Review week three:

The kingdom of God in Jesus’ teaching

Commission and birth of the church

1. Commerce: roads, language, safety.

2. Citizenship: freedom to travel and be protected by Roman law.

3. Religion: Decline of the pantheon; general spiritual hunger; freedom of religion for the Jews.

1. Paul’s commission (9:15)

Paul was ideally suited to be God's man to the Gentiles. He was a Roman citizen. He was bicultural. He was a zealous Jew. The narrative of Acts changes dramatically with the conversion of Paul: Now the focus is on Paul and the mission to the Gentiles.

2. Peter's ministry to the Gentiles (9:32-10:18)

Just as Peter had begun the public ministry of the church to the Jews, he also made an important bridge to the gentiles (9:32-10:18). See especially the vision of the table (10:9ff).

1. Sent out by the church at Antioch (13:1-3).

2. Cyprus (13:4-12)

This seemed to be a natural place, because it was Barnabus' home. Historical reference to Sergius Paulus is important, because we know that he was there for less than 2 years.

3. Asia Minor (13:13-14:28)

Strategy:

a. Urban centers. The cities were less tied to their traditional religious forms than those in the countryside. City life also lent itself better for the propagation of the gospel. They are centers of commerce, etc. Also, Paul could work at tentmaking in the cities, which he did from time to time.

b. Synagogues. His costume was to go directly to the synagogue, because he was qualified to teach. Also, it is the Jews that possessed the revelation from God that shows Jesus to be the messiah. Paul would stay at the synagogue as long as he was welcome.

c. Paul's central message (13:16-42)

d. "God fearers" (13:43). Paul was typically expelled from the synagogue after a few weeks. But, he was well received by the gentiles who attended the Jewish services. These were people who were impressed with the Jewish religion, but were unwilling to undergo circumcision and observe the ritual laws of Judaism. Paul taught that one does not have to first become a Jew to be a Christian. For the God fearers, this was a truly liberating message. Yet, among the Jews, Paul formed many enemies.

Paul would stay in a city usually for a short period of time, especially on the first journey. He would appoint elders from among the new believers to be responsible for reading and teaching from the scripture, and leading the new community.

Paul and Barnibus returned to Antioch by retracing their steps. They devoted their attention to grounding the believers in truth, rather than high profile evangelistic ministry.

News of Paul's success among the Gentiles brought a new dimension into the church. These people who have not been the people of God, and whose religious and cultural forms were pagan were now being incorporated into the body of Christ. But this immediately raised issues that were threatening to divide the church.

1. Question: What is the relationship of Christianity to Mosaic Law?

a. Position of the Judaizers (15:1,5). Judaizers are those who taught that gentiles must first become Jews before they can be saved. That is, the Christian community would be completely Jewish. The Gentiles would needed to undergo circumcision, observe the Mosaic Law, etc. In essence, a gentile must reject his cultural as well as religious background. Clearly this raised theological problems (df: salvation) and well as practical ones.

b. Testimony of Peter (15:7-12). Peter's testimony would carry a unique authority in the minds of the church leaders, given his stature in the founding of the church.

2. Findings summarized by James(15:13-29)

The statement on the Law is as important as anything, showing as it does that James was in agreement with Paul that the Law could not be lived up to anyway (cf Mt. 7:1). Given the central importance of this issue for the growth of the church to the gentile world, and the battles continually fought over it, we should look at Galatians. This book was the first written by Paul, and it clarifies in detail the position of the council and of Paul on the issue of the Law.

1. Abraham, the father of faith (3:6-9, 15-18)

2. Curse of the Law (3:10-12)

3. Purpose of the Law (3:19-4:7)

Failure of the Law (5:1-12)

Victory of the Spirit (5:13-26)

Paul and Barnabus dispute over Mark, who had previously abandoned the missionary group. Barnabus takes Mark with him back to Crete, Paul chooses Silas to colead the next missionary trip. The choice of Silas was of great strategic value, since Silas was from the Jerusalem church and could give personal testimony concerning the Jerusalem Council decision and the unquestioned authority of Paul. Further, Silas, like Paul was a Roman citizen.

1. The apostolic band

Paul always traveled with a group of men. We find mention of Timothy, Titus, Luke and many others. They would work with him in the teaching and evangelistic ministry. It also happened that when Paul left or was forced out of a city, he would leave some of his coworkers behind.

2. Growing polarization (Ac. 17:1-9; 18:12-18)

Opposition at Thessalonica came from the Jews. Paul stayed only a short time, then he left to Berea. The Thessalonian Jews followed him there, so he left Berea also in haste. Paul sent the rest of the missionary team back to Thessalonica to establish the church, while he went on to Ahtens.

a. From Thessalonica to Athens

Ac. 17:16-34. Discuss his observations and relative failure among the "intellectuals" of his day. His stay in Athens was also short, and he went south to Corith. From Corinth, he wrote back to the Thessalonians. His letters reveal both some of his doctrinal priorities and the passion he had for the churches he established.

b. Insights into Paul's teaching: 1 Thessalonians

i. Relationship of Paul to the church

Some believed that Paul's having left meant that he did not care for them (see 2:1-14).

ii. Living in the hope of the parousia

A central concern of the letter is concern over the doctrine of the return of Christ and the state of dead Christians prior to his return (see 4:13). Paul's response is given in 4:13-5:11.

Corinth was a grossly immoral city. It is analogous in many ways to San Francisco. Paul ran out of money and began making tents, as was his profession. He ran into a couple, Priscilla and Aquilla. Paul stayed for 18 months in Corinth. His letters to this church, which we will discuss next week, provide a great window into the central issues that faced the spread of Christianity among the gentiles.

Ephesus became a very important church. It was a training ground for Paul (school of Tyraneas), he sent 3 letters to the church, John would later settle there.

19:24-41. Conversions in Ephesus led to heated resistance against the church. The opposition was led by the guilds, which profited much from the pagan relic business. The temple to Artemis was enormous and beautiful, considered one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world.. A riot insued.

Paul's trek to Rome (Acts 20:2-28:31)

Paul was to end up in Rome. That was his expressed intention (19:21). Yet how he would get there is another matter. It would be a circuitous route to say the least. He would go there by way of Jersualem, and arrive in chains after about 3 years of imprisonments. Fearing for his life, Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen to have his case given before Caesar (Ac. 25:21).

Paul's years in prison were used well. Under house arrest, he was able to entertain visitors, write letters (Prison Epistles), and carry on an extraordinary mission to Caesar’s household (Phil. 1:12-20). Paul may have been able to do in chains what he could never have done as a free man.

Acts ends without the reader knowing what happened to Paul. We know that he was exonerated or the charges. Yet, within two years, Paul would stand before Nero, where he would meet his death. The Christian community had become Nero's scapegoat for the 64 AD fire that nearly destroyed Rome (again).

Rom. 16:22 mentions Tertius. Paul also mentions that he wrote at various times with his own hand, suggesting a break with his normal method (1 Cor. 16:21; Gal. 6:11; Col. 4:18...). That Paul used an amenuensis is also observed by the stylistic differences evident in various of Paul's letters.

Most of Paul's letters were "occasional." The form is typically (i) Greeting, which includes the name of the author, credentials, blessings, name of recipient; (ii) Body, which was typically responses to problems based on theological truth; (iii) Conclusion, which gave greetings for others in the apostolic band.

Much of Christian doctrine became clarified and written in the context of difficult debate.

A. Greek Dualism

1. Df. Reality is divided into the spiritual and the physical. Humans are spirits encased (or enslaved) in a body.

2. Doctrinal implications

a. Christology

i. Full humanity (1 John 1:1, 4:1,2;Jn 1:14)

ii. Full Deity (Col. 1:15-20, 2:9)

iii. Bodily resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:1-17)

b. Bodily resurrection of Christians (1 Cor. 15:12,18,19, 50-58)

c. Singular authority of Christ to forgive sins and to rule creation

3. Practical implications

a. Asceticism and License

i. License. 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 6:12-20.

ii. Asceticism. Col. 2:20-23.

B. Spiritual illumination by mystical experience

1. Mystery religion in the Roman Empire

a. Mystical awareness through bombastic ritual

b. Secret knowledge given to the initiate

2. Doctrinal implications

a. Objective revelation in propositional terms, in the face of the tendency toward "gnosis" and false teaching (1 Tim. 6:20,21; Col. 2:8,9; 2 Cor.10:3-5).

b. Importance of historic fact (1 Cor. 15:1-10)

3. Practical implications

a. Orderliness in worship (1 Cor. 11:20-22;14:6-19).

b. Faithfulness to the word of God stressed (Romans 12:1,2).

C. Cyclical view of history

1. Df: The theory of eternal recurrence, that the cycle of both nature and history is eternal and unchanging. There is no ultimate purpose to human history, as it is not really going any where.

2. Importance of biblical eschatology (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11). the biblical hope of the Kingdom of God is a linear view of history. That is, there is a beginning point (Gen. 1:1), followed by a meaningful sequence of events, culminating in the parousia.

Christianity became the driving force in social transformation in the Western world.

A. Slavery

1. Scope of slavery in the Roman world

2. Nature of slavery in the Roman world

3. Biblical teaching on slavery:

a. Slave status in the church (Gal. 3:28).

b. Freedom is to be valued (1 Cor 7:20-24).

c. Household principles (Eph. 6:5-9).

d. Condemnation of slavery (1 Tim. 1:10 cf. Ex. 21:16; Philemon 8)

B. Jews and Romans

1. Unity of the body of Christ (Gal. 3:28)

2. Practical care for one another (1 Cor. 16:3; 2 Cor. 8,9)

C. Family

1. Importance of marital faithfulness and commitment (Eph. 5)

D. Government

1. Secular government has a role in God's plan (Romans 13:1-7).