The Book of Acts in Its Graeco-Roman Setting


Book Description

The Book of Acts in Its Graeco-Roman Setting locates the Book of Acts within various regional and cultural settings in the eastern Mediterranean. These studies draw on recent archaeological fieldwork and epigraphic discoveries to describe the key cities and provinces within the Roman Empire. The relevant societal aspects of these regions, such as the Roman legal system, Roman religion, and the problem of transport and travel, all help contextualize the book of Acts.




The Book of Acts in Its Ancient Literary Setting


Book Description

Volume 5 in a series which strives to place the Book of Acts within its first-century setting, Irina Levinskaya employs impressive archaeological research to throw light on the relation of Jews to the societies in which they lived during the period of dispersion. She surveys commonly held views and challenges current views regarding the true nature of Jewish missionary activity.




The Book of Acts in Its Palestinian Setting


Book Description

Working to place the Book of Acts within its first-century setting, well-known historians and biblical scholars from Australia, the United States, Canada, Russia, Germany, France, Israel, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom have collaborated here to provide a stimulating new study that replaces older studies on Acts, including aspects of The Beginnings of Christianity. The composition of Acts is discussed beside the writing of ancient literary monographs and intellectual biographies. Recent epigraphic and papyrological discoveries also help illumine the text of Acts. Archaeological fieldwork, especially in Greece and Asia Minor, has yielded valuable information about the local setting of Acts and the religious life of urban communities in the Roman Empire. These volumes draw on the best of this research to elucidate the Book of Acts against the background of activity in which early Christianity was born. The Book of Acts in Its Palestinian Setting is devoted to a series of studies of those parts of the narrative of Acts that are specifically set in Palestine. The geographical, political, cultural, social, and religious aspects of first-century Jewish Palestine are all explored in order to throw light on Luke's account of the Palestinian origins of early Christianity. There are fresh assessments of the historical significance of key features, persons, and events in Luke's narrative.




The Book of Acts and Paul in Roman Custody


Book Description

This volume provides a unique opportunity not only to learn about the custodial system of the Graeco-Roman world, but to better view Paul's persona and Christian mission as well. Brian Rapske's outstanding study shows Luke himself to be an ardent helper of Paul the missionary prisoner. "The author has produced an invaluable resource for both Acts and Pauline scholars, having placed the prison narratives of Paul in both their cultural and literary settings. The footnotes alone demonstrate the wealth of socio-cultural knowledge that Rapske brings to his reading of the Acts account as well as his understanding of the Pauline missions via- -vis his suffering in prison." - Journal for the Study of the New Testament




The Acts of the Apostles


Book Description

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James




Witness to the Gospel


Book Description

A distinguished group of scholars here provides a comprehensive survey of the theology of the early church as it is presented by the author of Acts. The twenty-five articles show the current state of scholarship and the main themes of theology in Acts.




The Acts of the Apostles


Book Description

This groundbreaking commentary is the first to provide a detailed social and rhetorical analysis of the book of Acts. At the same time it gives detailed attention to major theological and historical issues.




The Book of Acts in Its Diaspora Setting


Book Description

Volume 5 in a series which strives to place the Book of Acts within its first-century setting, Irina Levinskaya employs impressive archaeological research to throw light on the relation of Jews to the societies in which they lived during the period of dispersion. She surveys commonly held views and challenges current views regarding the true nature of Jewish missionary activity.




One Lord, One People: The Unity of the Church in Acts in Its Literary Setting


Book Description

This book examines the Lukan themes of unity and disunity against ancient Greco-Roman and Jewish social and political discourses on concord and discord to better understand the context in which Luke highlights the themes of unity and disunity.The themes of unity and disunity are particularly prominent in ancient discussions of the reigns of rulers, evaluations of laws/constitutions/forms of government, and descriptions of the contrasting effects of unity and disunity in the destruction and preservation of peoples and cities. These themes are grouped under the broad categories of kingship and law, and the preservation and destruction of cities. The book contends that, in the context of its literary setting, the theme of the unity of the church under one Lord in Acts contributes to Lukan Christological claims that Christ is the true king, and Lukan ecclesiological claims that the Christian community is the true people of God.




The Book of Acts


Book Description

The Book of Acts gives us a basic understanding of the story of the first-century Church from 30 AD (Pentecost) up until Paul's first imprisonment in Rome, which lasted from 61 AD to 63 AD. Luke's account in Acts ends when Paul is still under house arrest. But it only gives us a skeletal understanding of the story, not the full picture.By combining what we find Acts with details found in the rest of the New Testament letters, we can gain a wealth of information and revelation about what Jesus continued to do and teach through his apostles and prophets. But all these details are a challenge to sort out, and without a timeline to put the people and events in context, it is still difficult to discern the full picture. Where in our Bibles are we given a summary about what specifically transpired during that period from 63 AD, when the Book of Acts ends, through 70 AD, during which time the rest of the New Testament epistles were written? When precisely was each written? From where were they written? What circumstances and events were taking place within secular history and circumstantially within the churches that motivated them to be written? Where do we find that history, or that story, clearly laid out for us as we study our New Testaments? The answer is, we don't!Piecing together the story of the early Church is much like putting together a puzzle. Understanding the timeline is critical. It's like finding the corner and edge pieces of a puzzle around which the rest of the puzzle all falls into place. Having a timeline will guide you into a fuller understanding of the real story of the New Testament Church.