Test Sermon

Lecture 7 - 9 Acts 2 - 9

We will focus in the first couple of chapters on the trajectory- is it prophetic or monarchic? Jesus is still talking in terms of the Mosaic and Abramic covenants He doesn’t seem to care anything about a king on the throne of Israel The disciples are still thinking about the Kingdom of Israel- monarchic The ascension- prophetic connections with Elijah The ascension is the final sign that Jesus is the Son of Man- Elijah,Dan 7- prophetic They are actually staying in Jerusalem- interesting that Jesus avoided this 120- nation building number David foretold stuff about Judas?? Psalms Quotes Psalm 69:26 Psalm 109:8 The whole act of choosing a replacement is based on the instruction of David Choosing by casting lots- very monarchicOnly time lots are cast in Torah- Day of Atonement- which goat? Lot casting all over Joshua, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Monarchic prophets Only time lots are cast in Gospels- Roman soldiers casting lots for Jesus’ clothes 

Acts 1

Acts 2:1   When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 

50 days after passover

2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 

It’s a vision…appeared is key here Alternate state of consciousness They aren’t workingJesus isn’t giving special fishing tipsThey were praying and there was a move of the spirit that happened with the kind of force they all had visions of divided tongues of fireThey were probably resting where tongues go…not on the headDivided tongues belong to serpents?Why divided?That’s what fire looks like….shooting outWhen the prophets got fire or coal on their lips there was a purification happening so they could speak for the LordThe fire on their mouths effects the verbal presence they have in the world

4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

They’ve been locked quiet in a room so farOn this day during a time of prayer something happens to their tongues…a purification processThis should make them conscious of what they say, how they say it, who they say it toMaturity means you don’t speak on your own behalf anymore….it should change the way you talk Don’t amplify the culture“When I grew up this is how we did things"Witness to Jesus “Jesus did and said this"The ability to speak in languages that aren’t HebrewA sign for gentile inclusion The future of these guys…not the present…they don’t do this againGod wants everyone to be able to make sense of the life of JesusThe desire to reach the nations is in tact More than a sign of indwelling of the holy spiritPeople filled with the spirit of God will have a desire to speak the languages of other people groupsBeing able to communicate the life and message of Jesus in a way that makes sense to people in other nationsPresently God makes sense in the Hebrew contextWhat’s happening now is supposed to show them that God wants their tongues to be effective even with other nationsIt should have a global impact extending beyond the initial people group that understands them in their default language The prophetic community of God, full of the holy spirit, will have the capacity to speak the work of God in a way that makes sense to the other nations. The Pentecost event is a sign of what they could be, not what they areSure, it’s a beginning event chronologically but ulitmately it’s a preview of the possibility associated with this peopleIt’s rare that people accommodate the requirements of a sign immediately after the signThe sign shows what’s ahead…what they need to becomePeople refined by the spirit of God to speak the cleansing power of God in a way the nations can understandThis is the hardest part of Apostolic MissionLuke was the story of the prophetic communityNow they have to mature into God’s expectations before they do the taskThis is actually a critique on modern missions - sporadic people in different placesHere it’s a group of people united with the expectation to speak the word of God in a way that’s understandableThat’s why we transplant communities Fire from heaven here refines and consumes them to the point it comes out of their mouthsPreviously they wanted to call it down and consume Samaritans 

Acts 2:5   Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. 

Likely there for the celebration 

6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.  7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 

They can tell these are Northerners…not from Jerusalem

8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?  9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,  10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,  11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” 

They’re testifying of God’s work…like Jesus saidThe sign is the ability to communicate the work of God in a way that makes sense to people of other nations 

12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”  13 But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.”

What does this mean…means you should answer itThe event was powerful and miraculous…but also a sign of what apostolic mission needs to mature toThe people of God have to learn the languageMore than wordsAlso cultural symbols that give power to the languageIt’s not a reversal - they weren’t confused at the end like they were at babel Filled with new wine is funny…because they are….from Luke 6, but they’ll have to work for it

Acts 2:14   But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say.  15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.  16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

in those days I will pour out my Spirit;

and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

It doesn’t matter how we interpret thisWe could do modernOr original contextWhat we need to see is that people can use text to justify their own motivesPeter decided to make it applicableIt doesn’t say he did it by the prompting of the Holy Spirit…other guys will How he interprets it is the thing to look atJoel….prophesyingThe nice thing here is Spirit being poured out on all fleshBalance this with the story aboveThe group is given the responsibility but they have to be unified to fulfill the visionOld people dream because they’re connected to young people who have themYoung people have visions because they’re connected to old people who know how to implementThis text helps us understand generational dynamicsThey’re unified and need each other to accomplish a shared visionThere’s a working class thing here too…and genderMale servants, female servantsSome are employees, some employers All will have unity based on their devotion to God and fulfill prophetic vocationThat’s Joel, but does Peter understand all that? The thing in the Pentecost event that Joel doesn’t say and the disciples don’t notice is the race unity (indicated in the languages)Sun turned to darknessTemple being destroyed by RomeSo we recognize our role as God’s people is to offer salvation to those who will accept his Lordship so they can endure through historical boiling points 

Acts 2:22   “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know—  23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 

This is the first time that anyone has mentioned the foreknowledge of GodJesus never said thatWe find possibility in JesusThings can be differentPeople can have faithBut the rejected himHe let his followers know that this rejection would culminate in cruxifixction Peter said that…then people take what he said and make it a factPeter isn’t a trustworthy source in this storyHe’s not a Bible teacher…he’ll realize that in Ch. 6Talking from his monotheismThe prophets and Jesus introduce Revelatory YahwismDiscovering God outside of natural events and “acts of God"Tower of siloam…not an accident…it was because of this world violating codesThe state didn’t care for themPeter missed it though

24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 

Couldn’t have kept Jesus dead because God is the judge and wouldn’t tolerate what was done to himThey tried to end him but God wouldn’t let them 

25 For David says concerning him,

‘I saw the Lord always before me,

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;

26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;

moreover my flesh will live in hope.

27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,

or let your Holy One experience corruption.

28 You have made known to me the ways of life;

you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

If anything David was saying this about himselfAnd he was wrongPeter wants to show that the Psalms taught about what Jesus would doWe learned at the end of Luke that Jesus explicated the Psalms to Cleopas and another guy…who we think is PeterMaybe Jesus did….and Peter botched it Acknowledged perhaps that these verses exist as messianic expectationHe fulfills expectationSo stop looking for DavidThat’s not what Peter is doing though…saying Jesus can’t be destroyedJesus was always saying he was gonna die thoughPeter doesn’t highlight his vulnerability, humility, or his sufferingHighlights incorruptibility, strength, and mightPsalms are the theological tutors for the illiterate Jesus knew the Psalms but corrected them (like Psalm 110)

Acts 2:29   “Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 

Nope…God spoke through Nathan…it wasn’t direct

31 Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,

‘He was not abandoned to Hades,

nor did his flesh experience corruption.’

Peter’s making David greater than what he was…a prophetAnd Jesus totally experience corruption…suffered and diedBut Peter talks like he didn't dieBut he saw him die “Why have you forsaken me?"Flesh was mutilatedSo his theology and his understanding of scripture doesn’t match upDavid is all he can find And David says the messiah WON’T DIESo he didn’t foresee Jesus 

32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses. 

The witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus is the thing that sets it apart from mythic ones

33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you both see and hear.  34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at my right hand,

35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’  36 Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

“ I remember Jesus bringing up Psalm 110…I don’t remember what he did with it but we’re going forward"This is funny…Peter’s all jumbled upNot terrible but interestingWhy go this route? Because its the expectation everyone had for MessiahJesus spent like no time dealing with this stuff Spends most of his time making distinctions between himself and DavidPeter has his own ish to think through though so that’s what everyone getsHe really did fulfill it! I’ll show you!Something often gets lost when authority passes to the next generationExpectations not held by the founderIf Jesus is the Messiah he has a birthright and a houseKing of Judah and the PalaceWe’re moving from the upper room to Solomon’s porchIt’s coming out in these sermons Some of this is clear: Jesus was killed by the powerful, we’re supposed to follow him instead of David, resurrection proves thisHow does the community of Jesus continue after he’s gone?Implement the word of God - but what if you don’t know it well?How are gentiles included?Make it about David?Why did the natural audience reject Jesus?It’s coming 

Acts 2:37   Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

This works with them…they’re Jews

38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Drop your allegiances to present candidates…support JesusGet baptizedCeremonial initialization into a new community By doing this they’ll be forgiven of sinsSo they can receive the gift of Holiness God givesWe can’t divorce Holiness from the Holy Spirit This is why they didn’t think Gentiles could receive it…it was for the set apart people of God…the jewsPeter misses this…says pour my spirit out on all flesh….then gets surprised by the Italians receiving the Spirit 

39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.” 

Peter thinks “Far away” in diaspora contexts….these people from far away have come nearJesus is the messiah boys lets regenerate the people of God

40 And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 

The generation that’s impure, unclean, commonIntegrate into this community of believes who believe that Jesus is the Messiah

41 So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. 

Quite the jump…powerful growthVery JBapish Peter knew JBap’s teachingsHe’s reverted Peter would feel hugeJesus never got this kind of responseAnd if he did he’d hide, or say something crazyThey’re into it because they’re under empire…not a lot of autonomy….they wanna be back on the map, get a homecoming…return to Jerusalem…get land, freedom, autonomy…don’t have to fight for their valuesEnacting sabbath is hardGetting kosher food is hardCircumcision gets them mocked Not a hard saleRefugees from Syria wanna be in SyriaThey’re suppose to be bouncing out…..Judea, Samaria, etc

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Should’ve been Jesus’ teachings…why couldn’t’ they do thatThis is why the gospels get more specific the later they’re writtenTheir unification is around fellowship and prayer and bread breakingEconomic, Social, SpiritualCommunities of Jesus should have these unified and leadership should teach on them 

Acts 2:43   Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.  44 All who believed were together and had all things in common;  45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 

What they had in common was their valuesA lot of them were poorTheir values unified them more than sharing the same guitar wouldThey were believers in Jesus as MessiahSold their possessions…greed isn’t an issue for them, but they aren’t entrepreneurial Liquidating assets  Entered into land contract sales abroad…they ain’t from Jerusalem….long time passingStaying, gathering people, getting folks to sell land and move backThe opposite of what Jesus told them to doThey’ll do this because they think they’re gonna get ancestral lands back…likely in proportion to their givingMaking sure people have their needs met is great….the way though deserves some critique, especially when we know the end 

46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts,  47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

How do they keep breaking bread day by day?The money they got….not working They think its the last daysThe tyranny of Rome is coming to an end….he will lift his head up and drink from the streamPeter quoted last days stuff when he talked from Joel Messiah gets into the temple and rulesEven though Jesus said that ain’t itIt’s mulberry faith….violent overthrow and the rising and falling of nationsBeing saved from commonness…impurity, unholiness Worshipping together, eating together, praying togetherNot even working anymoreThis isn’t sustainable Who else does God have who has the experiences these guys do?There’s a huge learning curveThey need support through signs and credentialsMomentum has to continueThere’s great grace on them

Discuss transference of symbol (Davidic Messiah, Temple) vs transference of meaning (what does this mean? the way of Jesus contextualized into other languages - cultures, freedom from structures that oppress them there)

Acts 4 & 5 

about the feet of Peter; money being brought the more kingly he feels2 bodies fall at the feet of Peter the fear of the 3,000 community members This is NOT Mosaic practice; this is Davidic (Solomon’s portico) 

There is irony here; they are supposed to leave but they don’t. It’s not good irony. 

Acts 6

Hellenist - Jews that have taken on Greek culture and practices 

Administrative issue: widows not receiving food in the daily distribution of food 

They’re distributing food because everyone has been given their money; Jesus didn’t do this! He started with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  

This is RACIST. They are taking care of the Hebrews but not the Jews.  

v. 2 They shouldn’t neglect the reading of the word, but they also should not forget to wait tables! 

v. 3 good reputation, full of the spirit, and wise (which means they can administer) 

v. 5 These are Hellenistic names; they were gonna take care of the food distribution (they are going to be much more fair) 

v. 6 Authorizing sign for the community; without these signs things are a mess 

v. 7 the priests know the Torah, and Peter does not.  

Peter was a fisherman from Galilee. He doesn’t know the word of God like the priests.  

Acts 7

v. 2 Starts with Abraham 

His speech is moving along the lines of transience, like Jesus set them up for.

v. 6 Egypt - they were transient, not in the land 

v. 8 Stephen knows the Torah.

v. 14 All of Israel ends up in Egypt. 

v. 29 Moses became a resident alien in the land of Midian.

v. 41 Exodus 32

v. 44 He notes the tabernacle, which was also mobile/transient. 

v. 47-50 He was coming against the thought of the temple; he understood! 

v. 53 Steep correction! 

He retold the entire history of Israel, making the position of Israel in their history transient.  They’ve always been resident aliens. He’s asking, “Why are you so concerned with this temple and this place?!” he recognizes that he’s not supposed to be there doing what they are doing 

v. 56 Position of power and authority - right hand of God (Daniel 7) 

v. 58 The coats of the men who were murderous to Saul is connected to Peter from Acts 4-5.  

Now Saul stands in the position of Peter. 

This moment is going to be a catalyst to Saul.  

In his innocence to be killed, and refusal to fight back, seems to have an impact on Saul. 

He also forgives the people doing this to him (same way that Jesus’ life had an impact on the Roman soldier). This looks like Jesus’.

We see the kind of life the disciples are supposed to leave, in the life of Stephen the Hellenist who gets his start waiting tables.  

Stephen looks a lot like Jesus is an initial observation we would make here. He talks about Moses and the prophets (Peter talks about Psalms and David). 

He talks a lot about the resident alien.

Acts 8

v. 1 It’s Stephen’s death that initiated this persecution. Those in power are hostile, which is why Jesus told them to get out of Jerusalem.  

everyone except the apostles are being scattered (though they were the ones who were supposed to go to the ends of the earth!) 

v. 2 Saul is a devout Jew here. His response to Christianity is rooted in the Torah that he knows. Jesus being God is unthinkable to someone like Saul (ex. idolatry) 

v. 5 Philip was one of the guys selected by the people to wait the tables earlier in Acts. 

His behavior going into Samaria was similar to Jesus’ behavior when he went into cities. 

v. 9 Simon was motivated for financial gain.

v. 14 In this story it seems like the spirit of God does not directly come upon people unless it’s via one of the twelve; this is what they think. But we will later see this is not the case. 

v. 24 Simon’s heart was pure. We can’t do this to people, what Peter did to him. 

v. 31 The eunuch was reading the word, but noted that he needed someone to teach him.  

v. 32 - 33 From the suffering servant passages in Isaiah. These are about the ideal Israel’s experience should’ve been, in contrast to what it was. Jesus’ experience fit the description of the suffering servant Israel.  

v. 35 He starts with where the guy is at, in terms of reading and thinking, and goes from there.  

Stephen and Philip are fulfilling the call that Jesus called them to, independent of the 12.  

Acts 9

v. 1-2 Saul is zealous like the others we have read about thus far.  

v. 3 Saul is so good at being zealous, God had to intervene and show him his blindness. 

v. 4 Saul, Saul (we are supposed to think of God’s call to Moses and Abraham) 

v. 5 They address superiors with ‘lord’; he defers to his culture recognizing it is someone in power over him. 

Saul = the language being used when Saul is spoken to; Hebrew name 

Paul = his Gentile name 

Who are you Lord? Same phrasing that Moses used at the bush; Saul is going to pick up on this too, connecting it to this story.  

The response is something he hears differently. He realizes a revelation is coming with the light, and he hears the voice, but it ends differently: ‘whom you are persecuting.’ 

v. 8 - 9 Saul was blind. He wasn’t seeing correctly before seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus. His corrected sight, makes him feel blind.  

v. 10 Ananias also reads the scripture; we learn this by his Torah response. 

Saul is a Hebrew name. King Saul. Both King and this Saul are from the tribe of Benjamin. 

Benjamin is always #2 in terms of taking the throne. 

There is currently not a Judean king on the throne. There is no Jewish autonomy right now. Herod is a puppet for Cesar right now. 

Saul recognizes that the best path for upward mobility is high priesthood.  

v. 11-12 The Lord is very specific here. 

Saul the most worthy candidate for kingship over Israel, is going to refuse it and take on a life of suffering like Jesus. 

If you believe in Jesus, you can never believe in a Judean messiah again; it’s him.  

v. 20 “He is the Son of God”; this is something Saul never would’ve said previously! 

v. 22 With little training, he is able to take what he knows about the Lord, take appropriation of what he knows about Jesus, and debate and win.  

v. 26 The disciples don’t believe that Saul was a believer of Jesus, but Barnabas takes him in (Peter named him this earlier in the book).  

v. 32-34 Peter is getting better, looking more like Jesus here.  

v. 36 Tabitha was the tailer of the town. This again looks more like Jesus’ activity. They rose him from the dead. 

Acts 10

Caesarea is Hellenized.  

v. 3 Angel = messenger 

v. 16 This happened 3 times. This diet idea is really engrained in him as a Jew. It’s one of the biggest issue of translating the Jewish religion into the Gentile context. 

You have to get into the psyche of these people who have upheld these diet restrictions.  Diet made these Jews judge and see others as less than human beings.

The Lord is trying to communicate to Peter that he is racist, that he has to stop seeing and calling people unclean like this. This is a hard lesson for Peter. 

v. 17 They stay at the gate because in Jewish culture their uncleanness could contaminate and it’s a cultural practice. The Gentiles know this! 

v. 20 Go without hesitation.

v. 25-26 Again we are at Peter’s feet, but he has learned.  

v. 34-43 Peter gave testimony of what happened to Jesus. He didn’t mention David. He’s outside of Jerusalem. This is getting so much better!

 v. 44 The sign is the same as that of Pentecost, but the audience is Gentile (not Jewish). Note that Peter did not lay his hands on them. 

v. 45 Peter doesn’t see any distinction.

Cornelius and his crew were aware of Jesus; they had heard of him. 

These experiences of the coming of the holy spirit are on the other side of education. Peter explaining to them about what they need to know about Jesus. This qualifies static kind of experiences.  

Acts 11

He explained what happened in Acts 10. 

v. 15 - 16 Baptism of the HS - education 

v. 18 Peter convinced them.  

A person’s experience is valid; they believed based upon his experience at Cornelius’ house. That experience is consistent with the things that Jesus said.  

v. 25 Barnabas goes himself to Tarsus to find Saul. He realizes that the best guy for the Hellenistic Jews coming to know Jesus, would be Saul. 

The community of Antioch in the book of Acts, is the first place for Jewish/Gentile relations, all because of Saul. It’s the context for the Gentile inclusion into the KOG in all of subsequent writings.  

v. 28 A famine hits the Jerusalem community.  

v. 29 Donations and relief from Gentile churches, becomes the solution to the famine. This is a reversal. Israel was supposed to lend and not borrow, but we are seeing who is operating like the people of God at this point.