Commentary on Acts -- General Comments
by Dave Brown
Click to link to:
Acts 1-5
Acts 6-10
Acts 11-15
Acts 16-20
Acts 21-25
Acts 26-28
Comments on the Commentary
The book of Acts is probably the most under-rated book of the New Testament. This author can remember thinking at one point: "we sure do not need to get bogged down going through the book of Acts once again." I plead guilty to having an immature view of this wonderful and amazing book. I was viewing it as mere history that had little impact on us today. In fact, every verse of Acts is jammed with doctrinal implications, many of which are not revealed anywhere else in the bible. Think about a New Testament without Acts. We understand the gospels -- they tell the life of Christ and all of its ramifications before the cross. Then there are Paul's letters mainly to various churches that had been established. I submit that it would be impossible to put these letters into context without the book of Acts, much like it is impossible to put much of the New Testament into context in the total absence of the Old Testament. But Acts is much more than just a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. It is a definitive work that enlightens us as to how the Holy Spirit worked in the first century and thus gives us the background to understand how He works within us today. It demonstrates the Great Commission in action as each conversion involves a different type, nation, or race of people. It shows how we can and ought to hold up under persecution. It shows how God uses the evils of persecution and turns them around to satisfy his ends in making all things work together for good. We could go on and on but you cannot prove the recipe for the cake until you eat it, and that is what we are encouraging you to do -- get into it deeply. Don't just skim the icing -- get down under the hood and get the real blessing that are there. You will never regret the time that you spend in doing so.
It is well established that Luke was the human writer of the book of Acts. We will often say in the commentary that "Luke said this" or Luke was trying to do something. We believe that you will realize as you get into an intensive study of the book of Acts that Luke nor any other man could have written this historic account without major help from the Holy Spirit. Many things that Luke just could not know, some of them revealing the very hearts and minds of certain individuals. So please, although we will for brevity attribute the authorship to Luke, any reference to Luke should probably be expanded to "Luke, with the aid of the Holy Spirit" or even "the Holy Spirit through Luke."
Go to Acts 1-5
Acts 1-5
Acts 6-10
Acts 11-15
Acts 16-20
Acts 21-25
Acts 26-28
Comments on the Commentary
The book of Acts is probably the most under-rated book of the New Testament. This author can remember thinking at one point: "we sure do not need to get bogged down going through the book of Acts once again." I plead guilty to having an immature view of this wonderful and amazing book. I was viewing it as mere history that had little impact on us today. In fact, every verse of Acts is jammed with doctrinal implications, many of which are not revealed anywhere else in the bible. Think about a New Testament without Acts. We understand the gospels -- they tell the life of Christ and all of its ramifications before the cross. Then there are Paul's letters mainly to various churches that had been established. I submit that it would be impossible to put these letters into context without the book of Acts, much like it is impossible to put much of the New Testament into context in the total absence of the Old Testament. But Acts is much more than just a bridge between the gospels and the epistles. It is a definitive work that enlightens us as to how the Holy Spirit worked in the first century and thus gives us the background to understand how He works within us today. It demonstrates the Great Commission in action as each conversion involves a different type, nation, or race of people. It shows how we can and ought to hold up under persecution. It shows how God uses the evils of persecution and turns them around to satisfy his ends in making all things work together for good. We could go on and on but you cannot prove the recipe for the cake until you eat it, and that is what we are encouraging you to do -- get into it deeply. Don't just skim the icing -- get down under the hood and get the real blessing that are there. You will never regret the time that you spend in doing so.
It is well established that Luke was the human writer of the book of Acts. We will often say in the commentary that "Luke said this" or Luke was trying to do something. We believe that you will realize as you get into an intensive study of the book of Acts that Luke nor any other man could have written this historic account without major help from the Holy Spirit. Many things that Luke just could not know, some of them revealing the very hearts and minds of certain individuals. So please, although we will for brevity attribute the authorship to Luke, any reference to Luke should probably be expanded to "Luke, with the aid of the Holy Spirit" or even "the Holy Spirit through Luke."
Go to Acts 1-5