The Acts of the Apostles: the birth of the Church
Written by Luke as the sequel to his gospel, Acts tells what happens after the resurrection: the promised Spirit comes at Pentecost, and a handful of disciples becomes a movement that reaches Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and as far as Rome. The program is given in the first chapter: "you will be my witnesses... to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8).
The first half follows Peter and the Jerusalem church; the second accompanies Paul through his missionary journeys, church plants, trials and arrival in Rome. A book of action — conversions, persecutions, council decisions, storms and escapes — showing the Spirit at work in ordinary people.
Frequently asked questions about Acts
Who wrote the Acts of the Apostles?
Luke, a physician and traveling companion of Paul, author of the third gospel. The two books form one work dedicated to the same Theophilus (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1), and parts of Acts are told in the first person plural — Luke was there.
What is Acts about?
Thirty decisive years: Pentecost, the first communities, the martyrdom of Stephen, Paul's conversion, the opening to the Gentiles, and the gospel's spread from Jerusalem to Rome, carried by the Spirit despite opposition.
Why read Acts today?
Because it is the portrait of the Church at its birth: prayer, fellowship, bold witness, the Spirit's leading. A mirror to evaluate and revive the life of our churches.