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2 You Will Be My Witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea Acts 2:14—8:3 Jerusalem is powerful theological symbol for Luke as it is a definitive place of revelation. Luke exposes the intensity of hostility to the Realm of God when the powers of the present broken age put Jesus. At the same time, God raises Jesus from the dead in Jerusalem, thus assuring the reading community in the most dramatic way that the power of God transcends the power of all other rulers and authorities. Acts 2:14 begins the witness of the church to those outside the church. While the church in Acts continues the witness of Jesus to the coming of the Realm, the church quickly faces hostility similar to that faced by Jesus, yet the church responds as Jesus did by faithfully continuing the witness. In moments of difficulty, the Holy Spirit infuses the community with the power of the resurrection so that the church can be confident and faithful in witness even when threatened. Luke, of course, wants his later congregation to recognize that while they, too, face hostility, they can also count on the presence and activity of the Spirit to strengthen them. You Will Be My Witnesses in Jerusalem and All Judea: The Community Interprets the Spirit and Embodies the Realm (Acts 2:14-47) In Acts 1:8, Jesus says to the disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” In Acts 2:14, the community begins to witness in Jerusalem. In Acts 2:12, participants at Pentecost raise a question important to Luke’s community and to congregants today; “What does this mean?” This question points to one of the most important purposes of preaching: to help people 33 understand the meaning of life and how to respond appropriately. From that perspective, Acts 2:1-47 is a case study in what should happen in the preaching event: something calls the attention of the congregation to the need for interpretation (Acts 2:1-13); the preacher theologically interprets (2:14-36); the congregation responds appropriately (2:37-43). ACTS 2:14-36. PETER INTERPRETS THE OUTPOURING OF THE SPIRIT Most scholars think the speeches in Acts express Luke’s theology more than recollect the actual words of historical figures. In Acts 2:14-36 Luke theologically interprets the believers’ dramatic behavior on Pentecost and summarizes core theology for Acts. Like many preachers, Peter interprets the Pentecost experience through a passage of Scripture, a modified version Joel 2:28-32. Luke uses this quote to indicate several things. (1) The outpouring the Spirit is a sign that the last days are here (v. 17a). (2) The Spirit will fall on all flesh (both Jews and gentiles) (v. 17a). (3) The Spirit-filled community will be inclusive—women, men, young, old, slave, and free (vv. 17b-18a). (4) The community shares the vocation of Jesus as end-time prophet (vv. 17b-18). (5) God will signal the immediate coming of the apocalypse through dramatic changes in nature (vv. 19-20; cf. Luke 21:5-11, 25-28). (6) God will save all who call upon God’s name; they will become a part of the Realm (see Acts 2:38) (v. 21). Luke further uses Acts 2:22-36 to explain that Jesus is God’s representative in facilitating the apocalypse. Jesus’s actions demonstrated the Realm (v. 22). God raised Jesus from the dead (vv. 23-24). David—an authority in Judaism—recognized Jesus as arbiter of the Realm (vv. 25-31, 34-35). While David is dead, Jesus is at the right hand of God (v. 33). These things should convince listeners and readers that God made Jesus Sovereign and Messiah (v. 36). Acts 2:22-36 is a first-century apologetic. One purpose of apologetics is to give insiders (Luke’s congregation) confidence in what they believe. Another purpose is to answer the objections of outsiders. For Luke, the resurrection and ascension are evidence the Realm is present and coming. For many people in today’s world, however, the resurrection and the ascension are themselves problematic. Nevertheless, Luke’s apologetic effort poses a possibility for the sermon. What evidence would today’s congregation find convincing that God is attempting to refashion the world? Luke makes a move with Joel that could spark a sermon. Luke alters the wording of the passage. In the Septuagint, Joel...

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