The book of Acts reveals the transition from Judaism to Christianity, from the prominence of the law to the expanse of grace. For Gaebelein, Acts represents the earliest moments whereby grace becomes the normative way by which we know God. Pay attention to Acts, he says, to understand grace.
Gaebelein approaches the book of Acts apart from what Ford C. Ottman calls “the yoke of traditional interpretation” and removed from “the feverish discontent with the supernatural.” In particular, Gaebelein has little tolerance for the higher critics, whose attempts to domesticate the work of the Spirit obfuscate the primary purpose of the book. Gaebelein’s approach brings the work of the Spirit to the fore—especially the Spirit’s role of fulfilling the promises of Jesus. He also explains the ongoing tensions between Jewish expressions of Christianity and a wholesale Gentile embrace of the Gospel. The book of Acts, says Gaebelein, exhorts us toward greater faithfulness and bolder preaching, because the message of the Holy Spirit’s comfort is needed in all times and places. The Acts of the Apostles: An Exposition also includes an introduction, which includes Gaebelein’s outline of the book and a brief discussion about authorship and historicity.
