Page "Acts of the Apostles" Paragraph 11

Though the preface initially states Luke ’ s intentions for writing, by closely examining the contents of the work as a whole, scholars have surmised that Luke ’ s purpose is much more complex.

In fact, Fitzmyer believes that the preface of Luke should only be “ the starting point in the discussion of the aim of Luke-Acts .” Because the author ’ s intended purpose for the Book of Acts is not that straightforward, scholars have put forth four main claims to address this.

It is has been argued that Luke may be writing: a letter of apology ( traditionally a defense for one ’ s beliefs ), a letter of legitimation for Christian beliefs, a letter to equip the church to function amidst the Roman Empire, or a letter that is apolitical.

Of course, some scholars believe Luke ’ s work may be fulfilling more than one purpose and thus may side with more than one of the claims that are presented here.