The Book of Acts – Epouranios

During the Nineteenth Century, scholars from the University of Tübingen, led by Ferdinand Christian Baur (1792-1860), considered Acts to be a product of the second century. They held that the purpose of its composition was to clear up the conflict between Pauline and Petrine Christianity that supposedly controlled the thought of the early church. They pointed to the so-called errors in Acts and concluded that the author was careless and not familiar with the specific geography of the first century. William Ramsay (1851-1939) was brought up under this school of thought, but had a change of mind after finding Luke to be a first-class historian. “You may press the words of Luke,” wrote Ramsay, “in a degree beyond any other historian’s, and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment….” ¹ William M. Ramsay. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (London: Hodder and Stroughton, 1915) p. 89.Some of Ramsay’s contributions include helping to validate Luke’s references to geography ²n Ramsay’s day it was thought that the city of Iconium was a part of the region of Lycaonia. Acts 14:6 clearly shows that Paul and Barnabas went out of the city of Iconium and into the region of Lycaonia. To contemporaries of Ramsay this would be similar to saying that someone went out of Los Angeles and into California. In support of Luke’s geography, Ramsay proved that Iconium was not a part of Lycaonia as it was thought, but that Iconium belonged to the district of Phrygia. The people of Iconium did not speak the same language and were “of a different stock” than the Lycaonians (See W. W. Gasque. Sir William M. Ramsay: Archaeologist and New Testament Scholar. [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Co., 1966]. p. 416 ff.).and historical facts. ³One example of this is his attempt to clear up the problem of dating the Census of Quirinius described in Luke 2:1-2. See Ramsay’s Was Christ Born in Bethlehem? A Study on the Creditability of St. Luke. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1898).As of today, there is no reason not to accept the Book of Acts as historically accurate.⁴For a comprehensive study of the history of criticism of the Book of Acts see W. W. Gasque. A History of the Criticism of the Acts of the Apostles. (Mohr, Tübingen/Eerdmans, 1975)..

The book of Acts is a remarkable work of history and theology. As Luke wrote to Theophilus and the early church, he highlighted the vital importance of spreading the gospel of the kingdom of God through their witness to the nations of the earth in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Most scholars believe that Acts is the second in a two part volume written perhaps at the request of a wealthy Roman named Theophilus. Of course the first volume is the Gospel of Luke and is addressed to Theophilus just as Acts is.

The climax of rejection by the Jewish people is the crucifixion of their own Messiah. However, even in the midst of this rejection of their king and the travesty
that the Jewish nation has committed, Luke keeps open the hope for a coming kingdom (Luke 23:51; 24:21). This hope survives into Acts

References[+]

↑1	William M. Ramsay. The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (London: Hodder and Stroughton, 1915) p. 89.
↑2	n Ramsay’s day it was thought that the city of Iconium was a part of the region of Lycaonia. Acts 14:6 clearly shows that Paul and Barnabas went out of the city of Iconium and into the region of Lycaonia. To contemporaries of Ramsay this would be similar to saying that someone went out of Los Angeles and into California. In support of Luke’s geography, Ramsay proved that Iconium was not a part of Lycaonia as it was thought, but that Iconium belonged to the district of Phrygia. The people of Iconium did not speak the same language and were “of a different stock” than the Lycaonians (See W. W. Gasque. Sir William M. Ramsay: Archaeologist and New Testament Scholar. [Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Co., 1966]. p. 416 ff.).
↑3	One example of this is his attempt to clear up the problem of dating the Census of Quirinius described in Luke 2:1-2. See Ramsay’s Was Christ Born in Bethlehem? A Study on the Creditability of St. Luke. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1898).
↑4	For a comprehensive study of the history of criticism of the Book of Acts see W. W. Gasque. A History of the Criticism of the Acts of the Apostles. (Mohr, Tübingen/Eerdmans, 1975).