A few weeks ago we sent out a survey asking people what questions they have about The Acts of the Apostles.

Now, you might think that a narrative portion of the Bible is pretty straightforward.

Peter presents a speech.

Paul travels here and there bringing the message of Jesus the Messiah to the world.

It seems pretty straightforward.

However, nearly 300 people responded to our survey! As straightforward as Acts might seem, there is still a lot we don’t understand.

You’ll find the answers to many of your questions in our upcoming course, The Acts of the Apostles, which will be available September 22nd. It is a large course (and will become larger with some Q&A!).

So here is a summary of some of the questions that occurred more often:

  • There is a consistent question about how one looks at the events in Acts. Are the actions and teachings meant to be ‘descriptive’ or ‘prescriptive’ for us in our day?
  • What kind of guidance does Acts give us about the meaning and method of baptism?
  • What are we to think about the signs and wonders associated with the apostles and others in Acts?
  • How should these be thought about in our day?
  • What is the relationship of Galatians with the Jerusalem Council?
  • Why isn’t the Book of Acts valued more highly in many congregations and denominations for doctrinal discussions?
  • Is there a particular role that speaking in tongues plays in The Acts of the Apostles that is relevant to us today?
  • Did Paul strictly follow Torah as it seems in The Acts of the Apostles? Yet in Galatians, he largely sets Torah aside.
  • Are there things we can learn about ‘spreading the Gospel’ from Acts that can be applied today?
  • Do we get instructions about how to organize congregations from Acts?
  • What was the relationship like between Peter and Paul?
  • Why does that book end so abruptly?
  • What timing does one put on the writing of The Act of the Apostles?

There are many more questions that were listed and some are very detailed. I thank all of you for your participation in this survey.

Many of the questions listed in the survey are covered within the course The Acts of the Apostles. I will be with Professor Wright in a few weeks and we will film some extra Q&A sessions that deal with these issues particularly. That should be fun and fascinating. We want to be thorough in our courses, so we will cover as many specific questions as we can.

Meanwhile, don’t forget about downloading the eBook, The Gospel According to Acts, to get ready for the release of the course. You may want to begin reading The Acts of the Apostles in your own Bible study time as well.

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David P. Seemuth, PhD

David Seemuth is the Founder and President of the Wisconsin Center for Christian Studies, Inc, which exists to bring transformation to Christian believers through the renewal of the mind. He and Prof. N.T. Wright collaborate in online course development and launched N.T. Wright Online in 2015. David has been an Adjunct Professor at Trinity International University for over 35 years and teaches in the area of Biblical Studies, specializing in the New Testament. He also served as an Associate Pastor at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, WI, for 30 years.

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