Life and Letters of Paul Lectures 1-12

Contextless
A-historical

Creation
Fall
Redemption

People of Israel

The Exodus
2 Samuel 7
Psalm 2
Luke 2:25-35

you need to wait til God does it all. You can not do anything

Believes God will not visit us unless we are pure and keep all the laws

We have to get started. (move action) We have to do it

Repent. He preached graces produces good works. He spoke of the coming messiah

1.Jesus is the king of hearts
2.Jesus' analysis of the social and human condition goes to the root of the dilemna: man's glory and man's misery
3. Jesus knows that dilemma of man's glory and man's misery is only solved by overcomign the power of sin and self-centeredness

the message of the rule of God, with Jesus as its ruler; it hits home to the heart

Col 3:17

for the sake of the person
for the sake of the Lord

deny god in our thinking, our life etc.

pickup the people he is writing to where they are and cut to their hearts and change their lives

Church government
Work of the Holy Spirit
Communities
Lord's Supper and Baptism

Narrative text- indirect
involves you in circumstances of story
gives you possibility to become involved

directive
can cause defensiveness

relativizing

emphasizing

internal and external growth despite opposition and tension

The proposed purpose statement is a more focused statement of Acts in subordinate to Luke 1:1-4

he has access to our experiences now

Luke understood the importance of placing event in a historical context. Salvation-historical continuity

fits internal and external growth
spread the message and God's deep concern that witnesses will capture hearts of men and women

inclusion of gentiles

maturing in Christ
difficulties that prohibit growth

new converts being added

when opposition is present against work of God

people drawn into salvation God comes close to the people he is calling to him
Purity, closeness and familiarity
intimate fellowship with Holy spirit

Jesus is the agent of the spirit
First peterine speech
Outpouring of the spirit is an end time event
Fruit of repentance call is fellowship

Content: healing the lame beggar
2nd peterine speech
Faith= trusting, and believing
*** To reject Jesus is to reject the God you worship***

Content: Peter and john before the sanhedrin

External persecution
Internal felowship and encouragement

Internal Tension
Purpose of God: bring the fellwoship together, move people from jealousy to surrender

Internal tension
issue: one group of Jews are better than the other

Stephen's speech
Salvation- historical line
Rebellion- historical line

Scattering of believers

opposition as the cradle of growth
Persecution as the cradle of blessing

Saul's Coversion

Signpost and signal for the rest of the book of acts

Acts is the second volume , second part of the gospel
Two interpretations: what Jesus did- greek
what jesus began to do and teach and what he continues to so with the help of the holy spirit

theme "kingdom of god' continued here

Rule of God not so much realm of God

Gift: of baptism of the holy spirit
Jerusalem - place where god reveals himself throughout the ages

Israel is the symbol of God's faithfulness and unmerited grace
Restoration theme picked up
Major title wave coming: including Gentiles in the process of salvation
One way for Jew and Gentile alike fore salvation

Power- being poured out in the holy spirit
Purpose statement: you shall be my witnesses
To witness- to give testimony to the fact that there is one who solved the dichotomy of the glory of man and the misery of man

Apostolic witness: primarily those that Jesus worked with

God tells us his agenda, which is carried out on his terms

Point of transition

referring to the second coming of christ

Public Speeches:
Jewish: reference OT texts
Gentiles: reference to creation
B)Witness in the household domain
C)Personal Evangelizing
D)The literary means of presenting of Gospel

uses what is at hand for the sake of the Gospel and is dependent upon God

OT references to the outpouring of the spirit
Purpose of the spirit in OT: circumcision of heart

Salvation by Jesus

Receiving the Holy spirit

Law written on heart

help one lead a Godly life

Speaking in tongues

Instruction and understanding leads to worship

it is a misracle of_____, not an ___________-miracle

people from different backgrounds are brought together as on Covenant people with one task and one purpose

Purpose of Acts is not to describe details

relativising

repetition

to give examples of various groups and how they are joined to one covenant people

Acts 8:27- philip and ethopian eunuch
Acts 9:17- Ananias and Paul
Acts 10:44- Cornelius and his household
Acts 19:1- disciples of John

History of Samaria
the gospel being preached by Philip

temp. delay of the holy spirit b/c of unique circumstances whereby God secures the inclusion of samaritans among his covenant people

Only other text where there is a distinction between coming to faith in God and receiving the holy spirit

Acts 1/3 speeches, 2/3 narratives
24 speeches- 8 of Peter, 9 of Paul, 1 of Stephen, 1 of James

1. The spirit of God has worked on people's hearts in the OT as well
2. The spirit's coming and his promised presence in th life of the believers is something to look forward to

Speeches do not attempt rhetorical elegance

The speeches contain basic elements of the Gospel
The speeches fit into their context very well

Introduction
Testimony concerning Jesus
The disciples as witnesses
References in OT
Call to repentance

1. God's faithfulness "remember" and loyalty toward his people
2. God's present deeds
3. Rebellion
4. Call to repentance

God's deed
man's response
shows connection of apostolic ministry with prophetic ministry

Only one speech addressed to insiders
Rest of speeches outward bound
Missological explanation for similarity of speeches

1. explanations of the phenomenon of the outpouring of the Spirit
2. Presentation of the earthly jesus
3. The exalted Jesus
4. Call to repentance

Faith and history interwined
Jesus' explanation: Messiah suffering, Messiah exalted
Lord= Kyrios
Blaspheme= cursing
resurrection: anticipation of exaltation

External and internal growth

External opposition and interbal tension

teaching of the apostles
fellowship
breaking of bread
prayer

actions
stories, parables
dialogues
exposure to work

and where there is deviation from his word, there is death

Palestinian Jews
Diaspora Jews
Prosalytes
god-fearing Gentiles
Gentiles

Jerusalem
Antioch
Ephesus
Corinth

Town
Synagogue
preaching
opposition

Acts 10:37- Baptism
10:38- Itinerant Preacher
10:38-39 Disciples as witnesses
10:39b Death of Jesus
10:40- resurrection of jesus
10:41- Appearances
10:42 jesus as Judge

Marketplace is social center
Athens: the city of thinkers

Zeno, the philosopher
Worldview: materialistic
monistic
Identified sin as destructive drive of man

1. develop a solid apathy
2. discipline

worldview: materialistic
Identified sin as : destructive drive of man
Solution: moderation is the key to control harmony

1.addresses relationship of God to his world
2.relationship between God and man
3. relationship between man and God

1. man is created for the worship of God
2. jesus is the judge of everyone
3. resurrection of the body