High School Sunday School
The opening paragraph of the book of Acts declares, clearly and solidly, that it is a sequel. There has been a previous book, and this one continues the story. It even suggests a kind of title: The Deeds and Teachings of King Jesus, Part Two. At first sight this is a strange title, since Jesus himself only appears during the first nine verses of the first chapter. But Luke, whose first volume we know as the Gospel which bears his name, is telling us in his opening sentence one of the most important things about his second book. It is all about what Jesus is continuing to do and to teach.
The mysterious presence of Jesus haunts the whole story. He is announced as King and Lord, not as an increasingly distant memory but as a living and powerful reality, a person who can be known and loved, obeyed and followed, a person who continues to act within the real world. We call the book “The Acts of the Apostles,” but we should think of it as “The Acts of Jesus (II).”
N.T. Wright
Starting Oct. 30th we will begin a new series on the book of Acts. Each week students will study discuss, chapter by chapter, the stories of these early Christians. If you would like to follow along with us, click here.