What do the books of Luke and Acts teach us about God, Jesus, and the early church? How do these two books relate to each other? And what do they mean for us today? In this accessible and compelling introduction, Michael Bird draws us into the wide-ranging narrative of Luke-Acts to discover how Luke frames the life of Jesus and of the first disciples who set out from Jerusalem to "the ends of the earth" proclaiming the Good News. Bird shows us how these two books, when read together, tell a cohesive narrative about Jesus, the Church, and the mission of God-with implications for the whole of our lives today. Situating both books in their historical and literary context, Bird moves through an exploration of their central theological themes and culminates with consideration of the books' relevance for contemporary social issues.
"This overview of Luke and Acts will delight the reader with its accessible detail, helpful questions for discussion, and engaging Birdwinian turn of phrase. I encourage you to journey with Luke in one hand and this book in the other."
Sarah Harris, Carey Baptist College
"Mike Bird has opened the door wide to everyone wanting an entry into the world of Luke-Acts. Those reading Luke's two-part narrative will find themselves enriched by the way Bird follows Luke's story and attends to its themes. But he also follows the twists and turns of Lukan scholarship-discussing big ideas and principal controversies, as well as naming some key voices in contemporary study. What more could we ask for in an introduction to Luke-Acts?"
Joel B. Green, senior professor of New Testament interpretation at Fuller Theological Semi
