This book will review Luke's two volume historical narrative concerning Jesus' life and ministry as well the beginning and spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire as he experienced it.

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James

Knowable Word offers a foundation on why and how to study the Bible. Through a running study Genesis 1, this new edition illustrates how to Observe, Interpret, and Apply the Scripture-and gives the vision behind each step.

Introduces literary, historical, and theological issues of Luke and Acts. Biblical texts create worlds of meaning, and invite readers to enter them. When readers enter such textual worlds, which are often strange and complex, they are confronted with theological claims. With this in mind, the purpose of the Interpreting Biblical Texts series is to help serious readers in their experience of reading and interpreting by providing guides for their journeys into textual worlds. The controlling perspective is expressed in the operative word of the title--interpreting. The primary focus of the series is not so much on the world behind the texts or out of which the texts have arisen as on the worlds created by the texts in their engagement with readers. In keeping with the goals of the series, this volume provides an introductory guide to readers of the New Testament books of Luke and Acts. It focuses on both the synchronic and diachronic dimensions of the literature in an effort to acquaint readers with literary, historical, and theological issues that will facilitate interpretation of these important books. F. Scott Spencer is Professor of New Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.

In this engaging introduction to the New Testament, Professor Dale B. Martin presents a historical study of the origins of Christianity by analyzing the literature of the earliest Christian movements. Focusing mainly on the New Testament, he also considers nonbiblical Christian writings of the era. Martin begins by making a powerful case for the study of the New Testament. He next sets the Greco-Roman world in historical context and explains the place of Judaism within it. In the discussion of each New Testament book that follows, the author addresses theological themes, then emphasizes the significance of the writings as ancient literature and as sources for historical study. Throughout the volume, Martin introduces various early Christian groups and highlights the surprising variations among their versions of Christianity.

In this first study of its kind, noted Pentecostal Lucan scholar Martin Mittelstadt has undertaken an extensive examination of Pentecostal scholarship with an eye toward assessing the influence of Luke-Acts upon it. Beginning with Azusa Street and continuing to the present Mittelstadt: 1) traces the emergence of Pentecostal scholarship in the academic marketplace with the various responses to the catalytic the work of James D.G. Dunn, 2) examines the influence of Luke-Acts on narrative theology, missiology, healing and exorcism, the role of women, spiritual formation, and Oneness theology, and 3) identifies Pentecostal contributions in the area social ethics, peace-making, suffering and persecution, ecumenism, globalization, and post-modernity. The work concludes with observations on possibilities for future engagement and an extensive bibliography.