The Acts of the Apostles is a bridge between the four gospels and Paul's epistles, revealing the missionary roots of the Christian story. Here we follow Jesus' first disciples from their call to be his witnesses "to the ends of the earth," through their initial days of harmony and numerical success, to the challenges they faced as God's mission imperative unfolded. We discover the leadership changes that resulted from these challenges and the emergence of Paul, the champion who, against all odds, became the church's chief interpreter to the world of his time. Conversations with Scripture: The Acts of the Apostles is the eighth book in the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars Study Series. Written in accessible language for those who have little or no experience in reading the Bible, each book in the series focuses on exploring the historical and critical background, as well as how the biblical texts written centuries ago can still speak to us today. Book jacket.