Luk e a n d A c t s

That you may know the certainty of those things in need to hear the whole story, and we must rehearse
which you were instructed. that story.
—Luke 1:4 In Luke and Acts, we have a central part of the
story of the Bible. We have the peak of the moun-
Have you ever watched a video replay of a great game?tain of God’s revelation of His Son. We are told of His
Imagine that you missed out on a football game, let’smother and Joseph, of his birth, of those waiting for
say the Cotton Bowl. And it just happened that (in him like Zacharias, Simeon and Anna, of his bap-
this imaginary world) Southern Mississippi played tism, his temptation, his ministry, his death, resurrec-
tion and ascension. Then we see how He worked by
Alabama. And Southern won.1 (As I said, this is imagi-
nary). You are told that Southern won by a landslide!the Spirit in the church and the gospel crossing all
(Shouts and hog calls now erupt.) You are happy that borders and barriers.
Southern won, but you want to
know the score. The score was 51-
7. Now you want to know what
happened. You want the blow-by-
blow or play-by-play. So now you
get to see the game on video. Even
though you know exactly how it’s
going to turn out, even though you
know the end—when you see the
game on video you’ll cheer at the
scores and feel a little worry when-
ever your team (Southern) slips.
In a sense the whole Bible is
that way for us. We may read the
drama of the fall into sin. If we are
really watching the game, we will
feel worry. “Oh, no. What’s God
going to do now?” When we read
of the enslavement of the Israelites
and the cruelty of the pharaoh, we
feel bad and then cheer for Moses.
When we look at the Gospels, if we
are fully engaged with the video
replay, we feel the oppression of
God’s people. We cheer when the
long-awaited Savior is born. We
worry that Herod might kill him
(even though we know the out-
come). At the cross, we may have a
taste of the despair that the disci-
ples experienced (even though we
know what the cross means). We The Annunciation
by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
398 O m n i b u s I

General Information Significance

Luke diligently researched the things that he did
Author and Context not personally observe. God the Holy Spirit, in breath-
Luke wanted to give more than just the score; he told ing out Holy Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16) uses the experience
the whole story, play-by-play. His replay was so that the of the human author, whether of a weeping prophet or
reader “may know the certainty of those things in which a careful scholar. Luke reports this as history, though
you were instructed.” Luke addressed a Roman dignitary it is not aimed at being a comprehensive history of the
whose Christian name was “Theophilus” (Luke 1:3; Acts church. Still, it is a kind of literature which abundantly
1:1). Theophilus means “friend of God.” The Greek word for shows attention to detail, sequential actions, names of
“instructed” is catecheo. Theophilus had been “catechized” significant people, places and events relevant to the
and brought into the Christian community. He knew the message of the book.
basic message of the gospel. Luke’s purpose was that he be Together, Luke and Acts provide for “knowing the
fully instructed in the Lord by knowing in detail “a narra- certainty” of the faith by explaining from the begin-
tive of those things which have been fulfilled among us.” ning the birth, temptation, baptism, earthly ministry,
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Luke compiled death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. The con-
this “orderly account” from “eyewitnesses.” tinuation of this in Acts further explains how the risen
Did Luke really write these books? Though there is and ascended Christ continued to act in the person of
no verse which tells us this, Luke has long been held to the Holy Spirit. It shows how the church spread the
be the author of Luke and Acts. This traditional view is gospel from Jerusalem throughout the then-known
very solid. Early witnesses to Luke’s world of the Roman Empire.
As shown in authorship include the church
this drawing fathers, Irenaeus and Tertullian.
from the Book Even today no conservative schol- Summary and Setting
of Kells, Luke is
ar disputes his authorship. There are good reasons to believe that Luke must
frequently
represented by The strongest basis for accept- have completed writing Acts around A.D. 62. First,
the image of ing Luke as the author is internal the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70), which would
an ox. This ico- to the books. We have strong in- have been a huge event in relation to Luke and Acts,
nography ternal argument that Luke became is mentioned as a prophecy (Luke 19:43, 21:6). With
has its basis in
a companion with Paul and wrote the strong themes of Jewish persecution of Christians
early Christian
traditions that Acts as a participant in the story. and specifically of Paul, it is implausible to think that
thought of We see this in the “we” passages Luke completed Luke and Acts after the destruction
each of the four in Acts (16:10ff; 20:5ff; 27:1ff). For of Jerusalem and its Temple, yet did not reference it.
authors of the example, “Therefore, sailing from Thinking along these lines has led many scholars to
Gospels in terms Troas, we ran a straight course
conclude that all of the New Testament books were
of the figures
to Samothrace, and the next day complete prior to A.D. 70, since there is no reference
mentioned in
Ezekiel and came to Neapolis, and from there to the destruction of the Temple. It would be like writ-
Revelation— Philippi, which is the foremost city ing about Islamic terrorism in American and not ref-
Matthew as of that part of Macedonia, a colony. erencing the terrorist actions of September 11, 2001.
the winged And we were staying in that city for The silence is very loud.
man, Mark as
some days” (Acts 16:11–12). Second, Acts ends with Paul in Rome under house
the Lion, John
as the eagle From these texts we see that arrest. It is believed that Paul was martyred under Nero
and, since Luke Luke traveled with the Apostle in about A.D. 65. It is difficult to imagine why Luke
begins and ends Paul. He was with Paul as Paul would not have included Paul’s death as a martyr if that
his Gospel at wrote Colossians. He is called a took place prior to his completion of Acts.
the Temple, he physician. And at the end of Paul’s Moreover, the date of Luke is important for an
was associated
with the ox, a
life, Luke was faithful to Paul, even early dating of other books in the New Testament.
common sacrifi- though others had left him. Many scholars believe that Luke used the Gospel of
cial animal. Mark as a source. That places Mark prior to A.D. 62.
 Luke and Acts 399

Most of the other New Testament Mary caring for God’s son under the watchful gaze of angels and
texts, such as the Pauline epistles, barnyard animals. This fresco is found in the lower church of St. Francis
in Assisi—a building composed of two churches, one above the other.
fit within the travels of Paul as nar-
The upper church is bright and slender while the lower one is low and
rated by Luke. austere, containing many extraordinary allegorical frescoes.

Worldview
We need stories. We need to hear the whole story something goes horribly wrong, and I am with friends,
rehearsed for us. The tension and the resolution of I might say, “kickin’ sitcheeayshun or paddlin’ sitchee-
stories is built into the fabric of life. While this can be ayshun?” or “Where’s the happy little tire swing?” These
seen all through life, it can be most easily seen when are lines from a movie that we enjoy. Our lives have
you read a favorite story to a young child. Adults often become ingrained in the story.
read a book, and then set it aside to move on to other Thankfully, God has not left us with a blank screen
things. Not so for the two year old! Just as you finish or with antiseptic scientific terms and phrases. The
the The Very Hungry Caterpillar or Cat in the Hat, what Bible is not a book of equations. More than anything
does the thrilled toddler often say? “Read it again!” else it tells a story, a story grander than anything that
You are ready for something new, but they take plea- has ever been heard. As Christians we know the basic
sure in hearing that same story over and over again. events of the gospel. But just saying “Christ died for
Hopefully, you have moved on in your literary tastes us” is not all there is to it. The story begins much ear-
from Dr. Suess (if you have children, remember, Green lier than this. We cannot understand Christ dying on
Eggs and Ham will be at the top of your reading list the cross outside of understanding the earliest parts
again), but maybe you have a story or a movie that is of the story. The first part of the story tells us that God
like this. You can watch it many times without grow- created a wonderful, perfect world and placed our
ing tired of it. As you watch it, you laugh more heartily first father Adam in it. He gave Adam everything that
as you understand the humor more deeply and your he needed: a good job, a perfect working environment,
mind discovers the intricacies of the plot. If the story good and diverse food and a perfect wife. More than
is really good, and if you have a community of friends this, God Himself was a friend to Adam. He talked
that buys into it, you might even see many of the truths with him and taught him. Adam, however, led our
or humorous points of the movie being played out in race in a rebellion against God by heeding the advice
real life. You might repeat lines of the story when your of God’s enemy, the Devil. The result of this rebellion,
circumstances are like the ones in the movie. When was exile, judgment and death. The story continues
400 O m n i b u s I

with Noah, Abraham, David and

the prophets. At the gates of Eden,
however, we get a preview of the
end of the story. God could have
abandoned the human race and
left us all to serve Satan. That is
what we had chosen. He, however,
decides not to let us go, but instead
to send the Seed of the Woman to
crush the head of the Serpent. God
punished the human race with
death, but reveals that He intends
to raise them to new life through
the resurrection. In light of this, the
cross makes sense and the love of
God in the cross overwhelms us.
This good news, this story of God’s
love, defines and creates reality
and is the foundation of our lives.
We live this story, and we need to
rehearse the Fall and the patient
hope of those in exile. Then there is
great joy when we hear: “For there
is born to you this day in the city
of David a Savior, who is Christ the
Lord” (Luke 2:11).
God has caused all of reality to
teach us this story. Everywhere we
look we can see the Fall and the
gospel being played out before our
very eyes. The seasons continually
proclaim death and resurrection.
Each meal sets forth the truth
that our lives are sustained by
the death of others before us. The
story explains all of reality, so like
little children, we need to learn to
crave God’s story and to enjoy see-
ing it played out before our eyes.
Jesus Christ is at the center of
The
Presentation
this story. We know of the birth,
of Jesus in ministry, death and resurrection of
the Temple by Christ. No doubt, Theophilus knew
Rembrandt, this, too. Yet, as Luke provides a
completed 1627–1628. full narrative (replay) of Christ, we
Here we see Simeon
gain certainty and confidence. As
acknowledging his Savior,
as God had promised a divinely inspired text, Luke and
him in Luke 2:21–38. Acts add the central characters to
 Luke and Acts 401

the biblical portrait of the Triune In Rembrandt’s The Holy Family,

God and His great salvation. In the artist creates a beautiful
image of intimate, domestic
them we read directly of a humble
happiness, Joseph gazing
King and Savior conceived by the upon his Son as Mary plays
Spirit of God in the womb of a with the toes of the Child.
virgin. Taken together, they are a
magnificent contribution to the
canon of the New Testament.
Beginning in the Gospel, we
read of the familiar and unique
narrative of the birth of Jesus
Christ, and Acts ends with the
gospel having been proclaimed
to the entire, then-known world
with Paul in Rome. While all of
Scripture provides the truth of
the work of God saving His peo-
ple in history, the Gospel of Luke
explains the central story of the
incarnation of God’s Son and His
death and resurrection. Acts ad-
dresses the ongoing work of Christ
through the church by the power
of the Holy Spirit. It gives a nar-
rative of the apostolic ministries
of (primarily) Peter and Paul. Acts
heralds the spread of the gos-
pel from Jerusalem, to Judea and
Samaria, to the “end” of the “earth”
(Acts 1:8). This was preceded by
the empowering of the apostolic
messengers by the Spirit’s coming
at Pentecost.
What is history? How do we
bring together all that has hap-
pened, and where will it end?
Luke’s sacred history centered on
Christ. Acts, for example, accord-
ing to John Calvin, is “the begin-
ning of the reign of Christ, and, as
it were, the renewal of the world is
being depicted here. An account of
the reign of Christ beginning with
his triumphant resurrection and
exaltation, and continuing until
his gospel has reached Rome it-
self, as Christ our king, puts all en-
emies under his feet.” History is the
402 O m n i b u s I

unfolding of God’s work. Luke makes it clear that the priesthood (Zacharias) and ends with believers in the
flow of time revolves around God’s covenantal prom- Temple. Then the center of Luke is Christ’s journey to-
ise of redemption to the world. Beginning in Genesis ward the holy place. He “steadfastly set His face to go
3:15, immediately after the Fall, there is a promise. to Jerusalem” (9:51) which culminates in His symboli-
The promise of Genesis 3:15 predicts a kingdom reign cally destroying the Temple and its work (Luke 19:45).
of a Messiah who will crush the head of the serpent. Jesus says the words of Jeremiah, who foretold the cov-
Throughout all of history this reality has been unfold- enantal judgment of Judah (Jer. 26:6). Jesus foretells
ing. The revelation of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen. the covenantal judgment of A.D. 70 (Luke 19:43–47):
12:1–3) shows God’s work to redeem the world by
“For days will come upon you when your en-
sending a promised Seed, Christ. Abraham would be
emies will build an embankment around you,
the father of many nations.
surround you and close you in on every side,
The covenant is the key to history. Luke repeat-
and level you, and your children within you, to
edly draws attention to the Abrahamic promise as
the ground; and they will not leave in you one
preached by the apostles. This is at the center of
stone upon another, because you did not know
the song that Zacharias sings in Luke 1, called the
the time of your visitation.” Then He went into
Benedictus (Luke 1:70–73):
the temple and began to drive out those who
As He spoke by the mouth of His holy bought and sold in it, saying to them, “It is writ-
prophets, ten, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you
Who have been since the world began, have made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
That we should be saved from our enemies
Luke (by quoting Christ) provides, not only the
And from the hand of all who hate us,
high water mark of history with the coming of Christ
To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and His work on the cross—Luke gives us the prin-
And to remember His holy covenant,
ciple of interpreting all of the Scriptures. Jesus says
The oath which He swore to our father
of the Scriptures, “all things must be fulfilled which
Abraham.
were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets
This promise is on the lips of Peter in his first few ser- and the Psalms concerning Me” (24:44) Therefore, the
mons beginning at Pentecost (Acts 2:39): Word of God is rightly understood as Christocentric
or Christ-centered. He explains that the central mean-
For the promise is to you and to your children,
ing of all the Scriptures (of the Old Testament) is that
and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord
the Christ was “to suffer and to rise from the dead the
our God will call.
third day, and that repentance and remission of sins
This promise is proclaimed in Paul’s first sermon (Acts should be preached in His name to all nations, begin-
13:32–33): ning at Jerusalem” (24:46–47).
Therefore, Luke’s worldview rests on a sovereign
And we declare to you glad tidings—that
Ruler. God is Lord of history (Acts 2:23, 4:28). Luke
promise which was made to the fathers. God
has a linear view of history with the kingdom of God
has fulfilled this for us their children, in that
flowing like a river through the beautiful land of time.
He has raised up Jesus…
The kingdom is mentioned over forty times in Luke.
The covenant is a beautiful promise of redemption. Evil will not prevail, but Satan will be overcome, even
Yet, there are also covenant judgments for those who as light overcomes darkness (Luke 11:20).
break covenant with God. The Gospel of Luke pays Luke shows us an incarnational world. In history
careful attention to the judgment of God, especially Christ was not a mere idea, but was incarnate. He
in relation to the Temple. It begins with the Temple came into history, and his way was prepared by the
ministry of John (Luke 16:16, Acts 13:32). Luke shows
The Descent of the Spirit by Doré. This woodcut
the details of the birth more than any other biblical
depicts the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
found in Acts 2:4. Doré was a very prolific artist who writer. In Luke’s worldview God became man in Jesus’
illustrated many biblical stories in woodcarvings. conception (Luke 1:35). In history, while Quirinius
 Luke and Acts 403

was governor and Augustus reigned, the incarnation us with a glorious picture of Christ’s work of life and
took place. death and His continuing work as His Spirit guides
Christ is the center of reality. His story makes His church and leads them more deeply into the story.
sense of all reality, and it is echoing before our eyes —Gregg Strawbridge
everyday. What has happened in the past centers on
the coming of Christ in the fullness of time to be born
of Mary in Bethlehem to live, die and rise again and to For Further Reading
be ascended. From that time forward Christ will em- Josephus, The Jewish Wars. In The New Complete
power his people to “be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, Works of Josephus, Whiston, William, trans. Grand
and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1999.
earth” (Acts 1:8). Veritas Press Bible Cards: Gospels. Lancaster, Pa.:
While Matthew provides the Trinitarian formula Veritas Press. 97–128.
of the name of the “Father, Son and Holy Spirit,” Luke
Veritas Press Bible Cards: Acts through Revelation.
shows us the Trinity with an emphasis on the incar-
Lancaster, Pa.: Veritas Press. 129–135, 137, 140,
nate Son, the promise of the Father and the work of
144, 145.
the Spirit. The Spirit is emphasized. This is seen in
Jesus’ and John’s births (Luke 1:35, 1:15, 17). The work
and role of the Holy Spirit is emphasized more than in
the other Gospels.
Finally, in Luke’s worldview, God redeems the low- Session I: Prelude
ly. The “last shall be first.” Luke is the writer who gives
us the parable of the Good Samaritan. His concern for
A Question to Consider
the poor and outcasts, sinners, Samaritans, Gentiles The term epistemology is the term for how we know
and women is very clear. Restoration and salvation what we know. How do you know something? How do
come to the humble. you know something for certain?
Knowing us and our needs, God treats us like the There are many options for knowing that are
little children that we are (or should endeavor to be- available in the modern world. Some of the
come). He gives us a story and then rehearses it before most popular are:
us again and again. God’s story, however, is not like
three minute tales that we adored while we were in Science: Many people think that scientific
diapers and demanded to hear time and time again. findings basically settle whether something
It has a richness and complexity that will always over- is real or not. Some even try to base decisions
whelm and exhilarate us. Our lives are not a learning about morality and philosophy on scientific
and fascination with this story and then a discarding findings. While scientific pronouncements
of it to move on to more interesting things. As believers do have implications on all areas of life (i.e.,
we do not learn the gospel and then go on to deeper if Darwin is correct, then there is no right or
truths. There could be no deeper truth. Our lives con- wrong), true science is much more humble
sist in going deeply into gospel. Each day we learn to than many of its adherents today. The scien-
lay down our lives and take up our cross and follow tific method always admits its lack of finality
after Christ. Every time we approach the Lord’s Table, but proposes that its understanding, while
He offers Himself to us as our great paradigm of sacri- flawed, is the best working model today.
fice. As we watch winter give way to spring, we witness Thus, Newton’s conception of the atom (while
death and resurrection, and then finally in the sum- helpful) was replaced when quantum physics
mer we see God’s blessing, as death leads to resurrec- found a more full explanation. This explana-
tion and as resurrection bursts forth into life and life tion, however, will doubtlessly be proven
leads to harvest and the rehearsal of the story begins insufficient by the next better abstraction.
again. Jesus Christ sits as King over this story and as The next problem with scientific knowledge
the central point of the story. Luke and Acts provides is that it is always in abstraction and fails
404 O m n i b u s I

Rembrandt depicts the twelve-year-old Jesus in the Temple in this etching from 1654. Luke 2:46-47 describes
the young Jesus sitting and talking to the religious leaders of his day. Note his weary father in the lower right,
approaching to take his boy home.

to exhibit the fullness of true “knowing” to the scientific view, it is hardly safe. What
as the word is used in the Scriptures. Lewis governs your “gut?” Is it infallible? Of course
said that modern science “dissects to know.” not! Going with your gut many times can
Some pretend that dissection is the way that lead to vast mistakes.
we really come to “know” something. This,
however, is shortsighted at best. Who knows Authority: While unpopular (or at least out
a dog better: the person who has owned and of fashion) some things are still believed for
cared for dogs for ten years or the man who this reason. Most things that we know and
cuts ten of them up? We would certainly not have utter confidence in are things that we
claim, I hope, that the only way to know our do not understand ourselves, but are instead
fellow students or family members is to dis- things in which we trust. Trusting in author-
sect them. ity, however, can be dangerous depending
on the trustworthiness of the authority.
Intuition: This is probably the most popu- Thankfully, God can ultimately always be
lar form of knowing today. It goes by many trusted and will never lead us astray. Other
names and tends to at least see the short- authorities, however, often err.
sightedness or myopia of scientific knowing. From the General Information above answer the following
Someone is practicing this type of knowing questions:
when you hear them say, “I went with my 1. What evidence is there that Luke was the author of
gut.” While this path, many times, is superior Luke and Acts? Who was Luke?
 Luke and Acts 405

Though there is no verse which tells us resurrection/ fruitfulness/harvest that we see in

this, Luke has long been held to be the the seasons. Each meal proclaims to us the fact
author of Luke and Acts. Luke’s authorship is that life must be sacrificed so that we can live.
asserted by the church fathers, Irenaeus and 5. How does Luke focus on the Temple?
Tertullian. We have strong internal argu- Luke begins and ends his Gospel with the
ment that Luke became a companion with Temple. It starts with Zacharias, a priest who
Paul and wrote Acts as a participant in the is struck dumb while working in the Temple
story. We see this in the “we” passages in and becomes the father of the forerun-
Acts (16:10ff; 20:5ff; 27:1ff). ner of the Messiah. The Gospel ends in the
Luke was not an apostle or one of the Temple as well. Jesus’ focus is on coming to
Twelve, as was Matthew or Peter. He was a Jerusalem.
companion to the Apostle Paul. It is argued 6. How does Luke show us an “incarnational world?”
that Luke was a Gentile, probably a Greek. Luke presents Jesus, not as an idea, but as a
This appears to have been the case because real human being Who was born under the
Paul distinguished him from his Jewish co- governorship of Quirinius and the reign of
workers who were “of the circumcision” (cf. Augustus.
Col. 4:10–14). Several texts describe Luke as
a physician (Col. 4:14), as a fellow laborer R e a d i n g A s s ig n m e n t :
with Paul (Philem. 1:23) and as faithful to the Luke 1–18
end (2 Tim. 4:11). From these texts we see
that Luke traveled with the Apostle Paul. He
was with Paul as Paul wrote Colossians. He is
called a physician. And at the end of Paul’s Session II: Discussion
life, Luke was faithful to Paul, even though Luke 1–18
others had left him.
2. When were Luke and Acts written? What argu- A Question to Consider
ments could you provide for this view? How does the gospel fit with the religion of the
Good reasons can be provided for the com- Old Testament? Does it replace it? Does it leave it un-
pletion of Luke’s books around A.D. 62. Just changed? Does it fulfill it?
as with other New Testament books, Luke Does it replace it? The gospel, as fully
does not report the destruction of Jerusalem revealed in the work of Christ on the cross,
and the Temple, which occurred in A.D. 70, is not the replacement of the Old Testament
and thus these books were likely written religion but the fulfillment. Moving from the
prior to this. Also, Luke does not report the Old into the New Testament is like turning
death of Paul around A.D. 65. So, we con- the lights on in an art gallery. Now you can
clude that he must have finished his book truly see what was there all along.
prior to this. Does it leave it basically unchanged? In
3. Some critics believe the Bible is largely a collec- a sense it is unchanged. The religion of the
tion of stories with no basis in historical fact. How Old Testament faithfully pointed toward the
would you describe Luke’s writing? coming of the Messiah. It taught the same
It is a kind of literature which abundantly gospel. In another sense, however, the gos-
shows attention to detail, sequential actions, pel radically changes the religion of the Old
names of significant people and events rel- Testament. All of the things that pointed
evant to the message of the book. It is forward to the reality of Christ and His king-
reported as fact and not fiction. dom are replaced by the actual reality. There
4. How is the gospel story placed before us everyday? is no longer any need for animal sacrifices,
God has ingrained the gospel story into all because the once–for-all sacrifice of Christ
of life. We can see the story in the death/ has accomplished what those Old Testament
406 O m n i b u s I

Communion of
the Apostles
by Fra Angelico,
1451–1453

sacrifices pictured for believers. Because the as he held the Christ child—Luke 2:25ff). In a
gospel fulfills Old Testament promises, the sense, Jesus cast His mighty shadow back into
changes relate to such things as Christ’s the Old Testament, and those saints hoped
death as the fulfillment of the sacrificial in the reality that was causing the shadow.
system and the uniqueness of Israel’s cer- In the New Testament we meet the reality in
emonies giving way to the universal applica- which they trusted.
tion of the Christian church in all the world, Discuss or list short answers to the following questions:
transforming all cultures.
Does it fulfill it? Yes. Jesus claimed that Text Analysis
He did not come to destroy the law and the 1. After carefully reading Luke 1:67–80, Zacharias’s
prophets but to fulfill them (Matt. 5:17). This song called the Benedictus, list some of the main
means that the gospel provides the reality themes. Which of these themes also appear as
that the Old Testament saints hoped in (that parts of the larger themes of the entire work of
which Simeon longed to see and finally saw Luke and Acts?
 Luke and Acts 4 0 7

This song brings out the chief themes of Two pages from a Gospel book tempera and ink on
Luke’s emphases: parchment (early- to mid-sixteenth-century Ethiopian).
These manuscripts are very similiar to the Byzantine
1. The sovereign rule of God over history
manuscripts that were made at the same time,
(Acts 2:23, 4:28). hundreds of miles to the north.
2. The kingdom of God (mentioned forty
times in Luke (e.g., 4:43, 8:1) by the
overcoming of Satan (11:20), announced 3. What does this show us concerning God’s cov-
by the ministry of John (Luke 16:16), the enant with Abraham?
kingdom table of all nations (13:28–29). It shows the centrality of the Abrahamic cov-
3. The Holy Spirit in Jesus’ conception (1:35) enant, both to believing Jews of the first cen-
and in John’s birth (1:15, 17). (The Holy tury and to the New Testament writers. The
Spirit is mentioned only six times in Mark, covenant promise in Genesis 12 (repeated
twelve times in Matthew, but seventeen throughout Genesis 15, 17, etc.) turns out to
times in Luke.) be the basic promise which unfolds through-
4. The concept of the Son of Man as the out all of Scripture. It promises the world to
meaning of being “Christ.” Abraham (Rom. 4:13) and his descendants by
5. The “last shall be first” and concern for means of blessing all nations with his Seed
the poor and outcasts, sinners, Samaritans, (Christ, Gal. 3:16).
Gentiles and women.
6. The call to salvation. Cultural Analysis
7. The life of believers by faith. 1. Where in the broader Chrstian community do you
8. Christ’s death on the cross for forgiveness see the belief that Jesus came to replace the Old
of sins. Testament?
2. What is in the center of the message of the Some disregard the Old Testament entire-
Benedictus? ly and believe that the God of the Old
The oath or covenant with Abraham is in the Testament is a grouch but that Jesus is
center. nice. However, Jesus tells us of hell more
408 O m n i b u s I

frequently than any other biblical prophet suffers ruin. We see Jesus as a kinder god
or teacher. Some neglect to even print the without wrath, forgetting the wrath of the
Old Testament in their Bibles, since they are Lamb. We have a cheap grace which permits
“New Testament” Christians. sacrificing our word and honor to the whims
2. Why is our culture so blind to promises that reach of personal desire.
back into the ancient past?
We believe that what is new is good but Biblical Analysis
what is old is bad. We tend to fall into 1. How would you explain to someone unacquainted
the fallacy of chronological snobbery. Even with the Bible the reason for Jesus’ birth as it was?
more, we are tempted to believe that those God had been working through the people
who lived in biblical times were so inept and of Israel to bring a deliverer, a redeemer. The
backwards that nothing they did could really Old Testament contains numerous references
be valuable. to One Who is coming.
3. Does our culture’s lack of Old Testament cov- 2. Where is the first promise of Savior found in
enantal sense affect our ability to keep promises? Scripture?
Our culture, by denigrating the largest part Genesis 3:15 gives the first glimpse that the
of Scripture and the part that most spe- seed of the woman would come to crush the
cifically forms the covenantal foundation, serpent’s head.
3. What do other prophecies foretell about Christ
(Deut. 18:15–19, Ps. 110, Isa. 53)?
Caravaggio’s painting called The Laying in the
Tomb depicts the deposition of the crucified body We know that He will be a prophet like
of Christ. This painting was probably completed Moses (Deut. 18:15–19), a priest after the
between 1602–1604. order of Melchizedeck (Ps. 110) and would
be the suffering servant who would be killed
in place of His people (Isa. 53).
4. Would He be a king?
In the reign of King David, we are told that
the Christ would be a king and sit on David’s
throne (Ps. 2).
5. How did God prepare the world for the coming of
Christ?
God had revealed this through the prom-
ises of the Old Testament. In the fullness
of time, God had also prepared the world
with Roman roads and a universal language,
Greek, used throughout the Roman Empire.

Summa
Write an essay or discuss this question, integrating
what you have learned from the material above.
What is Jesus’ relationship to the promises
given to Adam, Abraham and David?
Jesus became the incarnate Person who
lived up to all that was prophesied to Adam,
Abraham and David. He was the One Who
crushed Satan’s head at the cross, though
Satan bruised His heel (Gen. 3:15). He was
the one Seed of Abraham (Gen. 12:1–3). He
 Luke and Acts 4 0 9

was the One Who sat down at the right hand warriors who worshiped rocks and sticks and
of the Father as both a king and priest after ate each other as they stumbled in spiritual
the order of Melchizedeck (Ps. 110). darkness.
Discuss or list short answers to the following questions:
Optional Activity
On poster size paper or a chalk board make two Text Analysis
rows of large circles with about ten circles in each. In 1. How is Rome related to the Gospel of Luke? (Luke
each circle in the top row write the name of an impor- 2; also think back to Livy’s Early History of Rome)
tant person, place or thing from your general knowl- Rome was a great civilization. Rome is imme-
edge of the Old Testament (e.g., Adam, Abraham, Isaac, diately related, since the birth of Christ
Jacob, Moses, Egypt, the law, tabernacle, sacrifices, takes place in Bethlehem due to the census
prophets, temple, exile). Then in the bottom row of of Augustus. Augustus (63 B.C.–A.D. 14),
circles fill in names of people, places and things from also known as Octavius, was the first Roman
the first chapter of Luke (e.g., Herod, Judea, Zacharias, emperor to claim to be a god. Christ is thus
Elijah, temple, priesthood, angels, covenant, prophets). born into the world while the first supposed-
Draw lines to connect the dots if any relationship be- ly divine emperor is reigning. Julius Caesar,
tween the two items can be asserted, then discuss the his adopted father who ruled before him,
relationships. would later be called divine. It is important
Examples: to note also that the language applied to
(OT: Abraham)—(Luke 1: oath) Zacharias’s Octavius, “August” (“majestic”) claimed that
praise refers to the oath made to Abraham he was an incarnation of “god” on earth.
(Luke 1:73). Yet, Luke frequently references the Romans
(OT: prophets)—(Luke 1: Elijah) The proph- in a kind light.
ets promised redemption, and the prophet 2. How are Romans, soldiers and magistrates pre-
Malachi said one would come in the spirit of sented in Luke’s writings? (Consider the following
Elijah (John the Baptist). verses: Luke 7:6–9; 23:47; Acts 10:1–2; 27:1–3.)
Luke reports that Jesus found great faith in
R e a d i n g A s s ig n m e n t : Luke some of the Roman soldiers. Note the partic-
19–24, Acts 1–8 ular report of the centurion at the cross who
glorified God, saying, “Jesus was a righteous
Man!” Luke reports that Cornelius, a centu-
rion, was a devout man and one who feared
Session III: Discussion God with his entire household, who gave
Luke 19–24, Acts 1–8 alms generously to the people and prayed to
God always. Later in Acts the soldiers treat
A Question to Consider Paul kindly and show him courtesies, giving
What is the relationship of the gospel to civilization? him liberties (chap. 27). From these texts we
The gospel of the kingdom is like leaven see Luke reference the Romans in a good
which changes dough. The gospel trans- light. The centurion who believed Christ for
forms individual sinners and leavens societ- healing, the soldier who confessed faith at
ies. It also brings judgment to those societ- the cross, Cornelius and others are models of
ies which do not heed Jesus as Lord. This is Gentile salvation.
what we see throughout the history of the 3. What is the Apostle Paul’s relation to Rome (Acts
world. In a sense, every brick that you see 19:21; 22:25–26; 23:11; 28:16)?
in the Western World (i.e., Europe and the In Acts 19:21 God guides Paul to Rome and
Americas) screams “Jesus.” When the gos- in 23:11 promises that he will bear witness in
pel came to the forefathers of our present Rome. Paul appeals to his Roman citizenship
culture, most of them were illiterate, vile to be saved from a beating in Acts 22. In Acts
410 O m n i b u s I

28:16 Paul was treated with respect, since he Biblical Analysis

was permitted to dwell by himself with the 1. How are God’s people related to the great world
soldier who guarded him. Paul was urged by civilizations? Consider Ur (Mesopotamia) (Gen.
the Lord to go to Rome. After many trials he 11:31), Egypt (Gen. 12:10, 50:7), Assyria (2 Kings
does go there and is treated kindly by the 15:19), Babylon (1 Chron. 9:1), Persia (2 Chron.
Roman solders. He is treated in a special way. 36:20, Ezra 1:1), Greece (Dan. 8:21, 10:20) and
Moreover, Paul appeals to his own Roman Rome (Luke 2:1).
citizenship and uses that to his own advan- Abraham came from Ur, the great Sumerian
tage to restrain violence against him and to city of ancient Mesopotamia. Joseph, by
make it so that he will stand before Caesar. God’s providence, became the highest vice-
At that time (about 62 A.D.), the emperor roy of Egypt. “God meant it for good,” he
would have been Nero. Shortly after that, tells us. Moses was then raised in Pharaoh’s
Nero became very wicked and turned against palace. After the establishment of Israel in
Christians. the land, the prophets of God interacted with
the great world cultures, calling them and
Cultural Analysis
the people of God to repentance. Sometimes
1. Does our culture recognize the importance of the they led them. Nineveh, the great city of
gospel to civilization? Assyria, was converted. When the people of
We see many fruits of the gospel, but we God were judged and carried into captivity
are hacking away at the root. We catego- to Babylon, Daniel was raised to leadership
rize Christian civilization as medieval and in both the Babylonian and Medo-Persian
antiquated in the worst way. The Discovery Empire. Nehemiah was the high counselor
Channel and documentaries labor to show to the king of Persia. The Greek, Alexander,
the worst sides of the Christian achievements was the providential vehicle for the New
of the past, while neglecting the importance Testament through the spread of his culture
of the gospel to the blessings of modern life. and language. The Old Testament Scriptures
2. What is the gospel of our culture? On what prin- were already translated into Greek by the
ciples are we trying to build an empire? Jews in Alexandria two hundred years before
There is a pretended neutrality in religious Christ. Then Christ was born in the time of
matters. It is pretended, because the founda- the Caesars and “suffered under Pontius
tion we are building on is humanistic. Man is Pilate,” the Roman.
the measure of all things without reference 2. Will Christ’s people ever be an Empire?
to God. More and more we are attacking the All Christians agree that this will eventu-
lordship of Christ by claiming the separation ally be true and that Christ will eventually
of church and state, as if a sovereign God can rule over His people in the eternal kingdom.
be contained in one segment of life. Biblical prophecy points to the growth of
3. Is the “American Empire” Christian? Christ’s kingdom (remember Matt. 28:18 tells
At one time America reflected many Christian us that His rule has already begun) before
ideals, notions, standards and convictions. His physical return to earth. Daniel 2:35 tells
We also have seen much fruit in the bless- of the mountain of Christ’s kingdom crush-
ings of material and legal (under the law) ing the other empires of history and becom-
prosperity. In some ways we have officially ing an empire that fills the entire earth.
turned against the gospel. Our state educa-
tional system denies the authority of God’s
word and replaces it with the mythology
of evolution. We are a warped picture of a
Christian society, at best.
 Luke and Acts 411

Summa
Write an essay or discuss this
question, integrating what you
have learned from the mate-
rial above.
Are Christians today part of an
empire? Is America?
There is an American empire.
We are the strongest mili-
tary, economic and cultural
empire of the world. We
export our culture by means
of Hollywood, and we influ-
ence the rest of world both
in entertainment standards The Ascension
and by economic means. As by Ford Madox
Brown. Brown
Christians who live in this
was born in
culture, we often confuse France and
our own culture (the good was educated
aspects of it) with our faith. in various
We are called to be discern- studios. Settling
ing and see our faults in the in England
in 1846, he
larger culture. Christians are became a
to speak prophetically to the friend of the
sins of our empire, while at Pre-Raphaelites
the same time recognizing and was an
the providence of God in influence on
their work,
placing us here.
though he
was never a
Reading member of the
A s s ig n m e n t : Brotherhood.

Acts 9–19
412 O m n i b u s I

Session IV: Discussion 3. Why is Acts 1:8 the key verse explaining the pur-
Luke, Acts 1–19 pose of Acts? (Where is the “end” or the uttermost
parts of the earth, if this is to be interpreted as the
A Question to Consider place into which the entire world flows?)
What is the gospel? Is it a message? Is it a power? This verse explains the expansion of the gos-
Does it have a will of its own? pel from Jerusalem to the rest of the world.
The gospel in its most basic sense is the per- It should be noted that the word “end” is
son and work of Christ to save His people. singular in the Greek text and probably has
The gospel is the message that Jesus is Lord reference to Rome, specifically. For some-
and that His Lordship extends beyond His one writing in the first century, explaining
redemptive work. The power of the gospel that the good news of Jesus Christ is world-
is to save sinners from the wrath of God. changing, the text is very clear. The gospel
The gospel has a power beyond what we moves from Jerusalem, from Jewishness, to
can expect. In the parables Jesus explains the the cosmopolitan, “worldly” place of power,
mysterious way the leaven spreads or the Rome.
mustard seed grows. 4. How does Acts 1:8 supply the outline for chapters
Discuss or list short answers to the following questions:
1 through 19 of the book of Acts?
The first section of the book deals with
Text Analysis the gospel’s impact in Jerusalem and Judea
1. The “Great Commission” of Matthew 28:19–20 (chaps. 1–7). Then the gospel reaches Samaria
is well known. Is there a “Great Commission” in by means of Philip (chap. 8). In chapter 9,
Luke? How is it similar to Matthew’s? How is it Saul, who is to become the future apostle
different? to the Gentile world and especially Rome,
Luke’s version of the Great Commission is converted. Chapters 10–11 relate the first
is Luke 24:46–48. In Luke’s version, there Gentile convert, Cornelius (a Roman). Chapter
is a strong missions emphasis, just as in 11 explains the development of Gentiles in
Matthew’s. Repentance is to be preached to Antioch from which Paul, Silas and Barnabas
all nations. Luke is similar to Acts, since this are to be sent. After the persecution (chap.
preaching begins in Jerusalem. Luke does 12) in Jerusalem, Paul is sent from Antioch to
not mention baptism, as does Matthew. One evangelize the Gentiles.
of the reasons that Luke might not stress 5. Can you track the spread of the gospel by the
baptism as much in his gos-
pel is because he is going to
Chart 1: Th e S p r e a d o f t h e G o s p e l
show baptisms happening all
through Acts. The Go s p e l i n A c t s W h o wa s b a p t i z e d
Go es t o . . . in these
2. How is Luke 24:46–48 related
pl a ces
to the larger themes of Luke?
Jerusalem, Judea: (Acts 2) 3000 men at
Luke often refers to Gentiles,
Pentecost
especially Romans. In Luke Samaria: (Acts 8) Eunuch, Samaritans,
24:46–48, Christ Himself Simon
teaches that the whole of End of the Earth
Old Testament Scripture is Transition: Apostle Paul (Acts 9) Saul (Apostle to Gentiles)
centered upon His death and First Gentile: Cornelius (Acts 10) Cornelius’s household
resurrection and that the God-fearer: Lydia (Acts 16) Lydia’s household
whole of the Old Testament New Convert Gentiles: The Jailer (Acts 16) Jailer’s household
taught the purpose of evan- Corinthians (Acts 18;1 Cor. 1:14–16) Many Corinthians:
gelizing all the nations. Crispus’s household
 Luke and Acts 413

baptismal examples in Acts? Fill in Chart 1, show- 3. How do the Psalms address other nations finding
ing the movement of the gospel by the baptisms (the salvation (Ps. 2, 22 and 96)?
Great Commission says “baptizing them”). Many of the Psalms speak of salvation going
to other nations. Psalm 2 speaks of Christ
Cultural Analysis inheriting all the nations as His possession.
1. Does the church today still have a responsibility to Psalm 22, after marvelously promising the
be mission’s minded? death of Christ in detail, tells that all the
The church is to “baptize [the nations]” ends of the world will worshipHim. Psalm 96
by declaring the gospel in every people says to declare His glory among the nations.
group. There are still many unreached ethnic 4. How does the concern for the Gentile nations arise
nations, even though most political nations in the ministry of Christ (Luke 4:25–26, Matt. 8:11)?
have a gospel witness. In Luke 4:25–27 Jesus reproves the Israelites
2. What does the teaching and example of Acts for their narrowness. He points out that
mean for our vision of missions today? many widows were in Israel in the days of
Because the gospel is to reach all nations Elijah but the widow God chose to minister
(Luke 24:46–48) the apostolic example pro- to was from Sidon. And God called Elisha to
motes evangelizing every nation. In the minister to Naaman the Syrian. As Matthew
days of the apostles (as recorded in Acts), 8:11 reports, Jesus said that many will come
the gospel crossed into Gentile territory from east and west and sit down with
and spread to Rome. In the days following Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of
the close of the New Testament, the gospel heaven.
spread through Western civilization. In the
last few hundred years, with the rise of the Summa
modern missions movement, the gospel is Write an essay or discuss this question, integrating
being established in the East. We should be what you have learned from the material above.
faithful and obedient in working and pray- Where do you think the gospel is going today?
ing for all the nations to be made disciples. Many have been reached through mission
3. Does your church support any missionaries? efforts, and yet many still sit in darkness.
Where are they and what are they doing? Christ will not settle for a few from several
Answers will vary. nations. He demands that the nations be
made His disciples. Further up and deeper
Biblical Analysis in—that is the call of the gospel.
1. What is God’s purpose regarding other nations in
Genesis 12:3? R e a d i n g A s s ig n m e n t :
God promises to bless “all the families of Acts 20–28
the earth.” Abraham is also to be a father to
many nations. His Seed will bring salvation
to the world.
2. Does God care only about Israel in the Old Session V: Recitation
Testament or are other nations his concern (Josh. Luke, Acts
2, Jonah, Ruth, 2 Kings 5)?
Both in the Abrahamic promise and in such Comprehension Questions
cases as Jonah, we see that God intended to Answer the following questions for factual recall:
bring salvation to other nations. We also find 1. For whom did Luke write his Gospel and Acts?
in the genealogies that many foreigners are (Luke 1:1–4)
blessed to be incorporated into the people Luke is writing in order to give an orderly
of Israel (Rahab, Ruth, the widow who minis- account of all that Christ has done to build
tered to Elijah, Naaman the Syrian, etc.). up Theophilus in the faith.
414 O m n i b u s I

2. Throughout the book of Luke, Christ’s kingdom is 8. How do Paul and Barnabas begin the missionary
announced in many ways. How is the kingdom an- enterprise of the church (Acts 13:2)?
nounced at Christ’s birth (Luke 1:31–34)? In Chapter 1 we are told where the gospel will
At the beginning, the angel Gabriel announc- go. God brings about the events leading to
es that Jesus will be a king and sit on David’s Cornelius’s conversion. But in Chapter 11 we
throne. see the development of Gentiles in Antioch
3. How does the parable of the sower teach us about from which Paul, Silas and Barnabas are to
Christ’s kingdom (Luke 8:4–15)? be sent. After the persecution in Jerusalem
His parables explain the kingdom of God. In (chapter 12), Paul is sent from Antioch. Then
Luke 8 Jesus explains how the kingdom mes- God sets apart Paul and other companions to
sage is received with the parable of the sower evangelize the Gentile world (13:2). Paul even-
It tells us that the kingdom is like someone tually arrives in Rome (chap. 28).
sowing grain. Some seeds become very fruit-
ful; others are choked out, are not deeply
rooted or are stolen away by the enemy.
4. How does the Lord’s Supper show Jesus’ disciples Optional Session: Activity
that they are participating in the kingdom (Luke
22:29–30)? Draw a Chiasm
The Lord’s Supper shows that Christ is still The Hebrews thought in parallels. This is seen in
with His people and that they are eating at wisdom literature: Proverbs 1:2 says, “To know wis-
His table with Him. He bestows on His fol- dom and instruction, to perceive the words of under-
lowers a kingdom which includes eating and standing.” The second phrase is parallel with the first
drinking at His table. one and means the same thing using different words.
5. In what area is the gospel first proclaimed in Acts? A “chiasm” is a kind of parallel structure used fre-
(Acts 1:8–9) quently in the Bible. It is a literary tool used by biblical
According to Acts 1:8, the gospel first impacts writers the way English poets use rhyme or meter. It
Jerusalem and Judea (chapters 1–7).2 has repetition of terms in a reverse pattern: A B C C B
6. What is the first border crossed as the kingdom A. The name “chiasm” is from the Greek letter chi (X)
message leaves Jerusalem and Judea? which looks like an X. Most biblical chiasms empha-
The gospel reaches Samaria by means of size the center of the chi (X marks the spot). What is
Philip (chapter 8). Many Samaritans believe really important is in the center. Here is an example
and are baptized. Samaritans were half- of a simple chiasm (or you could come up with your
Jewish but considered outcasts. own):
7. How does the kingdom first come into contact A The Crimson Tide deserve to lose.
with other nations (Rom. 9 and 10)? B The Eagles won by 40 points.
Before the gospel gets to pure Gentile terri- C The Eagles rock.
tory in chapter 9, Saul, who is to become the CC The Eagles rule.
future apostle to the Gentile world and espe- BB The Eagles won by a landslide.
cially Rome, is converted. Chapters 10–11 AA The Tide is going down.
relate the first Gentile convert, Cornelius (a
Note: Bible commentaries often mark the second se-
Roman).
ries is this way A’ B’ C’ (called “A prime,” etc.).
Draw/write out the chiasm in the Benedictus of
Luke 1:67–79.
 Luke and Acts 415

The Structure of the Benedictus the center is being emphasized (Gen. 12, 15, 17; Rom.
A Lord God of Israel has visited us 4:13; Gal. 3:16)?
B Accomplished redemption, raised up a The center of the chiasm shows the central-
horn of salvation ity of the Abrahamic covenant, both to the
C In the house of David believing Jews of the first century and to the
D As He spoke by the mouth of His New Testament writers. The covenant prom-
holy prophets ise in Genesis 12 (repeated throughout Gen.
E  Salvation from our enemies, 15, 17, etc.) turns out to be the basic promise
the hand of all who hate us; which unfolds throughout all of Scripture. It
F Our fathers promises the world to Abraham.
G His holy covenant,
GG The oath
FF Abraham our father Endnotes
EE Grant us being delivered from 1 This editor let such a wild dream remain in the text but wants
the reader to know that even in a postmillennial society such
hand of our enemies dreams will not be realized. Southern Mississippi—you must be
DD Prophet of the Most High kidding!
CC His people 2 For a wonderful answer to why Christ first takes the gospel
to the Jerusalem, see Bunyan’s classic sermon: The Jerusalem
BB The knowledge of salvation, forgive-
Sinner Saved. Whitefish, Mont.: Kessinger Publishing Company,
ness of their sins reprint 2004. Bunyan says that Christ first took the gospel to the
AA  Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to people of Jerusalem because they had just put Him to death and
shine in darkness thereby became the most guilty people of all time. This shows
that Christ wants the guiltiest people to have the gospel, and so,
Notice how the ideas relate to each other on each as Bunyan says, even the vilest man has hope. This endnote ap-
side of the chiasm. Why do you think the element at pears only in the teacher’s edition.