Thematic Analysis
In Acts 1: 8, Jesus’ words gave a simple layout that Luke follows when writing Acts. The story behind the early Church opens when Jesus commissions His disciples and tells them that they are His witnesses both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and also in the remote areas of the earth. Just as God is a God of order, Jesus used this principle to give His account to the disciples. This happened so since Jesus is the son of God, and He must use and apply the principles of His father to preach His father’s word.
In Acts, Luke asserts that Jerusalem was the birthplace of the Church and the place where the spread of the gospel begun and later spread to the rest of the world. The place where Jesus death, resurrection, His ascension, and the Holy Spirit’s landing took place. During the time of assentation in the day of Pentecost, Jerusalem was the residence for the Jews. The Acts and the extent of the gospel began with the Jewish people in Jerusalem and later reached other parts from its origin, Jerusalem.
In Jerusalem, the Disciples were converted into Apostles when the Holy Spirit landed on them and gave them the power to spread the gospel of Good News. The lame man was healed in Jerusalem during the preaching of the gospel, which leads to followers of the way being imprisoned. In Jerusalem, Peter did his first preaching, and the people who got born again were three thousand. Just like Jesus had said it before, the city of Jerusalem held the Church.
Holy Spirit is the most central theme in the movement of the book. Luke reveals a rich analysis of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who gives power to the Church, believers to lead a good life and to spread the good news to the world. The book of Acts states that the Holy Spirit shows many signs to ensure the apostles’ ministry is valid. The Holy Spirit strengthened those Christians who may be opposed or persecuted. In general, the Holy Spirit provides power that facilitates the spread of Good News and God’s kingdom and empowers believers to lead a godly life.
The second theme is that of Apostles. Jesus gave new directions and told the Apostles to start thinking of baptism in a new way. The spirit was to enable the apostles to be a faithful witness. The disciples were to receive the Holy Spirit through being baptized of the spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit was revealed in people’s lives in many ways, and this was to empower them to overcome opposition and persecution. In the last chapter, 28, the key themes as developed by Luke converge when Apostle Paul is going to Malta. The theme of the Church, the theme of Apostles, and the Holy Spirit’s theme are summarized in this chapter of the book.
It is important to note that to compare and contrast the sermon that paul gave as in the book of Acts, we need to pay great attention to several instances of the teaching concerning the Good News as indicated in the book of Acts. This is covered in the book of Acts from verse 1 to verse 16. The target audience of this sermon from Paul in these chapters was those believed in God’s existence as the only sovereign being. The audience of this sermon were; the Jews, Samaritans, and also God-fearing Gentiles. These people are also called believers who believed in God and not any other being. Paul’s earlier teachings were directed to those Christians who believe in God as the creator of heaven and earth and the universe. These more first sermons were also targeted to those people who believed in God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross for our sins so that we may be forgiven and made pure and acceptable before the eyes of God, and was also raised from death and went to heaven to His father’s place. This aspect of believing in one God is termed as monotheism. The sermon in verse 17 contradicts the earlier verses since it is directed to those who don’t believe in God, the pagans, and polytheists.
The pagans have many idols who always pray and worship as their gods and do not understand God. The pagans only know about their idols since they believe in them and pray to them at times of need or difficulty. They have nothing to do with God, the father of Jesus Christ, or Jesus Himself, who died on the cross and later resurrected. Paul found that the Pagans needed the Risen Jesus Christ information, and he felt very excited when he was asked to preach to then on the Risen Christ. The topic of Paul’s sermon in verse 17 is “the God they did not know,” and there before he had taught about keeping pure in faith and salvation. In verse 17: 23-27, Paul applies insight and preaches on spiritual condition. The believers were of only one God, while the believers believed in idols and wanted to be taught about God. In the previous sermon to the Jews, he began by preaching the law, but he starts by nature in this chapter.
The Jews have accepted the gospel of the kingdom since Paul was a persecutor of God’s people, and now he is converted, and he is preaching the good news. The Jews are real believers and the followers of the gospel, and they believe that God is the only Supreme being, and they are focused on following Paul’s teachings to both believers and pagan who believe and pray idols. The Jews are also not hesitant when the gospel is preached to them; instead, they respond positively to it.