The Acts of the Apostles (Anchor Yale Bible | AYB)

by Joseph A. Fitzmyer

Publisher:

Yale University Press

, 2008

Overview

For anyone interested in the origins of Christianity, Joseph A. Fitzmyer’s The Acts of the Apostles is indispensable. Beginning with the ascension of Christ into heaven, and ending with Paul proclaiming the kingdom of God from a prison in Rome, this New Testament narrative picks up where the Gospel of Luke left off. The Acts of the Apostles is indeed a journey of nearly epic proportions—and one that requires a guide as adept as Fitzmyer.

Since Acts was most likely written by the same person who composed the Gospel of Luke, it is only fitting that the Anchor Yale Bible commentaries on these New Testament books should be written by the same author. With The Acts of the Apostles, Fitzmyer gives readers the long-awaited companion to his two-volume commentary on the Gospel of Luke.

The four Gospels recount the life and teachings of Jesus, but only the book of the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of what happened after Jesus’ departure. In this second of Luke’s two-volume work, he picks up with Jesus saying farewell to his followers; then Luke tells the fast-paced story of the birth and growth of the early church. This narrative reads like a major breaking news story, with the apostles Peter and Paul as the main characters.

The interpretation of Acts requires a scholar of the highest quality. As he demonstrates in The Acts of the Apostles, Joseph Fitzmyer not only is up to the task but establishes once again why he is ranked among the world’s top biblical scholars. Far from being a rehash of old ideas and well-rehearsed theories, Fitzmyer’s commentary distinguishes itself as the capstone of his career, with a new synthesis of all the relevant data from the Roman world to the present. He provides a thorough introduction to the background, text, and context of the book, as well as chapter-by-chapter notes and comments in which are offered insights and answers to questions that have long plagued preachers and parishioners, teachers and students.

Logos Bible Software gives you the tools you need to use this volume effectively and efficiently. With your digital library, you can search for verses, find Scripture references and citations instantly, and perform word studies. Along with your English translations, all Scripture passages are linked to Greek and Hebrew texts. What’s more, hovering over a Scripture reference will instantly display your verse! The advanced tools in your digital library free you to dig deeper into one of the most important contributions to biblical scholarship in the past century!

Key Features

• Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
• Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
• Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
• Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature

Contents

• The Early Christian Community (1:1–26)
  • Commission of Witnesses and Jesus’ Farewell (1:1–14)
  • Reconstitution of the Twelve (1:15–26)
• The Mission of Testimony in Jerusalem (2:1–8:4)
  • Appeal to All Israel (2:1–3:26)
  • Life and Trials of the Primitive Jerusalem Community (4:1–8:4)
• The Mission of Testimony in Judea and Samaria (8:5–40)
• The Word is Carried Further: Testimony Even to Gentiles (9:1–14:28)
  • The Persecutor Becomes a Christian Witness (9:1–31)
  • Peter Initiates the Mission to Gentiles (9:32–11:18)
  • Spread of the Word to Gentiles Elsewhere (11:19–12:25)
  • Paul’s First Missionary Journey to Gentiles in Asia Minor (13:1–14:28)
• The Jerusalem Decision about Gentile Christians (15:1–35)
• Paul’s Universal Mission and Testimony (15:36–22:21)
  • Paul’s Further Missionary Journeys (15:36–20:38)
  • Paul in Jerusalem (21:1–22:21)
• Paul Imprisoned for the Sake of Testimony to the Word (22:22–28:31)
  • Prisoner in Jerusalem and Testimony There (22:22–23:22)
  • Prisoner in Caesarea and Testimony There (23:23–26:32)
  • Prisoner in Rome, Testimony and Ministry There (27:1–28:31)

Top Highlights

“who dismisses the case against him as a matter of words, names, and intra-Jewish dispute (18:15).” (Page 131)

“His visit is occasioned by the arrival of Christians from Judea in Antioch, who insist on the circumcision of Gentiles as necessary for salvation (15:1–3).” (Page 130)

“After a short period of evangelization and controversy with Jews in Thessalonica,” (Page 131)

“In Antioch Paul preaches first to Jews in their synagogue, and when resistance to his testimony is manifested, he announces that he is turning henceforth to Gentiles (13:46). After evangelizing the area and encountering opposition from Jews in various towns (even stoning in Iconium), Barnabas and Paul retrace their steps to Pisidian Antioch, Perga, and Attalia, whence they sail for Syrian Antioch. There Paul spends ‘no little time’ with Christians (14:28).” (Page 130)

“In quoting this verse, the Lucan Paul makes a new point in part III of his address: God is not only near to human beings, but they are related to him as kin. Paul understands the Stoic idea in a biblical sense; cf. Psalm 139; Luke 3:38 (Adam as God’s son).” (Page 611)

Product Details

• Title: The Acts of the Apostles
• Author: Joseph A. Fitzmyer
• Series: Anchor Yale Bible (AYB)
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1998
• Pages: 864

About Joseph A. Fitzmyer

Joseph A. Fitzmyer (1920–2016), SJ, was professor emeritus of biblical studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He was a noted scholar of New Testament and Aramaic, and taught at Woodstock College, University of Chicago, Fordham University, and Weston School of Theology. In 1984 he was awarded the Berkitt Medal for Biblical Studies by the British Royal Academy. He was the American member of the Biblical Commission, president of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, and past president of both The Society of Biblical Literature and the Catholic Biblical Association. He authored over 20 books, including The Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian Origins, and he was coeditor of the New Jerome Biblical Commentary.