ACTS AN EXEGETICAL COMMENTARY VOLUME 3 15:1—23 :35 CRAIG S. KEENER K Craig S. Keener, Acts, vol. 3 Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2014. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscriptcopyright protected Baker Publishing Group) _Keener_Acts_10_Pt2a_TW_djm.indd iii 6/24/14 7:19 AM © 2014 by Craig S. Keener Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmied in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior wrien permission of the publisher. e only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Keener, Craig S., 1960– Acts : an exegetical commentary / Craig S. Keener. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 978-0-8010-4838-8 (cloth) 1. Bible. N.T. Acts—Commentaries. I. Title. BS2625.53.K446 2012 266.6 077—dc22 2011048744 Unless noted otherwise, all translations of Scripture are those of the author. 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Craig S. Keener, Acts, vol. 3 Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2014. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript!copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) _Keener_Acts_10_Pt2a_TW_djm.indd iv 6/24/14 7:19 AM Contents Abbreviations xiv P 5: P’ D M (12:25–19:41) ( ) 2193 Ratifying the Gentile Mission (15:1–35) 2194 3. Peter and the Missionaries Invoke God’s Acts 1. Introduction (15:6–12) a. !e Relevance of Galatians 2:1–10 a. Leaders’ Discussion (15:6–7a) i. Arguments Favoring Galatians 2:1–10 as b. Peter Invokes God’s Example (15:7b–11) the Famine Visit of Acts 11:30 i. Tradition? ii. Against Arguments !at Galatians 2:1–10 ii. Recalling the Cornelius Incident (15:7–9) Is the Famine Visit iii. Testing God by Yoking Gentiles (15:10) iii. Other Arguments for Galatians 2:1–10 as iv. Saved the Same Way (15:11) the Jerusalem Council c. Paul and Barnabas Recount Signs (15:12) b. !e Decrees of Acts 15:20, 28–29 4. James’s Biblical Proposal (15:13–21) i. No Decrees in Paul’s Le"ers a. !e Speech and the Historical James ii. Why Not in 1 Corinthians? b. James’s Introduction (15:13–14) iii. Does Luke Con#ate Two Events? c. Amos’s Prophecy (15:15–18) c. !e Signi$cance of Acts 15 i. James’s Words i. Signi$cance for Luke ii. Use of the Septuagint ii. Did Luke Invent Consensus? iii. !e Sense in Amos iii. Shi%ing Consensus? iv. James’s Interpretation 2. Con#ict over Circumcising Gentiles (15:1–5) v. David’s Tent (15:16) a. Con#ict at Antioch (15:1–2) vi. Turning of Gentiles (15:17) i. Shi%ing Politics A&ects the Church (15:1) d. James’s Compromise Solution (15:19–21) ii. Galatians and the Antioch Con#ict i. !e Proposed Decree (15:19–20) iii. Circumcision for Salvation? (15:1) ii. Proposed Backgrounds of the Decree (1) Moral Interpretation E!": C "#" 2215 (2) Avoiding Pagan Temples (3) Laws for Sojourners 1. !e Importance of Circumcision (4) Noahide Laws 2. Circumcision in a Missionary Se"ing iii. Content of the Decree 3. Biblical Concerns (1) Idol Food iv. Seeking Resolution from Jerusalem (15:2) (2) Sexual Immorality b. Received by the Churches (15:3–4) (3) Avoid Blood (and Strangled Animals) i. Reporting in Phoenicia and Samaria iv. Plausibility of the Decree (15:3) v. Law Observance Will Not Su&er (15:21) ii. Reporting in Jerusalem (15:4) 5. !e Consensus Decree (15:22–29) c. Insistence on Circumcision (15:5) a. Choosing Emissaries (15:22) i. Pharisaic Believers b. Greetings (15:23) ii. Arguments and Power c. !e Le"er Body (15:24–29) v Craig S. Keener, Acts, vol. 3 Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2014. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript*copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) _Keener_Acts_10_Pt2a_TW_djm.indd v 6/24/14 7:19 AM Contents i. Dissociation from the Schismatics (15:24) a. !ird Person ii. !e Importance of Harmony (15:25) b. First Person iii. !e Council’s Consensus (15:25) 2. “We” as a First-Person Historical Claim? iv. Recommending Judas and Silas a. Questioning “We” as a Historical Claim (15:26–27) b. Acts’ Anonymity? v. A Charismatic Decree (15:28–29) c. What Historians Meant by “We” 6. Delivering the Message in Antioch (15:30–35) 3. Use of “We” instead of Author’s Name a. Delivering the Le"er (15:30–31) a. Other Meanings of the First Person Plural? b. Receiving Jerusalem’s Delegates (15:32–33) b. Usage Varied c. Who Remains? (15:34–35) c. Keeping the Focus on Paul Paul and Companions in Asia and Achaia 4. Conclusion (15:36–19:41) 2297 3. Ministry and Opposition in Philippi (16:11–40) 1. New Colleagues, Old Areas (15:36–16:5) a. Lydia and Her House Church (16:11–15) a. Con#ict with Barnabas over Mark (15:36–39) i. From Troas to Neapolis (16:11) i. Following Up on Converts (15:36) (1) Voyage to Macedonia ii. Barnabas’s Loyalty to Mark (15:37) (2) Samothrace iii. Paul’s Concern with Mark (15:38) (3) Neapolis iv. !e Missionary Schism and History ii. Philippi (16:12) (15:39) (1) Philippi’s Prosperity and Past v. A Negative Portrayal (15:39) (2) Philippi and Rome b. Strengthening Churches in Syria and Cilicia (3) A “First” City (15:40–41) iii. Finding the Sabbath Meeting (16:13) c. Recruiting Half-Greek Timothy (16:1–3) (1) Locating the Gathering i. Travel to Derbe and Lystra (16:1) (2) Which River? ii. Jewish-Gentile Intermarriage (16:1) iv. Speaking to Women (16:13) iii. Timothy’s Ethnic Status (16:1) (1) Women’s Status in Religion iv. Timothy’s Reputation (16:2) (2) Women and Judaism v. Timothy’s New Role (16:3) (3) Focusing on Women vi. Timothy’s Circumcision (16:3) v. Lydia’s Response (16:14) d. Strengthening Churches in Phrygia (16:4–5) (1) Lydia’s Conversion 2. God’s Leading to Macedonia (16:6–10) (2) Lydia’s Freed Status? a. !e Spirit’s Prohibitions (16:6–7) (3) Lydia’s City i. !e Phrygian-Galatian Region (16:6) (4) Lydia’s Occupation ii. Not North Galatia (16:6) (5) Lydia’s Economic and Social Status iii. Mysia and Bithynia (16:7–8) iv. Divine Guidance (16:6–7) E: P'( 2399 b. Divine Invitation to Macedonia (16:8–10) 1. Tyrian Purple i. Troas and Ancient Troy 2. Status Symbol (1) Alexandria Troas (2) Evocative Connections with Ancient vi. Lydia’s Hospitality (16:15) Troy? (1) A Property Owner ii. Asia’s New Gi$ to Europe (2) Scandalous Hospitality? (1) !e Troad, Europe, and Asia (2) Between Asia and Europe? E: P !%", C($"!, "# (3) A Mission toward Rome R$'%$!) 2408 iii. !e Dream-Vision (16:9–10) 1. Benefactors and Patrons (1) !e Macedonian Man (16:9) 2. Reciprocity in and beyond Patronage (2) Paul’s Dream (16:9) 3. Problems in Patronage E: D 2347 E: H%'$! ($!) 2414 (3) !e Interpretation (16:10) 1. Inns iv. “We” Passages (16:10) 2. Greeks and Hospitality (1) A Fictitious Literary Device 3. Hospitality Connections and Obligations (2) Sea-Voyage Category of Fictitious 4. Hospitality in Judaism Narratives? 5. Accepting Hospitality (3) Travel Journal (4) Luke as Paul’s Traveling Companion b. Exorcism of a Powerful Spirit (16:16–18) i. !e Slave and Her Exploiters (16:16) E: A! "# F$!-P%" U & $" S% A"$"! H$!%$ " 2363 E: P)!*%" S'$$! 2422 1. Historians’ Use of !ird and First Person 1. Pythian Apollo vi Craig S. Keener, Acts, vol. 3 Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, © 2014. Used by permission. (Unpublished manuscript%copyright protected Baker Publishing Group) _Keener_Acts_10_Pt2a_TW_djm.indd vi 6/24/14 7:19 AM Contents 2. !e Delphic Pythia (1) Paul’s Intervention (16:28) 3. Apollo’s Oracles beyond Delphi (2) How Can I Be Saved? (16:29–30) 4. Apollo’s Prophecies (3) Salvation through Faith (16:31–32) 5. Hostility toward the Oracle v. Receiving God’s Agents (16:33–34) (1) Mutual Washing (16:33) (2) Risky Hospitality (16:34) E: D S P 2429 e. Paul and Silas Vindicated (16:35–40) 1. Daimones i. A$empted Release (16:35–36) 2. Jewish Demonology ii. Criminal Abuse of Roman Citizens 3. Possession (16:37) 4. Prophylaxis against Demons (1) Objections to Paul’s Roman 5. Exorcism Citizenship 6. Cross-Cultural Character of Such Experiences (2) Arguments Supporting Paul’s 7. Possession Behavior Citizenship 8. Interpreting Spirit Possession iii. !e O#cials’ Reversal (16:38–39) 9. Exorcism in More Recent Times (1) !e O#cials’ Danger (16:38) ii. A Spirit Exposes the Mission (16:17) (2) Begging !em to Leave (16:39) (1) A Spirit’s Testimony iv. Leaving Philippi (16:40) (2) A Positive Testimony? 4. Ministry in !essalonica and Beroea (17:1–14) (3) A Suppressed Female Voice? a. Ministry in !essalonica (17:1–9) (4) “Most High God” i. Comparing the !essalonian iii. Jesus’s Name Expels the Spirit (16:18) Correspondence c. Paul and Silas Beaten, Imprisoned (16:19–24) ii. Relocating to !essalonica (17:1) i. A"ermath of the Exorcism (16:19) (1) Amphipolis (1) !e Slave Girl’s Liberation (16:19) (2) Apollonia (2) Dragged to the Forum (16:19) (3) !essalonica ii.