The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus: Luke's Account of God's Unfolding Plan (Volume 27) (New Studies in Biblical Theology)

Actually, everything is not. But that's the main thrust of the book.Some interesting interpretations. Lots of repetition. After reading, it was still difficult to really identify what the "point" of the book was. Seems like you could sum it up in one statement, and then be done. Basically: the kingdom is inaugurated with Christ reigning and restoring Israel, blessing it with the Holy Spirit and new social structures.There were several sections that pointed out patterns / trends in Acts. There were a few parts that did in-depth analysis. A lot of it was repeating assertions with minimal demonstration though. A bit tedious to read.It was disappointing that he prefaced saying that Acts isn't designed to address theological questions like church polity, baptism, etc. Yet, he then argues at various points for specific broadly evangelical visions of those things. It seems a better approach to properly engage with various interpretations of the text, than to just dismiss other interpretations because "that's not the big picture intent of the book," which seems to abuse context in order to ignore the text itself, and then to assert one's own interpretation without much argumentation. This is poor theological reasoning, and common to a lot of modern biblical theology works, which unreasonably despise "systematic theology." Minor points in Thompson's book, but present and disappointing nonetheless.

According to Thompson, the book of Acts is really “the Acts of the Lord Jesus, through his people, by the Holy Spirit, for the accomplishment of God’s purposes” (49). The focus on Jesus and His inaugurated kingdom is a big strength of this book.The one major disappointment I had was Thompson’s treatment of baptism. Instead of allowing the text to speak for itself Thompson argues that baptism is not the time at which one receives the Holy Spirit and forgiveness of sins. Besides that the book is very good.I do think that this book is worth a read for those who have a strong knowledge of the Bible and of Acts in particular and would recommend it to those doing an in-depth study of the book of Acts. The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus, with it’s focus on the importance of the kingdom of God in Acts, is an excellent supplementary read as part of a broader study of the book of Acts.(If you are new to the book of Acts this book is not the place to start - read Acts itself and pick up a good commentary such as those of J.W. McGarvey.)

Alan Thompson's “The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus” is one of the books in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series from IV Press. Thompson demonstrates that the primary theological message of Acts is that God is fulfilling his promises to Israel in Christ. Rather than being a purely historical account, the focus of Acts is really on what God is accomplishing in Israel now through Christ, which is made possible by the resurrection of Christ and made evident by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on all nations. The promises of the age to come, described in Ezekiel 37, have been realized in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection “highlights the arrival of the age to come as anticipated in the OT Scriptures.”Thompson points out that the gift of the Spirit is closely connected to the coming of the kingdom, which was inaugurated at his resurrection. Thompson skillfully ties Acts to the Old Testament in a persuasive manner. He discusses the Old Testament prophetic hope of the outpouring of God’s spirit, and then shows how Acts weaves together the promises and its fulfillment in the inauguration of the kingdom of God. Thompson also addresses the theology of the temple in Acts, as well as the place of the law in God’s inaugurated kingdom.Thompson’s book would be an ideal work for any study on Acts or for a course on biblical theology, although it is more of theological work than it is a commentary on the book of Acts. I think this is worthy of your time and attention if you’re serious about biblical studies. I have discovered that Acts is a theological goldmine.

Loved the way he traced the argument and identified the themes, bringing together the overall flow of the book with both insightful scholarship and hope-filled inspiration.

I'm preaching through Acts right now. Thompson's contention that Acts is about the progress and certainty of the kingdom of God is well-argued and very fruitful for ministry.

Thompson really puts the book of Acts in its intended place as an account of the Acts of the Risen, Inagurated, Reigning King. The only thing I would critique is that he does not discuss the apologetic nature of Acts. Otherwise, this is one of the best theological works on Acts.

Thompson's handling of the Biblical text of Acts is insightful and thorough. Difficult issues are addressed with clarity and he responds fairly to those with whom he disagrees. This book will give you a better understanding and appreciation of the role of Christ's kingdom in the book of Acts.

Great read and insanely helpful for leading a bible study.

This is a really engaging book on an important section of the Bible. Good scholarship but also a good read.