ACTS ACTION!

Because the story of Jesus is so impressive

- God among us, God speaking a language

we can understand, God acting in ways

that heal and help and save us - there is

an inherent danger that we will be

impressed, but only impressed.

As the spectacular dimensions of the events

slowly (or suddenly!) dawn upon us, we

could easily become enthusiastic

spectators, and let it go at that - admirers

of Jesus, generous with our oh’s and ah’s,

and in our better moments inspired to

imitate him.

But it is Luke’s task to prevent that from

happening, to prevent us from becoming

mere spectators to Jesus, fans of the

Message. Of the original quartet of writers

on Jesus, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,

Luke alone continues to tell the story as the

apostles and disciples live it into the next

generation.

The remarkable thing is that it continues to

be essentially the same story. Luke

continues his narration with hardly a break,

a pause perhaps to dip his pen in the

inkwell, writing in the same style, using the

same vocabulary communicating the same

gospel good news that the story of Jesus

doesn’t end with Jesus.

It continues in the lives of those who believe

in him. The supernatural did not stop with

Jesus’ ministry on earth. Luke makes it

abundantly clear that the believers he wrote

about were no more spectators of Jesus

than Jesus was a spectator of God - they

were in on the action of God, God acting in

and through them, which also means, of

course, in us.

The church today, persecuted, attacked,

ridiculed or even ignored, desperately

needs encouragement and it is the Book of

Acts that despite modern challenges vividly

reminds local congregations that they can

be vibrant and excelling in the work of the

Lord, not by human effort though, but by

the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts is therefore nothing less than the acts

of God, in the Name of his Son Jesus,

through the Holy Spirit, worked by his

people, the early church.

Lk 1:1-4. ‘Aangesien baie onderneem het om ‘n

verhaal op te stel oor die dinge wat onder ons al

vervul is, soos hulle wat van die begin af

ooggetuies en dienaars van die Woord was, dit

aan ons oorgelewer het, het ek ook dit

goedgedink, hooggeagte Theófilus, nadat ek van

voor af alles noukeurig ondersoek het, om dit in

volgorde aan u te skrywe, sodat u met volle

sekerheid kan weet die dinge waaromtrent u

onderrig is.’

Hd 1:1-3. ‘Die eerste verhaal, Theófilus, het ek

opgestel oor alles wat Jesus begin doen en leer

het tot op die dag dat Hy opgeneem is, nadat Hy

aan die apostels wat Hy uitverkies het, deur die

Heilige Gees bevele gegee het; aan wie Hy ook,

ná sy lyde, Hom lewend vertoon het deur baie

kentekens, terwyl Hy gedurende veertig dae aan

hulle verskyn het en oor die dinge van die

koninkryk van God gespreek het.’

Lk 1:1-4. ‘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.

Therefore, since I myself have carefully

investigated everything from the beginning,

it seemed good also to me to write an

orderly account for you, most excellent

Theophilus, so that you may know the

certainty of the things you have been

informed about.’

Everything in both the Gospel of Luke as

well as Acts points to the fact that the

whole work was primarily intended to

defend Paul on trial and explain to the

Roman authorities that there was nothing

seditious or subversive about the Christian

faith. Paul is thus depicted as a Roman

citizen, innocent by Roman law and

deserving a ‘not guilty’ verdict at his trial.

This underlying purpose of the Book of Acts

explains too why Paul’s testimony is given

three times in the book - a little excessive

(none of the other apostles’ testimonies are

recorded) unless it is because Paul is on

trial and it is vital that the lawyer hear what

he had said at every one of his previous

trials, so that all of it can be used in

evidence for him and not against him.

Furthermore, seeing Acts as a defence lawyer’s brief

helps to explain why Acts finishes so abruptly. It stops

with Paul awaiting trial. This also discredits other

arguments for the purpose of Acts. If it was purely an

account of Paul’s life, this would be an odd place to

finish. We know that Luke himself lived to the age of

84, so he was alive to record Paul’s death if that had

been his purpose with Acts. If, on the other hand, the

purpose was legal, then the court summary finishes

as we would expect, with Paul awaiting trial.

Another observation that supports the

overall purpose of Acts confirms this. Why

would Dr Luke give so much space to such a

detailed account of the shipwreck on Malta

if he was aiming to write a history of the

early church? And why would he describe

only this disaster at sea, since Paul had

been through at least three others?

Surely it was because he wished to highlight

Paul’s exemplary behaviour in not attempting

to escape in the confusion, but instead saving

the lives of all on board, including his Roman

captors, who were responsible for delivering

him safely to the Roman court. After recounting

this heroic and patriotic effort, one can imagine

the defence lawyer at Paul’s trial concluding

with the words: ‘I rest my case, your honour.’

PETRUS PAULUSWonderwerke Gewerk Wonderwerke Gewerk

Visioene Gesien Visioene GesienGely vir Geloof Gely vir GeloofLank Gepreek Lank Gepreek

Gevul met die Gees Gevul met die GeesGeleer met Vrymoedigheid Geleer met VrymoedigheidVir Jode & Heidene Bedien Vir Jode & Heidene Bedien

Gevange Geneem vir Geloof & Bo-Natuurlik Vrygelaat

Gevange Geneem vir Geloof & Bo-Natuurlik Vrygelaat

Gawe van Genesing Gehad Gawe van Genesing GehadDuiwels Uitgedryf Duiwels Uitgedryf

Genees Persoon Kreupel van Geboorte

Genees Persoon Kreupel van Geboorte

Persoon uit die Dood Opgewek

Persoon uit die Dood Opgewek

Vals Leraars Beoordeel & Verwerp

Vals Leraars Beoordeel & Verwerp

Aanbidding van Hulself Teëgestaan

Aanbidding van Hulself Teëgestaan

Jerusalem (hfs 1-7) Judea & Samaria (hfs 8-10)

Uiterste van aarde – Rome (hfs 11-28)

Hd 6:7. ‘En die woord van God het

toegeneem, en die getal van die dissipels

het in Jerusalem baie vermeerder, en ‘n

groot menigte van priesters het

gehoorsaam geword aan die geloof.’

Hd 9:31. ‘En die gemeentes deur die hele

Judéa en Galiléa en Samaría het vrede

gehad; en terwyl hulle opgebou is en

gewandel het in die vrees van die Here en

die vertroosting van die Heilige Gees, het

hulle vermeerder.’

Hd 12:24. ‘Maar die woord van God het

gegroei en toegeneem.’

Hd 16:5. ‘En die gemeentes is versterk in

die geloof en het elke dag vermeerder in

getal.’

Hd 19:20. ‘So het die woord van die Here

met krag gegroei en sterk geword.’

1. Jode in Jerusalem (hfs 1:1-6:7) 2. Grieke & Samaritane (hfs 6:8-9:31)

3. Heidene & Antiochië (hfs 9:32-12:24) 4. Klein Asië (hfs 12:25-16:5)

5. Europa (hfs 16:7-19:20) 6. Rome (hfs 19:20-28:31)

6. Rome (hfs 19:20-28:31)