Have you ever witnessed a miracle? I have often found this to be unexpected from a Christian’s point of view, yet providential to Him. Throughout the books of Acts, God has worked through His church, which sometimes faces great oppression, eventually bringing the Gospel to the ends of the Earth. The thematic analysis of the rest of the book of Acts is examined through the geographical advancement of the Gospel, the refinement of significant themes in the chapters, a comparison of Paul’s sermons to the audiences, and the Jewish people’s patterned response to Paul.

The first point is that the thematic analysis of the rest of the Book of Acts examines the geographical advancement of the Gospel. This theme is one of the most significant parts described in the concluding chapters of this book.[1] As discussed in Chapter Ten, the number of Gentile converts to Christianity increased during Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 13-14). The geographical target is the Gentiles, for reasons that will be discussed later, eventually begins to extrapolate so much that the Jerusalem council, a pivotal event in the early church, needs to discuss and resolve the concerns for them coming to know Christ (Acts. 15). The council concluded with abstaining from certain items that could be a sin or a stumbling block for other Christians. These laws are from the Torah and are preached in every synagogue (Acts 15:19-21).[2] During this time, Paul pursues his second and third missionary journeys and is instructed by God to travel to Rome, where he arrives and evangelizes to the citizens (Acts 16-28, 23:11, 28:17, 28:23-31). Before coming to Rome, he appeals to the kings and rulers of the Roman Empire (Acts). 4:1-2, 25:1-2, 25:13-27). The following section discusses the common themes in Acts.

The second point is that the thematic analysis of missions in the book of Acts is examined through the significant themes refined in the chapters. The most prominent theme in the book of Acts is what God says to those who reject and avoid His voice through the apostles and Christians. This topic begins where throughout Paul’s missionary journeys, the Jewish people were constantly going after him (Acts. 13:45, 50, 14:2-5, 14:19, 17:5, 17:13, 18:12, 18:28, 21:27, 22:30, 23:12, 25:15, 26:21, 28:19). The Bible Knowledge Commentary discusses the implication of the audience’s response of hearing and not seeing, “This had happened to Israel both in Isaiah’s day and in Paul’s (cf. Rom. 11:7–10). Interestingly, Paul ascribed Isaiah’s words to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 4:25).”[3] In the final chapter of Acts, all the themes converge as the book comes to a close. God is sovereign as Paul makes it to Rome, and the kingdom is spread to Rome, where he preaches to the people and explains the words of the Holy Spirit through Isaiah (Acts 28:1-14, 23-31). He further continues to teach the Jews their choice in rejecting Christ, with the Gentiles responding the opposite way, describing the inclusion of God’s kingdom, which, before Paul pray,s yet by God’s grace healed Publius’s father, and the rest of the island is cured from diseases (Acts. 28:17, 24-31, 7-9). Furthermore, Paul was innocent of the law; he suffered from being under house arrest. God, through Paul, speaks to the Je, telling them that they will hear but not understand, nd because their hearts have grown dull, lest the Lord turn and heal them, Acts. 28:18-21, 16, 25-29). The following section goes over Paul’s speeches.

Paul's role as an influential witness of Jesus Christ is of utmost importance in his ministry. He preached to many Jews, Gentiles, and authorities, and God used him to spread the Gospel. His influence is evident in the impact of his sermons on his diverse audiences. The following section discusses the common themes in Acts.[4] He began with the Jewish people, focusing on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 13:16-41). In contrast, in Paul’s plea to the crowds, he urges them to abandon their vain things and turn to a living God, even blessing those who did not immediately recognize His work in their lives (Acts 14:15, 8-18). Paul did not emphasize Christ’s resurrection but instead showed the crowds a need for God, in which case his audience was superstitious heathens.[5] Similarly, in his sermon to the philosophers, he helped them understand the Lord by using analogies from Athens' culture, yet preached to them the resurrection of Jesus Christ (Acts 17:22-34). Finally, in Paul’s presentation to the three most influential people in the empire, he discusses his conversion and religious status with them. They are taught God’s sovereignty through His life and testify to Jesus Christ’s resurrection to proclaim the light to all people (Acts 26:23, 2-29). He is also described as innocent in the hearing (Acts 26:31-32). Basically, to the Jews, Paul proclaimed the resurrection to the Jews and the Gentiles, their need for a Savior. The following section provides a detailed account of the nation of Israel’s response to Paul's witness, shedding light on their acceptance and rejection of his message.

The fourth point is that the thematic analysis of the rest of the book of Acts is examined through the Jewish people’s patterned response to Paul. While Paul preached to Gentiles, he also preached to his people, the Jewish people of Israel (Phil. 3:5-6). Paul and Barnabas had to preach to the Jews before they testified to the Gospel before the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-47). Furthermore, the truth from the prophets is that Paul had to speak the Gospel. If they rejected Christ, it would not be on his hands (Acts 8:6). Ger goes on to describe the implications of the watchman, “However, if the watchman were to warn the people and they stubbornly refused to respond, then they would die in their sins and be liable for their blood. In that case, the watchman would be clean of bloodguilt (Jer. 6:17-21; Ezek. 3:17–21; 33:2–9).”[6] This unfortunate pattern is that the Jews would reject God, yet this would open the door to the Gentiles because they would believe in Him. At the end of the book of Acts, Paul explains that he was right in that their hearts were callous, they did not hear the Lord, and yet the Jews left having much dispute among themselves (Acts 28:25-29). Because of the Jews ' hardened response to Paul, the Gospel was preached to the Gentiles; during his imprisonment, he wrote the Prison and Pastoral Epistles.[7] The early church has been growing, strengthened, and challenged, yet the Gospel continues to spread to the ends of the Earth.

In conclusion, the thematic analysis of the rest of the Book of Acts examines the geographical advancement of the Gospel, significant themes refined in the chapters, comparisons of Paul’s sermons to the audiences, and the Jewish people’s patterned response to Paul. My call to action is to study Paul’s epistles further to understand the implications of his ministry.

Bibliography

Ger, Steven. Acts: Witnesses to the World. Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series. AMG Publishers, 2004.

Polhill, John B. Acts. Vol. 26. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, all scripture referenced is in the English Standard Version.

[2] Steven Ger, Acts: Witnesses to the World, Twenty-First Century Biblical Commentary Series (AMG Publishers, 2004), 214.

[3] Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 431.

[4] John B. Polhill, Acts, vol. 26, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 508.

[5] Walvoord and Zuck, 392.

[6] Ger, 242.

[7] Walvoord and Zuck, 431.