Christian Ethics for Paul is really a simple matter. If one is in Christ, that person becomes a new creation. The old person passes away, and a new one is born. This love from Christ leads to behavior changes (Romans 12: 2 and 2 Corinthians 15:18). Moral life is not the result of reason controlling passions or moral striving to obey religious rules, but the result of God’s transformation.
To love and to be loved is the essence of Christianity. Nothing is forbidden. By loving one’s neighbor, that person fulfills all the teachings of the law (Romans 13:10). This is a beautiful vision. The question we will examine in the concluding blog on Paul is whether this experience of love actually produces the changes that Paul suggests.
Paul’s vision of the Church is equally beautiful. The Church is the place where God’s love invades the world. It radiates love outward into the world. It is a community within the world and not separate from it. Paul encourages his followers to separate themselves from the values of the world, but not to withdraw from the world (1 Corinthians 5: 9-13).
Unfortunately, there were splits within some of the churches that Paul established (1 Corinthians 1: 10-16). He reminds his members in Corinth that the primary gift of the Holy Spirit is love. Members of the Christian community are urged to use that love to build up others within the community. Life in the Christian community is one of mutual service for the common good. (1 Corinthians 14: 26-27).
Finally, Paul teaches that the Church is one body unified in Christ. As a body, the Church has several parts. Members each have special gifts which they are to use for building up the community and not for their own aggrandizement. The individual member, like a body part, has no life on his own. An arm only has meaning if it is attached to a body. As a result, Church members should always use their gifts to work for the good of the whole community (Romans 2: 3-13 and 1 Corinthians 12: 21-30).
Monday, June 15, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Paul's Encounter with the Resurrected Jesus
In a previous blog ( The Resurrection in Matthew), I described Paul’s encounter with the resurrected Jesus. To resummarize, Paul met the resurrected Jesus in a vision experience. He saw the glorified body of Jesus in heaven, not as a physical presence on earth. This encounter takes place on the Damascus Road where Paul is suddenly engulfed by a light from heaven. Jesus then speaks to him from heaven (Acts 9: 1-9). In Second Corinthians 12: 1-12, Paul makes clear that his experience of the resurrected Jesus came as a vision, and that his experience was the same as the experiences of the other disciples.
This encounter with Jesus in heaven was a profound and life changing experience for Paul. He came to believe that Jesus had died for him. The deep experience of love redefined how he saw the world. God had chosen him. His salvation was a gift. It had nothing to do with obedience to religious law. He was saved by the experience.
The experience led him to redefine religion. Salvation was no longer seen as the establishment of a kingdom of God for a renewed Israel. Instead, salvation was for individual believers in heaven. The specific path for achieving salvation is the subject of next week’s blog.
The death and resurrection of Jesus was a cosmic event. It marked the end of history as we know it. Jesus was seen by Paul as the first fruits of a general resurrection in which others chosen by God would soon follow (1 Corinthians 15: 19-20). Once the elect were taken to heaven, the world would be judged, punished, and the end of history would follow. Paul expected these events to unfold within his lifetime. He makes this point again and again, and again. See Romans 13:12, 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31 and 10:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11.
The most vivid description of these events comes in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18. At the trumpet of God, Jesus will come down from heaven. The elect who have died will rise first, and then those still alive will be taken up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air. Amazing! Where is heaven? It’s a place where Jesus lives in a transformed body—flesh and blood do not inherit the kingdom of God. I’m still looking for the place. I continue to wonder why the events that Paul expected to take place in the first century have yet to unfold. Finally, I am puzzled why Christians stubbornly cling to the idea of a physical resurrection when Paul, the first one to describe the event, so clearly believed it to be a vision experience.
This encounter with Jesus in heaven was a profound and life changing experience for Paul. He came to believe that Jesus had died for him. The deep experience of love redefined how he saw the world. God had chosen him. His salvation was a gift. It had nothing to do with obedience to religious law. He was saved by the experience.
The experience led him to redefine religion. Salvation was no longer seen as the establishment of a kingdom of God for a renewed Israel. Instead, salvation was for individual believers in heaven. The specific path for achieving salvation is the subject of next week’s blog.
The death and resurrection of Jesus was a cosmic event. It marked the end of history as we know it. Jesus was seen by Paul as the first fruits of a general resurrection in which others chosen by God would soon follow (1 Corinthians 15: 19-20). Once the elect were taken to heaven, the world would be judged, punished, and the end of history would follow. Paul expected these events to unfold within his lifetime. He makes this point again and again, and again. See Romans 13:12, 1 Corinthians 7: 29-31 and 10:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5: 1-11.
The most vivid description of these events comes in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18. At the trumpet of God, Jesus will come down from heaven. The elect who have died will rise first, and then those still alive will be taken up in the clouds to meet Jesus in the air. Amazing! Where is heaven? It’s a place where Jesus lives in a transformed body—flesh and blood do not inherit the kingdom of God. I’m still looking for the place. I continue to wonder why the events that Paul expected to take place in the first century have yet to unfold. Finally, I am puzzled why Christians stubbornly cling to the idea of a physical resurrection when Paul, the first one to describe the event, so clearly believed it to be a vision experience.
Monday, June 1, 2009
The Religion of Paul
According to Paul, Jesus does two things for us. His first gift is to die on the cross. Paul received a powerful experience on the Damascus Road. Despite the fact that he had been persecuting Christians and may have had a role in Jesus’ death, God chose to save him. His experience reconciled him with God. Because of it, he came to believe that Jesus had died for him.
Paul takes his experience of the death of Jesus on the cross and gives it cosmic significance. In doing so, he invents the idea of the atonement. Sin, for a Jew, was a crime, and thus it must be paid for. Jesus dies to pay the penalty of sin for all of us (Romans 3:23-25).
In creating this doctrine, Paul links the death of Jesus to the original sin of Adam. Because of Adam’s sin, humans became alienated from God. Because of Jesus’ obedience on the cross, humans are reconciled (Romans 5: 12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:23). Adam becomes the symbol of man’s rebellion against God. Jesus’ act of obedience on the cross becomes the symbol of self emptying love that leads to reconciliation with God.
The second gift that Jesus gives us is deep love. In addition to seeing sin as a crime that must be paid for, Paul views it as a moral disposition. Sin is a turning away from God, a disposition to see the world through self, through ego. It is life of the flesh, and it has power, a power that humans are unable to defeat on their own (Romans 7: 14-25). The deep love that Paul encounters on the Damascus Road is what saves him. He literally felt that he had been taken over by Jesus. It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
Only God can make humans righteous. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings this deep experience of love into the world (11 Corinthians 5: 14-16). All that matters is the love experienced in Christ. This love recreates humans (Romans 6:5-7). Faith, by which humans are saved, is not belief in doctrine, but a response to this profound experience (Galatians 5:6).
The love unleashed on the world by the death and resurrection of Jesus is available to all on an equal basis. God has no favorites. All are one in Christ—Jew/Greek, male/female, slave/free (Galatians 3:28-29). Gentiles, Paul’s main concern, need only confess their love of the God of Israel, and accept Jesus as their savior. This acceptance releases God’s transforming love (1 Thessalonians 2: 13-14). It also rescues one from the wrath that is coming. The future for Christians is a glorious existence in heaven in a transformed body (1 Corinthians 15: 35-50).
As mentioned above, only God can heal the divine/human divide. Obedience to religious law cannot. Humans cannot save themselves by their own devices. Paul argues that religious law was given to Israel as a temporary custodian of righteousness until Christ came. It is fine as a guide for human behavior, but it has no power to recreate human life and thus defeat sin. Law provides the knowledge of human sin, but not the solution (Romans 3: 20 and 7: 7-13, Galatians 3:22). The only solution is the deep love experienced in Christ.
As I pointed out in my blog entitled “The Sermon on the Mount,” the religion of Paul and Jesus are different. Jesus has a much higher view of human nature. Humans have the ability to obey religious law. The kingdom of God is given to those who bear good fruit. Jesus urges his followers to obey religious law, to be perfect as God is perfect. The best summary of Jesus’ position on these issues comes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7: 29). The gospel of Matthew is consistent throughout in espousing this position.
Christians must choose whether to be followers of Jesus or followers of Paul. The vast majority have chosen to follow Paul. I think this is a mistake which I will address in my concluding blog on Paul.
Paul takes his experience of the death of Jesus on the cross and gives it cosmic significance. In doing so, he invents the idea of the atonement. Sin, for a Jew, was a crime, and thus it must be paid for. Jesus dies to pay the penalty of sin for all of us (Romans 3:23-25).
In creating this doctrine, Paul links the death of Jesus to the original sin of Adam. Because of Adam’s sin, humans became alienated from God. Because of Jesus’ obedience on the cross, humans are reconciled (Romans 5: 12-21 and 1 Corinthians 15:23). Adam becomes the symbol of man’s rebellion against God. Jesus’ act of obedience on the cross becomes the symbol of self emptying love that leads to reconciliation with God.
The second gift that Jesus gives us is deep love. In addition to seeing sin as a crime that must be paid for, Paul views it as a moral disposition. Sin is a turning away from God, a disposition to see the world through self, through ego. It is life of the flesh, and it has power, a power that humans are unable to defeat on their own (Romans 7: 14-25). The deep love that Paul encounters on the Damascus Road is what saves him. He literally felt that he had been taken over by Jesus. It is no longer I that lives, but Christ that lives in me (Galatians 2:20).
Only God can make humans righteous. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings this deep experience of love into the world (11 Corinthians 5: 14-16). All that matters is the love experienced in Christ. This love recreates humans (Romans 6:5-7). Faith, by which humans are saved, is not belief in doctrine, but a response to this profound experience (Galatians 5:6).
The love unleashed on the world by the death and resurrection of Jesus is available to all on an equal basis. God has no favorites. All are one in Christ—Jew/Greek, male/female, slave/free (Galatians 3:28-29). Gentiles, Paul’s main concern, need only confess their love of the God of Israel, and accept Jesus as their savior. This acceptance releases God’s transforming love (1 Thessalonians 2: 13-14). It also rescues one from the wrath that is coming. The future for Christians is a glorious existence in heaven in a transformed body (1 Corinthians 15: 35-50).
As mentioned above, only God can heal the divine/human divide. Obedience to religious law cannot. Humans cannot save themselves by their own devices. Paul argues that religious law was given to Israel as a temporary custodian of righteousness until Christ came. It is fine as a guide for human behavior, but it has no power to recreate human life and thus defeat sin. Law provides the knowledge of human sin, but not the solution (Romans 3: 20 and 7: 7-13, Galatians 3:22). The only solution is the deep love experienced in Christ.
As I pointed out in my blog entitled “The Sermon on the Mount,” the religion of Paul and Jesus are different. Jesus has a much higher view of human nature. Humans have the ability to obey religious law. The kingdom of God is given to those who bear good fruit. Jesus urges his followers to obey religious law, to be perfect as God is perfect. The best summary of Jesus’ position on these issues comes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7: 29). The gospel of Matthew is consistent throughout in espousing this position.
Christians must choose whether to be followers of Jesus or followers of Paul. The vast majority have chosen to follow Paul. I think this is a mistake which I will address in my concluding blog on Paul.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Introduction to Paul
The Apostle Paul is the founder of Christianity. Jesus inspired Paul and his crucifixion produced the experience that changed Paul’s life; but the ideas that resulted from this experience, not the ideas of Jesus (see my blog entitled “The Sermon on the Mount”), are what most Christians affirm today.
Paul, the man, was riddled with contradictions. He was loving and very generous, and yet subject to violent mood swings. He was passionate about his mission to preach the gospel in the Gentile world, and intolerant toward those who opposed him, suggesting at one point that his opponents should castrate themselves (Galatians 5: 12).
We know little about his early life. Most scholars place his birth between 5 and 10 CE in Tarsus Syria, an important center of Hellenistic culture. From his letters we learn that he was a proud Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. He also claimed to be a Roman citizen, which suggests that he came from a prominent family.
As a Pharisee operating in Jerusalem, he admits to persecuting early Christians. We learn by his own admission that he played a role in the stoning of Stephen, and may have been involved in the crucifixion of Jesus.
This opposition to the early Christian movement all changed following his dramatic vision experience on the Damascus Road where he saw Jesus in heaven, and received his commission from Jesus to bring the gospel to the Gentile world. The experience took place around 33 CE, and he began his missionary work four years later.
Paul always insisted that he had been commissioned by God himself, and was not in any way dependent on the Jerusalem church. He also insisted that his gospel was the only true path to salvation. These strongly held views had consequences within the early Christian community because there was debate regarding how Gentiles would be admitted into the Christian community. Did they have to become Jews first and be circumcised? Did they have to live as Jews by worshipping in the Temple and obeying Jewish food laws?
Paul answered these questions with a resounding no. Circumcision or the obligation to live as a Jew have nothing to do with the new standards of relating to God set in motion by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not all members of the Jerusalem community agreed with this position despite the best efforts of Acts to smooth over these differences.
Paul worked tireously as a missionary for thirty years before dying in Rome around 67 CE. On his last trip to Jerusalem to donate funds to the Jerusalem church for helping the poor, he was arrested, placed in prison, and eventually sent to Rome. There, tradition speculates, he was executed by Nero as a scapegoat for the fire that burned Rome.
During the course of his missionary work, Paul wrote letters of instructions to the churches he established. These letters are the source of his theology. The authentic letters include Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, First Thessalonians, and Philemon. There is virtually universal agreement among scholars that these letters were written by Paul.
The same near unanimous consensus exists among scholars for rejecting First and Second Timothy and Titus as coming from Paul. Serious scholarly debate concerning the authenticity of Second Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians continues to exist among commentators on Paul.
The next five blogs will develop Paul’s theological ideas from his undisputed letters. Once this is completed, I will discuss the arguments for and against Paul as author for the disputed letters as well as the theological focus of each letter.
Paul, the man, was riddled with contradictions. He was loving and very generous, and yet subject to violent mood swings. He was passionate about his mission to preach the gospel in the Gentile world, and intolerant toward those who opposed him, suggesting at one point that his opponents should castrate themselves (Galatians 5: 12).
We know little about his early life. Most scholars place his birth between 5 and 10 CE in Tarsus Syria, an important center of Hellenistic culture. From his letters we learn that he was a proud Jew from the tribe of Benjamin. He also claimed to be a Roman citizen, which suggests that he came from a prominent family.
As a Pharisee operating in Jerusalem, he admits to persecuting early Christians. We learn by his own admission that he played a role in the stoning of Stephen, and may have been involved in the crucifixion of Jesus.
This opposition to the early Christian movement all changed following his dramatic vision experience on the Damascus Road where he saw Jesus in heaven, and received his commission from Jesus to bring the gospel to the Gentile world. The experience took place around 33 CE, and he began his missionary work four years later.
Paul always insisted that he had been commissioned by God himself, and was not in any way dependent on the Jerusalem church. He also insisted that his gospel was the only true path to salvation. These strongly held views had consequences within the early Christian community because there was debate regarding how Gentiles would be admitted into the Christian community. Did they have to become Jews first and be circumcised? Did they have to live as Jews by worshipping in the Temple and obeying Jewish food laws?
Paul answered these questions with a resounding no. Circumcision or the obligation to live as a Jew have nothing to do with the new standards of relating to God set in motion by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not all members of the Jerusalem community agreed with this position despite the best efforts of Acts to smooth over these differences.
Paul worked tireously as a missionary for thirty years before dying in Rome around 67 CE. On his last trip to Jerusalem to donate funds to the Jerusalem church for helping the poor, he was arrested, placed in prison, and eventually sent to Rome. There, tradition speculates, he was executed by Nero as a scapegoat for the fire that burned Rome.
During the course of his missionary work, Paul wrote letters of instructions to the churches he established. These letters are the source of his theology. The authentic letters include Romans, First and Second Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, First Thessalonians, and Philemon. There is virtually universal agreement among scholars that these letters were written by Paul.
The same near unanimous consensus exists among scholars for rejecting First and Second Timothy and Titus as coming from Paul. Serious scholarly debate concerning the authenticity of Second Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians continues to exist among commentators on Paul.
The next five blogs will develop Paul’s theological ideas from his undisputed letters. Once this is completed, I will discuss the arguments for and against Paul as author for the disputed letters as well as the theological focus of each letter.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Acts: Odds and Ends
On Fulfilling Scripture (Acts 1:15-22) As part of the parallel structure that I discussed in introducing Acts, we discover that certain activities within the church fulfill scripture. In Luke, the actions of Jesus fulfilled scripture. In the case of Acts, Peter argues in his first speech (1:15-22) that the death of Judas was predicted by David in Psalms 69 and 109. If you will read these Psalms, you will see that there is no connection to Judas. The Psalms cited by Peter are not about a traitor, but rather, in each case, about a man who wants God to rescue him from his enemies.
The Last Disciple (Acts 1: 21-26) When Mattias is chosen to replace Judas as a disciple, that is the last we hear of twelve disciples. The notion of twelve disciples relates to the salvation of Israel as a nation where there were twelve tribes. Jesus suggests in Matthew (19: 28) that in a new Israel each disciple would sit as judge of one of the tribes. As the church rapidly moves into the Hellenistic world, the notion of salvation changes from a corporate Israel to the individual. With such a change, there was no longer need for twelve disciples.
The Christian Community (Acts 2:44-47 and 4: 32-37) These two passages describe the community established by Jesus’ early followers. This community was based on shared wealth, shared meals, and a radical equality between men and women. It was a community based on mutual love and caring. This was Jesus’ solution to the problem of Roman occupation. How do you survive these horrible times? By living in communities of mutual love and caring. In this way, it was possible to ignore the Romans and to wait for God to provide for liberation. It was a brilliant strategy!
Ideology v. Love (Acts 10: 28-37) As this passage indicates, the Jews taught that it was forbidden to mix with people from a different race. Peter introduces this idea to explain the significance of a vision he received from God in which God told him that all people are clean regardless of race. This passage provides a vivid contrast between religion as ideology and religion as love.
Curing the Sick (Acts 10:39) In an address Peter gives to a group of people in Cornelius, he describes for them an aspect of Jesus’ ministry in which Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. You will note here the first century worldview regarding the nature of disease. Disease was caused by the invasion of the body of evil forces. People living then had no concept of the biological nature of human disease.
Leadership of the Christian Community (Acts 15:19) The Catholic Church and Christians generally have assumed that Peter was the first leader of the Christian community. The gospels imply this fact, and Jesus specifically designates Peter as leader of the church in Matthew 16: 13-20. I have often wondered about this issue. The gospels reflect the views of the Hellenistic church, the church established after 70 CE when Judaism was destroyed in Palestine and the Christian religion rapidly moved into the Hellenistic world.
The picture in Acts seems different to me, a picture of the church in Palestine before the horrible war with Rome from 66 to 73 CE. Here Peter appears as an ambassador to the Hellenistic world with James, the brother of Jesus, as leader of the first Christian community. Read about the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15: 5-21) where the church decided the conditions under which Gentiles would be admitted into the fellowship. This was an important issue, all prominent members of the community were there. At that meeting, Peter made a speech, but James decided the issue (15:19). See also Acts 21: 1. When Paul travels to Jerusalem, it is reported that he goes “to visit James and all the elders were present.”
Paul’s Traveling Companion (Acts 16:11) Some New Testament scholars have argued that the author of Luke became Paul’s traveling companion toward the end of the apostle’s life. This idea comes from the intriguing insertion of we into the dialogue after chapter 15. “Sailing from Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace (16:11).” I do not find this idea convincing because the views of Paul and the author of Luke are so different on so many issues. Take for example the resurrection. In last week’s blog, I pointed out that the author of Luke saw Jesus’ resurrection as a physical event while for Paul it was a vision experience. I wonder how such a difference could exist among traveling companions.
The Last Disciple (Acts 1: 21-26) When Mattias is chosen to replace Judas as a disciple, that is the last we hear of twelve disciples. The notion of twelve disciples relates to the salvation of Israel as a nation where there were twelve tribes. Jesus suggests in Matthew (19: 28) that in a new Israel each disciple would sit as judge of one of the tribes. As the church rapidly moves into the Hellenistic world, the notion of salvation changes from a corporate Israel to the individual. With such a change, there was no longer need for twelve disciples.
The Christian Community (Acts 2:44-47 and 4: 32-37) These two passages describe the community established by Jesus’ early followers. This community was based on shared wealth, shared meals, and a radical equality between men and women. It was a community based on mutual love and caring. This was Jesus’ solution to the problem of Roman occupation. How do you survive these horrible times? By living in communities of mutual love and caring. In this way, it was possible to ignore the Romans and to wait for God to provide for liberation. It was a brilliant strategy!
Ideology v. Love (Acts 10: 28-37) As this passage indicates, the Jews taught that it was forbidden to mix with people from a different race. Peter introduces this idea to explain the significance of a vision he received from God in which God told him that all people are clean regardless of race. This passage provides a vivid contrast between religion as ideology and religion as love.
Curing the Sick (Acts 10:39) In an address Peter gives to a group of people in Cornelius, he describes for them an aspect of Jesus’ ministry in which Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil. You will note here the first century worldview regarding the nature of disease. Disease was caused by the invasion of the body of evil forces. People living then had no concept of the biological nature of human disease.
Leadership of the Christian Community (Acts 15:19) The Catholic Church and Christians generally have assumed that Peter was the first leader of the Christian community. The gospels imply this fact, and Jesus specifically designates Peter as leader of the church in Matthew 16: 13-20. I have often wondered about this issue. The gospels reflect the views of the Hellenistic church, the church established after 70 CE when Judaism was destroyed in Palestine and the Christian religion rapidly moved into the Hellenistic world.
The picture in Acts seems different to me, a picture of the church in Palestine before the horrible war with Rome from 66 to 73 CE. Here Peter appears as an ambassador to the Hellenistic world with James, the brother of Jesus, as leader of the first Christian community. Read about the Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15: 5-21) where the church decided the conditions under which Gentiles would be admitted into the fellowship. This was an important issue, all prominent members of the community were there. At that meeting, Peter made a speech, but James decided the issue (15:19). See also Acts 21: 1. When Paul travels to Jerusalem, it is reported that he goes “to visit James and all the elders were present.”
Paul’s Traveling Companion (Acts 16:11) Some New Testament scholars have argued that the author of Luke became Paul’s traveling companion toward the end of the apostle’s life. This idea comes from the intriguing insertion of we into the dialogue after chapter 15. “Sailing from Troas, we made a straight run for Samothrace (16:11).” I do not find this idea convincing because the views of Paul and the author of Luke are so different on so many issues. Take for example the resurrection. In last week’s blog, I pointed out that the author of Luke saw Jesus’ resurrection as a physical event while for Paul it was a vision experience. I wonder how such a difference could exist among traveling companions.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Conflicting Views of the Resurrection in Acts
In an earlier blog entitled “The Resurrection in Matthew,” I pointed out that the New Testament contains many conflicting stories concerning the resurrection of Jesus. Mark’s story is clearly an add on, not original to the author, and lacking in details. Matthew’s story is the most spectacular involving an eclipse of the sun, two earthquakes, the return to life of Jewish holy men in Jerusalem, and the physical return to life of Jesus on a mountain in Galilee. Although in Luke the resurrected Jesus often appears as a ghost as he flies through doors and walls, his appearance to the disciples in Jerusalem is very physical. In John, Jesus meets with his disciples in a closed room in Jerusalem, and then again in Galilee along the sea of Tiberias. It is clear from John’s account that Jesus is physically present. In Acts, Jesus is very physically present with his disciples in Jerusalem for forty days after his death on the cross (1: 3-5), and then the disciples watch while he physically ascends to heaven (1:9).
But Acts also contains the story of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road. See Acts 9:1-30, 22: 1-21, and 26: 9-20. This resurrection encounter was clearly a vision experience. While on the way to Damascus, a light came from heaven surrounding Paul, the soon to be apostle fell to the ground, and Jesus spoke to him from heaven, explaining to Paul that he had a special job for him to do. In Acts 26: 16-19, both Jesus and Paul confirm the fact that this encounter was a vision experience. In 1Corinthians 15: 3-8, Paul claims that his experience of the resurrected Jesus was the same as the experiences of the disciples.
What are modern Christians to do in sorting out all this confusion. This is an important question because the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. Let me answer that question by telling a story of my own.
I am married to a ski patroller. Eight years ago Lyn changed jobs requiring that we move our winter residence from Summit County Colorado to Leadville, a tiny town in central Colorado that sits at over 10,000 feet. The news of her new job came to us in North Carolina, requiring that we make our plans for housing over the internet.
Our new digs were different—tiny, dark, with furniture that belonged in a landfill. When our son came to visit, he pulled me aside and asked: “Dad, when did you and Mom take up smoking pot? This place reeks of it.” I explained that we hadn’t done so yet, but that it might help create a brighter glow to the place.
One morning I was working on a novel alone in the apartment, and I needed to consult a reference book that was stored in our bedroom. The bedroom was dark and without windows. As I entered the door, I saw my wife’s dresser, and the beautiful face of her mother jumped out at me.
Instantly the meaning of the resurrection became clear. Love does not die. I felt a pulsing of love for this wonderful woman who had died the year before. It was obvious that her love was an ever present reality for my wife. Her picture was the only item of beauty in the apartment.
That’s what happened two thousand years ago. Though he had died on a cross, the love between Jesus and his disciples continued as an ever present reality. His close followers encountered that love in dreams, vision experiences, and in retelling stories about their shared time together. Love is real. It is part of the created universe. You cannot kill or destroy it. Over the forty or fifty years it took for these love stories to find their way into gospels, the stories took on legendary characteristics and were crafted to reflect the Jewish belief in a soon to come general resurrection. The most damning evidence for the physical resurrection of Jesus comes in Acts 10: 41. Here the author comments that “God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people, but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand.” A God of love would not operate that way!
But Acts also contains the story of Paul’s encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road. See Acts 9:1-30, 22: 1-21, and 26: 9-20. This resurrection encounter was clearly a vision experience. While on the way to Damascus, a light came from heaven surrounding Paul, the soon to be apostle fell to the ground, and Jesus spoke to him from heaven, explaining to Paul that he had a special job for him to do. In Acts 26: 16-19, both Jesus and Paul confirm the fact that this encounter was a vision experience. In 1Corinthians 15: 3-8, Paul claims that his experience of the resurrected Jesus was the same as the experiences of the disciples.
What are modern Christians to do in sorting out all this confusion. This is an important question because the resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. Let me answer that question by telling a story of my own.
I am married to a ski patroller. Eight years ago Lyn changed jobs requiring that we move our winter residence from Summit County Colorado to Leadville, a tiny town in central Colorado that sits at over 10,000 feet. The news of her new job came to us in North Carolina, requiring that we make our plans for housing over the internet.
Our new digs were different—tiny, dark, with furniture that belonged in a landfill. When our son came to visit, he pulled me aside and asked: “Dad, when did you and Mom take up smoking pot? This place reeks of it.” I explained that we hadn’t done so yet, but that it might help create a brighter glow to the place.
One morning I was working on a novel alone in the apartment, and I needed to consult a reference book that was stored in our bedroom. The bedroom was dark and without windows. As I entered the door, I saw my wife’s dresser, and the beautiful face of her mother jumped out at me.
Instantly the meaning of the resurrection became clear. Love does not die. I felt a pulsing of love for this wonderful woman who had died the year before. It was obvious that her love was an ever present reality for my wife. Her picture was the only item of beauty in the apartment.
That’s what happened two thousand years ago. Though he had died on a cross, the love between Jesus and his disciples continued as an ever present reality. His close followers encountered that love in dreams, vision experiences, and in retelling stories about their shared time together. Love is real. It is part of the created universe. You cannot kill or destroy it. Over the forty or fifty years it took for these love stories to find their way into gospels, the stories took on legendary characteristics and were crafted to reflect the Jewish belief in a soon to come general resurrection. The most damning evidence for the physical resurrection of Jesus comes in Acts 10: 41. Here the author comments that “God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen, not by the whole people, but only by certain witnesses God had chosen beforehand.” A God of love would not operate that way!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Introduction to Acts
When introducing the gospel of Luke, I pointed out that the gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles were almost certainly written by the same author around the time of 90 CE. Acts begins with the words, “In my earlier work.” Both works are dedicated to Theophilus, an unknown person, most probably a Roman official. There are striking similarities in grammatical style and the vocabulary used in the two works. There is also a logical progression to the two works. Luke presents the story of Jesus while Acts documents the activities of the early church.
Acts examines the history of the early church from the resurrection to the house arrest of Paul in Rome. The author describes the spread of the early Christian movement from its beginnings in Jerusalem outward into the Hellenistic world. The Holy Spirit comes to the followers of Jesus at Pentecost (2: 1-4) which guides their efforts as they preach the good news in Judea and Samaria and later to Paul for his work as a missionary in the Gentile world.
A central theme of Acts is the unity of the church in this effort. It is unified by the Holy Spirit. Yes, there are conflicts as is seen in the debate over whether Gentiles must be circumcised, but these conflicts are healed by the intervention of the Holy Spirit. At the Jerusalem Conference (15: 1-21), the issue of whether Gentiles must become Jews first in order to be saved is taken up. Following a spirited debate, James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem Christian community, rules that they do not. James’ decision heals the split within the community.
An important question regarding Acts is whether the author’s presentation is historical. It is certainly not history as we know it. There are three problems. First, the book contains several speeches—four long ones by Peter, Stephen, Paul, and James, and shorter ones by an array of characters. It is not possible that these speeches are accurately reported fifty or sixty years after taking place. Obviously they were not recorded, and there are no hints that the author was there.
Second, there is a parallel structure between the gospel of Luke and Acts which is troubling from an historical perspective. In Luke, Jesus heals the sick, casts out demons, and raises the dead. The apostles in Acts perform identical actions. At his trial as described in Acts (24:1-27), Paul stresses that he has done nothing against the Jewish people. After examining his testimony, the Roman authorities find him to be innocent. Paul’s problem is with the Jewish establishment. Sound familiar!
The last historical problem is the picture in Acts of Paul as a good Jew to the end. He accepts the main tenets of Judaism, his differences with the Jerusalem Christian community are played down. This picture of harmony contrasts sharply with Paul’s letters where the apostle to the Gentiles portrays himself as a Jew who has definitely moved to a new place. To cite but one example, in Galatians 2:21 Paul tells his Gentile followers that for them to obey Jewish law is an affront to God. The author of Acts clearly wants to demonstrate the work of the Holy Spirit in minimizing conflict within the Christian community. The question is whether this harmony accurately reflects the early history of the Christian movement.
One of the most important topics presented in Acts is Paul’s resurrection encounter of Jesus in heaven on the Damascus road. Paul describes it three times—Acts 9: 1-30, 22:1-21, and 26: 9-20. You might want to read these three passages in preparation for next week’s blog.
Acts examines the history of the early church from the resurrection to the house arrest of Paul in Rome. The author describes the spread of the early Christian movement from its beginnings in Jerusalem outward into the Hellenistic world. The Holy Spirit comes to the followers of Jesus at Pentecost (2: 1-4) which guides their efforts as they preach the good news in Judea and Samaria and later to Paul for his work as a missionary in the Gentile world.
A central theme of Acts is the unity of the church in this effort. It is unified by the Holy Spirit. Yes, there are conflicts as is seen in the debate over whether Gentiles must be circumcised, but these conflicts are healed by the intervention of the Holy Spirit. At the Jerusalem Conference (15: 1-21), the issue of whether Gentiles must become Jews first in order to be saved is taken up. Following a spirited debate, James, the brother of Jesus and leader of the Jerusalem Christian community, rules that they do not. James’ decision heals the split within the community.
An important question regarding Acts is whether the author’s presentation is historical. It is certainly not history as we know it. There are three problems. First, the book contains several speeches—four long ones by Peter, Stephen, Paul, and James, and shorter ones by an array of characters. It is not possible that these speeches are accurately reported fifty or sixty years after taking place. Obviously they were not recorded, and there are no hints that the author was there.
Second, there is a parallel structure between the gospel of Luke and Acts which is troubling from an historical perspective. In Luke, Jesus heals the sick, casts out demons, and raises the dead. The apostles in Acts perform identical actions. At his trial as described in Acts (24:1-27), Paul stresses that he has done nothing against the Jewish people. After examining his testimony, the Roman authorities find him to be innocent. Paul’s problem is with the Jewish establishment. Sound familiar!
The last historical problem is the picture in Acts of Paul as a good Jew to the end. He accepts the main tenets of Judaism, his differences with the Jerusalem Christian community are played down. This picture of harmony contrasts sharply with Paul’s letters where the apostle to the Gentiles portrays himself as a Jew who has definitely moved to a new place. To cite but one example, in Galatians 2:21 Paul tells his Gentile followers that for them to obey Jewish law is an affront to God. The author of Acts clearly wants to demonstrate the work of the Holy Spirit in minimizing conflict within the Christian community. The question is whether this harmony accurately reflects the early history of the Christian movement.
One of the most important topics presented in Acts is Paul’s resurrection encounter of Jesus in heaven on the Damascus road. Paul describes it three times—Acts 9: 1-30, 22:1-21, and 26: 9-20. You might want to read these three passages in preparation for next week’s blog.
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