Books
Alexander, Joseph Addison. Commentary on the Acts of the
Apostles. New York: Scribner, Armstrong and Company, 1875.
Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing Company,
n.d.
Barclay, William. The Acts of the Apostles. The Daily Bible
Study. Second edition. Scotland: The Saint Andrew Press,
1955.Barclay is a rationalist but writes with warmth. He is
good for word studies, historical background (although he
never cites sources) and application, however, one must read
him with caution hermeneutically.
The Beginnings of Christianity. 5 Vols. Edited by F. J. Foakes
Jackson and Kirsopp Lake. London: Macmillan and Company,
n.d. Reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1965. Vol.
4: The Acts of the Apostles, English Translation and
Commentary, by Kirsopp Lake and Henry J. Cadbury.
Brawley, Robert L. Luke-Acts and the Jews: Conflict, Apology, and
Conciliation. Society of Biblical Literature Monograph
Series. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987.
______. "Paul in Acts: Lucan Apology and Conciliation." In Luke-
Acts: New Perspectives From the Society of Biblical
Literature pp. 129-147. Edited by Charles H. Talbert. New
York: Crossroad, 1984.
Bronkamm, Gnther. "The Missionary Stance of Paul in I
Corinthians 9 and in Acts." In Studies in Luke-Acts, pp. 194-
207. Edited by Leander E. Keck and J. Louis Martyn.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1966.
*Bruce, F. F. The Acts of the Apostles: Greek Text with
Introduction and Commentary. Third revised and enlarged
edition. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 1952, 1990.As the title suggests, this is a very
technical commentary based upon interaction with the Greek
text. Bruce is very concise throughout, but demonstrates
enormous awareness of issues, and helpful bibliography
throughout. A must for the serious student.
______. "The Apostolic Decree of Acts 15." In Studien zum Text
und zur Ethik des Neuen Testaments pp. 115-124. Edited by W.
Schrage. 1986.
*______. Commentary on the Book of Acts. The New International
Commentary on the New Testament. Revised edition. Grand
Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1954,
1988.Analytical, conservative and excellent. Deals with the
Greek text. The revision interacts with critical concerns.
Bruce strongly defends the historicity of the text.
______. Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free. Grand Rapids:
William Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1977.
Cadbury, Henry J. The Book of Acts in History. New York: Harper
and Brothers, 1955.
Calvin, John. The Acts of the Apostles: 1--13. Calvin's
Commentaries. Translated by John W. Fraser and W. J. G
McDonald. Edited by David W. Torrance and Thomas F.
Torrance. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company,
1965 edition.
Conzelmann, Hans. Acts of the Apostles. Translated by James
Limburg, A. Thomas Kraabel, and Donald H. Juel. Hermeneia.
Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1987.This work is very
critical in its approach. Conzelmann is striving to explain
Luke-Acts around the "delay in Christ's return". It is full
of historical notes and bibliographic information.
Cook, Michael J. "The Mission to the Jews in Acts: Unraveling
Luke's 'Myth of the "Myriads."'" In Luke-Acts and the Jewish
People: Eight Perspectives pp. 102-123. Edited by Joseph
Tyson. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
Danker, Frederick W. "Reciprocity in the Ancient World and in
Acts 15:23-29." In Political Issues in Luke-Acts pp. 49-58.
Edited by Richard J. Cassidy, and Philip J. Scharper.
Maryknoll, New York: Orbis Books, 1983.
Dibelius, Martin. Studies in the Acts of the Apostles. Translated
by Mary Ling. London: SCM Press, 1956.
Dunnett, Walter M. The Book of Acts. Grand Rapids: Baker Book
House, 1981.
Ellison, H. L. "Paul and the Law--'All Things to All Men.'" In
Apostolic History and the Gospel: Biblical and Historical
Essays Presented to F. F. Bruce on His 60th Birthday pp. 195-
202. Edited by W. Ward Gasque and Ralph P. Martin. Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, The Paternoster
Press, 1970.
Enslin, Morton Scott. Reapproaching Paul. Philadelphia: The
Westminster Press, 1972.
Filson, Floyd V. "The Journey Motif in Luke-Acts." In Apostolic
History and the Gospel: Biblical and Historical Essays
Presented to F. F. Bruce on His 60th Birthday pp. 68-77.
Edited by W. Ward Gasque and Ralph P. Martin. Grand Rapids:
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, The Paternoster Press,
1970.
Gaston, Lloyd. "Anti-Judaism and the Passion Narrative in Luke
and Acts." In Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity: Volume 1:
Paul and the Gospels pp. 127-153. Studies in Christianity
and Judaism. Edited by Peter Richardson & David Granskou.
Waterloo, Ontario: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 1986.
*Haenchen, Ernst. The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary.
Translated by Bernard Noble and Gerald Shinn. Philadelphia:
The Westminster Press, 1971.Although liberal in bent, it is
filled with scholarly details. It is analytical in its
approach. A standard scholarly reference.
Hare, Douglas R. A. "The Rejection of the Jews in the Synoptic
Gospels and Acts." In Antisemitism and the Foundations of
Christianity pp. 27-47. Edited by Alan Davies. New York:
Paulist Press, 1979.
Harnack, Adolph. The Acts of the Apostles. Translated by J. R.
Wilkinson. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1909.
*Harrison, Everett F. Acts of the Apostles. Chicago: Moody Press,
1975.
Hemer, Colin J. "Observations on Paualine Chronology." In Pauline
Studies: Essays Presented to Professor F. F. Bruce on His
70th Birthday pp. 3-18. Edited by Donald A. Hagner and
Murray J. Harris. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1980.
Hiebert, D. Edmond. Personalities around Paul. Chicago: Moody
Press, 1973.
Jensen, Irving L. Acts: An Independent Study: A Manual on Bible-
Study-in-Depth. Chicago: Moody Press, 1968.This volume is a
study guide full of helpful charts. He provides some
background information, but it is primarily designed for
helping a student work on his own with the Bible.
Jervell, Jacob. Luke and the People of God: A New Look at Luke-
Acts. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1972.
______. "The Church of Jews and Godfearers." In Luke-Acts and the
Jewish People: Eight Perspectives pp. 11-20. Minneapolis:
Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
Kent, Homer A., Jr. Jerusalem to Rome: Studies in the Book of
Acts. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1972.
Knox, John. "Acts and the Pauline Letter Corpus." In Essays
Presented in Honor of Paul Shubert: Buckingham Professor of
New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale
University: Studies in Luke-Acts:, pp. 279-287. Edited by
Leander.E. Keck, and J. Louis Martyn. Nashville/New York;
Abingdon, 1966.
Longenecker, Richard N. "The Acts of the Apostles." In The
Expositor's Bible Commentary, 9: 207-573. Edited by Frank
Gaebelein. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981.A
good treatment of the theology and Jewish backgrounds for
the book of Acts. The "notes" sections offer some analytic
observations, but overall Longenecker is working with the
thought within each unit of the book.
Lumby, J. Rawson. The Acts of the Apostles. Cambridge: At the
University Press, 1882.
Maddox, Robert. The Purpose of Luke-Acts. Studies of the New
Testament and its World. Edited by John Richers. Edinburgh.
T. & T. Clark, 1982.While one may not agree with all of
Maddox's conclusions, he is must reading for grappling with
the theological design of the doublework of Luke-Acts.
*Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction
and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1980.This is not
a technical commentary. Marshall holds to the historicity
of the text and emphasizes the theology of Acts throughout.
As with most British scholars, Marshall is amillennial.
______. Luke: Historian and Theologian. Enlarged edition. Grand
Rapids: Academie Books, 1970, 1989.
Matill, Andrew J. "A Spectrum of Opinion on the Value of Acts as
a Source for the Reconstruction of the Life and Thought of
Paul: Tradition and Redaction in the Pauline Portions of
Acts," In Society of Biblical Literature: 1984 Seminar
Papers pp. 63-88. Volume II. Edited by George MacRae.
Cambridge: Society of Biblical Literature, 1974.
______. "The Purpose of Acts: Schneckenburger Reconsidered." In
Apostolic History and the Gospel: Biblical and Historical
Essays Presented to F. F. Bruce on His 60th Birthday pp. 108-
122. Edited by W. Ward Gasque and Ralph P. Martin. Grand
Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Paternoster
Press, 1970.
Mitton C. Leslie. The Formation of the Pauline Corpus of Letters.
Longdon: The Epworth Press, 1955.
Morgan, G. Campbell. The Acts of the Apostles. New York: Fleming
H. Revell, 1924.
Neil, William. Acts. New Century Bible Commentary Series. Rev.
ed. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1981.
*Rackham, Richard B. The Acts of the Apostles. Reprint ed. Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1964.
Richard, Earl. "The Divine Purpose: the Jews and the Gentile
Mission (Acts 15)." In Luke-Acts: New Perspectives from the
Society of Biblical Literature Seminar pp. 188-209. Edited
by C. Talbert. New York: Crossroad, 1984.
*Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. The Acts of the Apostles. Everyman's
Bible Commentary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1961.This brief work
is a good synthetic approach to the book and its argument.
Salmon, Marilyn. "Insider or Outsider? Luke's Relationship with
Judaism," In Luke-Acts and the Jewish People: Eight
Perspectives, pp. 76-82. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing
House, 1988.
Sanders, Jack T. "The Jewish People in Luke-Acts." In Luke-Acts
and the Jewish People: Eight Perspectives pp. 51-75.
Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
______. "The Salvation of the Jews in Luke-Acts." In Luke-Acts:
New Perspectives From the Society of Biblical Literature 104-
128. Edited by Charles H. Talbert. New York: Crossroad,
1984.
Talbert, Charles H. Literary Patterns, Theological Themes, and
the Genre of Luke-Acts. Missoula, Montana: Society of
Biblical Literature and Scholars Press, 1974.Talbert is very
interested in analyzing Luke-Acts from a literary approach.
Many of his observations concerning the parallels in Luke
and Acts are extremely helpful. This work is out of print,
but is available in the library.
*Tannehill Robert C. The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary
Interpretation: Volume Two: The Acts of the Apostles.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1990.Although Tannehill does
not hold to the historicity of the text, his literary
approach to the theology of Acts is excellent and thus must
reading.
______. "Rejection by Jews and Turning to Gentiles: the Pattern
of Paul's Mission in Acts." In Luke-Acts and the Jewish
People: Eight Perspectives pp. 83-101. Edited by Joseph
Tyson. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1988.
Thomas, W. H. Griffith. Outline Studies in the Acts of the
Apostles. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.,
1956.
Tiede, David L. "The Exaltation of Jesus and the Restoration of
Israel in Acts 1." In Christians Among Jews & Gentiles:
Essays in Honor of Drister Stendahl on His Sixty-fifth
Birthday pp. 278-286. Edited by George W. E. Nicklesburg
with George W. MacRae. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1986.
______. "Glory to Thy People Israel: Luke-Acts and the Jews." In
Luke-Acts and the Jewish People: Eight Perspectives, pp. 21-
34. Edited by Joseph Tyson. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing
House, 1988.
*Toussaint, Stanley D. "Acts." In The Bible Knowledge Commentary:
An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty,
pp. 349-432. Edited by John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck.
Wheaton: Victor Books, 1983.Although this is necessarily a
brief commentary, there are many helpful discussions of
problem passages, and theological matters.
Trompf, G. W. "On Why Luke Declined to Recount the Death of Paul:
Acts 27-28 and Beyond." In Luke-Acts: New Perspectives from
the Society of Biblical Literature Siminar, pp. 225-239.
Edited by Charles H. Talbert. New York: The Crossroad
Publishing Company, 1984.
Tyson, Joseph B. "Scripture, Torah, and Sabbath in Luke-Acts." In
Jesus, the Gospels, and the Church: Essays in Honor of
William R. Farmer pp. 89-104. Edited by E. P. Sanders.
Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 1987.
_______. "The Problem of Jewish Rejection in Acts." In Luke-Acts
and the Jewish People: Eight Perspectives pp. 124-137.
Edited by Joseph Tyson. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing
House, 1988.
Wilson, Stephen G. "The Jews and the Death of Jesus in Acts."
Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity: Volume 1: Paul and the
Gospels pp. 155-164. Studies in Christianity and Judaism.
Edited by Peter Richardson & David Granskou. Waterloo,
Ontario: Wilfred Laurier University Press, 1986.
______. "Law and Judaism in Acts." Society of Biblical
Literature: 1980 Seminar Papers pp 251-265. Chico,
California: Scholars Press, 1980.
______. Luke and the Law. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
1969.
Periodicals
Barrett, Charles K. "Acts and the Pauline Corpus." The Expository
Times 88 (October 1976): 2-5.
______. "Apostles in Council and in Conflict." Australian
Biblical Review 31 (October 1983): 14-32.
______. "The Apostolic Decree of Acts 15:29." Australian Biblical
Review 35 (1987): 50-59.
______. "Things Sacrificed to Idols," New Testament Studies 11
(1964-65): 138-153.
Bruce. F. F. "The Acts of the Apostles: Historical Record or
Theological Reconstruction?" In Aufstieg Und NiedergangDer
R”mischen Welt. II.25.3, pp. 2569-2603. Edited by Hildegard
Temporini and Wolfgang Haase. Berlin/New York: Walter De
Gruyter, 1985.
______. "Is the Paul of Acts the Real Paul?" Bulletin of the John
Rylands University Library 58 (1976): 282-305.
Catchpole, David R. "Paul, James and the Apostolic Decree." New
Testament Studies: An International Journal 23 (July 1977):
428-444.
Davies, Philip R. "The Ending of Acts." The Expository Times 94
(August 1983): 334-335.
Dickinson, Royce Jr. "The Theology of the Jerusalem Conference:
Acts 15:1-35." Restoration Quarterly 32: 2 (1990): 65-83.
Enslin, Morton Scott. "Once Again, Luke and Paul." Zeitschrift
fr Die Neutestamentliche Wissenschaft: Und Die Kunde Der
Altern Kirche 61 (1970): 253-271.
Fee, Gordon D. "1 Corinthians 7:1 in the NIV." Journal of the
Evangelical Theological Society 23 (1980): 307-314.
______. II Corinthians vi.14-vii.1 and Food Offered to Idols."
New Testament Studies 23 (1977) 140-161.
______. "Eijdwlovquta Once Again: 1 Cor. 9-10." Biblica 61
(1980): 172-197.
Finkelstein, Louis. "Some Examples of the Maccabean Halaka."
Journal of Biblical Literature 49 (1930): 20-42.
Goulder, Michael D. "Did Luke Know Any of the Pauline Letters?"
Perspectives in Religious Studies 13 (1986): 97-112.
Hemer, Colin J. "The Speeches of Acts: I The Ephesian Elders at
Miletus." Tyndale Bulletin 40 (1989): 76-85.
Hunkin, J. W. "The Prohibitions of the Council at Jersualem (Acts
15:28-29)." The Journal of Theological Studies 27 (April
1926): 272-283.
Kilgallen, John J. "The Function of Stephen's Speech (Acts 7,2-
53)." Biblica 70 (1989): 173-193.
Klijn, Albertus F. J. "Stephen's Speech: Acts VII. 2-53." New
Testament Studies 4 (1957): 25-31.
King, George Brockwell. "The Negative Golden Rule." The Journal
of Religion 8 (April 1928): 268-279
Koivisto, Rex A. "Stephen's Speech: A Theology of Errors?" Grace
Theological Journal 8 (Spring 1987): 101-114.
Lock, Walter. "1 Corinthians 8:1-9: A Suggestion." The Expositor
5:6 (1897): 65-74.
Mattill, Andrew J. "Date and Purpose of Luke-Acts: Rackham
Reconsidered." The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 40 (1978):
335-350.
Moessner, David P. "'The Christ Must Suffer' New Light on the
Jesus--Peter, Stephen, Paul Parallels in Luke-Acts." Novum
Testamentum 28 (July 1986): 220-256.
Polhill, "Paul: Theology Born of Mission." Review and Expositor:
A Baptist Theological Journal 78 (1981): 233-247.
Pope, A. M. "The Ethical Significance of the Apostolic Decree."
The Canadian Journal of Religious Thought 4 (May-June 1927):
201-209.
Schwartz, Daniel R. "The Futility of Preaching Moses (Acts
15:21)." Biblica 67:2 (1986): 276-281.
Simon, Marcel. "The Apostolic Decree and Its Setting in the
Ancient Church." Bulletin John Rylands Library 52:2
(Spring, 1970): 437-469.
______. "Saint Stephen and the Jerusalem Temple." The Journal of
Ecclesiastical History 2 (July-October 1951): 127-142
Sylva, Dennis D. "The Meaning and Function of Acts 7:46-50."
Journal of Biblical Literature 106 (June 1987): 261-275.
Vine, Victor E. "The Purpose and Date of Acts." The Expository
Times 96 (November 1984): 45-48.
Walker, William O. Jr. "Acts and the Pauline Corpus
Reconsidered." Journal for the Study of the New Testament 24
(1985): 3-23.
Wenham, David. "The Paulinism of Acts Again: Two Historical Clues
in 1 Thessalonians." Themelios: An International Journal for
Theological Students 13 (January-February 1988): 53-55.
Unpublished Materials
Brindle, Wayne Allan. "The Apostolic Decree of Acts 15." Th.M.
thesis. Dallas Theological Seminary. Dallas Texas, 1973.
Fowler, William Arthur. "The Prohibition Against Blood In Acts
15." Th.M thesis. Dallas Theological Seminary. Dallas Texas,
1982.
Pilkey, John Davis. "A Comparison of the Sermons In Acts 2 and
7." Th.M. thesis. Dallas Theological Seminary, 1975.
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