Brian Jones

Analyzing the Book of Acts

The biblical Acts of the Apostles is criticized by

many as being embellished in many parts by the author, who

goes by the name of “Luke.” Paul’s conversion on the road

to Damascus, for example, has been said to be exaggerated

in Acts; details such as the blinding light and the voice

of Christ seem a bit over the top to many scholars,

including the author of In Search of Paul. Moreover, it has

been suggested that Luke wrote the book for the Roman

authorities, as a defense of Paul’s actions. This would be

a good explanation for why the Jews are portrayed so

negatively throughout the text – a rather large detail of

the defense theory is that the Jews appear to be the blame

for all the conflicts in which Paul is involved. If this is

the case, then it could easily imply that Paul was not as

innocent in all his workings as he is portrayed, which

would then also mean that Luke bends the truth a bit.

On the other hand, Luke may be completely truthful in

his writings. Critics have trouble believing him, however,

because of his aforementioned embellishment. In fact, the

embellishments of several events throughout the book make

it seem as though Luke focuses on flashy details more than

anything else. Incidents which, in reality, may have seemed

quite ordinary, are given a very mystical effect when Luke

writes about them. In chapter 12, for instance, an angel

appears in a shining light and then breaks Peter’s chains,

allowing the apostle to escape prison. This may seem

awfully dramatic to many readers. It is this epic style of

storytelling that stands out above all else in Acts to a

large portion of critics.

However, Luke’s style seems to have an even more

outstanding feature: repetition. Multiple incidents repeat

themselves throughout the book. Miracles of healing occur

several times throughout the book, from Peter and John’s

gift of walking to the cripple in chapter three, to Paul’s

many healings of believers throughout his travels. The

story of Peter’s vision is told three times within the span

of two chapters, and the story of Paul’s conversion is told

thrice throughout the course of the whole book. Miraculous

jailbreaks occur in chapters five, 12, and 16; Luke

mentions three separate jailbreaks, all of which are of a

divine nature. Many more times are various disciples –

although mostly Paul – arrested. From these arrests come

multiple public defenses of Paul’s actions and Christianity

in general.

The speeches themselves are also very similar in the

entire book. Stephen’s speech, which occupies the first 53

verses alone of chapter seven, summarizes the entire Old

Testament and the Gospels, from God’s calling of Abram

through the resurrection of Christ. This basic format of

defense is not fully copied in other speeches, but the flow

between Jewish history and Christ’s death and resurrection

remains constant. In chapter two, Peter discusses David’s

lineage leading down to Christ. Chapter eight tells the

story of Philip preaching the gospel of Christ through only

the scriptures of Isaiah.

Now, why would Luke keep repeating the same stories

and speeches? The most reasonable answer is that he did so

for emphasis. He found important meanings in particular

events and wanted to highlight them. Knowing this, the

overall purpose of the book of Acts may be, at the very

least, hypothesized: The book is to be used as an

instructional text for disciples, using a method of

teaching by example.

The aforementioned format of public speeches, for

instance, teaches a good method to preach to both Jews and

Gentiles: find common ground with the audience, and work

from there. Emphasizing miracles is a good way to build

one’s faith in the power of God and the Holy Spirit. The

repetition of being arrested and freed is a lasting

metaphor for bondage to sin and the freedom which can be

found through Christ. Even the simple recalling of the way

Paul acted in different scenarios is a good teacher.

Although Christ is the ideal role model for Christians,

Paul is imperfect and one can more easily relate to him.

Several different themes and messages are present in

the book of Acts. However, they are all displayed in hidden

ways, through the stories of Paul and the apostles. Through

repetition, Luke is able to point out the important points

which can be learned from these stories. Although it may be

said that these lessons were more relevant to the disciples

of the early church, they are still quite useful in the

life of a modern Christian.