Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus by Alan Thompson - Book Review (New Studies in Biblical Theology)

Who is the main character of the book of Acts?

 The name “The Acts of the Apostles” might infer that it is an apostle, perhaps Peter or Paul. Maybe you believe the Holy Spirit is the main character of Acts, having been poured out at Pentecost. In his book “Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus”, Alan J. Thompson lays out a case for the main character being none other than the Risen Lord Jesus Himself.

Thompson notes that in Acts, the eternal kingdom promised to David finds its fulfillment, and its king is Jesus. By his ascension, Jesus assumes the throne of God’s Kingdom and acts to expand that kingdom from Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth with the inclusion to the Gentiles. 

What I really loved about this book is the way that Thompson ties the key events and themes in Acts to promises found in the Old Testament. This book is an entry in the “New Studies in Biblical Theology” series, and Without getting overly speculative, Thompson shows where the eternal kingdom of David is promised and inaugurated, where the Holy Spirit is promised and the fulfillment occurs, and how the ascension in chapter one is relevant to everything that follows it in the next 27 chapters of Acts.

This book, as well as the class I’m taking on Acts & Paul’s writing, came at the perfect time for me as my church is about 40% into a year-long journey through the book of Acts, and I am able to be a much better congregant when I have thought about the passage we study ahead of time.

I’d recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Acts in general, the fulfillment of Old Testament promises in Acts, or the discipline of Biblical Theology altogether.