Witness to the Gospel: The Theology of ActsI. Howard Marshall, David Peterson A distinguished group of scholars here provides a comprehensive survey of the theology of the early church as it is presented by the author of Acts. These twenty-five essays, designed to show the current state of scholarship in ways accessible to students of the New Testament, discuss the main themes in the theology of Acts: God's plan of salvation, the call of God and the spreading of the Word, the renewing work of the Holy Spirit, the relationship of Jews and Gentiles in the church, and more. |
Contents
HOW DOES ONE WRITE ON THE THEOLOGY OF ACTS? | 3 |
I Was Luke a theologian? | 4 |
II What do we mean by the theology of the book of Acts? | 5 |
III What can we learn from previous investigators? | 8 |
IV What are we attempting in this book? | 15 |
THE SALVATION OF GOD | 17 |
THE PLAN OF GOD IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES | 19 |
I Introduction | 20 |
I Introduction | 276 |
II Context and meaning of Stephens speech | 277 |
III Stephens speech as an historical review in the context of Jewish literature | 281 |
IV Theological motifs and buildingblocks in Stephens speech | 283 |
V Concerning the theological roots of Stephens speech | 290 |
VI Conclusion | 294 |
THE PREACHING AND DEFENCE OF PAUL | 295 |
I Introduction | 296 |
II The plan of God in Acts | 23 |
III Conclusion | 37 |
SCRIPTURE AND THE REALISATION OF GODS PROMISES | 41 |
I Introduction | 42 |
II Hermeneutical axioms | 43 |
III Five scriptural themes in Acts | 49 |
IV Conclusion | 62 |
SALVATIONHISTORY AND ESCHATOLOGY | 63 |
I Introduction | 64 |
II Parousia hope | 65 |
III Kingdom as present and future | 68 |
IV Repetition and escalation in salvationhistory | 70 |
V Jewish unbelief not the basis for Good News to Gentiles | 76 |
SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH ACTS 1347 GOD AS SAVIOUR IN THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES | 83 |
I Introduction | 84 |
II The message of this salvation | 87 |
III God has brought a Saviour | 95 |
IV What must I do to be saved? | 101 |
V You and your entire household will be saved | 105 |
THE DIVINE SAVIOUR | 107 |
I Introduction | 108 |
III A deity who reigns supreme | 112 |
IV A deity who waits on tables | 120 |
the christological pulse of Acts | 122 |
THE NEED FOR SALVATION | 125 |
I Introduction | 126 |
II How and why people need to be saved | 129 |
III Forgiveness of sin | 132 |
IV Lukes generation and humanity in general | 135 |
V Repentance | 140 |
37 | 142 |
VII Conclusion | 144 |
SALVATION AND HEALTH IN CHRISTIAN ANTIQUITY THE SOTERIOLOGY OF LUKEACTS IN ITS FIRST CENTURY SETTING | 145 |
I Introduction | 146 |
II Salvation in a GraecoRoman modespared healed blessed | 147 |
III Helped cured delivered in LukeActs | 150 |
IV The means of salvation in LukeActs | 155 |
V The meaning and benefits of salvation in LukeActs | 159 |
VI Conclusions and corollaries | 163 |
THE CALL OF GOD | 167 |
THE ROLE OF THE APOSTLES | 169 |
I Introduction | 170 |
III Peter as representative of the Twelve | 172 |
IV The roles of the twelve apostles | 173 |
V Paul and Barnabas as apostles | 181 |
VI Peter and Paul parallels | 185 |
VII Conclusion | 190 |
MISSION AND WITNESS | 191 |
I Introduction | 192 |
III The witnesses and their witness | 196 |
IV Mission witness and the reader of Acts | 210 |
THE PROGRESS OF THE WORD | 215 |
I Introduction | 216 |
II Progress anticipated | 217 |
III Progress confirmed | 221 |
IV The author of progress | 223 |
V Patterns of progress | 225 |
VI Unending progress | 229 |
VII Conclusion | 233 |
OPPOSITION TO THE PLAN OF GOD AND PERSECUTION | 235 |
I Introduction | 236 |
III Christian opposition | 239 |
IV How the persecuted fulfil the plan of God | 245 |
V Conclusion | 254 |
THE PREACHING OF PETER IN ACTS | 257 |
I Introduction | 258 |
III Peter as a preacher of repentance and salvation | 262 |
The christology of the collective apostolic witness with some Petrine emphases | 269 |
V Conclusion | 273 |
THE SPEECH OF STEPHEN | 275 |
II Mission speech to Jews | 297 |
III Mission speeches to Gentiles | 307 |
IV Defence Speeches | 317 |
V Conclusion | 324 |
THE RENEWING WORK OF GOD | 325 |
THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY AS THE POWER OF ISRAELS RESTORATION AND WITNESS | 327 |
I Introduction | 328 |
II The Spirit as the Spirit of Prophecy in Acts | 333 |
III The gift of the Spirit and conversioninitiation | 337 |
IV A Donum Superadditum or a soteriological necessity? | 339 |
Lukes pneumatology and the theology of Acts | 347 |
THE NEW PEOPLE OF GOD | 349 |
I A revolutionary transformation | 350 |
II Israels restoration begins | 351 |
III The remnant of Israel | 352 |
IV A Messianic people | 353 |
V Leadership of the new people | 354 |
VI God in their midst | 355 |
VII Condemnation of Israels rulers | 356 |
VIII A creed for the people of God | 357 |
IX Assembling the outcasts | 359 |
X Gentile breakthrough | 360 |
XI Severance of church and synagogue | 363 |
XII The culture of the new people of God | 365 |
XIII An appeal to the Jews | 366 |
XIV A partial hardening of Israel | 370 |
XV The new people of God | 371 |
THE WORSHIP OF THE NEW COMMUNITY | 373 |
I Introduction | 374 |
III The challenge to the Gentile world | 382 |
IV Homage and service under the New Covenant | 384 |
V The character and function of early Christian gatherings | 389 |
VI Conclusion | 394 |
THE CHRISTIAN AND THE LAW OF MOSES | 397 |
I Introduction | 398 |
II Analysis | 400 |
III Conclusion | 415 |
MISSION PRACTICE AND THEOLOGY UNDER CONSTRUCTION ACTS 1820 | 417 |
I Introduction | 418 |
II Formative events and patterns | 419 |
Acts 181920 | 424 |
IV Conclusion | 435 |
ISRAEL AND THE GENTILE MISSION IN ACTS AND PAUL A CANONICAL APPROACH | 437 |
I Introduction | 438 |
II Israel and the Gentile mission in Acts | 441 |
III Israel and the Gentile mission in Romans 911 | 452 |
SOCIOLOGY AND THEOLOGY | 459 |
I Prolegomena | 460 |
two case studies | 467 |
III A theological postscript | 472 |
THE INFLUENCE OF JEWISH WORSHIP ON LUKES PRESENTATION OF THE EARLY CHURCH | 473 |
I Introduction | 474 |
II Jewish antecedents | 475 |
III Apostles Christian benefactors and early gatherings | 479 |
IV Conclusion | 496 |
RECIPROCITY AND THE ETHIC OF ACTS | 499 |
I Introduction | 500 |
II Literary resonances and the narrative tension of Acts | 504 |
III Friendship reciprocity and mealfellowship | 512 |
CONCLUSION | 519 |
LUKES THEOLOGICAL ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION AND INTENT | 521 |
I Introduction | 522 |
III Integrating the themes of Acts | 523 |
IV Lukes intention | 532 |
545 | |
577 | |
585 | |
595 | |
Common terms and phrases
Antioch Apostelgeschichte apostles Areopagus argues audience Barnabas believers biblical Book of Acts chapter Christ Christian community christology circumcision citation context Conzelmann Corinth Cornelius death disciples divine early Christian early church emphasis Ephesus eschatological exalted faith forgiveness of sins fulfilment Gentile mission God's Gospel Greek healing Hellenistic Holy Spirit indicates interpretation Isaiah Israel Jerusalem Jesus Jewish Jewish Christians Jews Jews and Gentiles Joel Judaism judgement literary Lord Lucan Lukan Luke Luke-Acts Luke's means Messiah ministry missionary Moses motif nations pagan parallels parousia Paul Paul's Pauline Pentecost persecution Peter pneumatology prayer preaching present proclaimed promise prophets Psalm question readers reference rejection repentance resurrection role Roman Rome salvation salvation-history Sanhedrin saved Saviour Scripture sense significance soteriology Spirit of prophecy Stephen Stephen's speech story suggests summary synagogue temple Testament theme theology theology of Acts witness word worship Yahweh