LUKE-ACTS HEARING THE WHOLE STORY DUCTION a Bird s-Eye

LUKE-ACTS: HEARING THE WHOLE STORY DUCTION a Bird's-Eye View

Who is the story's central character, and what does this character wish to accomplish? God… …Who seeks "universal restoration" of creation harmonies —a salvation characterized by shalom, communal well-being (Acts 3: 19 -21).

In Acts, we hear that Jesus serves this God—as "holy servant" (Acts 4: 27, 30). How so? By bringing to Israel clarity about God's Word (Jewish scripture) and by sending God's Holy Spirit.

Jesus is "Leader" and "Messiah" (Christ) for Israel. What about the world, all peoples? Through "servant Israel" all peoples will be reached with what Jesus taught and demonstrated, with access to God's empowering Spirit (Lk 1: 54; Acts 3: 25).

Yes by the thousands Is Israel, then, saved (delivered)? (Acts 2: 41) and thousands (4: 4) and still more thousands (21: 20).

How does Israel serve God as "servant Israel"? They fulfill the ancient covenant by bringing God's blessing, the salvation, of shalom to all peoples (Acts 3: 24, Gen 12: 3).

Isn’t the shalom of communal well-being an incomplete description of salvation, of what God intends to do through Jesus and Israel? The shortest of 12 clustered poems beginning the gospel is sung by the angels: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors (Lk 2: 14)

Jesus weeps only once in Luke-Acts. Why? After 10 chapters' worth of teaching the "Way of God" (Lk 20: 21)—what Zechariah has called "the Way of peace" (Lk 1: 79) —Jesus sees that Jerusalem has failed "to recognize things that make for peace" (Lk 19: 42).

What, then is the connection between salvation and peace? Jesus comes, says Zechariah in a poem, "to give knowledge of salvation to [God's] people by the forgiveness of their sins"—which builds to the poem's last line, "to guide our feet into the Way of peace" (Lk 1: 77).

Salvation, then, is "the Way of peace. " Believers are called what, in relation to this “Way” (in Acts)? They are called, simply, believers - or, "those who belonged to the Way" (Acts 9: 2). Believers in Acts are called Christians only twice, in possibly negative contexts. )

“The things that make for peace” taught by Jesus requires what fundamental and daily response from those who love God (by Repentance, serving God’s purposes)? a turning from It’s one word! (used frequently in Acts) normal self-interest to “the Way of God” (Lk 20: 21). “The Way of God” is a distillation of Jewish Scripture: love of God love of neighbor

In relation to Israel, Jesus is "Leader and Savior" (Acts 5: 31), "Lord and Messiah" (Acts 2: 36). In relation to God, Jesus is "holy servant, " "Son" (4 times, Lk; twice, Acts), and most often, "Son of Man. " What is Jesus called in relation to non. Jews? "Lord" (same word as "emperor" —Acts 16: 31)

All of these descriptions of Jesus point toward the 2 aspects of what Jesus accomplishes. What, for Luke, is the meaning of Jesus? Jesus teaches and demonstrates God's Word (Jewish scripture), definitively, and sends God's empowering Spirit (Acts 2: 33).

Why for Luke is the Holy Spirit important for salvation? To enter God's kingdom, one must hear the word taught by Jesus and do it. No mortal can live up to this without God’s provision of the enabling Spirit.

Does this mean that to be saved one must be hearing and obeying Jesus' words? Yes: "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it" (Lk 8: 21). Those are saved "who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance" (Lk 8: 15). "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" (Lk 11: 28).

A character within the story asks the obvious question, "Who then can be saved? " (How is it possible always to be turning toward the love of God and neighbor, most especially your “enemy”? ) How does Jesus answer? "What is impossible for mortals, " Jesus answers, "is possible for God" (Lk 18: 27).

Is God’s empowering Spirit present in both volumes? In volume one, Jesus insists that God is eager to "give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Lk 11: 13). Acts is all about the Holy Spirit poured out, and empowering believers.

If Israel and others must obey Israel's scripture (as clarified by Jesus) to be saved, what then is the role of God’s character in the drama? God anoints and empowers Jesus as Israel’s Messiah to shed light on God's word, guiding the feet of Israel into “the Way of peace. ” God raises Jesus from death, who then sends God’s Spirit to make the impossible.

Does Luke's second volume, Acts, elaborate or further explain salvation? Is there any further interpretation, for example, of the role of the Cross? The only change is one of emphasis: God’s empowering Spirit is “poured out on all flesh” (Acts 2: 17, 33)

The many speeches in Acts refer to the forgiveness of sins. How, for Luke, do sins get forgiven? 1. On the human part, forgiveness depends on repentance. 2. On the divine part, God grants forgiveness (if there is repentance) because God is sovereign and merciful.

Why then, for Luke, did Jesus die? 1. Because he was killed, as were all God's word-bearers before him (Lk 13: 34). 2. In fulfillment of scripture: "that the Messiah is to suffer and rise from the dead. . . and that repentance and forgiveness of sins" would be proclaimed (Lk 24: 45 -47).

Then this repentance and forgiveness has nothing to do with the death of Jesus? Forgiveness depends only on repentance and on God's sovereign mercy (in Luke-Acts).

Once again: What precisely is this repentance? In both volumes, repentance is reorientation from normal ways (selfinterest and familytribal loyalty) to "the Way of God" as taught by Jesus.

How central is such repentance in the Scripture (Jewish) taught by Jesus? It's all of what love of God and neighbor boils down to: the need to always be turning -around from normal ways to God's Way.

How much does this teaching on repentance appear in Luke's gospel? A lot: 1. John taught what Jesus teaches throughout the gospel, "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (3: 3; 7 -14) 2. Luke focuses on repentanceteaching for ten chapters, carefully organized (9: 51 -19: 44)

The reversed parallelism of the 9 themes is difficult for readers to recognize. Why ? The text was intended to be heard, and employs traditional techniques of repetition common to oral literatures.

9: 51 -10: 20 “Making For Peace" 18: 31 -19: 44 10: 21 -42 "Inherit Eternal Life"? 18: 15 -30 11: 1 -13 Praying 18: 1 -14 11: 14 -32 Seeking Signs, No 17: 20 -37 11: 33 -12: 1 Searching Yourself, Yes 17: 1 -19 12: 13 -34 Possessions, No 16: 1 -31 12: 35 -48 Privilege, No 15: 1 -32 12: 49 -13: 17 Family/Religion, No 14: 1 -35 13: 18 -21 Kingdom/Jerusalem "Strive To Enter” 13: 22 -30 13: 31 -35

In this reversed parallelism, (“chiasm”), the 2 nd instance often makes the challenge of the 1 st more difficult. For example. . . What two distinct things does Jesus say about relinquishing possessions? First, Jesus says to give up all possessions (12: 13 -34); But then, Jesus says not to give them up, but use them for kingdom purposes (relinquishment “ownership” mentality, 16: 1 -31)

Which is more difficult: to give up all possessions or not to give them up, but rather use them for kingdom purposes (relinquishment “ownership” mentality) The text is suggesting that relinquishing the spirit of ownership is more challenging than just giving it all away.

What? Who can do this? Who can "strive to enter" such a kingdom ruled by such demands (Lk 13: 24)? Again: Salvation is impossible, without God's Spirit.

If what is suggested about Luke's central themes and characters is true, why do we miss so much of it? There are five reasons.

1. WE MISS MEANING BECAUSE WE READ THE TEXT. . . and miss hearing the patterns of repetition. "The normal method of reading [gospels and other ancient literature] was reading aloud" [Birger Gerhardsson, Memory and Manuscript, 163 -164]

2. WE READ PIECE-MEAL Ancient literatures like Luke's narrative "were not intended to be read and heard with half one's mind or to be skimmed through, but were to be read and listened to, time and time again, with attention and reflections" [Gerhardsson, op. cit. , 64].

3. WE ARE STRONGLY PREDISPOSED IN OUR VIEWS Whether religious or non-religious, our accumulated perceptions or vague impressions get unwittingly projected into Luke's particular story.

4. THE TEXT OFTEN APPEARS CHOPPY. . . (We fail to hear the narrative continuity within the patterns of hearing clues. ) One sequence seems to bump into the next one with no discernible transition: for example, "Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus" (and a tale about a good Samaritan), followed by "Now as they went on their way" (toward the home of two sisters; Lk 10: 25; 10: 37).

5. SCHOLARLY AND LITURGICAL PRACTICES These typically reinforce this sense of a bits-and-pieces narrative: a bit of text for the homily this week with another piece the next. Here a chunk for exegesis in a typical commentary, and here another.

What is the primary reason for the patterns of repetitive hearing clues in this biblical narrative? Memory. . . For both the story-teller and the listeners: a "story-map. "

What other striking examples of such repetitive patterns are there, in Luke-Acts, beside the chiasm? Paralleled Dramatic Scenarios (Lk 1: 5 -2: 80) An angel/messenger comes from God to Mary and Zechariah with surprising news about unnatural births. The young girl is honored for listening well; the priest is punished for poor a listening response.

Other significant patterns? Thematically-clustered Poems (Lk 1: 13 -8: 10) Within the first eight chapters of volume one we find twelve poems clustered together, all with similar thematic focus: God favors those who favor God by serving God's purposes of love—bringing the blessing of peace, "good news”, to others.

Examples in Acts? Speech-clusters The action of Acts is oriented around nineteen speeches by believers, most of them in clear patterns and theme as determined by audience. Peter and Paul, whose experiences are consistently paralleled, deliver seven speeches each.

One last example of repetitive pattern? Event-Repetition -- Three Accounts of Paul's Repentance (Acts 9: 1 -19; 22: 4 -16; 26: 9 -18) There is narrative logic to the glaring discrepancy in detail (the light, the voice) among the three accounts of Paul's transforming experience on the road to Damascus—if viewed within the pattern used by the storyteller Luke.

In his last forty days with the apostles, in Acts, Jesus is reviewing one particular subject. (The term suggests shalom, salvation, eternal life, and the "good news" being experienced. ) What is the term, a prominent theme for both volumes? "The Kingdom of God" (Acts 1: 3)

"Your kingdom come” is a primary request in a model prayer, suggested by Jesus (Lk 11: 2). What is God’s response, recorded in Acts, to this request? Even in volume one, God's kingdom is coming: is here, near, among us. Luke's second volume gives concrete evidence of the kingdom's communal shalom.

Looking for patterns of repetition, we start now with the inauguration of and teaching about this kingdom in the beginning of volume one, the gospel.