Acts (Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament | ACNT)
Overview
The book of Acts tells the story of the church’s most important juncture with history. In spite of rejections of the Messiah, God’s unconditional promises are in the process of realization in Luke’s account of salvation history. Luke’s story narrates and thereby interprets the fulfillment of conditional and unconditional promises in history and narrates the responses of believers and unbelievers. By interpreting the church’s course on its way from Jerusalem to Rome as the story of divine fulfillment, Luke gave encouragement and consolation in the face of perceived threats or real danger arising from conflicts with irate Jews, pagan neighbors, and Roman authorities.
The central importance of the book of Acts in the New Testament canon has made it the subject of much discussion, debate, and interpretation throughout the church’s history. In this volume, Gerhard A. Krodel outlines the history of interpretation of Acts and offers thoughtful and comprehensive commentary and exegesis for the entire book. This commentary includes a length introduction, an outline, a comprehensive bibliography, and reference maps.
- Discussion of historical issues, such as authorship, dating, and location
- Textual and literary notes
- Bibliographies and suggestions for further reading and study
- Scripture references linked to your Greek New Testament or English translation
Top Highlights
“Luke underscores that the church’s spirituality is inseparable from social responsibility. The Spirit-filled community takes care of the material needs of its members. The presence of the Spirit liberates from preoccupation with material things and prompts the church and its members to share material possessions. What we do or do not do with our material possessions is an indicator of the Spirit’s presence or absence.” (Pages 94–95)
“Pentecost became the festival which commemorated the giving of the Torah and the making of the covenant at Mount Sinai. This new content of Pentecost resulted from the tradition that about 50 days after the Passover Moses received the Torah from God on Mount Sinai (cf. Exod. 19:1).” (Page 74)
“In its outreach as benefactor to the world, the church identifies with the sick and those who cannot help themselves, not in order to convert them, but in order to help them. It may well be that the healed also become able to listen to the word of life.” (Page 125)
“The distribution of the tongues and their resting signify to whom the Spirit comes, to each believer. Storm and fire are motifs found in Old Testament theophany stories (cf. 1 Kings 19:11).” (Page 75)
“Yet, there is a common ground which enabled Paul to make contact, and that is our common humanity within our common world. Both are gifts of the benevolent Creator.” (Page 324)
Krodel has already written a commentary on Acts for the Proclamation Commentaries, but this one is much more substantial. Since the Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament series is written for “laypeople, students, and pastors,” Krodel gives little attention here to technical matters, other scholarship, or alternative interpretations. He alternates between exposition of Luke’s message, into which he weaves the (boldfaced) words of the passage (following the RSV), and historical-critical analysis of the text, occasionally adding homiletical comments. The result is, as commentaries go, refreshingly readable.
—Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
- Title: Acts
- Author: Gerhard Krodel
- Editors: Roy A. Harrisville, Jack Dean Kingsbury, and Gerhard A. Krodel
- Publisher: Augsburg
- Series: Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament
- Publication Date: 1986
- Pages: 527
