PLACE OF ACTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

PLACE OF ACTS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Virgil Warren, PhD

Basic proposition: Place leads to purpose.

    I. Traces the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome

                  Note  Acts 1:8 pattern:                  Jerusalem

                                                                        Judaea

                                                                        Samaria

                                                                        Ends of the earth (Rome)

                     (HISTORICAL)                         Provides a framework for Paul’s epistles

   II. Covers the intercalary period between the beginning of the church and the end of

        Israel (middle third of the first century)

                                                                        Covers to within three years of the time when

                                                                        the Roman armies began (in 66) working their

                                                                        way up from the coast to Jerusalem

                     (APOLOGETIC)                       Note  the  gist  of  Gamaliel’s  speech  (Acts 5).

                                                                        The purpose  of this period  was to  show  that

                                                                        Jesus  Messiah  was  not  leading  just  another

                                                                        fly-by-night Messianic movement.

  III. Carries out the work of the Spirit in the initial spread of the church

                     (THEOLOGICAL)                    Note the number of incidents in which the Holy                                                                               

                                                                        Spirit plays a prominent part.

 IV. Connects the ministry of Jesus (gospels) with the meaning of Jesus (epistles)

       V. Provides a historical framework for conceivably all the other New Testament writings

      if we should espouse the idea that all the New Testament books were written before

      the destruction of Jerusalem (John A. T. Robertson).

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