Book of Acts

The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. It is commonly referred to as simply Acts. The title "Acts of the Apostles" (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) was first used by Irenaeus in the late second century, but some have suggested that the title "Acts" be interpreted as the "Acts of the Holy Spirit" or even the "Acts of Jesus," since 1:1 gives the impression that Acts is set forth as 'an account of what Jesus continued to do and teach', Christ himself being the principal actor.

Acts tells the story of the Early Christian church, with particular emphasis on the ministry of the Twelve Apostles and of Paul of Tarsus. The early chapters, set in Jerusalem, discuss Jesus's Resurrection, his Ascension, the Day of Pentecost, and the start of the Twelve Apostles' ministry. The later chapters discuss Paul's conversion, his ministry, and finally his arrest and imprisonment and trip to Rome.

It is almost universally agreed that the author of Acts also wrote the Gospel of Luke. The traditional view is that both the two books were written c. 60 by a companion of Paul named Luke — a view which is still held by some scholars, though some view the books as having been written by an unknown author at a later date, sometime between 70 and 100.

Genre

The word "Acts" (Greek praxeis) denoted a recognized genre in the ancient world, "characterizing books that described great deeds of people or of cities." There are several such books in the New Testament apocrypha, including the Acts of Thomas, the Acts of Andrew, and the Acts of John.

Summary

The author begins with a prologue addressed to a person named Theophilius and references "my earlier book"—almost certainly the Gospel of Luke. This is immediately followed by a narrative in which the the resurrected Jesus instructs the disciples to remain in Jerusalem to await the gift of the Holy Spirit. They ask him if he intends now to "restore the kingdom to Israel," a reference to his mission as the Jewish Messiah, but Jesus replies that the timing of such things is not for them to know. (1:6-7) After this, Jesus asends into a cloud and disappears. Too "men" appear and ask why they look to the sky, since Jesus will return in the same way he went.

The Jerusalem church

File:Ivorwilliams beggar.jpg

The Leaping Beggar, Acts 3 (1960-61) by Ivor Williams

The apostles, along with other of Jesus' mother, his brothers, and other followers meet and elect Matthias to replace Judas Iscariot as a member of The Twelve. On Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descends on them. The apostles hear a great wind and witness "tongues of flames" descending on them, paralleling Luke 3:16-17. Thereafter, the apostles have the miraculous power to "speak in tongues" and when they address a crowd, each member of the crowd hears their speech in his own native language. Three thousand people reportedly become believers and are baptized as a result of this miracle (2:1-40).

Peter, along with John, preaches to many in Jerusalem, and perform miracles such as healings, the casting out of evil spirits, and the raising of the dead (ch. 3).

A controversy arises due to Peter and John preaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Sadduceean priests—who, unlike the Pharisees, denied the doctrine of the resurrection—have the two apostles arrested. The High Priest Annas, together with other Sadduceean leaders, question the two but fear punishing them on account of their having recently healed a man in the Temple precincts. Having earlier condemned Jesus to the Romans, they command the apostles not to speak in Jesus' name, but the apostles make it clear they do not intend to comply (4:1-21)

The growing community of Jewish Christians practices a form of communism: "selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need." (1:45) The policy is strictly enforced, and when one member, Ananias, withholds for himself part of the proceeds of a house he has sold, he and his wife are both slain by the Holy Spirit after hiding the fact from Peter. (5:1-20)

As their numbers increase, the believers begin to be increasingly persecuted. Once again the Sadducees move against them. Some of the apostles are arrested and flogged, but ultimately freed. The Pharisaic leader Gamaliel, however, defends them, warning his fellow members of the Sanhedrin to "Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (5:38-39) Although they are flogged for disobeying the High Priest's earlier order, the disciples are freed and continue to preach open in the Temple courtyards.

An internal controversy arises within the Jerusalem church between the Judean and Hellenistic Jews, the latter alleging that their widows were being neglected. The Twelve, not wishing to oversee the distrubtions themselves, appointed Stephen and six others for this purpose so that the apostles themselves could concentrate on preaching (6:1-7) Many in Jerusalem join the faith, include "a large number of priests."

Although the apostles themselves manage to stay out of trouble, Stephen soon finds himself embroiled in a major controversy with other Hellenistic Jews, who accusing him of blasphemy. At his trial, Stephen gives an long, eloquent summary of providential history, but concludes by accusing those present of resisting the Holy Spirit, killing the prophets, and murdering the Messiah. This time, no one steps forward to defend the accused, and Stephen is immediately stoned to death, become the first Christian martyr.(ch. 6-7) One of those present at and approving of his death is Saul and Taursus, the future Saint Paul.

As a result of Stephen's confrontation with the Temple authorities, a widespread persecution breaks out against those Jews who affirm Jesus as Messiah. Many believers flee Jerusalem to the outlying areas of Judea and Samaria, although the apostles remain in Jerusalem. Saul is authorized by the High Priest to arrest believers and put them in prison.

The faith spreads

In Samaria, a disiple named Philip performs miracles and influences many to believe. One of the new believers is Simon Magus, himself a miracle worker with a great reputation among the Samaritans. Peter and John soon arrive in order to impart the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized. Simon Magus is amazed at this and offers the apostles money that he too may learn to perform this great miracle. Peter takes offense at this, declaring, "may you money perish with you." Simon immediately repents and asks Peter to pray to God on his behalf. The apostles continue their journey among the Samaritans and many believe.

Philip converts an Ethopian eunuch, the first Gentile offical to join the new faith.

Paul's conversion

Paul of Tarsus, also known as Saul, is the main character of the second half of Acts, which deals with the work of the Holy Spirit as it moves beyond Judea and begins to bring large numbers of Gentiles into faith in the Gospel. In one of the New Testament's most dramatic episodes, Paul travels on the road to Damascus, where he intends to arrest Jews who profess faith in Jesus. "Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground" (9:3-4) and Paul becomes blind for three days (9:9). In a later account Paul hears a voice saying: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ... I am Jesus" (26:14-15). In Damascus, Paul is cured from his blindness and becomes as ardent believer. However, the Jerusalem community is suspicious and fearful of him at first, but he wins the apostles' trust and faces danger from the Hellenistic Jews whom he debates. After this the church in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoys a period of growth and relative peace. (9:31)

Gentile converts

Peter, meanwhile, conducts several miraculous healings, including the raising of the female disciple, Tabitha, from the dead (9:40). During Peter's travels a Roman centurion named Cornelius receives a revelation from an angel that he must meet Peter. Cornelius sends to invite Peter to dine with him. Peter himself, meanwhile, has a dream in which God commands him to eat non-kosher food, which Peter has never done previously. The next day, Peter eats at Cornelius' home and preaches there. Several Gentiles are converted, and Peter batpizes them. Back in Jerusalem, Peter is criticized by the "cirumcized believers" for enter a Gentile home and eating with non-Jews. His critics are silenced, however, when Peter relates the above events.

Meanwhile a sizeable group of Gentile believers has joined the faith in Syrian Antioch, the Roman Empire's third largest city. The Jerusalem church sends Barnabas, a Levite, to minister to them.Barnabas finds Paul in Tarsus and brings him to Antioch to assist in the mission. It is here that the followers of Jesus are first called Christians. Christian prophets, one of whom is named Agabus, come to Antioch from Jerusalem and predict to the Aniochans that a famine will soon spread across the Roman world. A collection is taken up to send aid to the Judean church. Interestingly, no mention is made of the visit from Peter to Antioch, mentioned by Paul in Galatians 3

Peter, meanwhile, is imprisoned by King Herod Agrippa, but miraculously escapes. Agrippa himself is soon slain by an angel allowing himself to be honored instead of God. (ch. 12)

Probably several years later, Barnabas and Paul set out on a mission to further spread the faith. (13-14) They travel first to Selucia and Cyprus, and then to Asia Minor, preaching in synagogues and visiting existing Christian congregations throughout the region. The have many adverntures, often running afoul of Jewish leaders.In Lystra, after a miracle of healing, the local Gentile community hails Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes. They establish local churches and appoint leaders to guide them. Finally returning to Antioch for a long stay.

At Antioch, a controversy arises when delegates from Jerusalem arrive and insist that Gentile believers must be cirumcized. (15:1) Paul then travels to Jerusalem where he meets with the apostles—a meeting known as the Council of Jerusalem (15). Paul's own record of the meeting appears in (Gal.2}. Some members of the Jerusalem church are strict Pharisees and hold that circumcision is required for Gentiles who join the faith. Paul and his associates strongly disagree. After an apparently heated debate, James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem church, decrees that Gentile members need not follow all of the Mosaic Law, and in particular, they do not need to be circumcised. Paul's party, however, is required to accept that Gentiles must obey the commandments against eating food sacrificed to idols, meat that is not fully cooked, and meat of strangled animals, as well as from sexual immorality. (15:29)

Paul and Barnabas now plan a second missionary journey. However, they have a falling out over whether John Mark should accompany them, Paul objecting on the grounds that he had deserted them during their first journey and returned to Jerusalem. Paul continues on without Barnabas, who is not heard from again.

Paul spends the next few years traveling through western Asia Minor and founds his first Christian church in Philippi. He then travels to Thessalonica, where he stays for some time before departing for Greece. In Athens, Paul visits an altar with an inscription dedicated to the Unknown God, so when he gives his speech on the Areopagos, he proclaims to worship that same Unknown God whom he identifies as the Christian God. Typically, Paul begins his stay in each city by preaching in the synagogues, where he finds some sympathetic hearers but also provokes stiff oppostion. At Ephesus a riot break out as idol-makers fear that Paul's preaching will harm their business, associated with the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the World (ch 19).

During these travels, Paul not only founds and strengthen several churches; he also collects funds for a major donation he intends to bring to Jersualem. His return is delayed by shipwrecks and close calls with the authorities, but finally he lands in Trye, where he is warned by through the Holy Spirit not to continue on to Jerusalem. Likewise in Caesaria, Paul is warned by the prophet Agabus that he will be arrested if he goes to Holy City. Paul stubbornly refuses to be dissuaded, however.

Upon Paul's arrival in Jerusalem, he is met by James, who confronts him with the rumor of that he is teaching against the Law of Moses).

"You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. What shall we do?" (21:20-22)

To prove that he himself is "living in obedience to the law," Paul accompanies some fellow Jewish Christians to complete a vow at the Temple (21:26). Near the end of the seven days of the vow, Paul is recognized and nearly beaten to death by a mob, accused of the sin of bringing Gentiles into the Temple confines. (21:28). Paul is rescued from being flogged when he informs a Roman commander that he is a citzen of Rome.

Paul is then brought before the Sanhedrin. He runs afoul of the Sadducean High Priest, Ananias, but cleverly plays to his fellow Pharisees on the council by claiming that the real issue at stake is the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, which the Sadducees deny (23:6). Paul wins a temporary reprieve but is is imprisoned in Caesarea after a plot against his life is uncovered. Paul asserts his right, as a Roman citizen, to be tried in Rome. There, before the Roman governor Felix, Paul is confronted again by the High Priest, and once again Paul insists that although he is indeed a following of "The Way," the real reason he is being accused is that he believes in the doctrine of the resurrection, as do most Pharisees. Paul remains imprisoned in Caesaria for two years. He later preaches before Agrippa II and is finally sent sent by sea to Rome, where he spends another two years under house arrest. Acts28:30-31). From there he writes some of his most important letters.

The Book of Acts does not record the outcome of Paul's legal troubles. It concludes:

For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Themes and style

Salvation to the Gentiles

One of the central themes of Acts is the idea that Jesus's teachings were for all humanity &mdash, Jews and Gentiles alike. Christianity is presented as a religion in its own right, rather than a sect of Judaism. Whereas the Jewish Christians were circumcised and adhered to dietary laws, Pauline Christianity featured in Acts did not require Gentiles to be circumcised; and its list of Mosaic commnadments required for Gentiles was limited to a small number. In general, the author of Acts presents the movement of the Gospel message among the Jews of Jerusalem to the Jews of the diaspora in the opening chapters, to the Gentiles and Jews alike in the middle chapters, and finally to the Gentiles primarily in the end. Indeed, the final statement of Paul in Acts can be seen as the basic message of the Book of Acts itself: "I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" (28:28)

The Holy Spirit

As in the Gospel of Luke, there are numerous references to the Holy Spirit throughout Acts. Acts uniquely features the "baptism in the Holy Spirit" on Pentecost and the subsequent spirit-inspired speaking in tongues (1:5, 8; 2:1-4; 11:15-16). The Holy Spirit is shown guiding the decisions and actions of Christian leaders (15:28; 16:6-7; 19:21; 20:22-23) and the Holy Spirit is said to "fill" the apostles, especially when they preach (1:8; 2:4; 4:8, 31; 11:24; 13:9, 52). As a result, Acts is particularly influential among branches of Christianity which place particular emphasis the Holy Spirit, such as Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement.

Concern for the oppressed

The Gospel of Luke and Acts both devote a great deal of attention to the oppressed and downtrodden. In Luke's Gospel, the impovershed are generally praised (Luke 4:18; 6:20–21) while the wealthy are criticized. Luke alone tells the parabale of the Good Samartan, while in Acts a large number of Samaritans join the church (Acts 8:4-25). In Acts, attention is given to the religious persecution of the early Christians, as in the case of Stephen's martyrdom, Peter's imprisonments, and Paul's many sufferings for his preaching of Christianity.

Prayer and speeches

Prayer, too, is a major motif in both the Gospel of Luke and Acts. Both books have a more prominent attention to prayer than is found in the other gospels.

Acts is also noted for a number of extended speeches and sermons from Peter, Paul, and others. There are at least 24 such speeches in Acts, comprising about 30 percent of the total verses.

Authorship

While the precise identity of the author is debated, the consensus of scholarship holds that the author was a Greek Gentile writing for an audience of Gentile Christians. There is also substantial evidence to indicate that the author of the Gospel of Luke also wrote the Book of Acts. The most direct evidence comes from the prefaces of each book. Both prefaces are addressed to Theophilus, probably the author's patron. Furthermore, the preface of Acts explicitly references "my former book" about the life of Jesus—almost certainly the work we know as The Gospel of Luke.

There are clear linguistic and theological similarities between the Luke and Acts. Because of their common authorship, the Gospel of Luke and Acts of the Apostles are often jointly referred to as Luke-Acts.

Luke the physician

The traditional view is that the Gospel of Luke and Acts were written by the physician Luke, a companion of Paul. This Luke is mentioned in Paul's Epistle to Philemon (v.24), and in two other epistles which are traditionally ascribed to Paul (Colossians 4:14 and 2 Timothy 4:11).

The view that Luke-Acts was written by the physician Luke was nearly unanimous in the early Church Fathers who commented on these works. The text of Luke-Acts provides important hints that its author was either a companion of Paul, or that he used sources from one of Paul's companions. The so-called "'we' passages" are often cited as evidence of this. Although the bulk of Acts is written in the third person, several brief sections are written from a first-person plural perspective. For example: "After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia...we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace." (16:10-11) It has also been argued that level of detail used in the narrative describing Paul's travels suggests an eyewitness source. Some claim that the vocabulary used in Luke-Acts suggests its author may have had medical training.

Others believe Luke-Acts was written by an anonymous Christian author who may not have been an eyewitness to any of the events recorded within the text. In the preface to Luke, the author refers to having eyewitness testimony "handed down to us" and to having undertaken a "careful investigation," but the author does not claim to be an eyewitness to any of the events. Except for the "we" passages in Acts, the narrative of Luke-Acts is written in the third person — the author never refers to himself as "I" or "me." The "we passages" are thus regarded as fragments of a source document which was later incorporated into Acts by the author.

Scholars also point to a number of apparent theological and factual discrepancies between Luke-Acts and Paul's letters. For example, Acts and the Pauline letters appear to disagree about the number and timings of Paul's visits to Jerusalem, and Paul's own account of his conversion is slightly different from the account given in Acts. Similarly, some believe the theology of Luke-Acts is slightly different from the theology espoused by Paul in his letters. This would suggest that the author of Luke-Acts did not have significant contact with Paul, but instead relied on other sources for his portrayal of Paul.

Sources

Acts 15:22–24 from the seventh-century Codex laudianus in the Bodleian Library, written in parallel columns of Latin and Greek.

The author of Acts likely relied upon other sources, as well as oral tradition, in constructing his account of the early church and Paul's ministry. Evidence of this is found in the prologue to the Gospel of Luke, where the author alluded to his sources by writing, "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word."

It is generally believed that the author of Acts did not have access to a collection of Paul's letters. One piece of evidence suggesting this is that although half of Acts centers on Paul, Acts never directly quotes from the epistles nor does it even mention Paul writing letters. Additionally, the epistles and Acts disagree about the chronology of Paul's career.

Historicity

The question of authorship is largely bound up with that as to the historicity of the contents. Conservative scholars view the book of Acts as being basically accurate while skeptics view it as historically unreliable. Skeptics question to the trustworthiness of Acts on the ground of its reports of miracles, while others defend the work on grounds that the Bible is God's Word, and all things are possible with God.

Beyond these basic differences in attitude, faithful Christians as well as secular scholars have devoted much effort to disucssing the accuracy of Acts on other grounds. It is one of the few Christian documents that can be checked in many details against other known contemporary sources, namely the letters of Paul, one of Acts' own main characters.

Acts. vs. Paul's epistles

Attention has been drawn particularly to the account given by Paul of his visits to Jerusalem in Galatians as compared with Acts, and to the character and mission of the apostle Paul, as they appear in his letters and in Acts.

Some of differences as to Paul's visits to Jerusalem have been explained in terms of the two authors varying interests and emphasis. The apparent discrepancy between Galatians 2:1-10 and Acts 15, however, is particularly problematic and is much debated.

As for Paul as depicted in Acts, Paul claims that he was appointed the apostle to the Gentiles, as Peter was to "the circumcision." He also contends that circumcision and the observance of the Mosaic Law were of no importance to salvation. His words on these points in all his letters are strong and decided. But in Acts, it is Peter who first opens up the way for the Gentiles. It is also Peter who uses the strongest language in regard to the intolerable burden of the Law as a means of salvation (15:10f.; cf. 1). Not a word is said of any difference of opinion between Peter and Paul at Antioch (Gal 2:11ff.). Throughout the whole of Acts, Paul never stands forth as the unbending champion of the Gentiles. He seems continually anxious to reconcile the Jewish Christians to himself by personally observing the law of Moses. He personally circumcises Timothy, whose mother is Jewish; and he willingly pariticpates in a public vow at the the Temple. He is particularly careful in his speeches to show how deep is his respect for the law of Moses. In all this, the letters of Paul are very different from Acts.

Speeches

The speeches in Acts deserve special notice, because they constitute a large portion of the book. Given the nature of the times, lack of recording devices, and space limitations, many ancient historians did not reproduce verbatim reports of speeches. Condensing and using one's own style was often unavoidable. There is little doubt that the speeches of Acts are summaries or condensations largely in the style and vocabulary of its author. However, there are indications that the author of Acts relied on source material for his speeches, and did not always treat them as mere vehicles for expressing his own theology. The author's apparent use of speech material in the Gospel of Luke, itself obtained either from the Gospel of Mark and the hypothetical Q document or the Gospel of Matthew, suggests that he relied on other sources for his narrative and was relatively faithful in using them. Additionally, many scholars have viewed Acts' presentation of Stephen's speech, Peter's speeches in Jerusalem and, most obviously, Paul's speech in Miletus as relying on source material or of expressing views not typical of Acts' author.

Content

Dedication to Theophilus (1:1-2) Resurrection appearances (1:3) Great Commission (1:4-8) Ascension (1:9) Second Coming Prophecy (1:10-11) Matthias replaced Judas (1:12-26) Holy Spirit came at Pentecost (2), see also Paraclete Peter healed a crippled beggar (3) Peter and John before the Sanhedrin (4:1-22) Resurrection of the dead (4:2) Believers' Prayer (4:23-31) Everything is shared (4:32-37) Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11) Signs and Wonders (5:12-16) Apostles before the Sanhedrin (5:17-42) Seven Greeks appointed (6:1-7) Saint Stephen before the Sanhedrin (6:8-7:60) Saul persecuted the Church of Jerusalem (8:1-3) Philip the Evangelist (8:4-40) Simon Magus (8:9-24) Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-39) Conversion of Saul (9:1-31, 22:1-22, 26:9-24) Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (9:32-43)

Conversion of Cornelius (10:1-8, 24-48) Peter's vision (10:9-23, 11:1-18) Church of Antioch founded (11:19-30) term "Christian" first used 11:26 Saint James the Great executed (12:1-2) Peter's escape from prison (12:3-19) Death of Herod Agrippa I [in 44] (12:20-25) "the voice of a god" 12:22 Mission of Barnabas and Saul (13-14) "Saul, who was also known as Paul" 13:9 called "gods ... in human form" 14:11 Council of Jerusalem (15:1-35) Paul separated from Barnabas (15:36-41) 2nd and 3rd missions (16-20) "God...has set a day" 17:30-31 Trip to Jerusalem (21) rumor of antinomianism 21:21 Before the people and the Sanhedrin (22-23) Before Felix-Festus-Agrippa II (24-26) Trip to Rome (27-28) called a god on Malta 28:6

Date

Conservative Christian scholars often date the Book of Acts quite early. For example, Norman Geisler dates believes it was written between 60-62 C.E. Arguing for an early date is the fact that Paul has not yet died when the book ends, nor is there any reference to Jewish rebellion against Rome and the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, which took place in 70 C.E. However, Acts 20:25 suggests that the author knows of Paul's death: "I know that none of you.. will ever see me again." Moreover many scholars believe that Luke did have knowledge of the Temple's destruction (Luke 19:44; 21:20), and that his Gospel was written during the reign of Emperor Domitian (81-96). One of Luke's purposes in writing to Theophilus, possibly a Roman official whom he addesses as "excellency," may have been to demonstrate that the Christians were loyal to Rome, unlike many Jews. The fact that Acts shows no awareness of Paul's letters means that Luke probably wrote before Paul's epistles were collected and distributed. Thus, liberal scholarship tends to put the date of Acts at somewhere between 85 and 100 C.E.

Place

The place of composition is still an open question. For some time Rome and Antioch have been in favor, and Blass combined both views in his theory of two editions. But internal evidence points strongly to the Roman province of Asia, particularly the neighborhood of Ephesus. Note the confident local allusion in 19:9 to "the school of Tyrannus" and in 19:33 to "Alexander"; also the very minute topography in 20:13–15. At any rate affairs in that region, including the future of the church of Ephesus (20:28–30), are treated as though they would specially interest "Theophilus" and his circle; also an early tradition makes Luke die in the adjacent Bithynia. Finally it was in this region that there arose certain early glosses (e.g., 19:9; 20:15), probably the earliest of those referred to below. How fully in correspondence with such an environment the work would be, as apologia for the Church against the Synagogue's attempts to influence Roman policy to its harm, must be clear to all familiar with the strength of Judaism in Asia (cf. Rev 2:9, 3:9; and see Sir W. M. Ramsay, The Letters to the Seven Churches, ch. xii.).

Manuscripts

Like most biblical books, there are differences between the earliest surviving manuscripts of Acts. In the case of Acts, however, the differences between the surviving manuscripts is more substantial. The two earliest versions of manuscripts are the Western text-type (as represented by the Codex Bezae) and the Alexandrian text-type (as represented by the Codex Sinaiticus). The version of Acts preserved in the Western manuscripts contains about 10% more content than the Alexandrian version of Acts. Since the difference is so great, scholars have struggled to determine which of the two versions is closer to the original text composed by the original author.

The earliest explanation, suggested by Swiss theologian Jean LeClerc in the 17th century, posits that the longer Western version was a first draft, while the Alexandrian version represents a more polished revision by the same author. Adherents of this theory argue that even when the two versions diverge, they both have similarities in vocabulary and writing style— suggesting that the two shared a common author. However, it has been argued that if both texts were written by the same individual, they should have exactly identical theologies and they should agree on historical questions. Since most modern scholars do detect subtle theological and historical differences between the texts, most scholars do not subscribe to the rough-draft/polished-draft theory.

A second theory assumes common authorship of the Western and Alexandrian texts, but claims the Alexandrian text is the short first draft, and the Western text is a longer polished draft. A third theory is that the longer Western text came first, but that later, some other redactor abbreviated some of the material, resulting in the shorter Alexandrian text.

While these other theories still have a measure of support, the modern consensus is that the shorter Alexandrian text is closer to the original, and the longer Western text is the result of later insertion of additional material into the text. It is believed that the material in the Western text which isn't in the Alexandrian text reflects later theological developments within Christianity. For examples, the Western text features a greater hostility to Judaism, a more positive attitude towards a Gentile Christianity, and other traits which appear to be later additions to the text. Some also note that the Western text attempts to minimize the emphasis Acts places on the role of women in the early Christian church.

A third class of manuscripts, known as the Byzantine text-type, is often considered to have developed after the Western and Alexandrian types. The extant manuscripts of this type date from the 5th century or later; however, papyrus fragments show that this text-type may date as early as the Alexandrian or Western text-types. The Byzantine text-type served as the basis for the 16th century Textus Receptus, the first Greek-language version of the New Testament to be printed by printing press. The Textus Receptus, in turn, served as the basis for the New Testament found in the English-language King James Bible. Today, the Byzantine text-type is the subject of renewed interest as the possible original form of the text from which the Western and Alexandrian text-types were derived.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Laymon, Charles M. “The Interpreter’s One-Volume Commentary on the Bible”. Abingdon Press, 1971. ISBN 068712994

External links

• Acts (NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser
• Dating Acts
• Unbound Bible 100+ languages/versions at Biola University
• Online Bible at gospelhall.org
• Book of Acts at Bible Gateway (NIV & KJV)
• Acts from the Biblical Resource Database
• The Apostle Paul's Shipwreck: An Historical Investigation of Acts 27 and 28
• Catholic Encyclopedia: Acts of the Apostles
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Acts of the Apostles
• Jewish Encyclopedia: New Testament - The Acts of the Apostles
• Tertullian.org: The Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (1923) J. M. WILSON, D.D.

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