The Acts of the Apostles provides detailed evidence on the role of city officials, the role of women and social status, whilst still maintaining its integrity and reliability. Firstly, Acts sheds light on many notable city officials that had a major impact upon the spread of Christianity. Secondly, women in Acts are shown to have an important role in the Church and in general life. Finally, the social ladder in the Pauline era is exposed throughout Acts and thus the social status of Paul can be interpreted. Luke's writing on each of these subjects is both reliable and detailed, enabling Acts to be a vital source on life in the Pauline era.

Before looking at the historicity of Acts, it is essential to understand Luke's reason for writing the book. In the gospel of Luke, which is considered to be the preface to Acts, Luke claims that...