I had a discussion with a friend last night about the Bible, this friend whom after he affiliated himself to a so-called Christian group, has never stop on asking me questions about the Bible and mocking the teachings of every different churches (that includes the teaching of the Roman Catholic – the church which I belong), as if their teaching is the only WAY (?) to salvation and the funny thing, this so-called group his in, is not even recognized by the mainstream religion as a Christian church but rather a CULT because of its view about God who according to them is only mighty but not the Almighty One and disregards Him being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient God.
And while I’m aware of what’s inside the Bible (at least the key stories) for in grade school we had this catechism every Wednesday and that the nun charged to us would usually tell us stories about the Bible, and sometimes mother would also read us about the same stories on those some nights before we (siblings) off to bed.
Plus in my high school, I was enrolled to a Christian (a term we use signifying to the Christian congregation that belonging to the Protestants) school and that part of our regular subject was the Bible not to mention the convocation every Wednesday before the flag ceremony and on Friday after the flag retreat.
But still my knowledge about the scriptures is limited for I never really read Bible in its entirety, so with the annoyance and to give him a good fight, I have started reading the Bible from the start, I have started with the New Testament and I am now in the book of Revelation (huwaw).
And last night we were debating about the apostles whom Jesus Christ loved the most (that’s on my next post) until I find myself asking him of who wrote the Book of Acts and he quickly answer me that it was Paul.
Ah what? I reacted! I told him it can never be Paul because Acts was written in a narrative manner as if the author talks about the Journey of Apostle Peter and halfway in the book talks about Paul of Tarsus (Saul) and his travel for spreading the gospel to the gentiles and whoever that be obviously had followed Paul and became witness to his journey.
My guess was Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke but he said in an unsure manner that Luke was already dead when Acts was written adding that it’s also possible that some of the apostles wrote that book.
I told him, that whoever wrote that book for sure is only one person and that is Luke because in some of Apostle Paul’s letter especially in Colossians he made mention of Luke, the Doctor as extending his greetings to them and it was repeated in his letter to Philemon, and I don’t think the Bible has ever made mention about Luke’s death.
Of course he did not accept Luke as the answer, so I have to do some research online and was overjoyed that my guess was so right. Indeed the book of Acts or The Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke and believed to be and supposed to be the volume two of his gospel; because if you look closely on the opening verses of Luke and Acts, the element of continuity is apparent.
In Luke 1.1-4, it says; 1Inasmuch as many have undertaken to draw up a narrative of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2just as those who were eyewitnesses from the beginning and servants of the word handed them down to us, 3it also seemed best to me after having investigated everything carefully from the beginning to write it in order for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 in order that you may know exactly the certainty of the matters that you have been taught.
And in Acts 1:1-2, the verse starts with this; 1The earlier written narrative I made, O Theophilus, was of all that Jesus began both to do and teach 2until that day he was taken up after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.
So it is therefore confirmed that this was Luke letter to his friend Theophilus to update him about their journey as they spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Theophilus was a friend of Luke, and was believed to be a wealthy relative of Caesar, who paid for his Doctor’s degree.
Although he was reluctant to accept his defeat, my friend Halay had no choice but took me to Starbucks to claim my prize hahaha.
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