Book of Acts

“Gospel of the Holy Spirit”

• The Sanhedrin tried to stamp out the Jesus Movement– Saw the Followers of the Way as

dangerous to Judaism as they knew it

– The Way challenged the • Interpretation of Torah

– Jesus brought new interpretation of Torah

– Interpretation of the prophets» Jesus fulfills the prophecies

– They saw it as replacing over 1000 years of Jewish tradition

• The apostles were arrested by the Jewish authorities because they strongly challenged Jewish tradition

• Were considered blasphemers• Authorities did not want to be accused of killing Jesus• Wanted to put Peter and others to death

Yet there was one Sanhedrin Member who saw things differently:

• Rabbi Gamaliel, who– urged the Sanhedrin

• not to stone Peter and the apostles

– argued• There have been other movements

before• They died out• If this one is from God it will last• Wait and see

• Thus Peter and the Apostles were spared

• When it came to Stephen, however,– His words in the

synagogue of the Freedmen (former Jewish slaves) incensed its followers

• They accused him of– Blasphemy vs.Moses &

God– Speaking vs. Temple &

Law

The Life of Stephen hdt.

And for all his effort, Stephen

Gets stoned.

The first Christian martyr.

A persecuted church

• Despite Gamaliel, the Sanhedrin remained wary of and threatened by the followers of Jesus– Continued

arresting/persecuting the disciples

– some Christians fled to Antioch, Damascus and other cities to avoid persecution in Jerusalem

Saul comes to the picture as a Persecutor

• Paul was a Pharisee• Was sent to Damascus to arrest

Christians• From Tarsus• Witnessed Stephen’s death with approval– probably perceived Jesus’ crucifixion as

something scandalous.• By persecuting the apostles, Paul was

probably familiar with the “basic views of the Christian faith.”

• He started persecuting the new movement in Jerusalem.

• As he states it, he was “violently persecuting the church of God and was trying to destroy it.”

• He was persecuting the church not because he was part of the Roman Empire but because of his “zeal for the tradition of his ancestors.”

Paul’s conversion reading

After the conversion

• The disciples do not trust Paul• They think is he pretending to

be Christian to get to them

• Paul proves himself to the disciples• Preaches outside the temple• Gets beaten for being a

Christian

• Paul finally meets the apostles. • Most Jews did not accept Paul

or his message

• PAUL’S CLAIM TO APOSTLESHIP READING

Paul’s Claim to ApostleshipPaul’s Claim to Apostleship

• Paul is commissioned to Paul is commissioned to preach to the Gentilespreach to the Gentiles

• Paul was chosen by God Paul was chosen by God among the apostles to fulfill among the apostles to fulfill the proclamation the proclamation announced in the scriptures announced in the scriptures and not being performed by and not being performed by the other apostlesthe other apostles– which consists on saving all which consists on saving all

people including the Gentiles. people including the Gentiles.

The ConflictThe Conflict• Paul perceives a danger emerging from Paul perceives a danger emerging from

the heart of Christianity, not from the the heart of Christianity, not from the Gentiles who converted but from the Gentiles who converted but from the “circumcised,” the Jews who became “circumcised,” the Jews who became Christians. Christians.

• The Way is divided into two groups:The Way is divided into two groups:1.1. Circumcised: Jews who converted to the Circumcised: Jews who converted to the

WayWay2.2. Uncircumcised: Gentiles who converted to Uncircumcised: Gentiles who converted to

the Way the Way

• As a result, the circumcised Christians As a result, the circumcised Christians perceived Paul’s gospel as inferior perceived Paul’s gospel as inferior

• Paul understands that Jesus was “a Paul understands that Jesus was “a servant of the circumcised,” and that servant of the circumcised,” and that Peter as well as the other apostles Peter as well as the other apostles have been commissioned to go to the have been commissioned to go to the circumcised. circumcised.

• Paul was well received by the Paul was well received by the Gentiles, contrary to the Jews Gentiles, contrary to the Jews who rejected him. who rejected him. – This might be one reason This might be one reason

why Paul stayed with the why Paul stayed with the Gentiles. Gentiles.

• Paul is judged by the apostles Paul is judged by the apostles because he is the one allowing because he is the one allowing the Gentiles to worship God the Gentiles to worship God without converting to without converting to Judaism, and without Judaism, and without observing the Jewish observing the Jewish traditions. traditions.