Acts is unique in the New Testament canon in part because it is not a gospel or a Pauline letter. It presents a dynamic story of the spread of the Christian gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. The gospel was propelled by the earliest followers of the risen and ascended Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, who is arguably the chief protagonist in the narrative.
Spencer’s reading offers a traveler’s guide through the book of Acts. He charts narrative features—plot development, character building, and shifting points of view—and explores cultural scenarios that affect the events in Acts—honorshame contests, patron-client relations, and purity-pollution boundaries. Within this literary-cultural framework, Spencer undertakes to map the temporal, spatial, and social settings of each segment of the Acts journey.
Journeying through Acts offers students, pastors, scholars, and lay readers a satisfying—although by no means exhaustive—understanding of the overall narrative of Acts in light of recent academic scholarship.
F. Scott Spencer is Professor of New Testament at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.
Contents:
Introduction 13
Acts 1–2: Orientation: The Journey Begins 33
The Day of Ascension: 1.1-26 34
The Day of Pentecost: 2.1-47 41
Acts 3–5: Temple Tours 51
First Public Temple Tour: 3.1–4.22 54
Private House Interlude: 4.23–5.11 62
Second Public Temple Tour: 5.12-41 68
Acts 6–12: Excursions outside Jerusalem 72
Stephen the Martyr in Jerusalem: 6.1–8.3 74
Philip the Evangelist in Samaria and Judea: 8.4-40 94
Saul the Persecutor in Damascus and Jerusalem: 9.1-31 104
Peter the Apostle in Sharon and Caesarea: 9.32–11.18 112
Barnabas the Encourager in Antioch and Judea: 11.19-30 129
Peter the Prisoner in Jerusalem: 12.1-25 133
Acts 13.1–21.36: Expeditions into Gentile Territory 140
Mediterranean Expedition: 13.1–16.5 146
Aegean Expedition: 16.6–21.36 169
Acts 21.37–28.15: Prisoner’s Progress 212
Trials in Jerusalem: 21.37–23.10 216
Trek from Jerusalem to Caesarea: 23.11-35 224
Trials in Caesarea: 24.1–26.32 227
Trek from Caesarea to Rome: 27.1–28.15 239
Acts 28.16–31: Reorientation: The Journey Concludes 247
Bibliography 253
Index of References 261
Index of Authors 277
Size: 6 x 9
Pages: 280
Reviews
"It is the one commentary available in English today that is genuinely fresh and exciting in its engagement with the text of Acts. I have used it in every course I have taught on Acts since it first appeared in 1997, and regularly recommend it to pastors at conferences where I am presenting on Acts."—Joel B. Green, PhD, Dean of Academic Affairs, Dean of the School of Theology, and Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Asbury Theological Seminary
“This fine new commentary on the Acts of the Apostles is a revision and expansion of a 1997 version that appeared in England. As its subtitle indicates, the focus of the commentary is on both the literary features of Luke’s narrative as well as the cultural and historical background that help illuminate the characters, places, and events that fill the story. Frequent charts and diagrams help the reader see the literary structure behind the text and appreciate its meaning. The focus of the work is not on the theological or pastoral significance of Acts as such, but the reader will come away from this commentary with a renewed appreciation for the coherence and depth of Luke’s narrative.”
—The Bible Today
“Spencer has provided yet another aspect to the experience of reading Acts by attending to subtleties in the narrative and to cultural issues visible between the lines. The title should be taken seriously, for this is not a commentary on Acts. . . . I highly recommend this book as a means to gain additional insight into Acts not generally found in commentaries.”
—Covenant Quarterly
“This volume is a very readable commentary on Acts which is particularly sensitive to the literary features and dynamic of Acts and deserves wide use.”
—Themelios
“F. Scott Spencer is a NT professor and an expert on the Book of Acts. He has used his expertise to produce this outstanding commentary. After reading multiple books on Acts, I recommend this one as head and shoulders above others of its kind. The author provides background information, historical and social information for the time period, and a comprehensive discussion of the Scripture verses. The details and explanations provided help the reader understand verses in the context of the whole. According to Spencer, this book is targeted toward Christian as well as non-Christian readers to provide an accurate account of early Christian origins. His introduction provides a thorough discussion of Acts as a whole. Journeying through Actsis appropriate for congregational and academic libraries and is a must for students of the New Testament and early church history.”
— Church and Synagogue Libraries
“I recommend the book to all who have not had previous experience with social description of Early Christianity or literary approaches to New Testament. It will enrich one’s reading, understanding, and preaching on Acts. But again, beware Journeying is not a traditional commentary, which is its advantage after all.”
—Regent’s Reviews
“F. Scott Spencer’s commentary, Acts (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1997; $89.95), receives a new title, a revised introduction and bibliography, and—much more important—an affordable new price in this new edition by Hendrickson. It may now enjoy the influence it deserves as a stimulating and accessible guide to Acts, one that illustrates how recent literary and socio-historical approaches can illumine the New Testament. Spencer defines his reading strategy as an ‘exploratory journey’ on the road that first-century readers of Acts would have taken. Along the way, he attends to typical narrative concerns such as characterization, plot, and point of view. . . . Spencer is to be commended for producing a fine commentary which has much to offer advance readers, but which will also appeal to beginning students who have yet to learn that Acts is a great deal more than a simple narration of events.”
—Toronto Journal of Theology
ISBN: 9781565639904
Catalogue code: N/A
Publisher: HENDRICKSON PUBLISHERS - published 15/11/2004
Format: Paperback