Questions for Reflection:
1. Now that you have worked through all of Acts, how would you evaluate the various examples of Paul’s rhetoric? Do his speeches in Acts reflect what you know of Paul? Do they offer models of how contemporary Christians might address problems confronting the Church today?
2. By now you have read a good deal about the apologetic dimensions of Acts, particularly its stance toward the Roman empire. Having weighed all the elements, how would you characterize that stance? Do you think it offers a model of how Christians should relate to our contemporary political environment? If not, why not? Do other scriptural texts play a role in your answer to the question?
3. The ending of Acts has puzzled most commentators. What do you make of it? If Luke knows of the death of Paul, why does he not describe it?
4. If you have studied Paul’s letters, does the portrait of Paul in Acts conform to your understanding of the Apostle? If not, how does the image of Paul in Acts differ from what you might create from study of his letters?