Why was Acts written?

My personal take from having read Acts is that it is >

1. written in order to present early church history which is recorded in Acts;

2. written also to give a picture of the earlier living church, but the epistles help to give deeper understanding of who and how the functional Christian church needed to become > things they did, earlier, do not necessarily require that present Christians do all the exact same things > the ones doing those things, at first, for examples, were newly filled with the Holy Spirit . . . not decades-mature saints;

3. there is plenty which can be used for historical information and also for helping us now to live and grow in Jesus; but, like I offer, while the leaders were not decades-mature in Jesus, what they did might not be what God would have mature leaders doing now.

Just my view ; If we start taking on the notion that people just "decide" to sit down and write biblical truths, then how true is it really ? The bible is supposed to be God breathed, it's not like "gee I think I'll sit down and write something biblical".. But there is the power of the Holy Spirit behind the writing. I would venture to say that if Luke wrote Acts, he was spiritually told to do so.

It's as valid today as any other part of the bible since it's all written in times past and for the purpose of our edification and learning about the nature of God and as a guide through life..

Why was it written ? Because God wanted it written.

Luke is writing in continuance of the Gospel of Luke, believed to have been to a Roman Govrnor. Acts was written for the same reason the rest of the New Testament was, between 60 and 70 AD they were losing Apostles. Everything in the church is built on the foundation of Christ and the Apostles. Luke had been with Paul since his second missionary journey around 40 AD. He had a unique relationship with early Christians who were living witnesses to what had been happening over the last several decades.

DamianWarS said:

Jesus still hasn't return and it's like 80-90 AD, so the author of Luke decides to write Acts. Is this a history book or a picture of the living church? Why is it written and is that purpose still valid?

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Presumably the author felt it important to refer Theophilus to some important matters which transpired after Christ's ascension, to describe the deeds of the Holy Apostles. Why probably depends on who Theophilus was, and why "Luke" was writing--obviously it was to give an account of these things for Theophilus, but the exact reasoning is never disclosed and we don't know who Theophilus was or what his importance was.

-CryptoLutheran

DamianWarS said:

Jesus still hasn't return and it's like 80-90 AD, so the author of Luke decides to write Acts. Is this a history book or a picture of the living church? Why is it written and is that purpose still valid?

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I imagine we can learn by knowing what the Lord's disciples did immediately after his death. Maybe it helps us understand how the church was founded.

I think we are given a clue in the very first sentence of the book:

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up. (Acts of the Apostles 1:1-2a, emphasis mine).

The Gospel of Luke tells us about the beginning of the ministry of Christ, and the Acts of the Apostles shows us how his ministry continued through the Apostles and the early Church, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Same reason the acts and oral tradition of Moses was written. Moses and the 12 Apostles saw God face to face. Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into 12 human beings and for the same reason the Jews preserved the beginning of their tradition so did the Christians. Although Moses was fallible Jesus and the Holy Spirit aren't.

Isa al-Masih - WikiIslam
Isa al-Masih - WikiIslam
In Islam, Isa al-Masih (عيسى المسي usually translated as Jesus Christ) is not believed to be the Son of God, but simply a messenger who is inferior in status to ...

i.e. Islam is NOT Christian at all.

DamianWarS said:

Most view Acts as events of the early church that are no longer accessible; a book of history. With the pentateuch Moses wrote law and narrative. The events of course are historical but God was still the same and still acted the same and his power was still accessible in the same way (to a 1st century jew) and so the book goes beyond mere law and historical narrative but rather was insight into the behaviour of God.

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I agree and give this example. In these two events I see that peculiar characterisitic when eternity enters time. The first is the martyrdom of Stephen. It's also a beginning of a familiar journey of which the second passage is it's end.
In short I see the acts of the Apostles is prophecy. Note the parallel to Christ happening around Stephen, preaching and miracles, crooked trial Stephen perfectly follows Jesus all the way to the cross. Also, the authority to execute capitol punishment is Jewish. They lay their coats at Saul's feet. Let this event be the beginning of a kind of prophecy. Remember that under Paul's authority the soul of the first Christian martyr is placed under the Altar in heaven who's blood cries out for Divine Justice. This is a parallel event, an echo if you will, of the Gospel account of the cross. Christ's prayer effects the conversion of the Jews to Christ in the second coming, and initiates the resurrection of the dead. Stephen's prayer effects the conversion of Saul to Paul by the appearance of the resurrected Christ.
Acts 6
8 Stephen, full of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and others of those from Cilicia and Asia, stood up and argued with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 They stirred up the people as well as the elders and the scribes; then they suddenly confronted him, seized him, and brought him before the council. 13 They set up false witnesses who said, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses handed on to us.” 15 And all who sat in the council looked intently at him, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 7
54 When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. 55 But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58 Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

Under Paul's authority Stephen the first martyr is killed. Stephen is a picture of Christ and the Church journey begins. The Church is persecuted just as Christ, just as Stephen who is first to follow. Stephen prays that his murderers are forgiven. He really means it. I think that prayer initiated a mission and the conversion of the great missionary Paul. Jesus is killed by Jewish collective authority. Stephen is killed by an individual's Jewish authority.
Below is a type of the second coming and the conversion of the Jews

Acts 9
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

These two events in Acts seem to contain the whole Journey. Jesus coming the first time in the first martyr Stephen, poor and surrendering to the will of man. His prayer for Saul results in Jesus coming to him in Glory for Saul's conversion. Like the second coming in power and glory and the conversion of the Jews, through the prayer of Christ and His Church.