The volume will serve as the new point of departure for students of this important but neglected apocryphal book likely in origin the first of the major apocryphal acts and thus standing at the threshold between christian canon and christian apocrypha. Preparations for worldwide witnessing, jesus ascension, outpouring of holy spirit, persecution of disciples, sauls conversion, paul and barnabas, missionary tours. The acts were considered orthodox by hippolytus but were eventually regarded as heretical when the manichaeans started using the texts. Imagine what it would be like if the book of acts wasnt in the bible. Mar 23, 2015 this video explains the transitional book that is the book of acts, and how it starts with jews to jews, and slowly changes to gentiles, as the jewish nation as a whole rejects jesus christ, and. We wouldnt know what had happened if it werent for this book. The presence and working of the holy spirit is the dominating mark of the book of acts.
It is another in a multitude of evidences that the book of acts is dependable history. More than likely, luke completed the book before either of these events occurred, sometime between ad 60 and ad 62, while paul sat in prison, awaiting the resolution of his appeal. You see, jesus is still active and alive on planet earth today, and he still has a body. The book ends with paul in prison in rome for the first time. So, many students think that luke completed acts very soon after this. And if we leave out the book of acts and skip to the epistles of paul, we find that, instead of twelve apostles or eleven preaching only to israel.
Readers will follow sproul as he preaches through the book of acts. James and the elders of the church at jerusalem, asked paul to gratify the. Through the ministry of saul of tarsus, gods mission to reclaim his creation from the death grip of evil would move to its next stage. The book of the acts of the apostles forms the fifth, and last, of the historical books of the new testament. A good study bible we recommend the following features. Probably written about ad 160180, the acts of paul is an account of the apostle pauls travels and teachings. The author of the acts of paul is unknown and wrote out of respect for paul in asia minor. Book of acts overview insight for living ministries. While there are some areas of great detail of the acts of the apostles, many times you must use cross references to the gospels of matthew, mark, luke and john as well as some other epistles in the new testament to get the full picture of what was. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament.
We saw this pattern in pauls preaching throughout the book of acts. In the book of acts, you find out what jesus is doing in his mystical body, the church. Commentary on the book of acts of the apostles by matthew. Verse 3 i am a jew, born in tarsus of cilicia, but brought up in this city, at the feet of gamaliel, instructed according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for god, even as ye all are this day.
Read acts commentary using commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible. His subsequent history is not recorded, which would indicate the book was. This commentary is based upon my personal devotional notes and reflections on the book of acts. Charles swindoll points out that when we study the journeys of paul in the book of acts, were not just reading the travel log of a man. The volume will serve as the new point of departure for students of this important but neglected apocryphal booklikely in origin the first of the major apocryphal acts and thus standing at the threshold between christian canon and christian apocrypha. Paul ascribed all his success to god, and to god they gave the praise. The tradition from the earliest days of the church has been that luke, a companion of the apostle paul, wrote the books of luke and acts colossians 4. Although the author does not name himself, evidence outside the scriptures and inferences from the book itself lead to the conclusion that the author. The book of acts, also called acts of the apostles, does not specifically identify its author. The book of acts also describes the work of the two apostles peter and paul. Pauls suffering acts 2028 bible commentary produced by tow project paul needs every ounce of courage because of the heavy sufferings he knows his work will bring.
Acts of paul, one of the earliest of a series of pseudepigraphal noncanonical new testament writings known collectively as the apocryphal acts. Mar 17, 2014 the introduction, notes, and commentary are rich and disciplined. Greece, and malta today, and closes with the apostle pauls two year ministry in. Secondly luke at the end of acts luke mentions pauls twoyear imprisonment in rome. Tertullian found it heretical because it encouraged women to preach and baptize. Commentary on the book of acts bible study notes and comments by david e. Or maybe gamaliel, who was pauls teacher, was there.
This may be the greatest threat to the work of the gospel seen in the book of acts. The acts of paul is one of the major works and earliest pseudepigraphal series from the new testament apocrypha also known as apocryphal acts. Acts free bible commentary on the book of acts in easy. By merging the two accounts, we learn that ananias had a dual purpose. Acts free bible commentary on the book of acts in easy english. Acts commentary commentary critical and explanatory on. Acts commentary commentary critical and explanatory on the. T he book of acts in the bible, written around 6263 a. Pauls epistles, as many circumstances in them are referred to by the narrative contained. And on this account it has been generally placed at the end of the four gospels. The correspondence with the corinthians, partly preserved in the coptic, and current separately in armenian and latin.
Most can be obtained from a good religious bookstore. The geographical centre of the first part is jerusalem, of the second antioch, where the first great assembly of converted heathens was formed. This is the first entry in the bible junkies online commentary on the acts. Acts 27 new international version niv paul sails for rome.
In the book of acts, it is his new body, which is the church, and jesus is alive and well today in his mystical body. You pick up your bible and see the ministry of jesus ending in the gospel of john. Verse 16 the man who was standing in court had never been. Commentary critical and explanatory on the whole bible acts. Acts with book summary versebyverse bible commentary. Pauls suffering acts 2028 bible commentary theology. How long paul spent in antioch is not revealed, not even whether it was days or years, but a reasonable chronology of the book of acts does not allow a long delay before the beginning of his third missionary journey. Matthew henry 18 october 1662 22 june 1714 was an english commentator on the bible, who published his works in 1706, sixvolume exposition of the old and new testaments 17081710 or complete commentary, provides an exhaustive verse by verse study of the bible, covering the whole of the old testament, and the gospels and acts in the new testament. What follows is an an organized and curated list of content.
Luke was from antioch but traveled with paul all over southern europe and the middle east. Peters activities are described at some length, and john and philip are mentioned, but more than half of the book is about paul and his connection with the christian movement. Paul needs every ounce of courage because of the heavy sufferings he knows his work will bring. There are a number of good commentaries on the book of acts. Acts 20 in depth versebyverse commentary and bible study of acts chapter 20 in plain english. Paul and barnabas respond to the teaching of the men from judea. Ian paul is described as a freelance theologian as well as an. The book has been called the acts of the apostles, really a misnomer because acts has very little to say concerning most of the original twelve apostles. Acts overview mcgarveys original commentary on acts. Study the bible online using commentary on acts and more. Acts 27 paul sails for rome when it was bible gateway.
Another account of ananiass visit to saul appears later in the book of acts acts 22. We may assume that he left after a few months at most. Doughty southside christian church january 2014 introduction. A better title would be the acts or the workings of the holy spirit, because he is the real main character of the book. In the gospels, it was his material, physical body.
The introduction, notes, and commentary are rich and disciplined. An approximate date given to the acts of paul is 160 ce. Click here for an exhaustive list of content on acts. Since acts ends with paul awaiting trial before caesar, some have wondered if lukeacts are not defense briefs on pauls behalf to give a roman official. Acts is the only biblical book that chronicles the history of the church immediately after jesuss ascension.
Book of acts versebyverse bible study and indepth commentary of the acts of the apostles in plain english for everyone to understand. The following are the five that i have found to be the most helpful. The translation is exhilarating, at times even racy. The author does not show any dependency on the canonical acts but uses oral traditions of paul s missionary work. Paul s epistles, as many circumstances in them are referred to by the narrative contained. A commentary on the acts of the apostles by pastor galen l. It traces the first decades in the history of the church after the resurrection of christ, focusing in particular on the work of peter and paul. When we reach the end of the book of acts we see, as it were, the final act of rejection by the jews, and the times of the gentiles officially begins. The unique contribution of the book of acts, part of a series. Guzik bible commentary 20 david guzik no distribution beyond personal use without permission for more information and resources visit. Commentary on the book of acts bible study lessons. This video explains the transitional book that is the book of acts, and how it starts with jews to jews, and slowly changes to gentiles, as the jewish nation as a. We do not recommend loose translations or oneman translations.
At troas, luke, the writer of the book, evidently joined paul, for in verses 4, 6, 7, 8, it is uniformly they, whereas in verse 10 the pronoun suddenly becomes we, and that and us continue well into the account of the doings at philippi. Top 5 commentaries on the book of acts ligonier ministries. Its narrative supplies a bridge connecting the life and ministry of jesus to the life of the church and the witness of the earliest believers. Book of acts versebyverse bible study and indepth commentary of the. Andrews expositional commentary series, are the result of years of careful preparation and weekly, biblecentered preaching. Indeed paul, who was not one of the twelve, is the great apostle of. These speeches make up about 25% of the entire book of acts. Ephesian disciples are baptized in the holy spirit. At one time the gospel of luke and the book of acts were joined together as one book with two volumes. Acts of the apostles bible study notes, commentary, and comments. He went to the jew first and then, when the jews rejected the gospel, paul went to the gentiles. And it happened, while apollos was at corinth, that paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to ephesus. Peter is the human main character in the first 12 chapters, paul in the second part from chapter.
God had honoured him more than any of the apostles, yet they did not envy him. Acts overview, one of over 110 bible commentaries freely available, this one. This commentary on acts 23 treats paul s appearance before the sanhedrin and his removal from jerusalem to save him from assassins. First, he wanted the false doctrine of works righteousness to succeed. Acts commentary commentary critical and explanatory. The book of acts provides a detailed, orderly, eyewitness account of the birth and growth of the early church and the spread of the gospel immediately after the resurrection of jesus christ. The beginning verses of acts make it clear that acts is a sequel of the story started in luke and written to the same man named theophilus, generally a title ascribed to highranking roman officials. The book will therefore have been written only after the end of this time. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the scriptures. Acts of the apostles online commentary america magazine. Acts 20 indepth versebyverse commentary and bible study of acts chapter 20 in plain english. The holy spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and persecutions are.
Acts is a transitional book in the sense that it gives us the record of the way god moved in the minds and hearts of men to found and establish the church and begin its great work in the world today. The life and teachings of jesus christ are established in the four gospel narratives, and the book of acts provides a coordinated account of the beginning and spread of the church as the result of the work of the risen lord and the holy spirit through the apostles. But even if it didnt, satan wanted a costly, bitter doctrinal war to complete split and sour the church. The account of the gospel spreading to the gentiles is the story of the roots of our faith. They could not do more to encourage paul to go on cheerfully in his work.
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