Acts

The book of Acts.

1. The Ascension

'given commands through the holy spirit' = something distinct from the baptism of the Holy Spirit which they're about to receive

3 - Jesus still had teaching for them after he rose from the dead. He still had to instruct them fully on what the kingdom of God was to look like. (As they're still expecting the kingdom of Israel to be restored v. 6) Still it seems like they weren't quite getting it until Pentecost. Only then - even though the apostles would make many mistakes - they would establish Christ's kingdom throughout the Mediterranean by preaching and faith, miracles, tongues, etc.

9-11: Ascension.

16: David's poetry was breathed in the speech of God's Holy Spirit.

20: Regardless of David's authorial intent, these verses are fulfilled - plerothenai - filled up, crammed up out of context - by God's providence and the acts of men in history, giving them a deeper meaning than we would have understood merely from reviewing the verses alone as exegetes in David's day.

21-26: Interestingly, we don't really hear much about Matthias afterwards and at no point is this casting of lots confirmed as the right decision on Peter's part. What happens after Pentecost is perhaps in contrast to this Acts 1 since of confusion.

2. Pentecost and Peter’s Sermon

1-13: Takes place as if it were a mass hysteria. We pride ourselves on our individuality, but nevertheless our bodies and nervous systems and hearts are connected to many others in various ways, and God can move not just through individuals but congregations.

Peter's Sermon - quotes Joel in a straightforward way; quotes David in a marvelous way - David couldn't fully fulfill the meaning of his own prophetic poetry, it would have to be David's heir who truly lived it out.

30-31: Peter interprets Psalm 16:10 as David having prophetic authorial intent.

33-36: Jesus is exalted in heaven at the right hand of God until all his enemies have been made a footstool.

37-41: The proper response to the gospel is to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Your sins forgiven, you receive spiritual gifts.

Peter tells us that the divine promise, the covenant blessings of God, are to all families: not just adults but their children; not just those near Jerusalem but the whole diaspora - I assume at this point Peter may still mean 'all Jews who are far off.' Even here Peter might not fully be emphasizing that God is truly calling ALL PEOPLES, as he has not yet had his vision of unclean foods being declared clean; nevertheless he is hinting at 'blessing all families on earth' by the end of the next chapter.

The Promise, the blessings that God has promised to the descendants of Abraham, is fulfilled in repentance, baptism, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

42-47:

Having inherited the Promises of God through faith, through the work of the Holy Spirit, what is left for us to do? Teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayers, signs and wonders, sharing our wealth in common, taking care of the needy, gratitude, praising God. That is it. That is the Christian life. We might not always have a huge temple to sit around with thousands of people doing this, but this is what your Sunday should look like and this is what your week should look like. Sometimes it's just peaceful and joyful; at a certain it can inspire conflict and persecution. Regardless that koinonia is what should mark our way of life.

47: 'the Lord added to their number'

Church growth people should focus on that phrasing. If they want more people, they should ask God to bring more people.

3. Healing the Lame Man

1-6: We don't have all the silver and gold needed to make all the poor people in the world rich. We can offer fellowship, and we can offer the name of Jesus Christ.

We should look upon the poor, and have them look at us.

8: Leap ye lame for joy!

15: 'You killed the Author of life' - WOW.

We are witnesses to resurrection from the dead. We keep the memory of what our forefathers in the faith witnessed first hand. And we witness to this day signs and wonders, repentance from sin, the gifts of the spirit - all of which, big or small, are life from the dead.

16: Faith in the name of Christ should be our first recourse for ailments and sickness. I'm medicine-skeptical - I wouldn't forbid it, there might be all kinds of wholesome treatments that are exactly what a sick or disabled person needs for their particular issue - but I just don't TRUST it to fix problems - first and foremost, we must trust in the name of Christ and seek our healing and healthiness from that.

17-21: Many interesting phrases here.

'Repent... that he may send the Christ appointed for you'

'times of freshing may come from the presence of the Lord'

'Jesus whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things'

22-23: Jesus is the New Moses.

Every soul that does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed

24-26:

Nationality and religion.

We are descended from prophets and from a covenant that God made with our forefathers. We are the offspring who will bless all the families of earth. This was true of Jesus' people in Judaea who believed in him, and it is true for Christians now, and it will be true in the future - our offspring are that covenant blessing to all mankind, as long as they are true heirs of Abraham by having faith.

Lineage is shaped not merely be sexuality and mate selection, blood and genetics, but also by the prophecies and covenants under which bodies of people carry on a cultural mission across centuries. Prophecy and covenant cultivates the stock of a people.

God sent Jesus to the Jews first, as a blessing to them to free them wickedness, and as a blessing to us - non-wicked jews being one of the best blessings mankind can receive.