Just the Facts, Ma'am: What Dragnet Taught Me About the Book of Acts

November 3, 2025

Just the Facts, Ma'am: What Dragnet Taught Me About the Book of Acts

by Jason Neill

Scripture reading: Acts 1-6

I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s watching what we would consider now to be classic TV: The Munsters, a series showing a fun-loving monster family; The Addams Family, a strange, odd dark comedy about a different kind of fun family; and, of course, The Andy Griffith Show, which portrayed a competent sheriff who never carried a gun. He partnered with a jumpy, thin-wired deputy who carried one bullet in his shirt pocket, it was simply too dangerous for him and the public to carry a loaded weapon.

All these shows can be seen on reruns today. In fact, that's how I watched them as a kid because they had all gone off the air by the time I viewed them.

There was another show, Dragnet, which I did not watch but saw the remake of when it was made into a movie in 1987. The series traced the steps of two cops: Sergeant Joe Friday, a no-nonsense cop whose favorite catchphrase was "Just the facts, ma'am," and Officer Bill Gannon. This idea of sticking to “just the facts” is a great principle for approaching any classic, whether it’s an old TV show or, in our case this week, the Book of Acts. This historic book, much like the great TV series I grew up with, deserves to be read repeatedly.

In keeping with Sergeant Friday's famous demand to stick to 'just the facts,' let's now look at some key details about the New Testament's foundational account of the early church: The Book of Acts.

Author and Date: The Facts

The author of Acts is Doctor Luke. He wrote the Gospel that bears his name as well as the Book of Acts.

Internal evidence (data we gather from inside the Bible) for Luke’s authorship can be found by comparing the prologues of Luke and Acts. He addresses Theophilus in both prefaces and mentions his previous work (the Gospel of Luke) in the introductory comments in Acts.

“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:1-4, NASB).

“The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:1-3, NASB).

External evidence (data we gather from outside the Bible) from early church tradition attests Luke as the author.

The book covers a period of 30 years. The book opens detailing how Jesus spent forty-days with his disciples, following the resurrection (see Acts 1:3), which occurred in A.D. 33 to the first imprisonment of Paul in Rome in A.D. 60-62. Because Paul’s fate while under arrest is not resolved at close of Acts, it is thought the book was written sometime between A.D. 60-62. But why did Luke decide to document this period?

Purpose and Outline

Luke appears to have at least two purposes in mind. First, he provides a detailed account of how the early church grew from a few thousand believers in Jerusalem to its expanse in Rome. To show this progression, Luke provides what are called “progress reports” throughout the book. Please see Acts 2:47, 6:7, 9:31, 12:24, 16:5, 19:20, and 28:31 for such reports.

Second, the two prominent Apostles in Acts are Peter (see Acts 1-12) and Paul (see Acts 13-28). Several scholars have argued that Luke was offering a defense of the legitimacy of Paul’s apostleship, especially since he was not one of the original disciples; Paul wasn’t chosen by Jesus during his earthly ministry so he couldn’t be an apostle was the argument. Paul, in Galatians and 2 Corinthians, had to defend his apostleship (see 2 Corinthians 3:1-6; 4:1-7; 5:11-21; 6:3-10; 10:1-18; 11:5-33; 12:1-12; Galatians 1:1; 1:11–24; 2:1–14).

Luke makes a clear comparison between Peter and Paul to make a case that Paul was an authentic apostle, just like Peter. The following table illustrates the dramatic parallels Luke provides to make his case:

Key verse

“but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My Witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NASB). Scholars think this verse serves as an outline of the book, identifying the different geographic areas the disciples will cover throughout it. Please see the outline below.

1. Introduction (1:1-8)
2. Serving as Witnesses in Jerusalem (1:9-6:7)
3. Serving as Witnesses Judea and Samaria (6:8-9:31)
4. Serving as Witnesses to the Uttermost Parts of the World (9:32-28:31)

Final Report: An Enduring Classic

These are just a sample of the facts about Acts. By meticulously documenting the parallel ministries of Peter and Paul, Luke provides the facts needed to prove the authenticity of the gospel’s messengers and the legitimacy of the church's expansion. Acts shows us exactly how the powerful work of the Holy Spirit was carried out by these two giants, first in Jerusalem and finally to the remotest part of the earth. Don’t just take my word for it; carve out some time and start reading it for yourself. Once you do, I think you’ll agree with me that the Book of Acts is an absolute classic!