Acts of the Apostles

Acts of the Apostles is the fifth and final historical book of the New Testament, forming a direct sequel to the Gospel of Luke. Written by Luke, the physician and companion of Paul, its narrative begins where the Gospel ends — with the risen Christ's final commission and ascension — and traces the expansion of the early church from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria to Rome. The opening verse addresses the same Theophilus named in Luke's Gospel, establishing the two-volume unity of the Lukan corpus.

The book covers roughly three decades of apostolic history, from Pentecost (c. A.D. 30) to Paul's Roman imprisonment (c. A.D. 62). Its two dominant figures are Peter, who dominates the first half (chapters 1–12), and Paul, whose three missionary journeys and trials occupy the second (chapters 13–28). Acts is the primary historical source for the missionary expansion of first-century Christianity and documents the transition of the gospel from a Jewish movement in Jerusalem to a Gentile-inclusive faith reaching the heart of the Roman Empire.