1. Old Testament Narrative Style
Luke
writes in the style of the Greek Old Testament (LXX – Septuagint). He viewed
his writing as recording sacred history. “He believed that the events which he
was recording were the fulfillment of the prophecies contained in the
Scriptures and that consequently they were the same kind of divinely wrought
events as were already recorded in the Scriptures” (I.H. Marshall, 18).
2. Speeches
Most
of the theological content of the book of Acts is conveyed through the sermons
and speeches it recounts. These speeches comprise nearly 1/3 of the total text.
Most
of these speeches take less than a few minutes to read out loud; however, it is
unlikely that the comments of the speakers themselves were so brief. What Luke
recorded were summaries of the things that were said. Luke did not intend them
to be verbatim reports.
Luke
provides his readers with a general sense of the messages. However, this does
not mean that he simply invented the contents of these sermons and speeches.
Luke’s approach seems to have been similar to Thucydides (Greek historian and Athenian general, c. 460- c. 395
B.C.):
“It
was in all cases difficult to carry the speeches word-for-word in one’s memory,
so my habit has been to make the speakers say what was in my opinion demanded
of them by the various occasions, of course adhering as closely as possible to
the general sense of what they really said” (History of the Peloponnesian War [recounts the 5th C
B.C. war between Sparta and Athens], 1.22.1 as cited in I.H. Marshall, 42).
3. Episodes
Luke
is an excellent story-teller. He records individual episodes that illustrate or
are representative of longer periods of ministry. These episodes are snapshots
that show the church fulfilling its mission of witnessing to the risen Christ.
They are specific examples of routine ministry experiences or typical
practices.
4. Miracle Stories
Like
the Gospels, the Book of Acts contains stories of miracles. We find the
apostles, through the power of the Holy Spirit, performing the same kinds of
miracles as Jesus – healings, exorcisms,
and even raising the dead. These miracles spread the gospel, they promote the
word of God, and they advance the kingdom of God. They also connect the
ministry of the apostles and the early church with the ministry of Jesus.
5. Conversion Stories
From
these particular cases of conversion we can piece together a general pattern or
discern the essential elements of a genuine commitment to Christ: repentance,
faith, water baptism, reception of the Holy Spirit. (e.g., the Samaritans and
the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8; Paul in Acts 9; Cornelius in Acts 10; Lydia and
the jailer in Acts 16, etc.).
6. Travel Narratives (Travelogue)
These
travel stories provide a significant amount of incidental details, which give
the book historical credibility. They also depict the movement and progress of
the gospel. They show how the mission expanded throughout the first-century
Mediterranean world.
7. Summary Statements
Again, Acts includes
six summary statements, which broadly describe the life and growth of the
church (6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:5; 19:20; 28:31).
Sources
Bruce, F. F. The Book of the Acts(NICNT). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988.
Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles (TNTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980 (Reprinted 1984).
Polhill, John B. Acts (NAC). Nashville: Broadman, 2001.
Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles (TNTC). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980 (Reprinted 1984).
Polhill, John B. Acts (NAC). Nashville: Broadman, 2001.
