Scott Cunningham 
Through Many Tribulations [PDF ebook] 
The Theology of Persecution in Luke-Acts

This book, the first comprehensive study of persecution in Luke-Acts from a literary and theological perspective, argues that the author uses the theme of persecution in pursuit of his theological agenda. It brings to the surface six theological functions of the persecution theme, which has an important paraenetic and especially apologetic role for Luke’s persecuted community. The persecution Luke’s readers suffer is evidence that they are legitimate recipients of God’s salvific blessings.