The book "Acts of the Apostles" was written in the 1st century after the Nativity of Christ. It contains historical facts describing the development of the Christian Church in the period after the Resurrection. It is generally accepted that the authorship of the book belongs to the holy Apostle Luke, one of the 70 disciples of the Savior.
A few words about the book
"Acts" is a direct continuation of the Gospel. The stylistic features of the letter directly testify to the indisputable authorship of the Apostle Luke, which is also confirmed by many holy fathers of the church, such as Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria and others.
"The Acts of the Apostles" is the only book in which the chronology of historical events is observed. Many of the characters described in the book are real historical characters. The main characters here are the holy apostles Peter and Paul, Matthias and Luke. The book describes their preaching work in order to spread the teachings of Christ throughout the world.
Among other actors there are many politiciansof those times: the Jewish kings Herod Agrippa I and his son Agrippa II, a member of the Sanhedrin Gamaleil, the Roman senator Junius Annei Gallio, the Roman procurators Felix and Portius Festus, as well as many other historical characters. Therefore, the book "Acts of the Apostles" is of great interest not only as one of the parts of the Holy Scriptures, but also as a reliable historical source.
The book contains 28 chapters, which are conventionally divided into two parts. The first part (1-12 chapters) describes the creation of the Christian Church and its spread in the Palestinian territory, and the second part (13-28 chapters) describes the travels of the Apostle Paul in the Mediterranean, Greece and East Asia with missionary sermons. According to the traditional version, the time of writing the book refers to the 60s of the 1st century, which is confirmed by many facts.
Interpretation on "Acts of the Holy Apostles"
From the first centuries, this book was considered canonical - its texts are still used in worship to edify Christians. In addition to reading in the temple, all believers are also encouraged to study the book "Acts of the Apostles" on their own. The interpretation and explanation of many of the events described in this literary work are given by the following authors:
- St. John Chrysostom.
- Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria.
- Rev. Isidore Pelusiot.
- Rev. Maxim the Confessor.
- Saint Leo the Great and other holy fathers of the Orthodox Church.
Why do you need to read the interpretation of the books of the HolyScriptures
According to the teachings of the Holy Orthodox Church, a misunderstanding of the Holy Scriptures can lead to the emergence of various heretical movements and directions, which is confirmed by church history itself. Many believers, due to their illiteracy, are not able to independently explain all the events described in the book "Acts". Therefore, the clergy advise to study the patristic interpretation of these books, designed to guide pious Christians on the right path.
Often, reading the Holy Scriptures can inspire a person to reconsider his life and repent of his sins. Therefore, such reading is simply necessary for all believers. Knowledge and understanding of the Holy Scriptures is extremely useful for the formation of a correct Christian worldview.
God gave all people, without exception, the ability to understand and understand the events taking place around. But as a result of the fall, human nature was deeply damaged, which affected the ability to correctly understand and perceive the events surrounding it. The Word of God is infallible - it brings light and peace into human life, but sin tends to distort many facts and truths. Therefore, all people, without exception, need some guidelines by which one should check their understanding with the Divine will. It is precisely such guidelines that are the interpretations of the holy fathers.
Conclusion
Some interpreters of the book "Acts of the Holy Apostles" believed that the Apostle Lukewriting the book was intended to prove to the Roman authorities the safety of the new Christian religious movement. Nevertheless, the most important and main goal of writing this book is the gospel of Christ, which is reflected in the content of the book. The Apostle Luke had the intention not only to tell about the events of the first 30 years of the existence of the Church, but also to collect facts illustrating his main idea: spreading from Jerusalem to Rome, the Church turns into a Universal, open to East and West.
