This paper explores Luke’s emphasis on divine Christology within the Acts of the Apostles, focusing on both its narrative significance and theological implications. It addresses the central question: What function does divine Christology serve in Acts? The study argues that Luke intentionally depicts Jesus as divine not only to affirm his Christological convictions but also to address the practical challenges and theological concerns faced by early Christian communities—his intended audience.
The paper begins by identifying key passages that portray Jesus as sharing in the identity of Israel’s God through narrative ascription of divine roles, prerogatives, and authority—particularly those grounded in the Old Testament and the scriptural traditions of Second Temple Judaism. Additionally, it draws upon recognized scholarly criteria for identifying divine Christology, including exaltation above heavenly beings, the application of Old Testament Yahweh-texts to Jesus, explicit affirmations of preexistence and divine origin, depictions of worship directed toward Jesus, and enthronement imagery. Taken together, these elements point to the richness and depth of Luke’s divine Christology throughout Acts.
Moving from identification to function, the paper offers close readings of select texts to show how Luke uses divine Christology to accomplish a range of narrative, theological, and pastoral aims. For instance, Peter’s Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:32–36) and Paul’s Damascus road encounter (Acts 9:3–6) ground apostolic proclamation and mission in divine authority, reinforcing apostolic legitimacy in striking fashion. Meanwhile, Stephen’s vision of the Son of Man during his martyrdom (Acts 7:55–60) and Paul’s farewell to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:28) reinforce community identity, drawing attention to the devotion early believers direct toward Jesus and the extraordinary value placed upon the community he redeems. In a similar manner, Peter’s proclamation of Christ’s universal lordship (Acts 10:36) and Paul’s Areopagus speech (Acts 17:30–31) affirm Gentile inclusion by stressing the universal relevance of Jesus’s divine authority and his role as eschatological judge. Luke’s portrayal of Jesus as universal Lord and eschatological Judge not only legitimizes the Gentile mission but also responds to Jewish and Greco-Roman criticisms by fostering a distinctively Christian identity grounded in shared allegiance to the risen Christ. Then, anchoring these early Christian claims, the ascension narrative (Acts 1:9–11) frames the theological horizon of Acts, offering a shared vision that galvanizes the apostles in the face of diverse cultural and external pressures. Taken together, these episodes illustrate Luke’s integration of divine Christology with narrative artistry, theological conviction, and ecclesial vision.
Throughout, the paper engages critically with leading scholarship on New Testament Christology (e.g., Bauckham, Hurtado, Bühner, Henrichs-Tarasenkova) and major voices in Luke-Acts studies (e.g., Keener, Bock, Rowe, Talbert). In the end, this study demonstrates that Luke’s strategic and intentional deployment of divine Christology gives coherence and weight to Acts’ theological message by showing how deeply divine Christology shapes the identity, mission, and durability of the early Christian movement and why that matters for understanding Acts as a whole.