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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.