book "Acts of the Apostles" was written in the I century after Christ.It contains historical facts that describe the development of the Christian Church in the aftermath of the Resurrection.It is believed that the authorship of the book belongs to the holy Apostle Luke, one of the 70 disciples of the Savior.
few words about the book
«Acts" are the direct continuation of the Gospel.Stylistic features of the letter directly indicate indisputable authorship of St. Luke's, which is also confirmed by many holy fathers of the church, such as Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, and others.
"Acts" is the only book in which there is a chronology of historical events.Many actors, described in the book - a real historical characters.The protagonists here are the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Matthew and Luke.The book describes their preaching activities in order to spread the teachings of Christ around the world.
Among other actors met many politicians of the time: the Jewish kings Herod Agrippa I and his son Agrippa II, a member of the Sanhedrin Gamaleyev Roman senator Junius Annaeus Gallio, Roman procurators Felix and Porcius Festus, and many other historical characters.Therefore, the book "Acts of the Apostles" is of great interest not only as one of the parts of Scripture, but also as a reliable historical source.
book contains 28 chapters, which are usually conditionally divided into two parts.In the first part (chapters 1-12) describes the creation of the Christian Church and its distribution in the Palestinian territories and in the second part (chapters 13-28) describes the journey of the Apostle Paul on the Mediterranean, Greece and East Asia missionary preaching.According to the traditional version, the writing of the book refers to the 60 years of the I century, which is confirmed by many facts.
Commentary on the "Acts"
From the first centuries, this book is considered canonical - the text is still used for worship for the purpose of edification of Christians.Also read in the church, all believers are also encouraged to independently study the book "Acts of the Apostles."Interpretation and explanation of many of the events described in the literary work, the authors cite the following:
- St. John Chrysostom.
- Blessed Theophylact Bulgarian.
- Rev. Isidore Pelusiot.
- St. Maximus the Confessor.
- St. Leo the Great and other holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.
Why do I need to read the books of interpretation of Scripture
According to the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church, misinterpretation of Scripture can lead to various heretical movements and trends, which is confirmed by the very history of the Church.Many believers because of their illiteracy are incapable of explaining all the events described in the book "Acts".Therefore, priests are advised to study the patristic interpretation of these books designed to instruct on the right path of pious Christians.
Often, reading the scriptures can motivate a person to review your life and repent of your sins.Therefore, such a reading is necessary for all believers.Knowledge and understanding of Scripture is extremely useful for the proper formation of the Christian worldview.
God has given to all people, without exception, the ability to understand and understand events happening around.But as a result of the fall, human nature is deeply hurt that affect the ability of a proper understanding and perception of the surrounding events.God's word is infallible - it brings light and peace in human life, but sin tend to distort many facts and truths.Therefore, without exception, people need some reference points, which should check with their understanding of the divine will.That such guidelines are the interpretations of the holy fathers.
Conclusion
Some interpreters of the book "Acts of the Apostles," believed that the Apostle Luke in writing the book was aimed to prove the safety of a new Roman authorities the Christian religious movement.Nevertheless, the most important and the main purpose of writing this book - the gospel of Christ, and this is reflected in the content of the book.Apostle Luke had the intention not only to tell about the occurred event the first 30 years of the Church, but also to collect facts, illustrating his main idea: spread from Jerusalem to Rome, the church is transformed into the Universal, open east and west.
