvation history is given in literary form. However, theology does seem to be the crown, the end result. If we compared the disciplines to an archaeological dig, then, the tools to do the digging would be historical criticism, narrative criticism, and grammatical criticism, etc., but unearthing pottery or coins is the goal. Theology, which leads ultimately to worship, is the end point of all studies. As the early church described it, the goal of the Christian life is coram Deo: living in the presence of God.

The book of Acts offers something unique in the canon. It contains 14 percent of the NT. It recounts a new stage in Christian history: post-Jesus life. Everything (canonically) before this has been either preincarnate Jesus or with Jesus. No longer are readers or characters looking forward to a Messiah or following him on the dusty roads of Jerusalem or Galilee. Now readers get a glimpse of Jesus’s followers as they seek to be faithful to Jesus after he has departed.

The new community must figure out how to act now that Christ is gone. What has God instructed them to do? Where is the kingdom? How will they respond to persecution and pressures? What is the future of God’s people? How do they live under the rule of Rome as a marginal and contested community? All of these questions are theological in nature. Their answers will be based on what one believes about Christ, the makeup of salvation history, and the content of the gospel message.

In light of this, the proposals for a theological center or theological heart of Acts twist in a variety of directions. Many claim Acts focuses on the Spirit. The Spirit is thus the primary actor in Acts, making this the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Others claim it is the Word, which becomes almost a character in Acts that does the work and has arms and legs. Others claim it is the church. The book of Acts is there to teach us about the struggles of the early church. Others claim Acts is about the transition from Peter to Paul, for after all this is the Acts of the Apostles. Others claim it is about the expansion and spread of the good news or the fulfillment of redemptive history. More recent proposals focus on the continued work of Jesus.

Elements of truth persist in each of these proposals. But rather than claiming one outdoes the others, it is better to recognize they all relate to one another. Coherency and association rather than conflict and antagonism bring these themes together. Too many propose a different central theme, arguing past one another, not realizing they are arguing for the same thing but from a different angle. Benefit therefore exists in locating these themes in a logical and conceptual order. Rather than being disparate, these themes are a mosaic––the pieces fit together. To put them out of place does damage to our understanding as a whole.

The order, to no surprise, is found in Luke’s narrative. To put this another way, one cannot theologize Acts correctly without narrativizing.⁹ As Marguerat states, We cannot reach the theology the author has written into his work without adopting the itinerary he imposes on his readers.¹⁰ Or as Pervo puts it, Acts is a narrative, and its theology must be recovered from the narrative.¹¹

For example, one cannot speak about the Spirit according to Acts without putting it in the frame of the risen Christ. One cannot speak of Christ without speaking of the Father’s plan. One cannot speak about the word without speaking of the church. One cannot speak about the witness of the apostles without relating it to the empowering of the Spirit.

I have chosen seven themes that summarize Luke’s main theological aims, though certainly many more could be added: (1) God the Father orchestrates; (2) Christ, the risen and enthroned One, rules (3) through the empowering Spirit, (4) causing the Word to progress, (5) bringing salvation to all flesh, and (6) forming the church, who (7) continues to witness about the triune God to the ends of the earth.

Luke emphasizes all of these themes in different ways, but my order is purposeful: a Lukan logic exists. The triune God stands at the head because the remaining themes flow from God the Father’s plan; the risen, enthroned, and active Christ, and the Spirit’s descent and empowerment.¹² There is a fittingness to the priority and order of the Father, Son, and Spirit in Acts that accords with their eternal relations of origin. The Spirit of Christ empowers the word concerning salvation in Jesus’s name. Through the word, salvation in Jesus’s name is announced to all flesh. Salvation comes creating the church (comprised of both Jews and Gentiles), who witness to the actions of the triune God.

When all of these are tied together, the priority of the Trinitarian shape surfaces from the message of Acts. Acts is about God, the God who continues his mission to glorify himself by blessing the nations through his chosen people. Though this book is about God, the agency of God never negates the agency of his people; it empowers them. The time has come to look at each of these theological themes in more detail.

1.1 God the Father Orchestrates

1.1 GOD THE FATHER ORCHESTRATES

Though most Acts commentaries do not begin with God the Father, it is clear throughout the narrative that all the action is sourced and stems from the Father. The Father is the one who has all authority (1:7), the one who fulfills his promises to Israel through the Son and Spirit and blesses the nations. Darrell Bock rightly declares, God is the major actor in Luke-Acts, and Squires concludes the plan of God functions as the foundational theological motif for Luke-Acts.¹³

Luke employs terminology such as the will of God,¹⁴ the plan of God,¹⁵ the Greek term dei (it is necessary),¹⁶ and fulfillment¹⁷ extensively throughout Acts. He arranges the story of the early church in the broadest possible theological context: the plan of God.¹⁸ This can be seen by Luke’s emphasis on the activity of the Son and Spirit, manifestations of divine agents, and miracles.¹⁹ Human characters are subsidiary to the larger story of divine activity.²⁰

The Father acts (2:11; 14:27; 15:4,7–8,14; 21:19), speaks (2:17; 3:21; 7:6–7; 8:14), attests to Jesus (2:22), raised Jesus from the dead (2:24; 3:15,22,26; 4:10; 5:30; 7:37; 10:40; 13:30,37; 26:8), anointed Jesus (10:38), appointed him to be judge (10:42), swore an oath to David (2:30), is seated in the heavens (2:33; 7:56), made Jesus Lord and Messiah (2:36; 5:31), calls people (2:39), deserves worship (2:47; 3:8–9; 4:21; 16:25; 17:17; 18:7,13; 22:3; 23:1; 24:14–16), is the God of Israel’s ancestors (3:13,25; 7:17,32,46; 13:17; 22:14), fulfilled what he said in the Scriptures (3:18; 13:33), deserves obedience (4:19; 5:4,29; 10:4), listens (4:24), reveals (4:31; 6:7; 10:28; 12:24), orchestrates (5:39; 10:15), delivers (7:25,35,45), punishes (7:42; 12:23), has power (8:10), gave the Holy Spirit (5:32; 8:20; 11:17), is glorious (7:2,55; 11:18), great (10:46), gracious (11:23; 13:43; 14:26; 27:24), present (7:9; 10:33), and alive (14:15), helps (26:22), does not show favoritism (10:34), appoints witnesses (10:41), is to be feared (13:16,26), performs wonders (15:12; 19:11), calls (16:10), created all things (17:24), commands (17:30), demands repentance (20:21), deserves thanks (27:35; 28:15), has a plan (20:27), establishes a church (20:28), and provides salvation (28:28).²¹

In summary, God the Father orchestrates every action in both the divine and human realms. The Father therefore intervenes in history but regularly through means of Jesus, the Spirit, his apostles, and his word. As Marguerat argues, divine interventions in Acts determine or regulate the action (a man appears to Paul calling him to Macedonia), they perform a function (God saves Paul from prison), or they interpret an event (God appears to Stephen to justify his speech).²²

All of the other themes in Acts, and their subsidiary themes, are in some way linked to God the Father and his plan. The Father has decisively interrupted history through the sending of the Son and the Spirit, and not seeing the Father’s role in all of Luke’s recounting overlooks a major, if not the major, refrain. Rosner helpfully summarizes the emphasis on the Father in Acts.

The message in Acts is described as the word of God (see Luke 3:2–17; 5:1; 8:11; Acts 4:29,31; 6:2,7; 8:14; 11:1; 12:24; 13:5,7,44,46,48; 16:32; 17:13; 18:11), its content concerns the kingdom of God (1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 28:23,31) and the salvation of God (28:28; cf., 7:25), and its progress depends upon the purpose, will, and plan of God.²³

Acts is about the church, Christ, and the Spirit; but these themes flow from or, to use early church language, are begotten from God the Father. The Father is at work; his plan is regularly enacted by the Son, the Spirit, and his sanctified.

1.2 THE RISEN AND ENTHRONED CHRIST RULES

God the Father’s deeds centralize on the Son even though Jesus is absent bodily. Luke is the only author to offer an actual account of Jesus’s departure, and he does so twice, once at the end of his Gospel (24:50–53) and once at the beginning of Acts (1:9–11). Some have argued because of this that Acts exhibits an absentee Christology. While Jesus is physically absent in most of Acts, the focus is not so much on his absence or inactivity "but rather the place from which Jesus rules for the rest of Acts."²⁴ The resurrection and ascension become the hinge on which Luke’s volume turns, a watershed event that determines and directs the rest of the narrative.

Essentially, Luke affirms that the resurrection and ascension of Jesus prove that Jesus is the Davidic King and Royal Priest who fulfills the Father’s promises to Israel. The resurrection, as Crowe argues, proves to be a major artery that runs through Luke’s work and is the first among equals when speaking of Christ’s exaltation. Chrysostom calls Acts a demonstration of the resurrection.²⁵ Marguerat likewise says the resurrection is the heart of the message of Luke-Acts.²⁶

The resurrection is central in the major speeches (especially at Pentecost and Pisidian Antioch) and continues through images and shadows as people are healed and rescued. The apostles are called to be witnesses to the resurrection since the resurrection vindicates Christ’s work (1:22). In Luke 20:27–40 Jesus speaks of two ages: this age and the age of the resurrection. Acts is set in resurrection days and therefore has abundant resurrection tropes.

However, Jesus’s ascension also needs to be included since his ascent is no afterthought or meaningless rubber stamp upon the resurrection.²⁷ Rather, it is an event in its own right, and the two realties should not be equated, though they should be related. In the narratives, creeds, and sermons, the ascension is a separate event. If the resurrection proclaims Jesus lives forever, the ascension proclaims he reigns forever. Jesus’s ascension marks not the cessation of his work but the continuation of his reign from heaven.

The Acts of the Apostles therefore is based on the fundamental reality of the continuing reign of the living and enthroned Christ. At key moments in the Acts narrative, Jesus appears, showing he still is very much active (cf. 7:55–56; 9:5–6,34; 22:10,17–21; 26:16–18).²⁸After the emphasis on the apostles in Acts 1, most of the apostles basically disappear from the narrative, except Peter and Paul.²⁹ Although Acts has been historically known as The Acts of the Apostles, this title may skew the theological and Christocentric nature of Luke’s work.³⁰ A better title for Acts would be the Acts of the Risen and Ascended Lord Jesus.³¹

The development of all the other themes in Acts are sourced in the reality of Christ’s resurrection and enthronement. As one scholar has put it, The ascension [and resurrection] is for Luke the point of intersection of Christology, eschatology, and ecclesiology.³² Evangelicals have been prone to focus on the cross, but the resurrection-ascension is also central to Christ’s work, the gospel story, Trinitarian theology, and the narrative of Acts for a whole host of reasons.³³

First, if geography is central to the structure of Acts, then the place where the risen Jesus reigns is the theological root for narrative fruit. Jesus’s resurrection and ascension are his victory, and his ascent enthrones him as the one with supreme authority overall. As Justus Jonas said, When he ascended he took captive captivity, that is, sin, death, hell and the kingdom of the devil.³⁴ He now continues to direct the affairs of the church from heaven. Heaven is the space and sphere from which all reality is ruled and judged, where salvation goes forth into time and space.

The resurrection and ascension are thus essential parts of the gospel story and need better narrative positioning in Acts, Luke’s work as a whole, and even the entire biblical narrative. The spread of the gospel geographically is inseparable from Christ’s cosmic reign in the heavens.³⁵ Earthly space is reordered by the heavenly Christ: The ascension order reconstructs new spaces.³⁶ Christ’s reign in heaven is the primary setting for the book of Acts, forming the theological and narratival perspective for the rest of the story. If the journey motif is the most prominent organization element of Luke-Acts, then Jesus’s journey to heaven is the cornerstone of this plot.

Second, every portion of Acts seems to allude to or stem from Christ’s exalted status. Peter’s Pentecost sermon places a major emphasis on Jesus’s resurrection and ascension. Peter details Jesus’s life (2:22) and death (2:23) but spends the bulk of his time on his resurrection and ascension (2:24–36).

Peter quotes from Ps 110:1, confirming the centrality of Jesus’s exaltation for the good news he preaches. Jesus has been made both Lord and Messiah (2:36). Throughout Acts, the apostles and Luke himself refer to Jesus as Lord and Messiah (1:21; 3:6,16; 4:9–12,17,30,33; 5:14,28,40–41; 8:16; 9:3–6,10–16,35,42; 10:13–15; 14:3; 16:14; 18:9–10; 22:17–21; 23:11).

The centrality of the enthronement of Christ is also seen in the emphasis on the Spirit. It is the resurrected-ascended Lord (and the Father) who sends the Holy Spirit to his people. Jesus is the baptizer — the anointed anointer (Luke 3:16). In his Pentecost sermon Peter explains Jesus’s ascension and pouring out of the Spirit as linked: Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, . . . he has poured out this that you yourselves are hearing and seeing (Acts 2:33 ESV).

The Spirit’s task was to reshape the earth for God’s purposes through his community (as at creation). As the goal of the Roman Empire was to shape the world in its image, so the Spirit challenges their construction effort. Rome created beautiful buildings, constructed travel routes, and reconstructed the land to inculcate the Pax Romana.³⁷ The Spirit comes and constructs a new temple — new buildings with a distinct type of beauty and unity.

The resurrection and ascension of Christ are thus critical for any reading of Acts because these works are cosmic (reign of Jesus in the heavens), political (Jesus is Lord), and liturgical (the church enacts this movement in their rituals) in scope. These works are also central because they are fundamentally a Trinitarian reality. In the resurrection Jesus is raised by the Father and Spirit (Rom 8:11); in the ascension Jesus returns to the Father (John 16:28; 20:17) and bestows the Spirit (Acts 2:33). Any reading of Acts that neglects the Christological center or the Trinitarian nature of this work will be fundamentally skewed from the start.

Excursus 1: Christ’s Atonement in Acts

Some have questioned (or even denied) whether the cross, atonement, and sacrificial aspects of Christ’s death function as centrally in Luke’s writing as in the other NT authors. Although good work has been done showing their presence in the Gospel, the question of what role Christ’s sacrifice plays in Acts remains. Though the emphasis lies on the resurrection and ascension of Christ, or his victory, this does not mean the cross is absent or unimportant. Rather, these events should be viewed in unison.

First, the cross-resurrection-ascension are all a single script in the minds of the NT authors. Luke’s Gospel spends a significant amount of time on the cross, which should inform Acts. The resurrection-ascension confirms and validates the victory on the cross. Without the cross, neither the resurrection nor the ascension happen, nor do they have the significance attached to them. Alternatively, without the resurrection-ascension, the cross simply becomes a tragedy. The Gospel of John speaks of the cross as Jesus’s exaltation. On the cross Jesus was lifted up and glorified. In this way, the cross begins Jesus’s ascent, with the resurrection and the ascension following and validating what has already happened on the cross.

Second, Moffitt has argued that Luke connects forgiveness and purification with Jesus’s exaltation.³⁸ The ascension is the culminating sacrificial act as Jesus conveys the materials of the sacrifice into God’s presence and presents his blood by approaching the true altar in heaven. Acts notably begins with Jesus’s ascent, thus putting the whole book under the banner of blood, forgiveness, and purification.

Third, the Spirit arrives as the Spirit of Christ who applies his work of redemption. The Spirit applies blood and washes by water. Without the Spirit’s application of redemption, no salvation ensues. Without Christ’s atoning death, the Spirit has no redemption to apply. All four Gospels proclaim the outpouring of the Spirit is the work of Christ who has accomplished redemption. Jesus gives them the Spirit, and the Spirit gives them Jesus.

Fourth, Acts showcases the cross through the lives of his followers, the servants.³⁹ Luke’s portrait of Jesus’s death is more indirect, allusive, and embodied than explicit in Acts. Jesus is the Suffering Servant, and the apostles are the Servant’s servants. Luke’s Gospel highlights Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem, which is his journey to his death. The apostles likewise will suffer in Jerusalem, and then Paul will travel to Jerusalem and Rome in order to be on trial like Jesus. In Luke’s Gospel Jesus is presented as the innocent and righteous sufferer. This theme appropriately receives due attention in Acts as the apostles are presented as righteous sufferers who carry the aroma of Jesus’s death (3:13,18,26; 4:3,27; 5:18,40; 5:18; 7:57–60; 8:32–33; 12:1–3; 12:1–3; 23–26).

Fifth, the apostles consistently preach the forgiveness of sins and salvation, which are explicitly tied to Jesus’s death (2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18). Add to this that Luke emphasizes Jesus’s death is according to the plan and will of God (1:16; 2:23; 3:18; 4:28; 13:27,29; 17:3). When Paul says farewell to the Ephesian elders, he mentions that God has obtained the church with his own blood (20:28). When the apostles break bread, they reenact the covenant meal which focused on the body and blood of Jesus (2:42,46; 20:7; 27:35).

Therefore, the cross is not absent in Acts. Luke’s second volume emphasizes Jesus’s exalted state, but this is always connected to Christ’s atonement. In addition, the cross comes into play to a great extent in the lives of his followers as they are persecuted and die like their Savior.

1.3 THE SPIRIT EMPOWERS

While some point to the work of the Spirit as the main theological theme in Acts, this theme logically comes under and after the Father’s authority and the reign of the ascended Lord.⁴⁰ Jesus speaks of the Spirit as the Father’s promise but also indicates the Spirit is poured out after Jesus’s exaltation: one follows the other, for the mantle of Christ descends with the Spirit (2:33). The work of the Spirit is therefore vital to any reading of Acts but in narrative order.

Chrysostom says, The Gospels are a history of what Christ did and said; but Acts, of what that ‘other Comforter’ said and did. He also calls Acts the Polity of the Holy Spirit.⁴¹ While other literature in the NT interprets the work of the Spirit, Acts recounts the work of the Spirit in history.⁴² As Coakley says, the Spirit cannot be reduced from the powerful brooding dove to a shrinking Pigeon––small, shadowy, and hard to see.⁴³ A brief exploration of some Lukan emphases on the Spirit is appropriate here.

First, Luke continues his emphasis on the Spirit from his first volume. Mark refers to the Spirit six times, Matthew twelve times, while Luke refers to the Spirit at least seventeen times––this does not even include the references to the Spirit as power or promise. The Spirit’s work is therefore hardwired to Luke’s literature and cannot be separated from the one who possesses and bestows the Spirit. Luke even at one point modifies Spirit with Jesus, calling him the Spirit of Jesus (Acts 16:7) and a few other times the Spirit of the Lord (5:9; 8:39), though normally the modifier is Holy.⁴⁴ Jesus is born by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35; 2:25–27; Matt 1:18), receives the Spirit at his baptism (Luke 3:22; Matt 3:16), drives out demons by the Spirit of God (Matt 12:28), and claims that denying his work blasphemes the Spirit (Matt 12:31–32). Maybe most importantly is Jesus’s mission statement in Luke 4:18–19 taken from Isa 61:1–2.

The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

The Spirit effects the new Jubilee, a new era, the new covenant, and a new relationship with God. Acts continues this story but transitions to a new stage where Jesus is ascended; now the Spirit rests on his people as the Spirit rested on him and brings them into union with God. The Spirit testifies to Christ, and Christ testifies to the Father.

Second, the Spirit fulfills the prophetic and eschatological hope of the OT (2:17).⁴⁵ The Spirit, from the beginning, was the One who gave life, who breathed the breath of God into human beings, and who brought order out of chaos. The Spirit empowered people for specific tasks and cleansed them, signifying life and order. To restore this order, the promise of the new covenant was that the Spirit would be given to a Davidic individual and then to all.⁴⁶

The OT promised that the king from David’s line would have the "Spirit of the Lord rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and