Acts A New Vision of the People of God
Acts:Acts The Spirit Outline Empowers (“What Jesus continued to do”) Messianic World Israel Mission
Acts 1—12 Acts 13—28 Peter Paul
Acts Outline I.The Spirit Empowers II. The Spirit Empowers Messianic Israel (1—12) World Mission (13—28)
A. Messianic Renewal (1—5) A. Mission Journeys (13—21)
1. Messianic Beginnings (1) 1. 1MJ: Asia Minor, JC (13—15) 2. Messianic Empowerment (2) 2. 2MJ: Maced., Achaia (16—18) 3. Messianic Witness (3–5) 3. 3MJ: Ephesus, Cor. (19—21) B. Messianic Hellenists (6—12) B. Mission Destiny (21—28)
1. Hellenist Leaders Emerge (6—7) 1. Denied: Jerusalem (21—23) 2. Hellenist Mission Advances (8—11) 2. Delayed: Caesarea (24—26) 3. Hellenist Center Shifts (11—12) 3. Achieved: Rome (27—28)
Acts 16–18: 2MJ 2MJ Statistics 2MJ Summary 2MJ Significance Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe
Samothrace
Troas
Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe
Apollonia Samothrace
Troas
Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe Thessalonica Apollonia Samothrace
Troas Paul is forced to leave Thessalonica prematurely, setting up the issues of 1–2 Thessalonians.
2MJ: Thessalonica Famous Macedonian City Greek and Roman heritage Greek city, Roman control (168 B.C. on) Via Egnatia military highway Later: second largest, wealthiest Byzantine city Roman status Free city (41 B.C.) Later capital of province High loyalty to Rome 2MJ: Thessalonica Paul’s 2MJ Visit Synagogue disturbance after brief time Mission preaching A.D. 50–51 Synagogue disturbance arises quickly Charges hit Roman hot buttons Charge of social disruption “turned the world upside down” Roman peace and stability
2MJ: Thessalonica Paul’s 2MJ Visit Charges hit Roman hot buttons Charge of political sedition “Jason has received them”: harboring political agitators “decrees of Caesar”: recent Edict of Claudius? “another king, Jesus”: revolutionaries Paul forced to leave prematurely Jason receives peace bond injunction Paul and company go to Berea by night
2MJ:Edict of Thessalonica Claudius, A.D. 49 EdictPaul’s expelling 2MJ Jews Visit from Rome due to synagogueCharges disturbances hit Roman hot related buttons to “Chrestus,”Charge widelyof political thought sedition a misspelling of “Christos,”“Jason has that received is, likely them”: preaching harboring of Jesus aspolitical Messiah agitators in Roman synagogues. Note this“decrees edict of is Caesar”: just prior recent to EdictPaul’s of Claudius? arrival “anotherin Thessalonica. king, Jesus”: Possible revolutionaries meaning of “decreesPaul forced of Caesar” to leave (Acts prematurely 17:7). Jason receives peace bond injunction Paul and company go to Berea by night
2MJ: Thessalonica Paul’s sudden depar- ture from Thessalo- nica after only a few weeks of mission work will set up issues for the Thessa- lonians revealed in Paul’s later corre- spondence with them.
1–2 Thessalonians 2MJ: Thessalonica Profile of Paul’s Converts (17:4) Synagogue: “devout Greeks” Jews and God-fearers Like Cornelius paradigm Society: “leading women” Socially connected Like Lydia paradigm Macedonia women: culturally more freedom Higher esteem than rest of empire Historical roots in Macedonian culture
2MJ: Thessalonica Profile of Paul’s Converts (17:4) Synagogue: “devout Greeks” WhyJews women and God-fearersare more prominent in church Likeat Philippi Cornelius (cf. paradigmletter of Philippians) Society: “leading women” Socially connected Like Lydia paradigm Macedonia women: culturally more freedom Higher esteem than rest of empire Historical roots in Macedonian culture
Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe Thessalonica
Beroea Apollonia Samothrace
Troas
2MJ: Berea Berean Mission Departure from Via Egnatia Question of strategy Berean Reception Similar convert pattern “More noble” response than Thessalonica Thessalonican agitators cause disturbance Lukan irony: causing public disturbance Lukan political apologetic: agitators, not Paul 2MJ: Berea Berean Mission DepartureJews, God-fearers, from Via leadingEgnatia women Question of strategy Berean Reception Similar convert pattern “More noble” response than Thessalonica Thessalonican agitators cause disturbance Lukan irony: causing public disturbance Lukan political apologetic: agitators, not Paul
2MJ: Berea Berean Mission Departure from Via Egnatia Question of strategy Berean ReceptionLukan irony: doing exactly what they had Similar convertaccused pattern Paul of “More noble” response than Thessalonica Thessalonican agitators cause disturbance Lukan irony: causing public disturbance Lukan political apologetic: agitators, not Paul
2MJ: Berea Mission Movements Paul goes on to Athens Silas, Timothy stay behind in Macedonia Clarified in Thessalonian letters
Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe Thessalonica
Beroea Apollonia Silas and TimothySamothrace stay behind in Beroea. Troas Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe Thessalonica
Beroea Apollonia Samothrace
Troas
Athens
Philippi Neapolis Amphipolis 2MJ: Europe Thessalonica
Beroea Apollonia Samothrace
Troas
Luke uses Paul’s Aereopagus speech at Athens as the second of three “example” sermons illustrating how Paul preached to his three major audiences.
Athens
2MJ: Athens Athenian Philosophy Epicureans Stoics
1. Epicurus (340–270) 1. Zeno (340–265) 2. Pleasure through 2. Taught in the stoa tranquility 3. Self-sufficiency 3. Living life free from 4. Morally earnest passion, pain, fears 5. Live in concord with 4. If gods exist, they nature, the divine care not about us mind (Reasons, logos) 5. No afterlife 6. Immaterial afterlife
Confusing2MJ: Paul’sAthens Words 1. “Jesus.” In Greek, “Jesus” is Iesou, but this term easily could be confused with another term, Iasi = “Healing,” which seems a name for some god of healing. 2. “Resurrection.” In Greek, “resurrec- tion” is anastasis, but also can mean “Restoration,” which seems a name for some god of restoration. 2MJ: Athens Luke’s Paradigm Sermons
MJ Place Sermon Audience
1MJ Antioch Synagogue Jewish
2MJ Athens Areopagus Gentile
3MJ Miletus Farewell Church
Each sermon illustrates how Paul worked with the three major audiences he confronted in his preaching career: (1) synagogue, (2) market, and (3) church.
2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Hellenist Foundations Hellenist cycle: Peter’s insight Peter’s seven sermons: Gentile inclusion Peter to Cornelius: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (10:34–35)
2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Hellenist Foundations Hellenist cycle: Stephen’s insight Stephen’s Speech Stephen to Sanhedrin: “Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands” (7:48; cf. 17:24) Hellenist cycle: implicit theology Monotheism: crucial, core belief (personal, creator, universality) Revelation: essential core belief (accessibility, accountability, judgment)
2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Audience Luke’s example sermon #2 Synagogue: Antioch of Pisidia (1MJ) Market: Athens Areopagus (2MJ) Church: Miletus Farewell (3MJ) Strikingly different content Sparse use of OT quotations, no story of Israel Content, however, based on core OT ideas 2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Outline Introduction: monotheism Rapport: religiosity duly noted Transition: “unknown god” altar Revelation: God the creator’s purposes Purpose #1: boundaries (seasons or nations?) Quote 1: Epimenides (600 B.C.): “in him we live and move and have our being” Quote 2: Aratus (310 B.C.): “for we are truly his [Zeus’s] offspring”
2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Outline Revelation: God the creator’s purposes Purpose #2: accountability (seeking) Revelation: God the redeemer’s judgment Ignorance no longer bliss “unknown god” truly is unknown! Ignorance a cardinal Greek sin Judgment warning (resurrection doctrine) Judgment announcement, call to repentance Agent announcement (inferring Jesus)
2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Result Negative reaction Dismissal by most due to resurrection doctrine as unpalatable to Greek sensibilities Procrastination by others Positive reaction Acceptance by a named few Dionysius, the Areopagite (philosopher?) Damaris, a woman (probably social elite) Acceptance by others
2MJ: Areopagus Sermon Result Paul’s reaction Directly: not actually indicated Indirectly: Paul left Athens soon after Seems to infer meager results No known church established Paul moves on to Corinth