Slides: Evangelism and Introduction
Slide 1 continued from lecture 5
iii. Relational networks
- Believers shared message as they traveled (8:4; 11:20)
- Apart from synagogues, organic: following up with individuals
- “house to house” (Ac 20:20, as well as publicly)
- households: relatives, clients (e.g., Lydia’s household- servants, workers?; Cornelius’s relatives)
- Reached patrons with clients; householders
Leatherworking: became part of culture (though accepted supported when available; 18:3)
Variety; women in Philippi through monotheism connection; jailer through earthquake and preaching
Slide 2
iv. Healings: “power evangelism”
Mabel Cooper
Getting attention in Acts:
- Pentecost: tongues
- Acts 3-4: healing
- Acts 4:29-30: prayer
- Acts 14:3: signs and wonders confirm message
Summary of coming slides:
Acts 1:8: power
Signs leading to conversions I history and today
Slide 3
What Luke means by “power” in the Gospel:
- Lk 4:36: with power Jesus casts out demons
- Lk 5:17 power was present for healing
- Lk 6:19: power was coming from Jesus to heal
- Lk 8:46: power came from Jesus to heal
- Lk 9:1: Jesus gave the Twelve power over demons
Slide 4
In Acts:
Acts 3:12: not by our own power or holiness was the man healed
Acts 4:7: “By what power, or in what name,” was this man healed?
6:8: Stephen, “full of grace and power,” was doing wonders and signs
10:38: Jesus, anointed with the Spirit and power, was healing all who were oppressed by the devil.
Slide 5
Power from the Spirit
OT often (and early Judaism especially) associated the Spirit with prophetic empowerment
As if to say to the disciples: “The same Spirit who spoke through the prophets will speak through you”
Slide 6
Drawing attention through signs
Paul maybe grew in this during ministry (esp. 19:11-12)
Attention for the gospel, not for us
Signs make gospel harder to ignore: both reception and persecution (14:3-4)
Slide 7
v. Sometimes God just arranges things
Parallel visions: Cornelius and Peter
- (obey quickly)
- and then God interrupts Peter’s sermon!
African official reading the Bible (Acts 8:28-34)
Our church picnic
Slide 8
vi. How we live
Effective evangelism (2:41)
Shared worship, meals, and prayer (2:42)
- shared possessions (2:44-45)
Shared worship, meals, and prayer (2:46)
Effective evangelism (2:47)
Cf. John 13:34-35; 17:33
Slide 9
Where to GO
Balance various factors
Slide 10
a. Where God leads
- Even in a moment: 8:29; 10:19
- Spirit said No to Bithynia (16:7) and Asia (temporarily, 16:6)
- Night vision for Troas (16:9), interpretation (16:10); had to persevere based on that
- Open doors (left Macedonia for Achaia)
- Led to suffering (Acts 21- despite prophetic warnings)- gospel in temple; gospel in Rome
- When no particular connection, commission remains (Acts 1:8; cf. 13:2)
Slide 11
b. Starting with the connections God provides
- The Twelve in Jerusalem
- Diaspora Jews: Phoenicia, Cyprus, Antioch (11:20)
- (“Friendship evangelism”- relational evangelism with coworkers, target group/common interest groups)
- Barnabas in Cyprus
- Paul in Cilicia (Gal1:21; Ac 9:30)
- Acts 13: Sergius Paulus’s connections with Pisidian Antioch
Slide 12
c. Paul went where distinctively equipped
- Urban areas: Antioch
- Educated, Roman citizens
- Where will the gospel not be preached if I don’t do it?
Slide 13
d. Centers for disseminating popular culture
- Multicultural: Antioch (team leaders there)
- Goal within empire: Rome
- Today?
- Maybe internet, although not congregationally-oriented, where a lot of people congregate intellectually (at least till the power grid goes down)
Slide 14
4. Logistics a-d
a. Homes- not public buildings like most synagogues
b. Team ministry: Acts 13, etc (on my own- but beaten more)
c. Leadership structure: elders, overseers
d. Trust what God is doing:
- delegate (Ac 6:1-7); Exod 18; Deut 34)
- install leaders (Ac 14:28)
- HS empowerment (Ac 8:15-17)
Slide 15
Logistics e-h
e. People with economic resources (Lk 8:3; Ac 18:7): valuable gift
f. People with teaching resources (Crispus, 18:8; Apollos,18:24-28)
g. Do report back to home base/ supporters (Acts 14:26-28; 15:35)
h. Legal, publicity apologetic: Acts 24-26
Slide 1
Logistics
i. Don’t be naïve: Problems will come (e.g., persecution, Acts 5: internal division, Acts 6:1;15:39)
Slide 17
Introduction background on Acts 1
Recapitulation
In 2-vol. works, often recapitulated theme and or end of 1st vol. at beginning of 2nd
Lk 24:36-53 recapitulated in Acts 1:1-14, repeating many points in greater detail
Historians had freedom to rearrange, paraphrase; difference of wording not accidental oversight!
1:1, customary to formally dedicate to sponsor (Theophilus as patron)
1:2-3, Sample evidences Luke 24
1:4, “ate together”- why important?
Physicality: in many Jewish traditions, angels would not genuinely eat human food
Slide 18
1:15-20. Replacing an Apostate Apostle
1:20
Lk’s point may just be that the upper room was totally packed
1:20 qal vaomer: Ps 69:25, 109:8 prominent accusers of the righteous sufferer (par excellence)