The Book of Acts

The Book of Acts

The book of Acts is known as 'the birth of the church'. Acts recounts the story of

the early church from the time of Jesus' ascension to Paul's arrival as a prisoner in Rome. Acts was written by the author of Luke's gospel, Luke. Although the author does not name himself, evidence from the book itself proves that the author was Luke.

Luke was a physician. Scriptural evidence of this includes Colossians 4:14: "Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings." Luke often used medical language. For instance, he finds the sailors bandaging the ship in Acts 27:17: "When the men had hoisted in aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together.

Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbar of Syrtis, they lowered the sea

anchor and let the ship be driven alone." These two verses along with others in the

scripture prove that Luke was a doctor. Some even think that Luke was the first medical missionary.

Luke was often a traveling companion of Paul. Luke served as a personal comfort to Paul. Luke appears to travel very often, and he is very familiar with nautical terms. This is supported in Acts 16:10-12: " (10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neopolis. (12) From there we traveled to Phillipi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days." Because it is written

that Luke was a doctor, and that he and Paul were called by God to preach the gospel, it is evident that Luke was a medical missionary. ...

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... always preached to the Jews first (13:5), and turned to the gentiles only after his fellow Jews had rejected him. "And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister."

The book of Acts is very important because of its explanation of the birth of the church. The authorship of the book may not be listed in the book, but after reading Acts and comparing it to Luke's first account, it is obvious that he is the author. Luke's gives much insight to the beginning of the church. A better understanding of where the church began and where it has progressed to can be gained after thoroughly reading the book.

Bibliography:

http://www.stpetersnottingham.org/bible/acts.htm

Acts: The Birth of the Church, Blaiklock, New Jersey, 1980

The Holy Bible

bibletutor.luthersem.edu