To understand the books of the New Testament, it is essential that the reader be made aware of the social, cultural, and historical contexts in which each of them was produced. The importance of these features is nowhere more evident than in an analysis of the Acts of the Apostles.Following a survey of scholarly literature on Acts, this commentary seeks to sensitize the reader to awareness of what is written in the text as well as the assumptions that lie behind it. The central issue of defining the people of God is addressed throughout. Persons, places, concepts, and historical features mentioned in Acts are treated in a series of Excurses and in extended notes--such as the Roman mode of government and justice, the regions and cities visited by the apostles, and the modes of community identity that Acts seeks to redefine.This commentary aims to help the reader trace the line of argument in Acts as a whole, to become aware of the issues that are explicit and implicit in Acts, and to do so by increasing insight into the details of the content and the assumptions that underlie it. In this way, it is hoped that the commentary will set Acts in context.Howard Clark Kee is Professor Emeritus, Boston University, and the author of many scholarly books and articles. He is, with J. Andrew Overman, editor of Trinity "s New Testament in Context (NTC) series.>