Last year, at our annual Thematic Bible Conference in the summer, we finished our three-year study of the Gospel of Luke; this year, we will begin studying the Acts of the Apostles at the Thematic Bible Conference from 2021 to 2024. Because of the ongoing pandemic, we will hold the conference physically in Northern California only, and online again everywhere else as we did in 2020, and it will be 29–31 May 2021.
The portion of Acts we will be looking at this year is 1.1–6.7, covering God’s mission to the Jews in Jerusalem; for this portion, we have confirmed Alastair Roberts as a keynote speaker for the third consecutive year, picking up where we left off at the end of Luke:
We can be tempted to regard the book of Acts as if it were merely a long fade-out coda to the New Testament story, entirely secondary to the narrative of the gospels, where the real importance lies. If the Gospels tell of the advent and work of Christ, however, the book of Acts narrates the advent and work of his Spirit, in a mission that arises from and continues the work of Christ in his earthly ministry. Through attention to the motifs, types, echoes. narrative patterns, and parallel structures of the opening chapters of Acts, the careful reader will be equipped to perceive the deeper significance and theology of the Church which animates much of the rest of the New Testament.
Our volunteers have been hard at work to prepare the conference’s several inductive Bible studies and other content, so we covet your prayers for their work, that the Lord may give them wisdom and perseverance.
The registration form should be ready in about one week, so stay tuned. Update, 22 March 2021: Registration is now open. We hope to see you at the Thematic Bible Conference this May!
