To Theophilus

 The second part of the book scholars call Luke-Acts is a bridge between the gospels and 22 other books, most of them teaching letters (or epistles) and one containing a phantasmagoric prophecy of the end of our world.

 Dedicated to the general God lover (Theou = God; philos = love), as was the gospel, the Acts of the Apostles is the story of some of the earliest God-lovers who believed in Jesus. They were taunted — “in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians” (Acts 11:26) — much the way as in our era the followers of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon were called “Moonies.” (Not equating the two, just pointing out how followers of a new religion get called.)

 The book begins with a short ending of the story of Jesus, with the apostles' last request that he now set everything aright, his response that the Spirit will guide them through what has to happen. and finally his Ascension into the heavens. Two men (angels?) appear and ask them "why are you standing there looking at the sky?" (Acts 1:11). 

 I have often imagined myself staring up agape. I have also experienced a version of the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost in the Charismatic Movement. What I have not witnessed is preaching as fearlessly convincing as Peter's in Jerusalem.

 In Acts 2:42-47 Luke gives us an indelible image of the first community of believers, as follows:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone because many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

 Just like our churches today, eh?

 The assemblies of new believers, originally called Nazarene, then Christian, and just after NT times the katholiké (universal in Greek), changed dramatically during the missions to the west. Jesus' original followers were mostly Jews. Paul opened the door to Greek and Roman Gentiles and relieved them of observing Mosaic Law, including circumcision, arguing that they received a circumcision in their hearts.

 Luke follows Peter and Paul spread the good news of the way of Jesus from Jerusalem, the city of Jesus' crucifixion, death, and rising, to Rome, the capital of the era's civilized world. It is said James went further to Spain, where his reputed remains are buried (in Compostela, Galicia), and Thomas as far east as India, where the reformed Orthodox episcopal church in Kerala claims the doubting apostle as its founder.

 Yet Luke sticks with Peter and Paul. It is the central ekklesia of his time. The communities' issues are discussed at length in the 14 letters attributed to Paul and also in the seven universal letters from James, Peter, John and Jude.

 Thus we turn now to the Pauline letters as a whole. Then we can make some distinctions.