THE BOOK OF ACTS Dr. Douglas S. Huffman

1. THE BOOK OF ACTS Dr. Douglas S. Huffman Professor and Associate Dean of Biblical & Theological Studies Talbot School of Theology at Biola University Fall Teaching Conference Evangelical Free Church of America North Central District

2. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church A. WHATWas the Real Issue in Acts 15? Getting Along with Those Not Like Me

3. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church Introduction—Acts 1:1-2:41 Part 1: Christian Mission to Jewish World (2:42-12:24) Panel 1: Earliest Days of the Church—2:42-6:7 Panel 2: Events in the Lives of 3 Pivotal Figures—6:8-9:31 Panel 3: Advances of the Gospel in Palestine-Syria—9:32-12:24/25 Part 2: Christian Mission to Gentile World (13:1-28:31) Panel 4: Missionary Campaign 1 & Jerusalem Council—13:1-16:5 Panel 5: Missionary Campaign 2 & 3—16:6-19:20 Panel 6: To Jerusalem and Thence to Rome—19:21-28:31 Acts 1:8 PANEL 4: ACTS 13:1-16:5 Missionary Campaign #1 & Jerusalem Council A. WHATWas the Real Issue in Acts 15? Jerusalem 13:1-14:28—Paul’s First Missionary Travels 15:1-35—The Jerusalem Council Judea&Sam. 15:36-16:5—Paul’s Second Missionary Travels Begin Ends of the earth “It is no exaggeration to say that Acts 15 is the most crucial chapter in the whole book.” “Luke’s account of the discussion regarding the relation of the Gentiles to the law of Moses forms the centre of Acts both structurally and theologically.”

4. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church B. WHYWas There an Issue in Acts 15? There are Always Reasons for Disunity

5. Acts 15:1–2 (NIV, 2011) 1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

6. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church B. WHYWas There an Issue in Acts 15? There are Always Reasons for Disunity 1) Differing Interpretationsof Scripture. 2) Differing Opinions. 3) Differing Notionsof correctness. 4) Differing Cultural Traditions. 5) Differing Influencers. 6) Differing Suspicions. 7) Differing levels of Forgetfulness and Remembrance.

7. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church B. WHYWas There an Issue in Acts 15? There are Always Reasons for Disunity 1) Differing Interpretationsof Scripture. 2) Differing Opinions. 3) Differing Notionsof correctness. 4) Differing Cultural Traditions. 5) Differing Influencers. 6) Differing Suspicions. 7) Differing levels of Forgetfulness and Remembrance. I O N C T I S F R

8. Thessalonica Neapolis Apollonia SAMOTHRACE A S I A Cenchrea Lystra Perga Attalia Seleucia Salamis Caesarea Jerusalem The First-century Mediterranean World Letter to Galatians JUDAIZERS (Acts 15:1; and Gal. 2:11–14) Paul’s First Missionary Campaign A.D. 46–48 (Acts 13–14) The Jerusalem Council A.D. 48/49 (Acts 15)

9. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church James quotes from Amos 9:11–12 (LXX) to show that God’s Word INTENDS Gentiles to be included in His restored people. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 15 “The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it, 17that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’— 18things known from long ago.” Peter, Paul, and Barnabas share how God has been working in the worldto INCLUDE Gentiles: 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. C. HOWDid They Address This Effectively? God’s Work in the World through His Word

10. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church C. HOWDid They Address This Effectively? God’s Work in the World through His Word The Jerusalem Council Logic: 1. Premises: We can see God’s work in the world(a lá the testimonies of Simon Peter and Barnabas & Paul)andGod’s intentionsin His Word(a lá Amos 9). 2. Conclusion: Jews are to accept Gentiles into God’s people. 3. Question: What then should believing Gentiles do?

11. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church C. HOWDid They Address This Effectively? God’s Work in the World through His Word The Jerusalem Council Logic: 1. Premises: We can see God’s work in the world(a lá the testimonies of Simon Peter and Barnabas & Paul)andGod’s intentionsin His Word(a lá Amos 9). 2. Conclusion: Jews are to accept Gentiles into God’s people. 3. Question: What then should believing Gentiles do? Acts 15:19–21 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.”

12. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church C. HOWDid They Address This Effectively? The “Apostolic Decrees”: —(some discussion about clarity here) Acts 15:20 to abstain from • food polluted by idols • sexual immorality • strangled things • blood Acts 15:29 to abstain from • food sacrificed to idols • blood • strangled things • sexual immorality —idol worship and/or idol feasts —“pornea”; sexual misconduct (part of pagan worship) —eating bloody meat (smothering as infanticide ?) —eating blood (attractive to demons; shedding blood = murder ?) Acts 21:25 to abstain from • food sacrificed to idols • blood • strangled things • sexual immorality

13. The inclusion of Gentiles among God’s people has always been part of His plan, and He provided guidelines, then and now, for uniting the differing groups. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church Gentiles “residing among” God’s People Israel—Leviticus 17–18 Lev. 17:7–9—Idol sacrifices madeby “any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them” (v. 8). Lev. 17:10–12—Eating blood by “any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them” (vv. 10, 12). Lev. 17:13–16—Eating bloody meat by “any Israelite or any foreigner residing among them” (vv. 13, 15). Lev. 18:1–30—Sexual immorality by “the native-born and the foreigners residing among you” (v. 26). C. HOWDid They Address This Effectively? Acts 15:29; 21:25 to abstain from • food sacrificed to idols • blood • strangled things • sexual immorality The “Apostolic Decrees”: Jeremiah 12:10–11 16And if they learn well the ways of my people and swear by my name, saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives’—even as they once taught my people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among my people. “Understood against this background, these four stipulations have been explained as a (cultic-ritual) compromise aimed at facilitating the communal fellowship of Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in ‘mixed churches’.” Zechariah 2:10–11 10Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. 11“Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

14. But because the Gentiles know (and/or can learn more) about the Jewish cultural lifestyle. Not for salvation Acts 15:19–21 19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” 1 Corinthians 10:19–21 19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. Following cultural food laws is not a universal requirement for spiritual identity. While food is relatively insignificant, worship is important. 1 Corinthians 8:7–8 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Romans 14:19–21 19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall. Community sensitivity is more important than food.

15. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church C. HOWDid They Address This Effectively? The “Apostolic Decrees”: For what reason(s) were Gentiles to follow these decrees? 1) Salvation—in order to be Christians. 2) Identity—in order to distinguish themselves as Christians. 3) Worship—in order to worship correctly (avoiding pagan temple acts). 4) Sensitivity—in order to be sensitive to other’s concerns. 5) Unity—in order to promote unity in the church. “The hope implied in ‘the apostolic decree,’ then, would be for mutual respect within the extended communities between Jews who insisted on stricter practice and those who consorted with Gentiles….” Sensitivityin worshipgatherings will display the new identity of all the Christian believers united together.

16. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church The Jews would want to limit fellowship and the Gentiles would want to expand their eating practices. CHURCH COMMUNITY TEACHING PRAYER BREAKING BREAD FELLOWSHIP

17. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church WHAT KIND OF PATTERN? But this is intense and why does Luke repeat the decree? A) DESCRIPTIVE HISTORIC PATTERN: An interesting description of what happened in history, but nothing for us to apply today. B) PRESCRIPTIVE EXPECTED PATTERN: A mandatory pattern for us to follow exactly as they applied it to their lives. C) PRINCIPLED HELPFUL PATTERN: Describes how they applied important principles; the principles are still ours to apply even if their particular applications are not. “At least a significant part of Luke’s purpose is not merely to display or explore ethnic diversity in the Empire, … but to show how out of the many could come one, a united people in a saved and saving relationship to the one true God.” Do not all fit with 1 Cor. 10 & Rom. 14. Fits both Luke’s stress on unity and Paul’s practice for unity.

18. ACTS 4TH Session Luke’s Focus on the Unity of the Church D. HOWDo I Present It? Something to Consider When Teaching from Acts 1) When is it YOUR turn to sacrifice something for the sake of unity? 2) Outlines can help trace argument structure. 3) Keep going back to the big picture. 4) Keep asking what luke means.

20. Recommend Commentaries on Acts Arnold, Clinton E. “Acts.” Pages 218-503 in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 2, John, Acts, ed. Clinton E. Arnold. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002 [286 pp.]. Bock, Darrell L. Acts. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007 [848 pp.]. Bruce, Frederick Fyvie. The Book of the Acts. Rev. ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988 [511 pp.]. Haenchen, Ernst. The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary. Trans. and ed. Bernard Noble, Gerald Shinn, Hugh Anderson, and R. McLeod Wilson. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971 [737 pp.]. Keener, Craig S. Acts: An Exegetical Commentary. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012–15 [4000+ pp.].

21. Recommend Commentaries on Acts Longenecker, Richard N. “Acts.” Pages 663–1102 in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, Luke–Acts, ed. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007 [440 pp.]. Marshall, I. Howard. The Acts of the Apostles: An Introduction and Commentary. TNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980 [427 pp.]. Peterson, David G. The Acts of the Apostles. PNTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009 [790 pp.]. Schnabel, Eckhard J. Acts. ZEC. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012 [1168 pp.]. Witherington III, Ben. The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998; Carlisle: Paternoster, 1998 [875 pp.].