Theology of Acts (2)
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IV. Soteriology
IV. Soteriology
The Act of Proclaiming the Good News
The Scope of the Good News: For Jew and Gentile
The Authentication of the Good News
The Importance of the Good News
Luke speaks of the Word 40x in Acts
The importance of the Word: The church and its ministry are brought under the judgment of the apostolic, inspired Word. It is the Word which legitimizes the church and its ministry and not vice versa.” (Morris quoting Talbert, 220)
The objective aspect of Salvation
The subjective aspect of Salvation
The benefits of Salvation
Forgiveness Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38-39; 26:18
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.
To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins;
and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.
to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
Life Acts 2:27-28; 3:15; 5:20; 11:18; 13:46, 48
For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
“Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Gift of the Spirit Acts 2:38; 8:20; 10:45; 11:17
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!
And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
Peace Acts 10:36
The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ—He is Lord of all—
Grace Acts 4:33; 11:23; 13:42; 14:3; 15:11; 18:27; 20:24, 32
And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.
So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;
But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Other aspects of Salvation
The message of salvation and promise
God’s promise of salvation is a present possession
Acts 2:47 - σωτηρίζω present passive
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
Acts 13:48 - appointed to eternal life
Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
God’s promise of salvation is a future deliverance from a future judgment
Paul’s message is the Hope of the Resurrection and the hope of the prophets Acts 23:6; 24:14-16; 26:6-8, 22-23 Yet hope is by definition not seen Romans 8:24
But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”
But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers.
To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.
Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—
that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?
The hope of the Gospel is offered in the face of approaching judgment Acts 2:13; 3:23; 10:42; 17:30-31
Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
The Law in Luke-Acts
the Law is an infallible reflection of God’s unchanging moral character, instantiated to a particular people who were in a particular time of salvation history.
When Stephen was charged with not keeping the law Acts 6:11-14, his response was that his accusers stood in line with Israel’s historic practice of ignoring the Law and so stood under God’s judgment Acts 7:51-53
Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council.
They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;
for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
“You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,
who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
Paul responded to the charge of not keeping the law by
Agreeing to observe a vow to prove he is an orderly lawkeeper Acts 21:21-24
Affirming he believed the law in its entirety Acts 24:14
But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.
Denying that he had transgressed the law Acts 25:8
while he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.”
Affirming that the Gospel message fulfills what Moses predicted Acts 26:22
Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—
The law contains promise which is fulfilled
Peter Declared that Jesus was the prophet Moses predicted (Deut 18:15, and the blessing that God spoke to Abraham Acts 3:22-23, 25
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,
For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.
And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’
You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
The law has been abrogated
Before it was clear that the law was no longer in effect, all Christians kept the law, as all Christians were observant Jews Acts 3:1; 10:9-16
After the Gospel was opened to the Gentiles, the church still recommended that some portions of the law be kept for the sake of reaching the Jews Acts 13:14; 15:19-21; 16:3; 18:18; 21:23-24
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.
Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek.
So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.
Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.
Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law.
The law is no longer binding, therefore Gentiles do not need to keep it. Jews may observe it if they wish, but it is no longer required Acts 15:10-11
Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
