ACT-01 The Background of Acts

The great German composer Ludwig von Beethoven is still remembered around the world for his beautiful and skillful compositions. But as wonderful as his musical scores are in themselves, his works are even more impressive when we remember that Beethoven suffered progressive hearing loss that began when he was a young man. In fact, it’s astounding to realize that Beethoven wrote many of his greatest works when he was entirely deaf. Knowing the background of Beethoven’s life makes his music all the more impressive.

In important ways, appreciating the Scriptures is similar to appreciating Beethoven. It isn’t difficult to see the power and clarity with which the various books of the Bible proclaim God’s revelation. But when we learn about the backgrounds of the writers of the Bible, their world, their lives and their purposes, our understanding and appreciation of the Scriptures become much deeper.

This is the first lesson in our series The Book of Acts. In this series we’ll explore the New Testament book often called “The Acts of the Apostles” or simply “Acts.” We’ve entitled this lesson “The Background of Acts,” and we’ll consider some basic issues that will help us understand and appreciate the teachings of this book more deeply.

Our lesson will touch on three critical aspects of the background of Acts. First, we’ll examine the authorship of the book. Second, we’ll look at its historical setting. And third, we’ll explore its theological background. Let’s begin by looking at the authorship of Acts.

Like all Scripture, the book of Acts was inspired by the Holy Spirit. But this divine inspiration shouldn’t diminish our attention to its human author. The Holy Spirit kept the original writings of Scripture free from error, but he still employed the personalities, backgrounds and intentions of its human writers.

Acts has traditionally been attributed to Luke, the author of the third gospel. But neither the third gospel nor the book of Acts specifically mention the author’s name. So, we should look at the reasons for affirming the traditional view of Luke’s authorship.