An exegetical study focusing on the historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the book of Acts in the New Testament. Prerequisites: Introduction to the New Testament and Biblical Interpretation.

The following are intended learning outcomes specific to this course:

1. Summarize the significant life events of Paul.

2. Identify the significant elements of the message of Paul.

3. Describe the impact of the historical background of the New Testament on the message of Jesus and Paul.

4. Understand how the history and culture of the first century impacts the message and practices of the developing church.

5. Ability to knowledgeably discuss authorship, date, purpose, literary genre, and major theological concepts of Acts.

6. Outline the major structure of Acts, the significant life events of Paul, and identify and chronologically order the other significant events and persons of Acts.

7. Discuss the outward expansion of the church from a Jewish to a largely Gentile mission by identifying the major cities and provinces listed in the three missionary journeys of Paul.

8. Deepen your knowledge and appreciation for the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church, both in the first century, and in our time.

The following are competencies for Ministry as outlined in the Sourcebook for Ministerial Development that will be addressed in this course:

• Ability to identify the literary structure, theological concepts and main storyline of the New Testament. (CN3)

• Ability to describe the historical and cultural contexts of the New Testament including an ability to Biblically affirm pastoral leadership of men and women within the Church. (CN4)

• Ability to exegete a passage of Scripture using contextual, literary, and theological analysis. (CN6)

Introduction to the New Testament and Biblical Interpretation.