The Acts of the Apostles

Who Wrote The Book of Acts?

The book of Acts was written by Luke, a disciple who traveled with Paul on his missionary journeys.

How Is This Book Different from the Gospels?

The book of Acts is a continuation of the record Luke began in the Gospel of Luke. Luke’s Gospel is his account of the life of Jesus Christ; the book of Acts is his description of the fulfillment of the command Jesus gave His Apostles to preach the gospel “in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Both books were addressed to Luke’s friend Theophilus (see Luke 1:1–3; Acts 1:1–3).

Acts is not a complete record of everything that happened in the Church after the Savior’s Ascension. Luke wrote mainly about the ministry of the Apostle Paul and included a few records about Peter and the other Apostles. Acts is the last book in the New Testament that tells a story; the rest of the books are letters and visions from that time.

When Was Paul’s Ministry?

The book of Acts tells mainly about the ministry of Paul, beginning just after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and ending about A.D. 60 when Paul was a prisoner in Rome. You can learn more about the book of Acts in the Bible Dictionary, “Acts of the Apostles” (pp. 603–4).

Where Did Paul Travel?

A map of the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul is in the map section in the back of your Bible (see Bible map 13). The accompanying map gives some interesting facts about Paul’s time. Compare this with a modern map and find out what these countries are called today.