Acts (NIV Application Commentary | NIVAC)

by Ajith Fernando

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 1998

Overview

The very name “book of Acts” implies that Christianity is anything but passive. Making a quick and continuous connection between faith and action, the first-century church grew from a handful of Jewish believers into a movement that, sweeping far beyond the confines of Judea, set the entire Roman Empire ablaze with faith.

Faith and action: that inseparable link is a golden thread running through Acts, and it should weave through our own lives as well. While the world today is very different from what it was 2,000 years ago, one thing hasn’t changed: God’s heart for lost people. As long as he continues to act on their behalf, he will call us to play an integral part in his deeds. Acts lifts us up out of the armchair and spurs us to kingdom action, trusting that God will be with us as surely as he was with Peter, Paul, John, and the infant church.

Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Ajith Fernando shares perspectives on the book of Acts that reveal its enduring relevance for our twenty-first century lives.

Key Features

• Treats all the elements of traditional exegesis
• Compares the original context and the contemporary context
• Engages contemporary life and culture

Contents

Top Highlights

“But the nineteen occurrences of koinonia in the New Testament suggest that the church used this word for the unique sharing that Christians have with God and with other Christians.” (Page 120)

“These instructions were given ‘through the Holy Spirit’ (v. 2), which introduces a key theme of Acts: All Christian ministry depends on the activity of the Spirit in the minister and in the ones ministered to.” (Page 50)

“We prefer the view of scholars like Bruce, Murray Harris, Polhill, and Marshall, that the phrase ‘breaking of bread’ in Acts refers to the Lord’s Supper, which was probably part of the ordinary fellowship meals as described in 1 Corinthians 11.” (Page 121)

“The second chapter of Acts introduces three of the most important keys to the entire book: the fullness of the Spirit (vv. 1–13), the evangelistic ministry of the church (vv. 14–41), and the community life of the believers (vv. 42–47).” (Page 86)

“According to the Bible the entire Christian life, including spiritual growth, battling sin and Satan, and serving God, are intended to be done in community.” (Page 125)

Praise for the Print Edition

This is the pulpit commentary for the twenty-first century.

—George K. Brushaber, president, Bethel College and Seminary

The NIV Application Commentary meets the urgent need for an exhaustive and authoritative commentary based on the New International Version. This series will soon be found in libraries and studies throughout the evangelical community.

—James Kennedy, senior minister, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church

It is encouraging to find a commentary that is not only biblically trustworthy but also contemporary in its application. The NIV Application Commentary will prove to be a helpful tool in the pastor’s sermon preparation. I use it and recommend it.

—Charles F. Stanley, pastor, First Baptist Church of Atlanta

Product Details

• Title: Acts
• Author: Ajith Fernando
• Series: NIV Application Commentary
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 1998
• Logos Release Date: 2010
• Pages: 656
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Acts › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310427278, 0310427274, 9780310494102, 0310494109
• Resource ID: LLS:NIVAC65AC
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-01T22:31:32Z

About Ajith Fernando

Ajith Fernando (ThM, Fuller Theological Seminary) is the teaching director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka after serving as the ministry's national director for thirty-five years. He and his wife, Nelun, are active in a church ministering primarily to the urban poor, and his ministry includes counseling and mentoring younger staff and pastors. He is the author of twenty books published in twenty-four languages. Ajith lives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with his wife, and they have two adult children and four grandchildren.