2The book of Acts portrays the earliest followers of the risen and ascended Christ. Throughout its pages, from Pentecost onward, God is continually present in the lives of believers, empowering them as they declare through word and deed what God has done for the people of Israel-and ultimately for the rest of the world --through Christ. In this NBBC, Richard Thompson skillfully delves into these ideas and teases out their implications for today. Maintaining on sound evidence that Acts follows the Gospel of Luke as a second volume, Thompson brings the Third Gospel into his examination of Acts, showing how the Lukan portrayal of Jesus is mirrored in the lives of the early believers. These features and many others give this commentary on Acts a richness that commends it to pastors, teachers, students, and laypeople as a valuable resource for study and instruction.Engaging, perceptive, and academically thorough, the New Beacon Bible Commentary will expand your understanding and deepen your appreciation of the meaning and message of each book of the Bible.Written from the Wesleyan theological perspective, this indispensable commentary provides pastors, professional scholars, teachers, and Bible students with a critical, relevant, and inspiring interpretation of the Word of God in the 21st century.