Liefield, Walter. Interpreting the Book of Acts. Grand Rapids: Baker. 1995.

Answer

INTERPRETING THE BOOK OF ACTS BY LIEFELD WALTER

Interpreting the Book of Acts by Walter Liefeld

Students, scholars, readers and others come to the book of Acts for a number of reasons. Some come for apologetics, while others come for history. However, many come seeking for a model for Christian practice and devotion. The book alone presents a wide-encompassing depiction of early church history and life. The book primarily concentrates upon the acts of two apostles, Paul and Peter, and it proposes to display the continuation of all that was began by Jesus both to teach and to do. Several literary books have been written to help explain the book of Acts. One such is Interpreting the Book of Acts by Walter Liefeld. Walter Liefeld, in his book, examines the literary structure and purpose, narrative theology, cultural background, and discourse analysis of Acts. To this end, this paper will critically analyzes Liefield’s Interpreting the Book of Acts, identifying key concepts in the book, strengths and weaknesses of the text, and concerns and issues raised for my interpretation to work, ministry, or life.

The book of Act’s author palpably follows the church’s great commission in developing the theme of the Great Commission, showing the starting in Jerusalem, the outreach to Samaria and Judea, as well as the expansion to Rome. The book of Acts’ purpose was written to provide a history regarding the early church. The book stresses the fulfilment of great commission, recording the apostles being Jesus’ witnesses in Judea, Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, and the surrounding world. The book sheds light upon the gift of the Holy Ghost, who guides, empowers, serves, and teaches as our Counselor.

As mentioned before, one book that has been written to guide the interpretation of the book of Acts is Interpreting the Book of Acts by Walter Liefeld. Teachers and ministers who desire a concise yet well-rounded introduction to historical, cultural, and literary backgrounds of the book of Acts as a preface to comprehensive study will significantly be rewarded via a study of Liefeld’s book. The book introduces the crucial issues and concerns for exegetical study of the book of Acts. Among the strengths and excellent features of the book is the fact that Liefeld does not do everything for the book’s reader, but rather asks and raises questions for anyone reading the book to answer. This allows the book’s readers to brainstorm and research more on Liefeld’s views and suggestions about various questions, thus enhancing the readers’ understanding of his views regarding how the book of Acts should be interpreted.

After finishing with the introduction, Liefeld proceeds to discuss the various issues and concerns that have been advanced for and about the book of Acts. The last concept or issue regarding the purpose of the book of Acts will specifically be interesting to readers and students from a Restoration background: Is the book of Acts to be descriptively or normatively applied and interpreted? According to Liefeld, the book of Acts should be applied and interpreted descriptively. For instance, "So Acts describes a changing pattern of leadership and authority due to the nature of the church as 'emerging' rather than static".^[1] Restorationists, having stressed Acts as normative for the church’s growth and polity, may have loved to see further discussion of the concern.

In addressing the issue of whether the book of Acts should be applied and interpreted normatively or descriptively to diverse practices like church polity, baptism, frequency of observing the Lord’s Supper, selling and sharing wealth and possessions, and method of selecting deacons, Liefeld gives two viewpoints. First, Liefeld argue that the fundamental reason for writing the book of Acts was never about church history per se. He acknowledges that Luke has no to little interest in church polity and organization. He also notes that Luke never explains how any church was organized with regard to leadership. Luke does not also have interest in the apostles’ biographical lives, besides the fact that there is no word concerning geographical expansion apart from tracing a direct line between Rome and Jerusalem. Secondly, Liefeld notes that Luke does not appear to be interested in encouraging uniformity. For example, when it comes to issues related to conversations, a lot of details are in conflict: whereas the gift of baptism and Spirit accompany it, their orders are reversible; it can occur without or with the laying of hands; it happens without or with tongues; and astoundingly, repentance is not mentioned. Similarly, the Gentile churches’ communal life is never reconciled with Jerusalem, implying no single model of a church life being established.

It may appear that Liefeld is both describing and prescribing a model. However, the model is not a particular church structure or gathering day, neither is it about methods of administration of sacramental or modes of baptism, but the joyful, triumphant, forward-moving enlargement of the gospel in the gentiles’ world, empowered by the Holy Ghost, as well as the result in changing local communities and lives as the intention of God for the continuing church. Thus according to Liefeld, what the book of Acts was “gospeling” was to describe the actions of the apostolic church with the aim of encouraging the ongoing church to model the broader sense of spreading the gospel to the world in its breadths and lengths, not by way of modelling particular examples.

Further, the chapter regarding the structure of the book of Acts is novel since there is a discussion of a number of kinds of structural patterns, and this is particularly helpful and useful in attempting to determine the book of Acts’ purpose.  Discussion regarding cultural and ethnic spread, geographical expansion, parallels between Paul and Peter along with the books of Acts and Luke, the summary colophons, as well as sample outline are equally included in this chapter about the book of Acts’ structure. Since much about the book of Acts is a narrative, Liefeld commits a whole chapter to “narrative as theology: and precisely discusses the risks of reacting or responding to the account as the listener in the description. For instance, After Ananias’ and Sapphira’s death, the book of Acts relates that there is none who dared join the Christians. The readers of Liefeld’s book are not being admonished to stay away, yet to be respectful and reverential of a group of people where God is actively engaged in making decisions and judgement. 

No book regarding the book of Acts would be regarded as complete without a discussion the book’s speeches. Herein rests the challenge with Liefeld’s succinct book. Whereas there are introductory discussions regarding the issues of speeches, including a synopsis of each of the speeches, there is room for a comprehensive discussion about their historicity. Nonetheless, Liefeld’s work does make suggestions for further research. 

Nobody would, as well, anticipate that a chapter regarding the book’s main themes to be anything apart from the introductory. Liefeld’s is well informed of the viewpoints, “We hope that providing a sketch of the evidence will encourage the student of Acts to dig deeper and to frame a personal perspective and opinion on the material.”^[2]

Another strength of the book is that the chapter regarding book of Acts employs chapter 16 as a model concerning how a comprehension of background assist in exegesis. Here Liefeld demonstrates his deep knowledge about background materials and includes a distinct yet limited bibliography about backgrounds at the chapter’s end. Additionally, there is an excellent up-to-date bibliography at the book’s end, including not only edited and commentaries but a comprehensive and extensive listing of materials and articles that can further be used to gather more information regarding his documented views. It is somewhat unique that very general volumes such the Anchor Bible Dictionary are as well included in the book’s bibliography.

The book’s closing chapter shows Liefeld’s adeptness not merely at exegesis, yet at application as well. Here as well, Liefeld is concerned with the issue of whether the book of Acts functions as descriptive or normative. Issues such as women in leadership positions (for instance, Priscilla), the Acts’ early communism, the Holy Ghost’s reception, and baptism at Samaria and Pentecost, as well as even the missionary approach are briefly discussed to demonstrate the challenges of entirely applying the text as a normative. 

The variety of material in the book of Acts requires a diversity of exegetical apparatuses and approaches. Owing to the fact that speeches account for more than 30% of the book, someone interpreting the book must be adept at addressing and handling narrative and discourse. Interpreting the Book of Acts gives the fruit of Liefeld’s 30-year reflection upon the Lukan corpus. Liefeld guides the readers of his work through a number of approaches to understanding and approaching the text. Discourse analysis, literary structure and purpose, cultural backgrounds, and narrative theology are all made use of for insight, yet throughout the work, the author keeps in his mind and in view the practical necessity of pastors and students, breathing a spiritual warmth into the views and applications that he makes.

In conclusion, in my view, Liefeld’s Interpreting the Book of Acts is an excellent even though limited introduction to the fundamental and central interpretation of concerns and issues for the book of Acts. The book does not feign to be comprehensive and exhaustive, yet it does comprehensively and rigorously covers the variety of issues of which a preacher, teacher, or an exegete ought to be informed/aware of when teaching or preaching from the book of Acts.  

[1] Walter, Liefeld. Interpreting the Book of Acts. Grand Rapids: Baker. (1995). 97-98.

[2] Walter, Liefeld. Interpreting the Book of Acts. Grand Rapids: Baker. (1995). 80.

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