Commentary on Acts

As I update my website, I have chosen to give prominence again to the first of the four major biblical commentaries I have written. This was a labour of love for me over about fifteen years, before it was published in the Pillar New Testament Commentary Series in 2009. The format gave me the freedom to examine historical, exegetical, and theological issues in Acts, taking plenty of time to research what others had written and reflecting on this in the light of my own way of teaching and preaching on the book. Most importantly, it gave me the opportunity to develop a biblical theological approach to the interpretation of Acts, guided by Luke’s own use of Scripture. Setting the narrative in the context of God’s plan of salvation in the Old Testament, I was able to consider extensively what fulfillment means in this book.

Brian Rosner, who is a well-known writer on New Testament issues and Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne Australia, wrote this encouraging commendation:

One of the most complex books in the Bible, the Acts of the Apostles presents readers with formidable historical, literary, and theological challenges. In recent decades scores of researchers have deepened our understanding of the book in each of these areas. David Peterson’s excellent exposition of Acts interacts insightfully with those studies and offers a lucid, compelling, and satisfying interpretation of the book. Like its subject, this commentary is informative, edifying, and challenging. Pastors and teachers will find it to be an invaluable guide to reading acts with profit.