“I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:1-3 HCSB)
“The Gospels model the Christian life as lived by the perfect Man; Acts models it as lived out by imperfect men.” — R. Kent Hughes
Let’s get back to the basics. That’s a phrase that is often used to get people re-centered on what’s important, re-evaluating what should occupy their attention, and re-focused on what should drive their mission, vision, planning, and work. Those are the very things I believe Luke wants us to consider for our church and our lives as we begin this study in Acts. What are the basics of the Christian faith, and just how should they fit into our modern lives in a challenging environment? That’s exactly the problem the church is facing today. Why should the beliefs and actions of a group of men and women who lived about 2,000 years ago influence how we live out our lives? The opening verses of Luke’s account touch on that exact question, and I invite you to join us on this journey as we explore the answer.
First, I think it is important for us to consider who is writing, who they are writing to, and what they are writing about. Amazingly, it is all included in the first verse of our focal passage. Most scholars agree that Luke is the human author of this important narrative called Acts. If you compare the opening verses of his Gospel account (see Luke 1:1-4), that would seem fairly obvious, but some scholars just love to interject questions and incite controversy. I said “human author” because I believe Scripture to be divinely inspired and carefully preserved through the work of the Holy Spirit. I state this up front because it is the filter through which I view these words and how they relate to my faith, my daily life, my thoughts, and my actions. If words carry no authority, then they have little to no impact on someone’s life or actions. These words are not authoritative because they were written by Luke; they are authoritative because they are of God.
More on that in a bit, but let’s consider who they were written to. This narrative is written by Luke, a physician, and it is written to Theophilus. In Luke’s first narrative (his Gospel), he uses the title “most honorable” for Theophilus. It is possible that Theophilus is a high-ranking Roman official, since there are many examples that use this title in that way, but we have no historical records to validate this claim. Despite this, it is readily apparent that Luke holds Theophilus in very high regard. But if it isn’t because of his public status or office, why would Luke be writing two lengthy narratives to him? It may all be wrapped up in that name, Theophilus. The name consists of two Greek words: theos (God) and philo (love). The name can mean either “lover of God” or “loved of/by God,” and it could mean both—I love God and He loves me. Cool name, right?
It is possible that Luke was commissioned by Theophilus to investigate these public stories about Jesus and to bring him the facts. While we don’t know whether Theophilus actually commissioned this work, Luke makes it clear in his Gospel that he carefully investigated these accounts so Theophilus could know the certainty of what he had been taught. Luke is identified as a physician by Paul in Colossians 4:14, but his research methodology and his skill in writing are also indications of his knowledge and training. It is possible that Theophilus is, as the Jews called them, a “God-fearer,” or someone who believes in God and is seeking to find Him and know Him. Today, we call them seekers. He may also have already become a believer, since Luke indicates that Theophilus had received instruction about Jesus. So Luke is responding to someone, perhaps a friend, who appears to be actively interested in knowing God and seeking to understand the truth about Jesus and just who He is. In Luke’s first narrative, he gave Theophilus all of the background story of Jesus and His life—what He did and what He taught. In this continuation of that story, Luke is giving Theophilus the “rest of the story” about Jesus. That’s HUGE because it bears out what Luke has discovered and is discovering about Jesus.
Why is that important? I’ll let Luke tell it to you in his own words: “I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.” The things Luke had written in the previous story were just the beginning of all that Jesus did and taught, and this narrative is the rest of that story. In other words, the things Jesus was doing and teaching His disciples didn’t stop after He was “taken up.” Luke’s Gospel narrative ends with these words:
“Then He led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up His hands He blessed them. And while He was blessing them, He left them and was carried up into heaven. After worshiping Him, they returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they were continually in the temple complex praising God.” (Luke 24:50-53 HCSB)
Essentially, the stories Luke tells us in Acts are the ongoing tales of what Jesus did and taught through His disciples after His ascension. The book is titled “The Acts of the Apostles,” but it is more accurate to call it “The Acts of Jesus in the lives of the Apostles through His Spirit.” That’s why it was important for Luke to open it with “all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen.”
Okay, okay… but what about all this talk about getting back to the basics, and what does all of that have to do with any of us? It really comes down to that third question I proposed at the start: What is Luke really writing about? It seems that he is writing these things to Theophilus to answer his questions about who Jesus is and to give him sufficient evidence to judge for himself the things he is hearing about Jesus. Listen to the very next verse, Luke’s basis for faith: “After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.”
Theophilus must make his faith decision based on more than what he has been told. He needs to examine the evidence. He needs to hear the eyewitness testimony. He needs to see how the Apostles responded to Jesus’ resurrection and teaching. Paul also tells us that more than 500 people witnessed an appearance of the resurrected Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 15:6). There’s an old saying, “the proof is in the pudding.” It means that the real value of something can only be judged by the results or outcome. In other words, if something is really true or really of value, then those claims will be borne out in the results. Luke is telling Theophilus, here are the results of “all that Jesus began to do and to teach” as borne out in the lives of those He had chosen and who witnessed His life, death, and resurrection. The proof is in the pudding.
That brings me back to the original question of just who is Luke, the author of the Gospel and of this book, Acts? We will encounter him throughout our study of this book, but he is a doctor who, according to early Christian tradition, may have been a native of Antioch. He is a disciple of Jesus, though not necessarily someone who followed Jesus during His earthly ministry. He is a companion of Paul and, thus, an adventurous risk-taker trying to chronicle his faith journey and document his reasons for following Jesus. In some ways, his narrative is all about Jesus and what He began to do and to teach and how that impacted Jesus’ disciples. In another way, it is also about how the things Jesus did and taught are impacting and influencing Luke’s own actions and decisions.
I started out asking who Luke is, but there’s another question I need to ask: Who are you? How do these things impact you? That’s the question I really want us to focus on this week. Have you considered these stories and what they mean in your life? Are you a person of faith, or not? If not, have you really stopped to consider the convincing proofs Luke shared in his Gospel and in the stories he tells in Acts? If you are a person of faith, are you living like it is essential and relevant to your life and the world you live in? Does belief in a risen and living Lord impact your decisions and actions in any meaningful way?
Pay attention to this: “all He began to do and teach.” Acts is Jesus’ continuation of that work in the lives of the Apostles. Faith is not just what you believe, but also how those beliefs drive, direct, and empower what you do and what you teach and tell others about Jesus. That’s not just relevant to the Apostles; it is also relevant to you and me. As we move deeper and deeper into the stories of Acts, you will hear stories of how God worked in the lives of these men and women. You will hear stories of how they were impacted by what they saw and what they heard, but more importantly, how the power of God used them in ways none of them could have imagined.
I need you to get this, so pay attention. This isn’t about who these men and women were. This is about who Jesus IS! Luke tells Theophilus, “after He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs.” This story is about the Son of God who satisfied God’s demands for a spotless sacrifice for sin, conquered death, and walked out of His tomb alive! The stories in the book of Acts are not about the power and authority of the new church; they are about the power and authority of King Jesus who established it and empowers it.
But why is it important that we get that? Because what is true of the church in Acts is true of our church. The work that God wants to accomplish through our church [or your church, for that matter] is not about the people who lead it, support it financially, or step up and volunteer in various capacities. It is all about the Lord who “began to do and teach” all those years ago and continues the doing and teaching to this very day. You see, the church is nothing without Jesus out in front leading the way.
We look at the challenges our culture throws against us, and we shrink back in fear. We hear the questions they pose against our faith, and we question our ability to respond. We see the polls the news stations report on current issues and the decline in religious beliefs, and we worry. As we move through the stories in Acts, listen for similar situations the early church faced. Listen, then watch how they responded. They responded by praying, by remembering what they had witnessed, and by trusting Jesus to do what He promised.
The people of God have always been the people to whom God displays His glory and through whom He displays His glory. Some of the early church fathers believed that Psalm 24 was written as prophetic joy and the worship of Jesus’ ascension and glorification. If that’s true, Acts is the Apostles’ response to His ascension and glorification. What will our response be? Will we get back to the basics, remembering who Jesus IS, trusting what He has promised, and allowing Him to continue His work in and through us?
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