[Propertalk] Fwd: Scripture in Context for April 30, 2017

[Joe Parrish]

Forwarded: 



-----Original Message-----
From: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien at comcast.net>
To: Tom O'Brien <tgobrien at comcast.net>
Sent: Sat, Apr 1, 2017 12:35 pm
Subject: Scripture in Context for April 30, 2017



Dear Friends,  
 
[Below] is Scripture in Context for April 30, 2017.   I hope you and others find it helpful and informative.   It is also posted on Facebook and at www.scriptureincontext.org. 
 
I’ll resume sending out Scripture in Context later this month, but for those of you who post SIC in electronic Church Bulletins, you should be set for the next five Sundays – April 2 to 30, 2017.  
 
Blessings, 
 
Tom 


TODAY’S READINGS IN CONTEXT
APRIL 30, 2017
 
 
Acts 2:14a, 36-41 
 
The book, “The Acts of the Apostles,” was written by theauthor of the Gospel According to Luke around 85 to 90 CE.  
 
Today’s reading presents the last part of Peter’s longspeech after the Pentecost Event. Rather than offend the ruling Romans bystating that they crucified Jesus (which they did), the author’s account of thespeech repeats the statement that the Israelites crucified Jesus (v.36).   
 
As discussed at greater length in last week’s Scripture inContext, a variety of accusations were made against the Israelites/Judeans/Phariseesin the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John. These Gospels (and Acts) were writtenfrom 70 CE to 100 CE when the Jesus Followers were contending with the Phariseesfor control of Judaism going forward. Harsh words were expressed in theGospels, and the Pharisees took exclusionary actions by expelling JesusFollowers from the synagogues. 
 
In the same verse (36), Acts says God “made” Jesus Lord andMessiah. This statement shows that, in the early church, the understanding ofwho and what Jesus of Nazareth was/is continued to evolve.  Verse 36 presents a view that is generally describedas “adoptionism” – the idea that Jesus was a man whom God adopted as God’s Sonand “made” him Lord and Messiah.  Thisunderstanding is inconsistent, for example, with John’s theology in which the Logos/Wordpre-exists from all eternity and becomes flesh in Jesus (John 1:14).
 
In concluding his speech, Peter urges the Israelites to repent(change their religious thinking), be baptized and have their sinsforgiven.  After baptism, Peter says theywill receive the Holy Spirit. This presents a different sequence from theaccounts of most baptisms described in Acts – typically, the Holy Spirit comes firstto persons and is the reason they are baptized. 
 
The account concludes by stating that 3,000 persons werebaptized on that day.  
 
 
1 Peter 1:17-23
 
In the First Century, it was not uncommon to write somethingin another person’s name so that the writing would have extra “authority” –particularly when the writer believed he knew what the “authority” (in thiscase, Peter) would have said. 
 
The First Letter of Peter was likely written in the lastquarter of the First Century, long after Peter’s death. It was written insophisticated Greek and resembles the form of Paul’s letters.  Its focus is not on the earthly life of Jesusof Nazareth, but on the Resurrection and the affirmation that Jesus is theChrist, the Messiah. 
 

Today’s reading contains two (of five) directives to theJesus Followers: (1) to live in reverent fear of the Lord, knowing they wereransomed by the blood of Christ; and (2) love one another deeply from theheart, knowing they were born anew through the word of God.


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