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.