The Book of Acts

Written to communicate the spread of the gospel to all nations, Luke presents to Theophilus and others the validity of the Christian faith by documenting the growth of the church.  This spread of the news of Jesus came because the resurrected Lord appeared to the disciples and the Holy Spirit came upon His people at Pentecost.  What resulted makes it plain to the reader that the origin, the sustainability, and the boldness of the believers and their message come not from themselves.  The sovereign God has ushered in the kingdom and has chosen a people to proclaim Christ crucified and risen.  This message of forgiveness of sins to all who trust in Jesus cannot be stopped, just as Jesus was never stopped.  God Almighty will continue His sovereign work, and so persecutions and trials point not to the deficiencies of the kingdom but to the value of the King.

Truly, the power of the message lies in the power of the Holy Spirit who moves through the Word being heard to call from the ends of the earth peoples who have been ordained to eternal life.  These people joyfully receive the Word even if their lives are called for because they know unshakeable realities.  Among them, are gospel bearers like Paul who are lights to the Gentiles which illumine the world with the reality of the Jewish Messiah.  Christ alone brings restoration to the house of Israel and He alone reconciles the unrighteous because of His life, death, and resurrection.  And even as the message is rejected, God’s purposes are brought to fruition—the gods of the peoples are shown to be idols, and the kingdom of God is advancing.  Now is the time for repentance because He will judge the world in righteousness (17:31).