The Historical Reliability of Acts

Sir William Ramsay (1851-1939) lectured in classical art and archaeology at Oxford University. When he began an archaeological research project in Asia Minor, he needed to create his own maps of this massive area. He consulted the book of Acts, but he considered it a second century book without much historical value. But after his long and extensive archaeological study, Ramsay found that Acts turned out to be reliable time and time again. He writes,

I began with a mind unfavorable to [Acts], for the ingenuity and apparent completeness of the Tübingen theory had at one time quite convinced me. It did not lie then in my line of life to investigate the subject minutely; but more recently I found myself often brought into contact with the book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth. In fact, beginning with the fixed idea that the work was essentially a second century composition, and never relying on its evidence as trustworthy for first century conditions, I gradually came to find it a useful ally in some obscure and difficult investigations.

Ramsay’s skepticism of Acts began to weaken when he read that Paul “fled [from Iconium] to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe” (Acts 14:6). Ramsay originally thought that this was an error, because Iconium was in Lycaonia at the time. According to Ramsay, this would be as bad as saying that someone fled from London to England. Yet, he went on to discover that Iconium was not in the district of Lycaonia in the first-century. Instead, it was outside of these geographical boundaries at that time. This got Ramsay’s attention.

Eventually, after 30 years of research, Ramsay ended up becoming a follower of Christ. Later in life, he wrote, “Luke’s historicity is unsurpassed in respect to its trustworthiness… Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy… this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians.”

Colin J. Hemer was originally an expert and lecturer in the Classics, but he turned his attention to NT scholarship studying under the distinguished NT scholar F.F. Bruce. Hemer became a full-time research scholar at Tyndale House and a lecturer at the University of Manchester. In his book The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History (1987), Hemer documents roughly 180 “undesigned coincidences” that align with secular history, culture, geography, etc. To take a small sample, Luke knew:

• Annas still had prestige in Jerusalem, even after Caiaphas took over for him (c.f. Luke 3:2; Acts 4:6).

• details about the military guard (Acts 12:4).

• the name of the correct proconsul at Paphos (Acts 13:7).

• the resting places for a voyage from Philippi to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1; Amphipolis and Apollonia).

• geography and navigational details about the voyage to Rome (Acts 27-28).

• river-ports (Acts 13:13), coasting ports (Acts 14:25), and sea ports (Acts 16:11-12) for Paul’s travels (c.f. Acts 21:1; 27:6; 28:13).

• Iconium was considered a city in Phrygia, rather than Lycaonia (Acts 14:6).

• the native language spoken in Lystra—unusual in a major cosmopolitan city (Acts 14:11).

• the common worship in Lystra (Acts 14:12).

• the river Gangites flowed close to the walls of Philippi (Acts 16:13).

• Thyatira was a center of fabric dyeing, which has been confirmed by a number of inscriptions (Acts 16:14).

• the magistrates were called “politarchs” (Acts 17:6).

• there was an agora in Athens, where philosophical debate was popular (Acts 17:17).

• it was common Athenian slang to call someone a “babbler” (Acts 17:18).

• the altars to “unknown gods”—also mentioned by Pausanias and Diogenes Laertius (Acts 17:23).

• Epimenides, showing that Paul was familiar with current Athenian religion. Epimenides was a part of Diogenes’ story about “unknown gods” (Acts 17:28).

• Athenians were hostile to the concept of resurrection (Acts 17:32).

• Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews from Rome, placing it in the proper time frame (Acts 18:2).

• the name of the proconsul of Corinth (Acts 18:12).

• the local philosopher in Ephesus named Tyrranus (Acts 19:9).

• the goddess Artemis, who shrines have been uncovered in Ephesus (Acts 19:24).

• the expression “The great goddess Artemis.” This was a phrase in Ephesus at the time that he was writing (Acts 19:27).

• the historic Ephesian theatre (Acts 19:29).

• the correct title for the chief magistrate in Ephesus (Acts 19:35).

• there were two “proconsuls” in Ephesus—instead of one (Acts 19:38).

• typical ethnic names at the time (Acts 20:4-5).

• the exact sequence of places in their travel (Acts 20:14-15).

• eyewitness comments in portions of the voyage (Acts 21:3).

• the high priest Ananias, and he placed him in the correct time period (Acts 23:2).

• the governor Felix, and he placed him in the correct time period (Acts 23:24).

• common Roman court procedure (Acts 24:5; 19; 25:18).

• the successor of Felix, Porcius Festus (Acts 24:27).

• king Agrippa II, whose kingdom had been recently been extended (in 56 C.E.). Luke placed his visit in the exact timeframe (Acts 25:13).

• a poorly sheltered roadstead on the way to Rome (Acts 27:8).

• intricate details of ancient sailing, particularly in this region (Acts 27).

• the names of the stopping places along the Appian Way on the way to Rome (Acts 28:15).

• Pilate was procurator (26-36 C.E.).

• Herod Antipas was tetrarch of Galilee (4 B.C.E.-39 C.E.).

• Philip, his brother, was tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis (4 B.C.E.-34 C.E.).

Roman historian A.N. Sherwin-White also strongly affirmed the historical reliability of Acts. At the end of his Sarum Lectures, he wrote, “For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming… Any attempt to reject its basic historicity even in matters of detail must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted.” Indeed, many notable classicists and historians affirm the historicity of Acts:

• F.F. Bruce was a lecturer of classics before turning to NT scholarship.

• M. Blaiklock was a classics professor in New Zealand.

• N. Sherwin-White was a historian of Greco-Roman history at Oxford University.

• Colin J. Hemer was a classicist who turned to NT scholarship at Tyndale House and the University of Manchester.

• Irina Levinskaya was a Russian historian.

We will explore the historical confirmation of these details in greater detail in our commentary below.