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)