Knowing our history and where we come from informs our identity and defines how we move in the world today. 

Author: Luke

Date: 80(ish)

Audience: Theophilus (Beloved of God)

Genre: Historical Narrative- only one on the NT. Just telling us what happened. Unique compared to Hist Narr in OT. Instead of stories of failure and sin of God’s people in the OT it is mostly victory and triumph. The OT shows trying to serve God in our own power while Acts shows us what it is like to be empowered by the HS to serve God. 

Purpose: Confidence (Luke 1:1-4) 

Content: shows us other purposes along side Confidence. 

Luke the Historian-

1. Things fulfilled-they didn’t just happen. They were planned. 

2. Eyewitnesses observed- documentable, verifiable. 

3. Handed down- to the next generation of believers. Luke was an eye witness to part, but not all. 

4. Investigated- Luke heard the testimony of eye witness and then researched them himself. Your questions are welcome here. An unexamined faith is not worth believing. It stands up to scrutiny.

5. Written- Luke then wrote it out. 

Luke the diplomatic/apologist-

Luke leaves out some of the most significant historical events that happened in the first century. He barely mentions the disciples if at all. He only talks about what happens in the spread of the Gospel moving North and West. He is concerned about how the Roman system views and treats Christianity. He is writing an apologetic defense to prove that Christianity is peaceful and not a threat. He points out Roman citizens that convert to Christianity and become better citizens and how Christians are declared innocent over and over in Roman courts. He shows that they are lawful because they start from the Synagogues as a continuation of Judaism that already has lawful status. 

We know that Theophilus is a Latinized Greek name and he is addressed as “most excellent” indicating that he is probably an official of Rome. It is likely that Theophilus had authority and influence in Rome to help shape how Rome viewed Christians. 

Luke the theologian-

Themes of Salvation and the Holy Spirit. The desire to see all people experience these things and they create unity. Our stories are each other’s because we are part of the same story of Jesus and the church. 

Structure-

Some say the joining together of two biographies; Peter and then Paul. Some say three sections: the Gospel spread from Jerusalem, Judea, and the ends of the earth (nickname of Rome because ideas that go there will end up everywhere). 

Gordon Fee says an unstoppable Gospel and with 6 hinges notated by the declaration of the church growth through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

“All the Jesus began to do and teach….” It indicates that Jesus is continuing His work even after ascension through the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke/Acts should be called The Acts of Jesus volume one and volume two. 

“The apostles whom he had chosen…” when we hear apostles we hear the 12 and Paul. Things said to them, he says it to them for the church. Jesus reveals himself to so many more than the 12 though. There were hundreds.