The Acts of the Apostles

This study of the book of Acts presents Luke not only as author but also as exemplary historian, storyteller and theologian. Luke’s three-stranded cord of authorial discourse is on conspicuous display in his composition of Peter’s, Stephen’s, Philip’s and Paul’s speeches. Where other textbooks often focus on the narratives in Acts (e.g. Pentecost) and the practices of the early church, Padilla highlights the speeches in Acts and their continuing significance, going beyond the call of New Testament duty by dialoguing with postliberal theologians and asking whether they can do justice to the speeches in Acts and in particular their truth claims. The result is an introductory text that not only illumines the book of Acts, but also encourages Christians today to "act out the acts of the apostles! (John Donne), to speak out their speech acts. * Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School *
It is rare to find a work that blends epistemological, hermeneutical and historiographic sophistication with mature handling of the extensive primary and secondary literature, but this is such a work. Padilla’s introduction to questions of the authorship and genre of Acts and the character of its speeches is a superbly informed and trustworthy guide. * Craig Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies, Asbury Theological Seminary *
The final chapter is a tour de force of engagement with culture and an excellent defence of the place of proclamation of the Christian message in a hostile environment. I will probably be stealing bits of this for years to come! ... I would expect that undergraduate and post-graduate students who are studying Acts would make reading this book a high priority and I would be delighted if anyone preparing an expository series on Acts took the time to invest in what is a rich and informative work. -- Eddie Arthur * Kouyanet *
an accessible treatment of the hermeneutical problems involved in the study of Acts * Expository Times *