The Theme of Witness in the Acts of the Apostles

The Theme of Witness in the Acts of the Apostles

Jonathan W. L.O.

The New Testament describes the Christian identity and vocation in many different ways, but in the Acts of the Apostles the dominant focus is the theme of “witness.” In the following essay, the Lukan theme of witness in Acts is explored with the purpose of understanding more fully the early Christians' identity in light of its vocation to be a witness. The discussion begins with a brief introduction to the vocabulary of witness in the first century Greco-Roman and Jewish historical contexts, as well as its usage in Acts. This is followed by an analysis of the theme of witness in the narrative of Acts through the interpretive lens of Acts 1:8, which many consider to be a programmatic text that provides the key to understanding the primary structures and themes of the book. The The essay concludes with some implications for understanding the relationship between the contemporary Christian identity and vocation to be a witness for Jesus in the tradition of Acts.

The early Christians are to be eye-witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus and to proclaim the good news that his resurrection entails. The historical fact of Jesus' resurrection means that there is hope for all people, because there is forgiveness of sins through repentance and faith in his name. The powerful and guiding presence of the Holy Spirit means that the eschatological restoration of God's kingdom has begun, and this will be a kingdom that includes everyone: Jew and Gentile, woman and man, rich and poor, slave and free . This is the good news, the “word of God”, that the early Christians both embodied and tirelessly proclaimed. Within the theological framework of Acts, it is difficult to accept any understanding of discipleship that does not have a missional outlook at its core , because mission is at the heart of the Christian identity. For Luke, there is no dichotomy between “being” and “doing”, for the simple fact that Christians are called to “be” a witness” and to “do” the work of a witness.