When studying the Bible, John Stott says we need:
- observation (the basic facts: who, what, when, where and how)
- interpretation (delving into the meaning of the passages studied)
- application (what are the implications of the text for growing in Christ? – see Matt 7:24-27, James 1:22)
Bible study is never simply theoretical, for the word of God is living and active (Heb 4:12) and therefore has a relevance to the modern day beyond its historical record. If we are to study it correctly, we need to understand its place in the whole of Scripture (Acts is a history of the beginnings of the church, giving us vital information about the spread of the gospel, the works of the apostles, and the person and acts of the Holy Spirit, who is Himself God) and to see the purposes Luke had in writing it. These are stated at the beginning of Acts (Acts 1:1-2, see also Luke 1:1-4) and remind us that our faith has a firm historical foundation (it’s not simply the product of fanciful minds or over-emotional hysterics.) Luke wants ‘to supply trustworthy information about the beginnings of Christianity’ (F. F. Bruce), giving us an assurance that we can fully rely on the things we have been taught. (Acts 1:2, The Voice)
Apologetics is the branch of Christian theology which defends the faith against objections and accusations. (It has nothing to do with being sorry for something, which is the more usual meaning of the word ‘apologetic’ these days.) Luke clearly wants to show us that our faith is robust and can stand scrutiny, objections, accusations and persecutions. As well as being a historical narrative which can be corroborated in many ways (not least his use of accurate official titles for Roman officials and verifiable landmarks and other geographical signposts), we find embedded in Acts a record of Christian defences made to both Jews (e.g. Acts 4:8–12) and Gentiles (e.g. Acts 25:8–11), with the underlying purpose of conversion. It shows how the early church coped with pagan and Jewish thought, the Roman government and Hellenistic society, and as such is a useful tool for us nowadays as we seek to continue the mission to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:18-20).