The Book of Acts (short for “The Acts of the Apostles”) offers an account of the early history of the Christian Church, focusing first on the ministry of Peter and the believers in Jerusalem, and then on the missionary journeys of the apostle Paul. As such, Acts covers a period of about 30 years, from Jesus’s ascension after his resurrection (near or shortly after 30 CE) to Paul’s arrival as a prisoner in Rome (shortly after 60 CE). It is the only book in the New Testament devoted to church history. Acts is sometimes grouped with the Gospel of Luke because of its shared authorship and stylistic connections, but it is more often treated separately because of the division of content between the two books. The introduction to Acts makes it clear that it is written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke, traditionally identified as Luke the doctor, who accompanies Paul on some of his missionary journeys.

The narrative of Acts picks up the story where the Gospel of Luke leaves off, giving an account of Jesus’s final instructions to his followers before his ascension.