In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus promised his disciples kingship and thrones of judgment at the Last Supper. Many commentators have long seen this as a totally futuristic promise that is unrelated to the book of Acts. David H. Wenkel argues that the Twelve inaugurated their co-regency with Christ in the events surrounding Pentecost. This study begins by situating the material of Luke-Acts within the framework of Jewish inaugurated eschatology. It then argues that the kingship promised to the disciples has begun to be fulfilled in the book of Acts. This explains why it was so critically important to replace Judas with Matthias and re-establish the Twelve. It is a step toward re-framing the whole relationship between Luke and Acts within inaugurated eschatology.

Acts is the sequel to Luke's gospel and tells the story of Jesus's followers during the 30 years after his death. It describes how the 12 apostles, formerly Jesus's disciples, spread the message of Christianity throughout the Mediterranean against a background of persecution. With an introduction by P.D. James

"The contributors represent varying outlooks in New Testament study so that the book offers a continuation of the current debate rather than a set of agreed conclusions. The editors of this symposium deserve our thanks for bringing together this series of useful essays which no student of the social teaching in the New Testament and of Luke's writings in particular ought to miss." --I. Howard Marshall, Professor of New Testament Exegesis, University of Aberdeen "Various phases of Luke's challenge (to the powers of his day) are discussed in some detail by the contributors to this symposium; and, in consequence, much light is thrown on Luke's purpose in writing. I am happy to commend this new volume of studies to the serious attention of students and teachers of the New Testament and early Christian history." --F. F. Bruce, Rylands Professor of Biblical Criticism and Exegesis, University of Manchester "These lively, provocative, and well-informed essays center around the thesis of Dr. Richard J. Cassidy in his Jesus, Politics, and Society, in which he challenges the notion that Luke-Acts was written as a political apologetic. The result is a stimulating debate, as though one were participating in a discussion, at once learned and relevant, on the exegetical issue of Lukan redaction, and of course, on the moral question of Jesus' attitude toward civil authority." -Howard Clark Kee, William Goodwin Aurelio Professor of Biblical Studies, Boston University "Here we have ten studies which sharply probe aspects of the political Luke and/or Luke's political Jesus, including a study by Cassidy himself as well as studies which take him to task on various counts. All told, Political Issues in Luke-Acts is an extremely valuable showcase of the most current research in Luke-Acts and its societal concerns." --Edward C. Hobbs, Professor of Religion, Wellesley College, Visiting Professor of New Testament, Harvard University

You don't have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples, whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Join bestselling author John MacArthur in Twelve Ordinary Men as he draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original disciples for today's modern disciple, you! Jesus chose ordinary men--fishermen, tax collectors, political zealots--and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from people who were otherwise unremarkable. The twelve disciples weren't the stained-glass saints we imagine. On the contrary, they were truly human, all too prone to mistakes, misstatements, wrong attitudes, lapses of faith, and bitter failure. Simply put, they were flawed people, just like us. But under Jesus' teaching and touch, they became a force that forever changed the world. MacArthur takes you into the inner circle of the disciples--their selection, their training, their personalities, and their incredible impact. As MacArthur took a closer look at the lives of the twelve disciples, he found himself asking difficult questions along the way, including: Why did Jesus pick each of the twelve disciples? How did Jesus teach them everything he could in just eighteen short months? Can the lessons that Jesus taught the disciples can still influence our faith today? In Twelve Ordinary Men, you'll learn that disciples are living proof that God's strength is made perfect in weakness. As you get to know the men who walked with Jesus, you'll see that if he can accomplish his purposes through them, he can do the same through you.

"The gospel of Luke and the book of Acts provde researchers with new perspectives on some of the deepest longings of our time: the search for a transcendent perspective on the meaning of life, yearning for community, and other issues that resonate with contemporary concerns. In this book, Allen raises up common motifs that occur in Luke and Acts and shows how these motifs can be used for effective preaching." --