Firstly, let’s turn our attention and our studies to what takes place in the history of the church “after Acts.” Luke ends his historical treatise explaining that Paul was “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered” (Acts 28:31 RSV). Ironic, isn’t it? However, for the gospel to be preached unshackled, Paul needed to be wearing shackles. Where would the church go if God’s Word were unshackled?
Welcome to the After Acts study series. The graphic below lists our lessons. The first six lessons and the last lesson are connected. I will connect the other three lessons sometime on Tuesday, May 7th. Each lesson provides you with a Scripture, some things to think about, and some resources for you to explore your interests. Enjoy your studies!
Firstly, let’s turn our attention and our studies to what takes place in the history of the church “after Acts.” Luke ends his historical treatise explaining that Paul was “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ quite openly and unhindered” (Acts 28:31 RSV). Ironic, isn’t it? However, for the gospel to be preached unshackled, Paul needed to be wearing shackles. Where would the church go if God’s Word were unshackled?
Subsequently, what happened to Paul after the final page is turned in the book of Acts? Even bigger, what happened to the Twelve Apostles, most of whom are not mentioned in the book of Acts? Are there traditions about their activities? Are the traditions reliable? How trustworthy is the evidence? This is a portion of the information we will consider over the next few weeks.
Two Examples After Acts
Specifically, for our study, let’s consider two significant examples. What do we know about the ministry and death of the Apostle Bartholomew? What happened to him after Acts? One popular tradition says that Bartholomew was flayed to death. The tradition is first seen among the Armenian churches in the seventh century. Does this significant passage of time mean that the tradition is false?
Not necessarily. Flaying as a form of punishment can be traced back before the time of Christ. It was practiced in Turkey, China, and many other eastern countries. At best, this tradition is possible. The tradition in eastern countries may help us understand the direction that Bartholomew traveled either immediately after Pentecost or as Rome began persecuting the church’s leadership.
The Death of Peter
Furthermore, let’s talk about a tradition that happened after Acts with which we may be more familiar. There is convincing evidence inside the Bible and outside the Bible for the martyrdom of Peter (John 13:36-38; John 21:18-19; First Clement 5; Ascension of Isaiah 4:2-3; Against Heresies 3.1.1; and more). But what about the tradition that he was crucified upside-down? Did Peter consider himself unworthy to be crucified in the same manner as His Savior?
The first record claiming Peter was crucified downward appears in a late second-century document called The Acts of Peter. This account is filled with legends and this crucifixion story may be one of them. This source claims that the upside-down cross symbolized the fallen state of humanity while the crucifixion of Jesus restored humanity’s stature and place.
History does tell us that the Romans were known to crucify its victims upside down. The intent was to shame them in an even more grotesque way, as well as hastening their death. The upside-down crucifixion of Peter is historically plausible. But the victims of crucifixion were not given the chance to make requests about the method of their death.
Some Exciting Discoveries
What happened to the church and its leaders after Acts? You may be more than surprised when you discover some of the answers.