The Bible Book

T

he Acts of the Apostles

is the first Christian work

to trace the dissemination

of the Gospel message. Written

by the author of the Gospel of Luke,

the book presents key events and

speeches in support of the mission

that Jesus gave His followers: “You

will receive power when the Holy

Spirit comes on you; and you will

be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and

in all Judea and Samaria, and to

the ends of the Earth” (Acts 1:8). It

describes the coming of the Holy

Spirit at Pentecost, the witness

of the disciples in Jerusalem and

Judea, and the persecution that

drives the Apostles through the

Roman Empire. A pivotal point

is the conversion of the zealous

persecutor Saul into the missionary

Paul, the most influential leader in

the early Church.

Acts demonstrates the struggles

of the early Christians to deal

with persecution, hypocrisy, old

jealousies, and the cultural divide

between Jews and Gentiles. It also

narrates the spread of the Gospel

through the eastern Roman

Empire by means of the preaching

and church-founding efforts of

Paul. Descriptions of Paul’s ministry

in Corinth, and the churches of

Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and

Thessalonica, provide valuable

contextual material for the New

Testament Epistles.

The Epistles

Part of a larger tradition of letter-

writing in the Greco-Roman world,

the Epistles comprises 20 of the

27 books of the New Testament.

Letters were taken to be a way for

the author to be “present” and

“speak” with the reader when

face-to-face conversation was

impossible. They often followed

the same basic structure: an

introduction of the author and the

recipients, a short prayer before the

main text of the letter, concluding

greetings to mutual acquaintances,

and a brief blessing.

Thirteen of the New Testament

letters name Paul as their author.

Most of them address churches or

groups of churches with which Paul

had contact. Others (1–2 Timothy,

Titus, and Philemon) address

specific individuals, but with the

apparent intention of being read

in the recipient’s churches. The

remaining letters (James, 1–2 Peter,

1–3 John, and Jude) are known

collectively as the “general” or

“catholic” (meaning “universal”)

epistles. This designation indicates

INTRODUCTION

ACTS

2:1– 47

ACTS

3:1–10

ACTS

9:1–30

1 CORINTHIANS

12:27

ACTS

8:26–38

ACTS

21:17–26:32

Peter performs the

Apostles’ first miracle

when he heals a

beggar outside the

Temple in Jerusalem.

Saul, a persecutor

of Christians,

is miraculously

converted on the

road to Damascus.

Paul tells the

Corinthians they are

the body of Christ

and each one of

them is a part of it.

The Apostles receive

the Holy Spirit on

the feast of Pentecost

in Jerusalem.

Philip converts

an official of the

Queen of Ethiopia

on the road to Gaza.

Paul is arrested in

Jerusalem and is

imprisoned for two

years, after which

he is taken to Rome.

280

US_280-281_Acts_Epistles_Chapter_6_Intro.indd 280 28/09/17 2:43 pm

that they were written to churches

scattered over a wide geographical

range, or to all Christians wherever

they might be found. The Book of

Revelation, while not a letter in its

entirety, begins with seven brief

letters to churches in Asia Minor.

Its apocalyptic message describing

Christ as the Final Judge of the

wicked and vindicator of believers

was partly an encouragement to

those experiencing persecution.

Academic debates

Given their nature as letters, the

Epistles give readers access to one

side of a conversation. Readers can

“overhear” the authors speak to

congregations and individuals. The

situation being addressed, however,

must be inferred from the letters

themselves. This has led modern

scholars to speculate about the

nature of the societies in which the

recipients lived. One important area

of discussion focuses on opponents

called “false teachers,” which are

mentioned and/or rebutted several

times in the Epistles. The false

teachers included practices and

philosophies, such as Jewish

legalism and mysticism, popular

Greek philosophical and religious

ideas, speculation about angels and

spiritual powers, and ascetic and

ritual practices.

Fierce debate also rages about

the authorship of several Epistles.

Since the 2nd century CE, scholars

have speculated about the

authorship of Hebrews. An

early tradition attributed Hebrews

to Paul, but others credited Peter’s

companion Silvanus, the early

preacher Apollos, or one of Paul’s

companions—Barnabas, Priscilla,

or Luke. Some modern scholars

have also challenged authorship of

certain Pauline epistles (especially

Ephesians) and 1–2 Peter.

A new beginning

Taken together, the Book of Acts

and the New Testament Epistles

demonstrate that the resurrection

of the crucified Jesus was not the

end of God’s work in the world,

but a new beginning through the

Holy Spirit. The Epistles, while

written by men, are included in

the canon because they are seen as

divinely inspired. They unpack the

significance of the Gospel message

of faith in Christ, in the service of

“teaching, rebuking, correcting,

and training in righteousness,

so that the servant of God may

be equipped for every good work”

(2 Timothy 3:16–17). ■

ACTS, EPISTLES, AND REVELATION

EPHESIANS

2:1–10

JAMES

2:14 –26

REVELATION

21–22

REVELATION

1–20

Paul tells the Ephesians

that personal

salvation can only

happen through faith,

not good deeds.

James rejects passive

faith and praises active

faith that honors God

through good deeds.

After the Final

Judgment, John’s

vision shows heaven

and Earth renewed in

the New Jerusalem.

Paul asserts the

Trinity in a blessing

at the end of a letter

he writes to the

Corinthians.

Paul warns against

“false teachers” in his

letter to the Philippians

and urges belief in

the resurrection.

John of Patmos

receives a series

of dramatic and

terrifying visions

of the apocalypse.

281

2 CORINTHIANS PHILIPPIANS 3

US_280-281_Acts_Epistles_Chapter_6_Intro.indd 281 28/09/17 6:06 pm