The Book of Acts is a thrilling story about the launch and exponential growth of the early church. It contains key characters, interesting locations, exciting and dangerous situations, and much more.

So who wrote it? The author doesn't identify himself in the actual text, but we know from the larger context of the Scriptures that Luke -- the Gentile doctor -- wrote the Book of Acts. For some background, Luke was not one of Jesus' original disciples.


Instead, he was a Gentile doctor who likely heard the story of Christ through the apostle Paul.

How do we know that Luke wrote the Book of Acts? The answer starts earlier in the New Testament with the very beginning of the Gospel of Luke:

Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us, ² just as the original eyewitnesses and servants of the word handed them down to us. ³ It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in an orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus, ⁴ so that you may know the certainty of the things about which you have been instructed.
Luke 1:1-4

So, Luke wrote his Gospel in order to explain the events of Jesus' life to Theophilus, who was likely a wealthy Roman authority curious about Christ and the church. Luke intended his record of Jesus' life to complement the other Gospels already written; he also wrote specifically for a Gentile audience.

With all that in mind, look at the beginning of the Book of Acts:

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach ² until the day He was taken up, after He had given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. ³ After He had suffered, He also presented Himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God.
Acts 1:1-3

Here, Luke is once again addressing Theophilus. The "first narrative" is a reference to the Gospel of Luke. So, Luke wrote his Gospel to help Theophilus understand the life of Jesus, and he wrote the Book of Acts to explain what happened next in connection with the launch and growth of the early church.

What this means, then, is that the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts were meant to be connected. They are really two pieces to the same volume -- two halves to a larger story.

It's important to remember that Luke was an eyewitness to many of the events in the second half of Acts. He did not write himself into the story, but we can tell he was present because of the shift in language that occurs in Acts 16. For the first half of Acts, Luke explains everything in the third person. He used phrases such as "he went" and "they stayed."

In Acts 16, however, the author abruptly shifted to the first person. He started using phrases such as "we went" and "I stayed." Here's the moment where the switch takes place:

⁷ When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹ During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰ After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

¹¹ Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days.
Acts 16:7-12 (emphasis added)

See the switch? Scholars believe this text shows that Luke met Paul in Troas, was converted to the cause of Christ, and then joined Paul on his further missionary journeys.