Caring for the Needy in the Acts of the Apostles

In his portrayal of Jesus in his Gospel, Luke (more than any other evangelist) emphasises the care for people in various situations of suffering and need (physical and psychological needs, poverty, political enmity, ostracism, guilt [regarding sin]). The purpose of this article is to probe to what extent these various needs are cared for in the book of Acts. It is concluded that the apostles are portrayed in Acts (similarly as in the Gospel) as indeed continuing to care for the needy (confirming the single authorship of Luke-Acts), though the focus on spreading the word and making converts appears to be more central. Furthermore, the book of Acts appeals to Christianity (ancient and modern) to similarly care for the needy in afflicted societies as the latter forms an integral part of Luke’s missionary vision to spread the gospel.