The Book of Acts

In the sequel to Luke, which has come down to us as the book of Acts, the writer also appears eager to show that the early followers of the Messiah not only sought to understand their world but engaged it in an effort to introduce other-worldly life transforming values. In other words, the theological relevance in terms of a radical social transformation that has become a part of God-talk in the Caribbean region was already a Lucan burden shared with Theophilus and company. The conviction here is that the Lucan plot is no mere narrative, but a story which invites us to share its world, the commitment of its leading characters, and its enthusiasm for life. To go a step further, what we find in Luke-Acts are bio-narratives. In the first volume (and in the first chapter of Acts) the dominant figure is the Messiah himself, with others in the background. In the second, Peter takes centre stage in chapters 2-11, while Paul makes his salvific entrance in chapter 9, and maintains his prominence until the end. Of course, for Luke, though the Messianic presence is in the background in Acts, He is still 'large and in charge' of Empire.