Saturday 20 October, 2012

1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Welcome to the book of the Acts of the apostles!

This book, written by Luke, who was a historian and a doctor, follows on as a sequel to Luke’s gospel.

As with his account of Jesus’s life he addresses it in these opening verses as being for “Theophilus” which is Greek for “lover of God.” Scholars seem to think that Theophilus was an actual individual, but I find myself wondering if the book has been personally addressed to anyone who is a lover of God?

Instead of writing a long background or introduction, Luke sets the scene in these first verses by repeating and clarifying what he reported in Luke 24:49- for the apostles to wait to receive the Holy Spirit before setting out to spread the news of Jesus’s life.

Written by Justin Ware