Exam 24: The Acts of the Apostles

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Students might proffer numerous parallels. A few examples are listed in Box 24.1, including Jesus' baptism // the baptism with the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; the Spirit's empowerment of Jesus // the spirit's empowerment of the apostles; Jesus' healing of the sick, casting out demons, and raising the dead // the disciples performing the same; and conflicts with Jerusalem leadership, including execution. In addition, the preaching content between the two books matches closely. In ancient histories, speeches were fabrications that were intended to fit the occasion; they were not historically accurate records of the words of the characters. Luke, then, follows the conventions of the genre by supplying speeches that are appropriate to the narrative audience and setting. Luke's use of these historiographic elements allows him to continue to emphasize the repeated rejection of Jesus and his teachings by the Jews and the inclusion of the Gentiles into the kingdom of God. The travel narratives, as well as many of the speeches, present the apostles as appealing to the Jews first, as Jesus did and then, once rejected, taking the gospel to the Gentiles.