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Direct Quotation of Scripture
Acts quotes many passages from the scriptures. Most of the quotations seem to be dependent on the LXX, yet some have a rather free rendering. Note the location of the direct quotations (from UBS4).
In addition to the direct quotations, there are also many allusions and verbal parallels to scripture in Luke. Even a passage like the sermon at Mars Hill in Acts 17 contains a number of biblical parallels. Further, notice that most of the direct scripture quotations are found in the first half of Acts. This partially relates to the series of sermons related in the first half of the narrative. It is also worth considering that fifteen of the thirty-seven direct quotations are from Stephen’s speech in chapter 7. GLOBAL REFERENCES TO THE SCRIPTURE Acts makes several “global” references to the scriptures. These “global” references do not usually cite a specific passage but summarize what God did or said in “all” the scriptures. [Peter]: “But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer” ( [Peter]: “Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days” ( [Peter]: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” ( As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said (17:2-3). For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ ( [Paul to Felix]: “However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the Law and that is written in the Prophets” (24:14). [Paul to Agrippa]: “But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen––that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles” (26:22-23). See also | |||||||||||
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