The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History

by Colin J. Hemer

Publisher:

Eisenbrauns

, 1990

Overview

Of the New Testament books, Acts contains the most obvious ties to its cultural and historical context. But until very recently, most twentieth-century authors have bypassed discussion of the relation of Acts to the world and history around it. In this book, Colin Hemer examines various strands of interlocking historical data—ranging from the epistles of Paul to records of the corn fleet that sailed from Alexandria. The wealth of new literary, epigraphic, and papyrological data brings fresh light to numerous details as well as to the central question of Luke’s conception of Paul’s visit to Jerusalem. The result is a broader understanding of the Hellenistic world in general and a greater appreciation for Acts as a coherent and consistent product of its day.

In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Perform powerful searches to find exactly what you’re looking for. Take the discussion with you using tablet and mobile apps. With Logos Bible Software, the most efficient and comprehensive research tools are in one place, so you get the most out of your study.

Key Features

• Places the book of Acts in its ancient Hellenistic setting
• Examines literary, epigraphic, and papyrological evidence
• Analyzes how Luke perceived Paul’s visit to Jerusalem

Contents

• Acts and Historicity
• Preliminary Questions
• Ancient Historiography
• Types of Knowledge Displayed in Acts
• Evidence from Historical Details in Acts
• Names and Titles in Acts
• Acts and Epistles
• Galatia and the Galatians
• The Authorship and Sources of Acts
• The Date of Acts
• Conclusion

Top Highlights

“ It is an inescapable question of historicity whether or not the miracles happened.” (Page 48)

“It should not need repeating that the presence of a theological motif is not necessarily a disproof of historicity. All sophisticated history is in its degree interpretative, and history and theology may not necessarily conflict, but run on parallel lines.” (Page 49)

“Most of the New Testament is perhaps best seen as a popular literature, imperfectly representative of any defined literary type, and motivated by a dominant theological purpose scarcely paralleled in pagan writing.” (Pages 93–94)

“I propose for the moment to label four conceivable types of approach to historicity: 1) the harmonistic, 2) the redactional, 3) the contextual, and 4) the sociological.” (Page 49)

“Yet none of us is free from presupposition, and it may be better for sound scholarship to allow for the fact than to pretend to a pseudo-objectivity belied in practice.” (Page 16)

Praise for the Print Edition

Readers who relish solid historical inquiry . . . will find much to appreciate in the extraordinary detail and close argumentation in this book.

—Interpretation

Henceforth, no serious commentator on Acts will be able to deal adequately with the book without this work constantly at his or her side . . .

—The Bible Today

The book is truly a magnum opus and arguably the most important work on Acts since that of Martin Dibelius at the mid-century.

—Southwestern Journal of Theology

Product Details

• Title: The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History
• Author: Colin J. Hemer
• Publisher: Eisenbrauns
• Print Publication Date: 1990
• Logos Release Date: 2015
• Pages: 482
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Acts › History of contemporary events
• ISBNs: 0931464587, 9780931464584
• Resource ID: LLS:BKCTSHLLNSTCHST
• Resource Type: Monograph
• Metadata Last Updated: 2025-09-12T19:56:57Z

About Colin J. Hemer

Colin J. Hemer (d. 1987) was a research fellow at Tyndale House in Cambridge, England.