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Commentaries on The Acts of the Apostles

Quick Recommendations

Scroll down below the Quick Recommendations for reviews of each book.

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Best Choices: Witherington (Socio-Rhetorical); Longenecker (EBC); Fernando (NIVAC). Note that Zondervan's EBC (including Longenecker and many more) and NIVAC (including Fernando and many more) on CD-ROM are available from Discount Christian Software and are compatible with other Zondervan Bible software.

Other Strongly Recommended: Bruce (NICOT); Marshall (TNTC); Stott (BST); Wall (NIB); Talbert (RNT from CBD).

Most Economical: Marshall (TNTC); Williams (NIBC).

Easiest to Read: Fernando (NIVAC); Stott (BST); Wagner (The Acts of the Holy Spirit); Williams (NIBC); Polhill (NAC); Larkin (IVPNTC); Faw (BCBC).

Most Practical: Fernando (NIVAC); Stott (BST); Wagner (The Acts of the Holy Spirit); Larkin (IVPNTC); Talbert (RNT from CBD); Faw (BCBC).

Mainline Perspectives: Dunn (NarrativeC); Kee (NTContext). Roman Catholic: Johnson (SP).

Research Specialists: Conservative evangelical: Bruce (Wipf & Stock). Moderate mainline: Barrett (ICC Acts 1-14, Acts 15-28, Shorter Version). Roman Catholic: Fitzmyer (AB).

Ideal Pastor’s Library: Witherington (Socio-Rhetorical); Longenecker (EBC); Fernando (NIVAC); Stott (BST); Wall (NIB); Talbert (RNT from CBD); Wagner (The Acts of the Holy Spirit); Bruce (NICNT); Marshall (TNTC); Polhill (NAC); Larkin (IVPNTC); Dunn (NarrativeC); Johnson (SP).

Strongly Recommended

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The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary, Ben Witherington III, Eerdmans, 1998. Moderate evangelical, developing/intermediate level (There are occasional technical terms and bits of untranslated Greek, but overall this is a readable work).  Strengths: Witherington is in the forefront on social issues, rhetorical structure, theological exposition, and application. His writing is fresh, stimulating, and informative. He pays careful attention to the varying ways Luke uses the term salvation. This is close to comprehensive. Witherington tells us more of what we need to know in order to understand the text than does anyone else. On some passages, I think he stands nearly alone in getting it right. In my judgment, this is his best volume. Weaknesses: On some passages and introductory issues I do not agree with Witherington. With Fernando and Longenecker, I prefer an earlier date (62-64 A.D.) for the composition of Acts than the one Witherington puts forward (around 80 A.D). Many reviewers criticize Witherington for his habitually sloppy editing and fact-checking (I find this only a minor irritation). The author: Witherington offers commentaries on Mark, John, I and II Corinthians, Galatians, and Philippians as well as many topical works on the New Testament.

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Acts, Richard N. Longenecker, Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Zondervan, 1981. Conservative evangelical, developing level (The Greek is translated, but occasional technical literary terms remain). Strengths: This is a fine, solid commentary with expert comments on the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament and on literary forms of the ancient world. Longenecker offers careful and insightful explanations of the theological message of the book. Longenecker’s judgments frequently differ from Witherington’s and hence offer valuable balance. Weaknesses: Vocabulary is occasionally a hindrance (much less often than in his Galatians commentary). The edition, the author, and his writings: Longenecker also offers a highly regarded commentary on Galatians. Hardcover EBC 5-volume New Testament set. Hardcover EBC 7-volume Old Testament set.

CD-ROM users should note that the least expensive way to buy the  Expositor’s Bible Commentary is on compact disk. Purchase EBC CD-ROM through Discount Christian Software. See all the compatible Zondervan Bible software at Discount Christian Software.

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Acts, Ajith Fernando, NIV Application Commentary, Zondervan, 1998. Conservative evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: This is an excellent, practical, readable introduction; it offers powerful, compelling analysis and application based on solid Biblical scholarship and long reflection on Acts. Fernando provides inductive, experiential insights, many drawn from a world missions-and-evangelism perspective, that stimulate fresh thinking. Fernando understands the spirit of our times as well as he understands the biblical text, and he lets the text challenge the times. Bruce and Longenecker top his list of recommended scholars, but neither of them writes with such immediate relevance. I recommend that beginners start their collection on Acts with this volume. Weaknesses: It is not as comprehensive as many others in its exegetical presentation. As he admits, Fernando struggles with the format of the NIVAC, finding the division into exegesis, hermeneutical principles, and application alien. At times he does not cover the major interpretive options thoroughly. The author: In addition to being a seminary teacher and administrator, Fernando is the National Director of Youth for Christ in Sri Lanka and an internationally respected speaker on evangelism. He has written on apologetics, missiology, and soteriology. Purchase The NIV Application Commentary New Testament series on CD-ROM at Discount Christian Software. See all the compatible Zondervan Bible software at Discount Christian Software.

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The Book of Acts, Revised Edition, F. F. Bruce, New International Commentary on the New Testament, Eerdmans, 1954, 1988. Conservative evangelical, developing level. Strengths: Bruce was a leading expert on historical background; his are the giant shoulders on which later evangelical scholars stand. This commentary and Bruce’s more technical Greek text companion form the foundation of modern evangelical scholarship on Acts. It should be included in any extensive collection on Acts. Weaknesses: Slightly dated. The author and his writings: Bruce, now deceased, was an outstanding Biblical historian. It is hard to find a New Testament book on which he has not written some sort of commentary. His weightier commentaries are on Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, I and II Thessalonians, and Hebrews; lighter works include John, Romans, I and II Corinthians, Philippians, Revelation, and Habakkuk. Perhaps the greatest of his many books is Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free, but a number of other candidates would suggest themselves.

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Acts, I. Howard Marshall, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Eerdmans, 1980. Conservative evangelical, developing level.  Strengths: The little volume is readable, concise, and affordable, but it is packed with information and theological insight. Marshall focuses on information necessary to undergird proper theological interpretation. This is one of the two best volumes in the TNTC series (the other is France on Matthew). Like Bruce’s work, it has influenced all the commentaries that follow it.  Weaknesses: It does not supply a lot of detail. The author and his writings: Marshall is perhaps the leading evangelical Lukan scholar of our day. Two of his students, Green and Bock, have presented major works on Luke and are reportedly preparing major works on Acts. Marshall himself wrote the influential NIGTC volume on the Gospel of Luke as well as an introduction to Lukan scholarship, commentaries on Philippians, I, II Thessalonians, I, II Timothy and Titus, I Peter, I, II, III John, and many books on New Testament theology. See Luke: Historian and Theologian.

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“The Acts of the Apostles,” Robert W. Wall, New Interpreter’s Bible, Abingdon Press, 2002. Moderate evangelical, developing level. Strengths: There are useful and stimulating insights throughout this commentary, and so it must take its place in the top group. Wall’s greatest strength is showing how Acts relates to the rest of scripture; he lists many scripture passages in both Old and New Testaments that the interpreter of Acts needs to consider. Weaknesses: Wall’s vocabulary, sentence structure, and concepts of scriptural development are sometimes unnecessarily and distractingly complicated. Especially in the introductory section, the writing style will sometimes hinder the average reader, and the theoretical perspectives will occasionally limit the appreciation of more conservative evangelicals. In my judgment, Wall’s creative readings do not always contribute to a solid understanding of the text.  Author: Wall has valuable commentaries on James and Revelation. In this NIB volume, he has also written an “Introduction to Epistolary Literature.” His work is bound with the extremely valuable commentary by N. T. Wright on Romans (a top choice) and the less useful commentary on 1 Corinthians by Paul Sampley.

Mainline students may wish to purchase the whole 13-volume NIB set. That may be done in hardcover or in CD-ROM format. The NIB as a whole has an excellent design and includes some excellent individual scholarly contributions, but also has some mediocre and poor contributions. Scholarly perspectives are mostly moderate mainline with about 10-15% slightly to the right of that and 25-30% to the left of that. Of ninety-some authors, I only recognize two who would be called conservative evangelicals. If considering CD-ROM, please know that the format is not compatible with any major study programs, and that it is necessary to place the individual compact disks in the drive to access their data. I am listing the NIB set, print and electronic editions, from Christian Book Distributors because I believe that they provide better pricing and service on these products:

Hardcover set from CBD

CD-ROM set from CBD

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The Message of Acts, John R. W. Stott, The Bible Speaks Today, InterVarsity Press, 1990. Conservative evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: This volume is readable and affordable with wide-ranging insights; it is useful for preachers and teachers. Stott is a competent Bible scholar and beloved teacher who, without ignoring the lingering questions, finds simple order and compelling reasoning in the text; he is particularly helpful in reflecting on charismatic experience and missionary principles, two important themes for understanding and applying Acts (one might do well to compare and contrast his views on these subjects with Fernando and Wagner). Weaknesses: There are times, as when Stott attempts to delineate the psychological preparation of Paul for conversion, that he goes beyond both the evidence and current trends of interpretation, but his case is not impossible and deserves consideration.  The author and his writings: Stott also offers commentaries on Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, I and II Thessalonians, I Timothy and Titus, II Timothy, I, II and III John, and Revelation 1-3 as well as many topical books on New Testament and contemporary themes.

I am listing Smith & Helwys books through Christian Book Distributors because they stock them better.

Reading Acts, Charles Talbert, Reading the New Testament, Smith & Helwys, 1999. Moderate evangelical, developing level. Strengths: This is a companion to Talbert’s RNT volume on Luke which I have strongly recommended. If you buy his commentary on Luke, you should buy this one too. Talbert’s emphasis is on literary structure and cultural background, and he does that about as well as anyone. Talbert sees the links from Luke to Acts in helpful ways. Weaknesses: This is by no means a comprehensive commentary. Talbert does not take a verse-by-verse approach, nor does he cover all major interpretive options. He interprets passages according to his strengths. The author and his writings: Talbert also has volumes in this series on John and the Corinthian correspondence and other volumes on Romans and Revelation.

Also Recommended:

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The Acts of the Holy Spirit, C. Peter Wagner, Regal, 1994, 1995, 1995. Conservative evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: Wagner’s work is practical; it is useful for discerning preachers, teachers, and church leaders. He offers unparalleled experiential insight into the supernatural and missiological dimensions of Acts. For the most part, he has done his homework on the existing scholarship.  Fernando and Stott, more competent scholars, also are helpful on practical matters, but Wagner offers page after page of fresh and provocative commentary that causes us to examine things from new angles, and, on that basis, he could find his way into my top group except for the weaknesses noted below. He still will repay a mature and discerning reader! Weaknesses: Wagner would not claim to be a Bible scholar. These volumes will not substitute for more substantive exegetical commentaries. His writing is controversial; it is likely that the reader will not always agree and will rightly suspect that Wagner is sometimes imposing his views and especially his categories on the text. Sometimes his impositions are not carefully weighed and balanced. Many of the commentaries (listed below as well as above) are more solid academically. Author: Wagner is a church consultant whose views derive from Donald McGavran, founder of the modern church growth movement and from what Wagner himself has named the “Third Wave of the Spirit” (following the first two waves of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements). His more recent controversial positions have been in the area of addressing territorial spirits and advocating a new apostolic pattern of church leadership.

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Acts, John B. Polhill, New American Commentary, Broadman and Holman, 1992. Conservative evangelical; beginning/developing level. Strengths: Polhill is competent, informative, and readable. He offers carefully thought-out; discussions of the meaning of the text in its historical context. He addresses most of the critical issues in a  solid, well-balanced manner. Weaknesses: On some issues, Polhill is too brief and too lacking in fresh insights. The author and his writings: Polhill offers a major study of Paul and His Letters. The New American Commentary series is available on CD-Rom in the Logos Bible Library Scholar’s Silver Edition.

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Acts, David J. Williams, New International Biblical Commentary, Hendrickson, 1985, 1990. Moderate evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: Williams is competent, informative, readable, and affordable. It might find its way into a collection for economic reasons. As such, it will serve well. Weaknesses: There are better commentaries above. The author and his writings: Williams is not quite as conservative as many of the recommended evangelicals on this list, but is still well within the evangelical camp. He has also commented on 1 and 2 Thessalonians.

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Acts, William J. Larkin, Jr., IVP New Testament Commentary, InterVarsity Press, 1995. Conservative evangelical; beginning level. Strengths: Larkin is informative and practical, offering careful reflection on principles of applying Acts. He understands Luke’s goal as evangelistic and accordingly develops applications based on missions experience that can be compared and contrasted to the similar concerns in Fernando, Stott, and Wagner. There is good assistance for the preacher and teacher here. His views often vary from the majority opinion, and hence he offers alternative possibilities.  Weaknesses: There are better commentaries above. The author and his writings: He has written on missiology and hermeneutics.

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The Acts of the Apostles, James D. G. Dunn, Narrative Commentaries, Trinity Press International, 1996. Moderate mainline/evangelical; developing level. Strengths: Dunn emphasizes conversion, experience of the Holy Spirit, and going beyond the boundary markers of Judaism. For those interested in his broader work (see below), this volume offers his direct commentary on Acts. His insights often transcend his particular viewpoint; mature evangelicals will benefit from his work even when they do not agree with all of it. Weaknesses: This work is brief. Dunn, hard to categorize, neither conservative evangelical nor liberal mainline, finds more diversity of viewpoint and human motivation in the scriptures than many evangelicals will find convincing, and evangelicals may be disappointed in his loose support for historicity. The author and his writings: Dunn has written two major treatments of biblical passages relating to the modern Pentecostal and Charismatic movements: Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, issues that surface in Acts. Dunn offers major commentaries on Romans, Galatians, and Colossians/Philemon and a lesser one on the Pastoral Letters in addition to many topical studies of New Testament themes.

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The Acts of the Apostles, Luke Timothy Johnson, Sacra Pagina, Liturgical Press, 1992. Roman Catholic equivalent of moderate mainline; developing level. Strengths: This is a canonical and literary reading of Acts that is a companion volume to the author’s work on Luke. It is informative and theologically perceptive. Weaknesses: Although Johnson has defended the biblical writings against extreme criticisms from the Jesus Seminar type of scholars, he does not defend the complete accuracy of the Gospels and Acts. The author and his writings: He has a volume in the same series on the related Gospel of Luke as well as commentaries on Romans, James, and the Pastoral Epistles in other series. Johnson has offered a strong rebuttal of the "Jesus Seminar" approach, The Real Jesus. He also offers the canonical-literary Writings of the New Testament.

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Acts, Chalmer E. Faw, Believers Church Bible Commentary, Herald Press, 1993. Moderate evangelical, beginning level. Strengths: Here is a readable, solid, practical summary of Acts with attention to church renewal and to special insights from the Anabaptist tradition. Weaknesses: It is not comprehensive.

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To Every Nation Under Heaven: The Acts of the Apostles, Howard Clark Kee, The New Testament in Context, Trinity Press International, 1997. Moderate mainline, developing level. Strengths: Kee’s work is readable, informative, and loaded with historical and socio-cultural information; it is a respectful treatment of first century religious experience. Weaknesses: Kee does not address all relevant issues, completely skipping some major points of scholarly interest and practical concern. He writes with a controlled undertone of modern skepticism. Kee could have benefited from greater interaction with evangelical scholarship: F.F. Bruce gets one footnote and one bibliographic reference for one book, and that with a condescending tone about Bruce’s attempt to reconcile Acts with Paul’s letters and to use Acts to enlighten our understanding of the letters; that’s about it for evangelical scholarship. While Kee does make historical information more accessible than most, there is little information in his book that cannot be found in one or more of the books listed in my top group.  The author and his writings: He is best known for introductory and background treatments on the New Testament in general and the Gospels in particular.

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Acts 1-14, Acts 15-28, C. K. Barrett, International Critical Commentary, T. & T. Clark, 1994, 1998. Moderate mainline, advanced level. Strengths: This is reputed to be the most comprehensive treatment of the Greek text that is more or less in English. A Shorter Version that eliminates some of the technical language is available, and this allows those less skilled in the languages to see Barrett’s conclusions.  Weaknesses: The perspective is more critical than evangelicals will welcome. It is necessary to have significant language skill to use the original volumes well, not only Greek, but also German. The shorter version requires less skill, but also offers less of Barrett’s strong point. The author and his writings: Barrett’s commentary on John is similarly regarded as technically excellent. His work on Romans and 1 and 2 Corinthians is more approachable.

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The Acts of the Apostles, Third Edition, F. F. Bruce, Wipf and Stock, 1952, 1990. Conservative evangelical; advanced level. Strengths: For those who read Greek, this is a valuable commentary. It is the evangelical option for a technical commentary. Weaknesses: Those lacking skill in Greek will find this tough sledding. The author and his writings: See The Book of Acts in the top group for more about Bruce. 

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The Acts of the Apostles, Joseph Fitzmyer, Anchor Bible, Doubleday, 1998. Roman Catholic equivalent to moderate mainline; intermediate to advanced level. Strengths: This is the companion to Fitzmyer’s two-volume work on Luke. It has a great deal of information that is useful to specialists and could be considered indispensable for researchers.  Weaknesses: Fitzmyer’s critical views will not please evangelicals. The author and his writings: In addition to his Luke volumes, he also has an Anchor Bible volume on Romans.

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The Narrative Unity of Luke-Acts: A Literary Interperetation, Volume 2, The Acts of the Apostles, Robert C. Tannehill, Augsburg-Fortress, 1990. Moderate mainline. Strengths: This work is important to specialists studying Luke’s literary style. Weaknesses: It is not intended to be a full-fledged commentary. Tannehill's views are not evangelical. The author and his writings: Volume 1 covers Luke. Tannehill also offers a beginning level commentary on Luke.

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The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary, French Arrington, Hendrickson, 1988. Strengths: This is written by a competent scholar from a Pentecostal perspective on a Bible book in which it is important to know that perspective. . Weaknesses: This is not as good as many of the commentaries above. Your need for this book will depend on how much you want a specifically Pentecostal treatment. The author and his writings: A brief, updated version is available in Life in the Spirit New Testament Commentary of which Arrington is one of three editors. Arrington’s other works are focused on Pentecostal topics.

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Acts, William Willimon, Interpretation, Westminster John Knox Press, 1988.  Moderate mainline, beginning level. Weaknesses: Willimon is a respected communicator of the gospel, but his exegetical and hermeneutical work does not stand up in the impressive company of the Acts commentaries above. He has interpreted the text in modern terms without first letting the religious experience recorded in the text sufficiently challenge modern times. You learn more about Willimon’s mind than about Luke’s and the apostles’ minds, and his writing does not stand up in that company either. You can safely skip this one unless you belong to the Willimon fan club.

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