Slides: Acts 3-4

Slide 1

Healing in Jesus’ name (3:1-10)

-       Example of 2:43, 44, 46-47

A preaching opportunity (3:11-26)

Slide 2

Some background notes

-       Some think disabled barred from court of Israel

-       Profitable place to beg

-       Judaism: high work and charity ethic

In Jesus’s name: probably “as his authorized agents”

3:12: Jesus does the work, gets the credit

Slide 3

Notes on Peter’s message

3:13: glorified his servant Jesus

-       Echoes Isa 52:13 LXX

-       “righteous”: Isa 53:11

3:15:

-       founders (cities), heroes, pioneers

-       LXX: clan leaders

-       Also 5:31; Heb 2:16; 12:2

Irony: accepting a murderer (3:14), they killed Author of Life

Slide 4

3:17: ignorance

-       Reduce (but doesn’t eliminate) culpability

3:18: later Jewish teachers:

-       All the message of the prophets dealt with Messianic era or Jerusalem’s restoration (etc.)

3:19:

-       Jewish teachers: would Israel’s repentance precede restoration, or simply predestined time

-       OT prophets: repentance precedes

-       Restoration when Israel turns: Hos 14:1-7; Joel 2:18-3:1; cf. Dt 4:30-31)

Slide 5

Time of restoration of all things

-       Some Gentiles: universe’s “cycles”: periodically destroyed by fire and reborn

-       Jewish expectation of restoration

. of creation- peace and prosperity in the earth (e.g., Isa 11:6-9; 65:17)

. new Jerusalem (Isa 65:18-19; 66:8-11)

. restoration of God’s people (Acts 1:7): a central message of OT prophets

Slide 6

 Prophet like Moses (3:22-23)

-       Deut. 18:15, 18: future prophet like Moses (also Samaritans, DSS)

-       Some tried to duplicate miracles of Moses or Joshua, but failed

Slide 7

3:24-26

-       Prophecies from Samuel onward (3:24)

. Jesus’s death (3:18)? (types; righteous sufferer, Isa 53)

. Messianic era?

-       Children/heirs of the prophets (contrast Lk 11:47; Ac 7:52)

. Abraham’s blessing

-       For the nations (Gen 12:3) to come through them

-       Thus the servant (3:13) sent to be blessing to them first

Slide 8

Acts Four

-       Arraigned by temple authorities (4:1-12)

Slide 9

-       Arraigned by temple authorities

-       God’s authority rather than the hierarchy’s (4:13-22)

Slide 10

-       Praise in the face of persecution (4:23-31)

-       Continuing revival (4:32-37)

Slide 11

4:1-12: Arraigned by the Temple Authorities

-       4:1

-       Sadducees controlled Temple hierarchy and most resident priesthood

-       Sagan= captain of the Temple guard (a local police force, of Levites)

4:2: in Jesus: Pharisaic resurr, bothered Sadd’s, but empirical evidence- threaten them

4:3: Came c. 3 PM (2:1)

-       Sundown now approaching

-       Night trials illegal, hence could wait till next day

Slide 12

4:4

-       5000 men (not incl. women, children)

-       Jerusalem’s pop: 85,000; only 6000 Pharisees

-       In outer court, so also new women

4:6

- Annas “high priest”

- but officially Caiaphas at this time (both Lk 3:2)

- rabbis, DSS, 2 Bar.: viewed Temple aristocracy negatively

Slide 13

4:9-12: Salvation in Jesus

v. 10: you crucified: custom of countercharging accusers

v.11: challenged for a “benefaction”: shames

4:12: salvation only in Jesus

-       Salvation in the “name”: Joel 2:32 in Acts 2:21

-       “save” includes making whole, i.e., healing the man (so v.9, literally)

Ps. 118:22 (Ac 4:11) from Jesus (Lk 20:17)

Slide 14

4: 13-22 God’s Authority Rather Than the Hierarchy’s

4:13

-       “unlearned”: not trained in Greek rhetoric like priestly aristocracy

-       reason for their “uneducated” boldness: disciples who learned from Jesus

4:19-22

Philosophers, Socrates, often stressed obeying God rather than people

OT prophets

-       Nathan, Elijah and Jeremiah, who confronted kings

-       Uriah who suffered martyrdom

Slide 15

4:23-31 Praise in the Face of Persecution

Cf. also 16:25

4:24: may echo Ps 146:6: “made heaven, earth, sea and all that’s in them”

4:25-26: echoes Ps 2:1-2 (“Anointed” applied to Messiah)

4:28: You determined in advance: in OT, God used even wicked for his plan

Slide 16

Prayer for Boldness, HS

v. 29:

- some prayed for vengeance (2Ch 24:21-22; Ps 137:9; Jer 15:15)

- But here for boldness and signs as in v.9

HS to those who ask (Lk 11:13)

-       HS boldness (v.31), apostles’ power (signs? V. 33)

Place shaken (as in 16:25)

Sharing possessions again (4:32-37)

Slide 17

Contrasting Examples (4:36-37; 5:1-11)

Sold a field (not their sandals, etc.)

Joseph “Barnabas”:

-       Nicknames common; “Joseph” common

-       Levite from Cyprus

-       Many Jews in Cyprus

-       11:20: Cypriote and Cyrenian Jews spread message to Gentiles

-       Jn Mk’s mother’s house: 12:12-13

Vs. Ananias and Sapphira

-       “Sapphira” among wealthy, priestly families

Slide 18

Acts Five

. Addressing sin in the camp (5:1-11)

-       Achan allusion

Slide 19

Addressing sin in the camp (5:1-11)

-       Achan allusion

Miracles increase (5:12-16)

Slide 20

Acts Five

Arrested again (5:17-32)