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Acts: A Theological Commentary on the Bible
In this new commentary for the Belief series, award-winning author and theologian Willie James Jennings explores the relevance of the book of Acts for the struggles of today. While some see Acts as the story of the founding of the Christian church, Jennings argues that it is so much more, depicting revolutionlife in the disrupting presence of the Spirit of God. According to Jennings, Acts is like Genesis, revealing a God who is moving over the land, "putting into place a holy repetition that speaks of the willingness of God to invade our every day and our every moment." He reminds us that Acts took place in a time of Empire, when the people were caught between diaspora Israel and the Empire of Rome. The spirit of God intervened, offering new life to both. Jennings shows that Acts teaches how people of faith can yield to the Spirit to overcome the divisions of our present world.
311 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2017
194 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Willie James Jennings
31 books91 followersDr. Jennings is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology and Africana Studies at Yale Divinity School. A Calvin College graduate, Jennings received his M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Ph.D. in religion and ethics from Duke.
Writing in the areas of liberation theologies, cultural identities, and anthropology, Jennings has authored more than 40 scholarly essays and nearly two-dozen reviews, as well as essays on academic administration and blog posts for Religion Dispatches.
Jennings is an ordained Baptist minister and has served as interim pastor for several North Carolina churches. He is in high demand as a speaker and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological education across North America.
Jennings is now working on a major monograph provisionally entitled Unfolding the World: Recasting a Christian Doctrine of Creation as well as a finishing a book of poetry entitled The Time of Possession.
Writing in the areas of liberation theologies, cultural identities, and anthropology, Jennings has authored more than 40 scholarly essays and nearly two-dozen reviews, as well as essays on academic administration and blog posts for Religion Dispatches.
Jennings is an ordained Baptist minister and has served as interim pastor for several North Carolina churches. He is in high demand as a speaker and is widely recognized as a major figure in theological education across North America.
Jennings is now working on a major monograph provisionally entitled Unfolding the World: Recasting a Christian Doctrine of Creation as well as a finishing a book of poetry entitled The Time of Possession.
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November 20, 2017
Karl Barth's commentary on Romans proved to be theologically provocative and even disruptive. From time to time theologians have followed Barth's lead and have written theologically rooted biblical commentaries, but for the most part the task of biblical commentary has been left to the specialists. Yes, theologians engage with scripture, but more often in thematic ways, rather than tackling the text itself in an extended manner. Fortunately, there are a growing number of commentaries being written by theologians who take biblical scholarship seriously, but bring their own perspective to the conversation. One of those series is being published by Westminster John Knox Press under the series name: "Belief: A Theological Commenary on the Bible." I have made use of several of the volumes in the series and have generally found them thoughtful and thought-provoking. This is especially true of Willie James Jennings contribution on the Book of Acts.
For many Christians, the Book of Acts is the formative text. In my own tradition, this book provided, for many a blueprint for church order and for church mission. Having spent time in Pentecostal communities, a tradition that has influenced my own thinking, I know that this tradition also finds this book to be formative. Jennings brings to this conversation his own life experiences. One of the things it's important to affirm when we engage theologically is that our own realities influence the way we look at God and life. For Willie Jennings, part of that life experience involves being African American. Throughout the commentary, he brings his own context into the reflections, seeing things that I might not see from my own vantage point. Yes, it makes sense once it's pointed out, but it's likely I would miss the point. That's one of the reasons why a theologically-informed commentary has value. Academic specialists often try to look at the text from a neutral vantage point, providing scholarly distance. There is value in that, but it can't be the only lens through which to read the text.
Jennings writes that "The book of Acts speaks of revolution." That's provocative. It is a book about revolution, because the Holy Spirit is a disruptive force. (p. 1). This is the story of God in action, moving by the Spirit, engaging humanity along the way. As for history, the book of Acts invites us into a particular form of history, not a history of monuments, but as a story that invites us toward God's future.
As a biblical commentary, this one performs many of the same functions as any other commentary. Jennings begins in chapter one and moves onward to the end of chapter twenty-eight. He engages in exegesis, but does so in conversation with the specialists, upon whom he depends. What is more important is the theological analysis, through which he invites us into the story. That story is written in the context of empire, more specifically the Roman Empire, which he notes desired to "shape the world in its own image" (p. 5). This is an important word for us today, for we live within empires that seek to form us in its image. It seeks to assimilate us. The story of Acts is written in the context of an empire seeking to assimilate, but also in the context of a Jewish diaspora trying to remain faithful in an often hostile environment, creating dissonance with the Christian community emerging from their midst. He writes that "diaspora means scattering and fragmentation, exile and loss. It mean s being displaced and in search of a place that could be made home" (p. 6). You can understand why a movement that seeks to engage the Gentile community might be perceived as a threat. This leads us to one of the important themes of the book, the joining of Jew and Gentile. It is the formation of a people caught between empire and diaspora. But, it is also the story of God's desire for fellowship with humanity.
With that concern the journey begins. It is the story of a movement of the Spirit that confronts nationalism and tribalism. It is a challenge to empire and its attempts to constrain the Spirit. Jennings will address throughout the book our attraction to the nationalist fantasy that seeks to form us. It is a word that is especially pertinent to the American situation, which seeks to build walls, draw borders, and protect status quo for the powerful. So we take the journey that leads to Pentecost and beyond, until eyes are opened through visions and experiences for Peter and then the call of Paul. All along the way we see encounters with the powers that be, attempts to constrain the Spirit, but which are consistently overcome.
In the postcript to the commentary, Jennings writes that in the end what see is the creation of a form of assimilation very different from the one envisioned by empire. There is a joining of Jew and Gentile here, but not in a way where uniqueness and difference are eliminated. He speaks of a form of assimilation in which "out of love and desire, disciples take on the ways of others. Disciples allow themselves to be assimilated for the sake of love; they do not demand or request others to be assimilated to them" (p. 255). In this segregation is overcome not by pressing everyone into one mold, but letting our differences flow from one to the other in the Spirit.
It is difficult to describe fully the nature of a biblical commentary. All I can really do is invite others to take up the commentary and engage the text in conversation with this particular conversation partner, one who sees things in the text I never saw before, and having taught the book of Acts in a college setting as well as a congregational one, having read a number of very good commentaries, I still missed aspects of the story, which Jennings brings out, and which I find helpful.
One element of this commentary series, which I especially like, are the occasional "Further Reflections," that appear regularly in the commentary. Through these extended essays, the authors, in this case Willie Jennings, can take up elements of the story that have important theological implications. Among the topics covered are "Christians, Jews, and Nationalism," "Marriage, Money, and Discipleship," Evangelization and Loving Difference," "Word of God against Word of God," "The Seduction of Segregation," "Intercultural and Interracial Life," "Christian Witness against the Prison," "Citizenship and Struggle," and finally, "Alternative Space and Alternative Desire." These essays provide rich theological work, that invite the reader to stop and ponder the meanings developed.
I highly recommend both this commentary and the series in which it appears. There are great riches to be found, especially for preachers, who are called not only to exegete an ancient text, but to bring a word for today that is rooted in the text.
For many Christians, the Book of Acts is the formative text. In my own tradition, this book provided, for many a blueprint for church order and for church mission. Having spent time in Pentecostal communities, a tradition that has influenced my own thinking, I know that this tradition also finds this book to be formative. Jennings brings to this conversation his own life experiences. One of the things it's important to affirm when we engage theologically is that our own realities influence the way we look at God and life. For Willie Jennings, part of that life experience involves being African American. Throughout the commentary, he brings his own context into the reflections, seeing things that I might not see from my own vantage point. Yes, it makes sense once it's pointed out, but it's likely I would miss the point. That's one of the reasons why a theologically-informed commentary has value. Academic specialists often try to look at the text from a neutral vantage point, providing scholarly distance. There is value in that, but it can't be the only lens through which to read the text.
Jennings writes that "The book of Acts speaks of revolution." That's provocative. It is a book about revolution, because the Holy Spirit is a disruptive force. (p. 1). This is the story of God in action, moving by the Spirit, engaging humanity along the way. As for history, the book of Acts invites us into a particular form of history, not a history of monuments, but as a story that invites us toward God's future.
As a biblical commentary, this one performs many of the same functions as any other commentary. Jennings begins in chapter one and moves onward to the end of chapter twenty-eight. He engages in exegesis, but does so in conversation with the specialists, upon whom he depends. What is more important is the theological analysis, through which he invites us into the story. That story is written in the context of empire, more specifically the Roman Empire, which he notes desired to "shape the world in its own image" (p. 5). This is an important word for us today, for we live within empires that seek to form us in its image. It seeks to assimilate us. The story of Acts is written in the context of an empire seeking to assimilate, but also in the context of a Jewish diaspora trying to remain faithful in an often hostile environment, creating dissonance with the Christian community emerging from their midst. He writes that "diaspora means scattering and fragmentation, exile and loss. It mean s being displaced and in search of a place that could be made home" (p. 6). You can understand why a movement that seeks to engage the Gentile community might be perceived as a threat. This leads us to one of the important themes of the book, the joining of Jew and Gentile. It is the formation of a people caught between empire and diaspora. But, it is also the story of God's desire for fellowship with humanity.
With that concern the journey begins. It is the story of a movement of the Spirit that confronts nationalism and tribalism. It is a challenge to empire and its attempts to constrain the Spirit. Jennings will address throughout the book our attraction to the nationalist fantasy that seeks to form us. It is a word that is especially pertinent to the American situation, which seeks to build walls, draw borders, and protect status quo for the powerful. So we take the journey that leads to Pentecost and beyond, until eyes are opened through visions and experiences for Peter and then the call of Paul. All along the way we see encounters with the powers that be, attempts to constrain the Spirit, but which are consistently overcome.
In the postcript to the commentary, Jennings writes that in the end what see is the creation of a form of assimilation very different from the one envisioned by empire. There is a joining of Jew and Gentile here, but not in a way where uniqueness and difference are eliminated. He speaks of a form of assimilation in which "out of love and desire, disciples take on the ways of others. Disciples allow themselves to be assimilated for the sake of love; they do not demand or request others to be assimilated to them" (p. 255). In this segregation is overcome not by pressing everyone into one mold, but letting our differences flow from one to the other in the Spirit.
It is difficult to describe fully the nature of a biblical commentary. All I can really do is invite others to take up the commentary and engage the text in conversation with this particular conversation partner, one who sees things in the text I never saw before, and having taught the book of Acts in a college setting as well as a congregational one, having read a number of very good commentaries, I still missed aspects of the story, which Jennings brings out, and which I find helpful.
One element of this commentary series, which I especially like, are the occasional "Further Reflections," that appear regularly in the commentary. Through these extended essays, the authors, in this case Willie Jennings, can take up elements of the story that have important theological implications. Among the topics covered are "Christians, Jews, and Nationalism," "Marriage, Money, and Discipleship," Evangelization and Loving Difference," "Word of God against Word of God," "The Seduction of Segregation," "Intercultural and Interracial Life," "Christian Witness against the Prison," "Citizenship and Struggle," and finally, "Alternative Space and Alternative Desire." These essays provide rich theological work, that invite the reader to stop and ponder the meanings developed.
I highly recommend both this commentary and the series in which it appears. There are great riches to be found, especially for preachers, who are called not only to exegete an ancient text, but to bring a word for today that is rooted in the text.
December 8, 2023
Jeez. What a great commentary. So glad I bought it to own rather than just using from Scribd. Don't use this if you're looking for a lot of the nitty gritty (Greek, context, etc). Jennings seems to transcend those things into a powerful message for today. Gorgeous writing and profound insights. I'll be returning to this again and again.
May 22, 2021
Jennings' commentary is one of the newest on the book of Acts and will be be around for some time to come due to its utter uniqueness. Its "theological" designation along with its focus on socio-political realities at work in the text combine into a very fitting approach for a book like Acts. It was, per Jennings' other work, almost too imaginative and artistic to be consistently helpful on a verse-by-verse basis for folks preaching or teaching the text, but it certainly provides a fresh, creative window into the world of Acts and the world we still inhabit today.
"The deepest reality of life in the Spirit depicted in the book of Acts is that the disciples of Jesus rarely, if ever, go where they want to go or to whom they would want to go. Indeed the Spirit seems to always be pressing the disciples to go to those to whom they would in fact strongly prefer never to share space, or a meal, and definitely not life together. Yet it is precisely this prodding to be boundary-crossing and border-transgressing that marks the presence of the Spirit of God."
"The deepest reality of life in the Spirit depicted in the book of Acts is that the disciples of Jesus rarely, if ever, go where they want to go or to whom they would want to go. Indeed the Spirit seems to always be pressing the disciples to go to those to whom they would in fact strongly prefer never to share space, or a meal, and definitely not life together. Yet it is precisely this prodding to be boundary-crossing and border-transgressing that marks the presence of the Spirit of God."
August 26, 2019
Takeaway: Commentaries are under-appreciated forms of devotional literature.
In general, I do not read the Bible straight through in a reading plan. I generally read the bible either with the Book of Common Prayer or with a Liturgy of the Hours (this is the one I use right now mostly). I prefer dated versions where I read that day and that day only. If I get behind, I get behind.
But almost two months ago now I went on a silent five-day retreat. And I brought Willie James Jennings’ commentary on Acts, along with the Liturgy of the Hours and Reggie Williams’ Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus as my reading content. I had wanted to read Jennings’ commentary on Acts, and I had just finished (really the first day I finished) Jennings’ Christian Imagination. So I wanted more from Jennings.
Reading his commentary on Acts alongside his constructive theology in The Christian Imagination was exactly what I needed for that retreat. Being able to read slowly, and have lots of time to stop and pray through the commentary was perfect. Jennings is upending many White Evangelical readings of Acts. This was not my first book that approached Acts in a similar way, Amos Yong prepared me to read Jennings.
We often read Acts as a hero tale. We have hero Peter and then hero Paul that follow God and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles. And that is undoubtedly part of the story. But Acts was not oriented toward individual hero stories. Acts was primarily about a community, one that was grappling with a God that had upended their concept of what it meant to be a follower of God.
Early Jewish followers of Christ understood God as the only God. But God the Father was also a particular God of their small ethnic group. To be a follower of God also meant to be Jewish. And if you were not Jewish ethnically, there was a category for people that would do everything possible to become culturally Jewish so that you might follow God.
But Acts, pretty much story by story disrupts that understanding. Pentecost, the first real miracle of Acts communicates the gospel to those that no longer could speak Aramaic. Peter and John’s healings show that the power of the spirit that was in Jesus was now also in his human disciples. Economics and community are upended with Ananias and Sapphira. Internal ethnic division within the early Christian community was disrupted with the distribution of resources to the windows. Peter’s message to Cornelius and then the Holy Spirit coming upon the household before baptism showed that the gospel was not just for Jewish Christians. The Ethiopian eunuch showed that the gospel was for someone that would have been permanently ritually unclean. And the book keeps going.
Part of the importance of Jennings’ book Christian Imagination was the rejection of supersessionism. In his commentary on Acts, Jennings builds on that but also works through how Acts has been misunderstood to allow for supersessionism. Jennings also works through the role of the state, the inherent violence of state power and prisons, the movement of power in economics and social control and the way that all of that is subverted into new ethic based on Jesus’ reimagined understanding of authority and service.
As you can assume from what I have said so far, this is not a book that is without controversy. But regardless of any disagreement, Jennings is taking seriously the text as his starting point. He is pointing out how we have allowed the book to be sanitized and misread because of our individualism.
I do rarely wait so long between reading a book and writing a post, but this is a book that I needed to marinate on. And it is a book I need to re-read. I commend it strongly.
In general, I do not read the Bible straight through in a reading plan. I generally read the bible either with the Book of Common Prayer or with a Liturgy of the Hours (this is the one I use right now mostly). I prefer dated versions where I read that day and that day only. If I get behind, I get behind.
But almost two months ago now I went on a silent five-day retreat. And I brought Willie James Jennings’ commentary on Acts, along with the Liturgy of the Hours and Reggie Williams’ Bonhoeffer’s Black Jesus as my reading content. I had wanted to read Jennings’ commentary on Acts, and I had just finished (really the first day I finished) Jennings’ Christian Imagination. So I wanted more from Jennings.
Reading his commentary on Acts alongside his constructive theology in The Christian Imagination was exactly what I needed for that retreat. Being able to read slowly, and have lots of time to stop and pray through the commentary was perfect. Jennings is upending many White Evangelical readings of Acts. This was not my first book that approached Acts in a similar way, Amos Yong prepared me to read Jennings.
We often read Acts as a hero tale. We have hero Peter and then hero Paul that follow God and bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the gentiles. And that is undoubtedly part of the story. But Acts was not oriented toward individual hero stories. Acts was primarily about a community, one that was grappling with a God that had upended their concept of what it meant to be a follower of God.
Early Jewish followers of Christ understood God as the only God. But God the Father was also a particular God of their small ethnic group. To be a follower of God also meant to be Jewish. And if you were not Jewish ethnically, there was a category for people that would do everything possible to become culturally Jewish so that you might follow God.
But Acts, pretty much story by story disrupts that understanding. Pentecost, the first real miracle of Acts communicates the gospel to those that no longer could speak Aramaic. Peter and John’s healings show that the power of the spirit that was in Jesus was now also in his human disciples. Economics and community are upended with Ananias and Sapphira. Internal ethnic division within the early Christian community was disrupted with the distribution of resources to the windows. Peter’s message to Cornelius and then the Holy Spirit coming upon the household before baptism showed that the gospel was not just for Jewish Christians. The Ethiopian eunuch showed that the gospel was for someone that would have been permanently ritually unclean. And the book keeps going.
Part of the importance of Jennings’ book Christian Imagination was the rejection of supersessionism. In his commentary on Acts, Jennings builds on that but also works through how Acts has been misunderstood to allow for supersessionism. Jennings also works through the role of the state, the inherent violence of state power and prisons, the movement of power in economics and social control and the way that all of that is subverted into new ethic based on Jesus’ reimagined understanding of authority and service.
As you can assume from what I have said so far, this is not a book that is without controversy. But regardless of any disagreement, Jennings is taking seriously the text as his starting point. He is pointing out how we have allowed the book to be sanitized and misread because of our individualism.
I do rarely wait so long between reading a book and writing a post, but this is a book that I needed to marinate on. And it is a book I need to re-read. I commend it strongly.
May 26, 2021
I can't wait to preach Acts again so I have an excuse to read this again. Helpful commentary for a preacher even though it doesn't read like a typical commentary. Jennings is infinitely quotable and offers perspective on the big movements happening in the book of Acts while taking the details seriously.
April 12, 2021
This semester on campus, the students I work with have been studying the Book of Acts, so it seemed appropriate to grab a new commentary for some fresh insights. Providentially for me, brilliant theologian Willie James Jennings has blessed the church with this work. Jennings’ book The Christian Imagination was my favorite read from 2020 and one of the most important theology books I’ve read in years. Having just read that, I was excited to dive into this.
This is not a detailed, exegetical commentary, which I think is one of the best things about it. Its part of a series of theological commentaries and in that vein reads much more like a...I don’t know, “devotional” text. What I mean is that if you want details on background and authorship and all those things, which are fine, this is not the book for you. But if you want to read book that provides deep theological insight as well as feeds your spirit, this one is for you. This could even be a book that small groups up for a bit of a challenge could read together in conjunction with a sermon series on Acts.
If you, like me, are rooted in the white evangelical Christian subculture, then this book will bring you different perspectives which is actually the best thing about it (despite what I just said). In my circles, discussions about Acts revolve around many of the same things.
How were the people in Acts 2 baptized? Was it adults? Is that descriptive or prescriptive?
Are the spiritual signs and wonders we see in Acts things we should be seeing today?
And on that note, just why aren’t we out there preaching in the streets like Peter and Paul? After all, isn’t Acts primarily a “how-to” on evangelism? (Which, if we’re honest, none of us do it anyway so we all just walk away feeling guilty for not preaching in this way!).
Jennings touches on some of these things. I mean, you can’t avoid that Jews and Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus. But Jennings emphasizes, in line with the Christian Imagination, that this coming to faith is a coming to faith in the Jewish God. Later Christian theology moved towards a more abstract God but Jennings keeps the focus on the particularity and place of Judaism. Along with that, he emphasizes the challenges of diaspora that all the characters face. We read Acts and maybe shake our heads as so many Jews oppose Paul; Jennings forces us to look at the difficulties of Jews keeping their identity in the empire faced and that we should perhaps be more sympathetic than we have been.
Jennings also forces us to see the themes of incarceration and how innocent people are continually put in prison. Mass incarceration is a tremendous problem in America today, which could not happen without the explicit or implicit support of millions of privileged Christians. After reading this commentary, I see more clearly how Acts does not abandon the material needs and realities of the world. Acts is basically a long treatise against mass incarceration. Or, to put it another way, throughout the whole Old Testament, from the Exodus through the prophets, God shows a care for people’s material and physical needs, working for justice. Jesus in his earthly ministry does the same. Acts, as I said above, always seemed to shift more towards the spiritual. Jennings has shown justice remains a concern because the God in Acts is the same God in Exodus and the prophets.
Overall, a wonderful commentary.
This is not a detailed, exegetical commentary, which I think is one of the best things about it. Its part of a series of theological commentaries and in that vein reads much more like a...I don’t know, “devotional” text. What I mean is that if you want details on background and authorship and all those things, which are fine, this is not the book for you. But if you want to read book that provides deep theological insight as well as feeds your spirit, this one is for you. This could even be a book that small groups up for a bit of a challenge could read together in conjunction with a sermon series on Acts.
If you, like me, are rooted in the white evangelical Christian subculture, then this book will bring you different perspectives which is actually the best thing about it (despite what I just said). In my circles, discussions about Acts revolve around many of the same things.
How were the people in Acts 2 baptized? Was it adults? Is that descriptive or prescriptive?
Are the spiritual signs and wonders we see in Acts things we should be seeing today?
And on that note, just why aren’t we out there preaching in the streets like Peter and Paul? After all, isn’t Acts primarily a “how-to” on evangelism? (Which, if we’re honest, none of us do it anyway so we all just walk away feeling guilty for not preaching in this way!).
Jennings touches on some of these things. I mean, you can’t avoid that Jews and Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus. But Jennings emphasizes, in line with the Christian Imagination, that this coming to faith is a coming to faith in the Jewish God. Later Christian theology moved towards a more abstract God but Jennings keeps the focus on the particularity and place of Judaism. Along with that, he emphasizes the challenges of diaspora that all the characters face. We read Acts and maybe shake our heads as so many Jews oppose Paul; Jennings forces us to look at the difficulties of Jews keeping their identity in the empire faced and that we should perhaps be more sympathetic than we have been.
Jennings also forces us to see the themes of incarceration and how innocent people are continually put in prison. Mass incarceration is a tremendous problem in America today, which could not happen without the explicit or implicit support of millions of privileged Christians. After reading this commentary, I see more clearly how Acts does not abandon the material needs and realities of the world. Acts is basically a long treatise against mass incarceration. Or, to put it another way, throughout the whole Old Testament, from the Exodus through the prophets, God shows a care for people’s material and physical needs, working for justice. Jesus in his earthly ministry does the same. Acts, as I said above, always seemed to shift more towards the spiritual. Jennings has shown justice remains a concern because the God in Acts is the same God in Exodus and the prophets.
Overall, a wonderful commentary.
September 8, 2020
This isn’t your grandpa’s commentary! If you’re looking for how Luke uses the subjunctive, how heavily he relies on Q, or whether there is a chiastic structure to Acts, you’ve come to the wrong place. If you want to see how the Spirit bridges cultural divides, shakes the foundations of prisons, and pushes God’s people to the edge of grace in divine embrace of human bodies throughout time and space, read on!
January 9, 2021
‘Maybe our goal should be to form common life along the lines of Paul waiting for his day before the emperor - in a house where the struggle for justice meets radical hospitality and where people from every walk of life wander into a space filled with hope, surprise, and very good news.’ 257
This is a disruptive, challenging and vital commentary shedding new light on the Book of Acts. A must read for all Christians and especially those who would teach and preach in the church today.
This is a disruptive, challenging and vital commentary shedding new light on the Book of Acts. A must read for all Christians and especially those who would teach and preach in the church today.
January 7, 2021
One of the best commentaries on Acts I've ever read.
March 31, 2020
This book is unlike most modern commentaries. Most commentaries give you an understanding of what the text is saying, often with engagement with past interpretations and full of historical background details. These commentaries are valuable tools to help the interpreter understand what the text is saying, but they lack the interpretive judgements and conclusions that are necessary for any preacher. This commentary, and the series it is a part of seeks to address these weakness. As a result, while the commentary is aware of the modern scholarship, it is more concerned with understanding how God speaks to us through Acts. This makes for a unique, and often riveting commentary.
The format of the book follows many conventional commentaries. Each chapter is split up, sometimes into smaller chunks of verses and discussed. It is not a verse by verse commentary but rather provides a theological interpretation of the section being discussed. These interpretations are often insightful and provoking in their interpretations.
In addition to the commentary on the text there are also several further reflection sections which records Jennings's thoughts on certain issues which arise from the text. This includes the logic of incarceration and the idolization of the couple. These are fascinating in their own right, and they provide a welcome supplement to the commentary itself.
There is much to like in this book, and in almost every chapter I found myself challenged by his insights. Even when I disagreed with him, I still found that the disagreements were challenged because he took the text with the utmost seriousness, and he believes that God speaks to us today through Acts. That starting point is necessary because it means that even when we disagree, we are agreeing on essential elements.
By taking it seriously, he is able to see modern day implications that most commentaries do not. His is truly a commentary which is able to say something for the modern man, not merely a beginning of a commentary like most of what passes off for commentaries today. Before reading this commentary, I had never even thought about the implications that Acts has for our understanding of mass incarceration. I find myself struck by my own reservations in drawing conclusions from Acts to the present age beyond missions and contextualization. After reading this I am confronted by the text's ability to speak out against several of our modern American idols, including white supremacy. If I cannot teach on Acts and denounce white supremacy, then I have no business teaching scripture in America.
I would be presenting an incomplete picture of this commentary if I made it seem like it was only concerned with contemporary applications. That is a gross misrepresentation of the commentary. It is a commentary which is above all concerned with the relentless, overwhelming love of God. This love is made manifest in the joining of Jew and Gentile, and in the repeated chances for Israel to repent and turn towards Christ. This is the theme that flows through the book more than contemporary implications.
Another strength of the text is the types of authors Willie Jennings engages with. He engages with a wide variety of different sources, both in theological background and non-theological sources. This diversity of sources leads to a much stronger book. It is also appreciated that he engages with the interpreters of the past in John Calvin and John Chrysostom showing he lacks the historical allergy that plagues much of modern evangelicalism.
As I mentioned above, my disagreements are few. Even when I did disagree with him, I still found myself challenged by his views and logic to see where it leads. His section on the idolization of marriage for example is fascinating and thought provoking, but I can't follow him to affirming same-sex marriage. Nor does this book or his aside give a defense of it, but it made me consider whether his critique of the idolization of marriage is possible without his affirming stance.
Minor disagreements aside, I would gladly recommend this book to others. It is a rare theology book, and an even rarer commentary, that makes me want to worship. This book served as a devotional, but not in the way most modern devotionals are. It filled me with awe and wonder at who God is and the new things He was and continues to do. Willie Jennings continues to produce fascinating theological works, and ones that need to be mined more than once to gain all of their insights.
The format of the book follows many conventional commentaries. Each chapter is split up, sometimes into smaller chunks of verses and discussed. It is not a verse by verse commentary but rather provides a theological interpretation of the section being discussed. These interpretations are often insightful and provoking in their interpretations.
In addition to the commentary on the text there are also several further reflection sections which records Jennings's thoughts on certain issues which arise from the text. This includes the logic of incarceration and the idolization of the couple. These are fascinating in their own right, and they provide a welcome supplement to the commentary itself.
There is much to like in this book, and in almost every chapter I found myself challenged by his insights. Even when I disagreed with him, I still found that the disagreements were challenged because he took the text with the utmost seriousness, and he believes that God speaks to us today through Acts. That starting point is necessary because it means that even when we disagree, we are agreeing on essential elements.
By taking it seriously, he is able to see modern day implications that most commentaries do not. His is truly a commentary which is able to say something for the modern man, not merely a beginning of a commentary like most of what passes off for commentaries today. Before reading this commentary, I had never even thought about the implications that Acts has for our understanding of mass incarceration. I find myself struck by my own reservations in drawing conclusions from Acts to the present age beyond missions and contextualization. After reading this I am confronted by the text's ability to speak out against several of our modern American idols, including white supremacy. If I cannot teach on Acts and denounce white supremacy, then I have no business teaching scripture in America.
I would be presenting an incomplete picture of this commentary if I made it seem like it was only concerned with contemporary applications. That is a gross misrepresentation of the commentary. It is a commentary which is above all concerned with the relentless, overwhelming love of God. This love is made manifest in the joining of Jew and Gentile, and in the repeated chances for Israel to repent and turn towards Christ. This is the theme that flows through the book more than contemporary implications.
Another strength of the text is the types of authors Willie Jennings engages with. He engages with a wide variety of different sources, both in theological background and non-theological sources. This diversity of sources leads to a much stronger book. It is also appreciated that he engages with the interpreters of the past in John Calvin and John Chrysostom showing he lacks the historical allergy that plagues much of modern evangelicalism.
As I mentioned above, my disagreements are few. Even when I did disagree with him, I still found myself challenged by his views and logic to see where it leads. His section on the idolization of marriage for example is fascinating and thought provoking, but I can't follow him to affirming same-sex marriage. Nor does this book or his aside give a defense of it, but it made me consider whether his critique of the idolization of marriage is possible without his affirming stance.
Minor disagreements aside, I would gladly recommend this book to others. It is a rare theology book, and an even rarer commentary, that makes me want to worship. This book served as a devotional, but not in the way most modern devotionals are. It filled me with awe and wonder at who God is and the new things He was and continues to do. Willie Jennings continues to produce fascinating theological works, and ones that need to be mined more than once to gain all of their insights.
September 23, 2024
If you only have time or interest to read one book on Acts, please choose this one. What a gorgeous and powerful commentary.
March 20, 2023
This is unlike any commentary I have ever read.
Rather than diving into the detail of grammar and syntax, Jennings has a much more poetic style filled with metaphors, symbolism and picture language as he explains the story of Acts, more like a storyteller than a technician. Once I got used to this unique style, I actually enjoyed it and found some real gems, such as this one:
"No matter how hard they are thrown, the stones cannot separate Stephen from God. Nor can any stone, no matter its velocity, its surprising angle, or its accuracy in hitting our vulnerable places, ever separate those who know the savior from God." p73
I admired his humility in his writing. In the Preface, he says "writing a commentary is always an occasion for confession. I am not the Christian I ought to be. Daily I need the Spirit guiding me, and yet daily I must repent of my resistance to the Holy One. I am part of that great congregation that survives only by the grace of God."
Speaking of his attitude, I had the privilege of being part of a Q&A session with him on zoom. He has a lovely demeanor, very warm and personable, often chuckling, rarely speaking without a smile and twinkle in his eye, very gracious and patient in listening and answering questions.
He often speaks in this commentary about issues of race which is his area of expertise and passion, particularly in the context of black American slavery and racism. This was of real benefit for me personally, as it is an area that I am not au fait with.
At times, though, he raised the issue of race when it did not seem to be there in the pasage of Acts, or at least not in terms of whites being racist against blacks so much as the tensions between Jew and Gentile. That is not to say that no extrapolations can be drawn from the Jew-Gentile divide that may help us understand other tensions, including whites-blacks.
I had some other concerns when reading this book.
One was his view of homosexuality. He seems to affirm same-sex marriage when the biblical text doesn't warrant it:
"Coupling in this regard is a wonder to be shared by all who wish it, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and marriage should be grasped by all who would mark their life together as a life inside the way of disciples." p58
"There is joy in coupling that should be celebrated and shared by all who wish life together, especially for gay sisters and brothers whose lives of love are yet to receive the celebratory embrace by the church that they greatly deserve. Even among churches that affirm homosexual marriage, the sound and songs of celebration ring much too quietly and sometimes not at all. ... This is why gay marriage must be celebrated just as strongly, as loudly, and as intensely as any marriage of disciples, because what begins in civil toleration when touched by the Spirit of the living God becomes joyous and extravagant celebration." p60
Secondly, I struggled to understand his repeated use of the word 'eros' to describe God's love. I didn't get the chance to ask him, but would like to hear from him why he used the word associated with sexual love rather than the unconditional 'agape' love.
e.g. "The words and actions of Jesus, however, always carried an eros that spread beyond Jewish bodies, touching a Gentile here" p121
"Touch matters to God because we are God’s creatures, created to be touched repeatedly by God. Touching is often intercepted by economic utility and isolating pleasure, yet here we see a glimpse of an eros in which touching marks a divine yearning for a pleasure that heals and sets free" p186
Considering though, that God is love, perhaps I have had too narrow a view of the love that God personifies and need to do more thinking about how that relates to the different kinds of love, including eros.
Thirdly, I occasionally got hints that his view of scripture was a concern too. On a few occasions, he suggests that Luke, the Bible author inspired by the Spirit of God, has written his portion of the scriptures wrongly.
e.g. "Such a way of thinking reflects a profoundly chivalric and masculine vision of progress and success where truth wins out through combat and violence, and in the end power begets more power. Luke shows us his susceptibility to such a vision" p171
"The problem is that Luke does not perceive them as a disciple of Jesus ought to perceive them. We know this only because he exposes the other aspect of this troublesome optic when he tells us of “Jewish jealousy” ... Luke at this moment has lost the gospel even as he tells us of its opposition. To be fair to Luke, he is captured in narrating to us the willingness of these men to operate as violent quasi-mercenaries, so their wickedness is not in question. Yet others have incited mobs, participated in mobs, and escaped such labeling. Here Luke’s class distinctions participate in the very wickedness that he is describing to us." p172
He has a thought-provoking discussion on old words from God and new words from God. He warns against pitting these against each other, that they are "bound together in the life of a speaking God" which is fine. But my concern is that he seems to put 'new words from God' including our bodily experiences, on the same level as 'old words' including Scripture. I would rather our experiences be tested and interpreted by Scripture as the final authority rather than putting them on the same level.
"The key for us ... is to refuse the binary of naming the past word false and the present word true or the present word false and the past word true, and to discern through the Spirit the line of continuity between past and present. ... Indeed an old word registered in the canon of Scripture, liturgical tradition, testimony, and dogma can become a new word to us through the Spirit and a new word found in bodies and through experience ... can also become a new word of God to us." p120
I may well have misunderstood him on this point (and all the others!) but his writing is at times difficult to understand. But then, so is the apostle Paul!
I would love to have had more time to ask more questions about the above, and also his view of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, which he also alluded to occasionally.
Despite my concerns, I am glad to have read this commentary. If we only read things that we 100% agree with or that say the same things in the same ways as we have already heard, we will not learn much!
Rather than diving into the detail of grammar and syntax, Jennings has a much more poetic style filled with metaphors, symbolism and picture language as he explains the story of Acts, more like a storyteller than a technician. Once I got used to this unique style, I actually enjoyed it and found some real gems, such as this one:
"No matter how hard they are thrown, the stones cannot separate Stephen from God. Nor can any stone, no matter its velocity, its surprising angle, or its accuracy in hitting our vulnerable places, ever separate those who know the savior from God." p73
I admired his humility in his writing. In the Preface, he says "writing a commentary is always an occasion for confession. I am not the Christian I ought to be. Daily I need the Spirit guiding me, and yet daily I must repent of my resistance to the Holy One. I am part of that great congregation that survives only by the grace of God."
Speaking of his attitude, I had the privilege of being part of a Q&A session with him on zoom. He has a lovely demeanor, very warm and personable, often chuckling, rarely speaking without a smile and twinkle in his eye, very gracious and patient in listening and answering questions.
He often speaks in this commentary about issues of race which is his area of expertise and passion, particularly in the context of black American slavery and racism. This was of real benefit for me personally, as it is an area that I am not au fait with.
At times, though, he raised the issue of race when it did not seem to be there in the pasage of Acts, or at least not in terms of whites being racist against blacks so much as the tensions between Jew and Gentile. That is not to say that no extrapolations can be drawn from the Jew-Gentile divide that may help us understand other tensions, including whites-blacks.
I had some other concerns when reading this book.
One was his view of homosexuality. He seems to affirm same-sex marriage when the biblical text doesn't warrant it:
"Coupling in this regard is a wonder to be shared by all who wish it, whether heterosexual or homosexual, and marriage should be grasped by all who would mark their life together as a life inside the way of disciples." p58
"There is joy in coupling that should be celebrated and shared by all who wish life together, especially for gay sisters and brothers whose lives of love are yet to receive the celebratory embrace by the church that they greatly deserve. Even among churches that affirm homosexual marriage, the sound and songs of celebration ring much too quietly and sometimes not at all. ... This is why gay marriage must be celebrated just as strongly, as loudly, and as intensely as any marriage of disciples, because what begins in civil toleration when touched by the Spirit of the living God becomes joyous and extravagant celebration." p60
Secondly, I struggled to understand his repeated use of the word 'eros' to describe God's love. I didn't get the chance to ask him, but would like to hear from him why he used the word associated with sexual love rather than the unconditional 'agape' love.
e.g. "The words and actions of Jesus, however, always carried an eros that spread beyond Jewish bodies, touching a Gentile here" p121
"Touch matters to God because we are God’s creatures, created to be touched repeatedly by God. Touching is often intercepted by economic utility and isolating pleasure, yet here we see a glimpse of an eros in which touching marks a divine yearning for a pleasure that heals and sets free" p186
Considering though, that God is love, perhaps I have had too narrow a view of the love that God personifies and need to do more thinking about how that relates to the different kinds of love, including eros.
Thirdly, I occasionally got hints that his view of scripture was a concern too. On a few occasions, he suggests that Luke, the Bible author inspired by the Spirit of God, has written his portion of the scriptures wrongly.
e.g. "Such a way of thinking reflects a profoundly chivalric and masculine vision of progress and success where truth wins out through combat and violence, and in the end power begets more power. Luke shows us his susceptibility to such a vision" p171
"The problem is that Luke does not perceive them as a disciple of Jesus ought to perceive them. We know this only because he exposes the other aspect of this troublesome optic when he tells us of “Jewish jealousy” ... Luke at this moment has lost the gospel even as he tells us of its opposition. To be fair to Luke, he is captured in narrating to us the willingness of these men to operate as violent quasi-mercenaries, so their wickedness is not in question. Yet others have incited mobs, participated in mobs, and escaped such labeling. Here Luke’s class distinctions participate in the very wickedness that he is describing to us." p172
He has a thought-provoking discussion on old words from God and new words from God. He warns against pitting these against each other, that they are "bound together in the life of a speaking God" which is fine. But my concern is that he seems to put 'new words from God' including our bodily experiences, on the same level as 'old words' including Scripture. I would rather our experiences be tested and interpreted by Scripture as the final authority rather than putting them on the same level.
"The key for us ... is to refuse the binary of naming the past word false and the present word true or the present word false and the past word true, and to discern through the Spirit the line of continuity between past and present. ... Indeed an old word registered in the canon of Scripture, liturgical tradition, testimony, and dogma can become a new word to us through the Spirit and a new word found in bodies and through experience ... can also become a new word of God to us." p120
I may well have misunderstood him on this point (and all the others!) but his writing is at times difficult to understand. But then, so is the apostle Paul!
I would love to have had more time to ask more questions about the above, and also his view of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility, which he also alluded to occasionally.
Despite my concerns, I am glad to have read this commentary. If we only read things that we 100% agree with or that say the same things in the same ways as we have already heard, we will not learn much!
July 2, 2018
I can’t imagine preaching again out of Acts without having first engaged Jenning’s piercing and challenging insight. A true gift to the church in its reading and interpreting of Scripture.
May 12, 2021
I'm always excited to discover theologians who help me read Scripture with fresh insights and perspective (Walter Brueggemann, for example). This commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, by Willie James Jennings, was very much that kind of commentary for me. Highly recommend—you may not agree with him always, but I saw things I never had seen before as I read his commentary alongside the text of Acts. I loved the spirit of humility and compassion as he followed the work of the Spirit throughout the text. His section on Acts 10 (Peter and Cornelius) is worth the price of the book!
From the his postscript: "The book of Acts presses questions on me that I am not yet able to answer regarding the shape and scope of the common life that ought to characterize the disciples of Jesus."
From the last paragraph of the book: "What if for the first time I felt the absolute depths of God's love and concern not only for the one who God has drawn into my life and me into theirs but also for the place I inhabit, the streets I traverse, the animals I see, and the plants I touch with all my senses every day? For those disciples so willing to be led by the Spirit into radical love, God will create a communal reality that answers back the groaning of the creation with a word of great hope: the children of God are now visible."
From the his postscript: "The book of Acts presses questions on me that I am not yet able to answer regarding the shape and scope of the common life that ought to characterize the disciples of Jesus."
From the last paragraph of the book: "What if for the first time I felt the absolute depths of God's love and concern not only for the one who God has drawn into my life and me into theirs but also for the place I inhabit, the streets I traverse, the animals I see, and the plants I touch with all my senses every day? For those disciples so willing to be led by the Spirit into radical love, God will create a communal reality that answers back the groaning of the creation with a word of great hope: the children of God are now visible."
April 2, 2024
It's not very often that a commentary on a book of the Bible can be, at once, both enlightening to the world of academic theology and liberating to marginalized people. Commentaries tend to have similar content wrapped up in slightly different packaging - primarily examining grammar and historical context. And yet Willie James Jennings takes this often mundane project and flips it on its head.
There are few authors with the ability to weave academic theology and poetic writing into one, yet Jennings proves to be a master of the craft. In every section, he grounds the passage in the reality of diaspora, and in so doing, shines a light on perspectives primarily unseen within a White, western understanding of both the book of Acts and the movement of the Spirit.
Parts will surely make people uncomfortable as he confronts the realities of mass incarceration, racist ideology, and even queer relationships. Yet that feeling of discomfort is also an invitation to examine the ways in which we long to interpret the text within, and only within, our own set boundaries.
It's such a beautiful and needed text.
There are few authors with the ability to weave academic theology and poetic writing into one, yet Jennings proves to be a master of the craft. In every section, he grounds the passage in the reality of diaspora, and in so doing, shines a light on perspectives primarily unseen within a White, western understanding of both the book of Acts and the movement of the Spirit.
Parts will surely make people uncomfortable as he confronts the realities of mass incarceration, racist ideology, and even queer relationships. Yet that feeling of discomfort is also an invitation to examine the ways in which we long to interpret the text within, and only within, our own set boundaries.
It's such a beautiful and needed text.
February 2, 2024
An illuminating commentary on the book of Acts in the Bible written from the perspective of a Black theologian, I really enjoyed someone placing Acts in the context of empire, colonialism, and diaspora. Despite what some people may think, understanding the socio and political context of Biblical texts actually enriches their meaning and helps to understand that Christianity was never meant to be nationalist or the religion of the conquerer.
This is a progressive reading of the Bible. If you are not cool with homosexuality or anti-racism, this is probably not your vibe (and you are the problem).
This is also dense read-- I would recommend taking notes, reading alongside the book of Acts, and reading in community.
This is a progressive reading of the Bible. If you are not cool with homosexuality or anti-racism, this is probably not your vibe (and you are the problem).
This is also dense read-- I would recommend taking notes, reading alongside the book of Acts, and reading in community.
July 7, 2024
Willie Jennings is one of my heroes. This commentary has challenged the very foundations of my biblical theology. This is the work Jennings does. He digs to the very foundations of how society is structured and the way that structure mis-shapes us ethically and theologically. In this commentary in particular he traces how empire and diaspora fear shapes and controls us. Through Jesus, though, we're called into a life together that joins us to one another and to creation. The Holy Spirit is the power that should lead us and shape us- not empire and the control and fragmentation it brings.
Willie Jennings is one of the most important thinkers alive and working today. We would do well to listen to what he has to share with us.
Willie Jennings is one of the most important thinkers alive and working today. We would do well to listen to what he has to share with us.
August 4, 2022
Thought provoking. Challenging. Inspiring. In classic Jennings fashion, he describes the modern colonial moment with the weight of the Fall, as if things were fine and good beforehand, and the vast majority (all?) of his commentary on the church is “what the church has got wrong…” leaving little in reference to shah the church has done well throughout its existence. These, along with several other marginal aspects of this commentary, I find issue with. However, the overall benefit of this theological commentary is tremendous, and a strong challenge for the church to be led by the Spirit into Gods desire for a new humanity.
July 31, 2024
Listen. Go get your blessing. Go. Get. Your. Blessing. Willie James Jennings is exceptional and this commentary is eye opening. WJJ expounds on the book of Acts so well in detailing the work of a loving God bent on joining Jew and Gentile in the body of Jesus. The way in which he goes about explaining what took place in Acts was eye opening and also gives a fresh perspective. I have far more sympathy regarding the friction between Jews and Gentiles, but also found numerous ways to connect Luke’s account to issues in our modern world. Highly recommend reading the actual scriptures noted in the text first and then read WJJ’s commentary on those verses. Illuminating.
November 24, 2020
A political theological reading
Most commentaries on Acts delve into the history of the events themselves. Jennings commentary goes beyond this to the sociological and political domains. He broadens the horizon by reading the history portrayed in Acts anew that speaks to incarceration and individualism in our postmodern era. A worthy read for the biblical scholar as well as a pastor looking to push their congregation beyond the self help mentality.
Most commentaries on Acts delve into the history of the events themselves. Jennings commentary goes beyond this to the sociological and political domains. He broadens the horizon by reading the history portrayed in Acts anew that speaks to incarceration and individualism in our postmodern era. A worthy read for the biblical scholar as well as a pastor looking to push their congregation beyond the self help mentality.
March 4, 2021
Divine Desire
Dr. Jennings takes us on a journey through the book of Acts where we are challenged to consider who we are as the people of God. He beautifully weaves the story of Israel into the tapestry of the story of the church — displaying to the reader how it’s the same story. Acts is the story of divine desire revealed through the movement of the Spirit through the church, the people of God.
Dr. Jennings takes us on a journey through the book of Acts where we are challenged to consider who we are as the people of God. He beautifully weaves the story of Israel into the tapestry of the story of the church — displaying to the reader how it’s the same story. Acts is the story of divine desire revealed through the movement of the Spirit through the church, the people of God.
May 10, 2021
I really liked this commentary on Acts. Jennings gave me some new themes to consider and provided some added focus on themes I was already aware of. The most helpful ideas for me were: the emphasis on the movement of the Holy Spirit and watching for where the Holy Spirit is doing something new, the theme of incarceration/prison in Acts and the power dynamics behind that, and the kingdom/empire tension.
August 12, 2025
A theological commentary on Acts
I am not a theological scholar; the author is. I would want a commentary on a book in the Bible, even an historical one such as Acts, to be focused on the nature of God as revealed through His word. Jennings’ commentary concludes with that focus, but there is a modern sociological/political message there, too, that may be too erudite for this reader to totally understand as part of the more ancient history of Acts.
I am not a theological scholar; the author is. I would want a commentary on a book in the Bible, even an historical one such as Acts, to be focused on the nature of God as revealed through His word. Jennings’ commentary concludes with that focus, but there is a modern sociological/political message there, too, that may be too erudite for this reader to totally understand as part of the more ancient history of Acts.
October 11, 2024
A stunning theological commentary on the book of Acts. Jennings reads the story of the community of resurrection as the body of Christ, joining God to people as people join to one another in love across radical difference. Jennings reads the people of the Spirit living in resistance to Empire and among fractured diaspora community with brilliant social, political, and spiritual insight.
April 24, 2018
The language is rich and poetic, sometimes wearyingly so, but this is a sharp, fresh, anti-colonial, and critically aware commentary. It's refreshing to read even if some of it is not directly preachable in my parish context.
September 4, 2019
“Maybe our goal should be to form common life...a house where the struggle for justice meets radical hospitality and where people from every walk of life wander into a space filled with hope, surprise, and very good news.”
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September 28, 2019Another one of the commentaries I read throughout a 48 part sermon series I did in the book of Acts. Unlike any of the other commentaries I read. Jennings writes with a compelling zeal and urgency. While I didn't agree with all of his conclusions, I loved reading this.
December 8, 2020
Exquisite and profound. I am happy beyond all expression that Willie James Jennings has agreed to be part of the writing project for which I am lead author, a feminist commentary on Acts for the Wisdom series (Liturgical Press). Look for it in 2022.
July 3, 2022
I'll be generous and give it a 3 because I didn't finish it. From a literary standpoint it's a 3 or 4 but my issues with it are theological. I think he had things he wanted to talk about and points he wanted to make that were not at all reflected in the scriptures he based them on.
December 6, 2025
Acts became my favorite book of the Bible after reading this book. I had so many marked passages and notes taken. Thank you, Jennings, for opening my eyes to the metanarrative of the book of Acts and how it ties to the overall message of Jesus.
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