Intrusive God, Disruptive Gospel , livre ebook

Baker Publishing Group - L. Skinner Matthew

Découvre YouScribe en t'inscrivant gratuitement

Je m'inscris

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

138 pages

English

Vous pourrez modifier la taille du texte de cet ouvrage

Obtenez un accès à la bibliothèque pour le consulter en ligne
En savoir plus

A propos
Informations
Extrait

Description

This engaging book guides readers through one of the most colorful books of the Bible, illuminating passages from Acts that show the Christian gospel expressing itself through the lives, speech, struggles, and adventures of Jesus's followers. The book emphasizes the disruptive character of the Christian gospel and shows how Acts repeatedly describes God as upsetting the status quo by changing people's lives, society's conventions, and our basic expectations of what's possible. Suited for individual and group study, this book by a New Testament scholar with a gift for popular communication asks serious questions and eschews pat answers, bringing Acts alive for contemporary reflection on the character of God, the challenges of faith, and the church.

Sujets

Philosophie et théologie

New Testament

Informations

Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	22 septembre 2015
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441248602
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	2 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0490€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

© 2015 by Matthew L. Skinner
Published by Brazos Press
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www . brazospress .com
Ebook edition created 2015
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4860-2
Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Thank you, Beverly Roberts Gaventa, my teacher and now friend
Contents
Cover i
Title Page ii
Copyright Page iii
Dedication iv
Preface vii
Introduction xi
Road Map: As You Read This Book 1
Acts 1:1–11: Waiting to Go 3
Acts 2:1–21: Making Sense of Things 9
Acts 2:22–41: Keeping an Old Promise 16
Road Map: Emerging Realities 23
Acts 3:11–26 and 4:5–12: The Ultimate Disruption 25
Acts 4:32–5:11: Communal Harmony as a Matter of Life or Death 31
Acts 6:1–7: Growth Brings Change—and Surprise 38
Acts 7:54–60: Using Violence to Keep God under Control 44
Road Map: Expansions 51
Acts 8:4–25: Spiritual Power, Spiritual Gift, and Spiritual Greed 54
Acts 8:26–40: Absurdly Good News 60
Acts 9:1–30: Seeing a Different Reality 67
Acts 9:32–43: The Work, Pain, and Tenderness of Christian Service 74
Acts 10:1–11:18: Old Boundaries Obliterated 80
Acts 12:1–19: Coming to Our Senses 87
Road Map: God Is Still Speaking 93
Acts 13:1–4: Called and Commissioned 95
Acts 14:8–20: Learning to Recognize God 101
Acts 15:1–35: Discerning God 107
Road Map: Very Public Disturbances 115
Acts 16:9–40: Battle of the Gods 117
Acts 17:16–34: The Gospel in the Flesh 123
Acts 18:1–17: When the Good News Escapes Attention 129
Acts 18:24–19:20: There’s Power in the Name 136
Acts 19:21–41: Far-Reaching Disruptions 143
Road Map: The Witness Goes to Rome 151
Acts 21:1–6: Spirit-Led Disagreement 153
Acts 22:30–23:11: How to Be a Hero 159
Acts 25:1–12: The Gospel and the Empire 165
Acts 27–28: Open Horizons 171
Conclusion 178
For Further Reading 181
Subject Index 186
Scripture Index 188
Back Cover 190
Preface
This book explores the Acts of the Apostles (customarily known by the simple title Acts), which appears immediately after the four Gospels in the New Testament. Acts continues the story the Gospels begin, the story of Jesus Christ. More accurately, Acts continues the story told in one of these Gospels in particular, the Gospel according to Luke. The same author wrote both books, making Acts a sequel. In Acts, the story of Jesus moves forward in the experiences of his followers—not all of them, but a few key figures who appear on the narrative’s stage.
Acts shows very little interest in communicating details about these figures’ lives. The book devotes much more attention to how their experiences—what they say, what they do, and what happens to them—say something about who God is and how God has acted and continues to act through the spread of the good news about Jesus Christ.
This book, the one you are reading now, explores Acts. But, like Acts, its interest also reaches further than retelling a story. As with Acts, this book is interested in directing your attention toward God and the good news (“the gospel”) about what God accomplishes in Jesus Christ. That is, this book explores how Acts depicts God, or how Acts imagines God might be making a difference in the world because of what Jesus did and continues to do. Acts provides a lens through which we might see and consider God.

This book is different from what I usually write. Since I am a biblical scholar, much of my interaction with the Acts of the Apostles involves a good amount of historical analysis, in an effort to uncover what was going on behind and around the story Acts tells and explain how Acts might have spoken to ancient readers in light of their knowledge and circumstances. This book, however, is relatively unconcerned with many aspects of the history behind Acts (why Acts was written, who the author was addressing, what problems Acts was trying to solve or create, and so on). I am more interested in exploring the story Acts tells to us today and how that story prompts us to consider who God is and how God operates.
Those topics interest me because I’m deeply curious about how the Bible shapes communities and how it informs and changes our understanding of who God is, what our faith is about, and what is possible in our lives. Acts tells a story about these things, but it is hardly an uncomplicated story. The story is fascinating, and it is determined to present readers with a gospel—and a God—that offers the possibility of new relationships and newfound hope, transforming lives and communities in the process. According to Acts, these transformations constitute part of the salvation God provides.
Acts looks back on transformations and discoveries rooted in the past, but in so doing it holds out hope for future ones too. Throughout this book I reflect on how our own encounters with God might be transformative in their own ways. These are my interpretations, which come from my efforts to learn from Acts and put my learning in conversation with my own life and the lives and perspectives of others.
I teach about Acts often to pastors, students, and congregations. Sometimes I meet people who resonate deeply with the book, finding it consistent with their experiences of a God who is near and active. More frequently, I encounter people who don’t know what to do with Acts. Sermons in their churches seldom focus on the book. Some find Acts irredeemably shallow or even off-putting because of its focus on incredible stuff, such as fantastic miracles and daring, almost impossible heroism. Acts often describes easy solutions to problems and questions that, if our own lives are reliable indicators, do not lend themselves to neat and clean resolutions. Our lives and our thinking about God have a complexity that can leave us suspicious about simple answers. With this book I dig deeper into who God is in Acts so that you can better understand what Acts is saying about God and consider the portrait of God in Acts in light of how your own life has shaped your outlook on God. My primary hope is that I’ve written a book that helps you see more in Acts and that, as a result, Acts kindles for you deeper reflections and ongoing conversations with other people about who God is and how we know God.

This book is a result of innumerable conversations. Many people helped me write it, and they deserve my recognition.
Beverly Roberts Gaventa has taught me more about Acts than anyone else, which is why I dedicate the book to her. Her insights roam these pages.
Greg Carey first encouraged me to clarify specific ideas that I thought needed to be expressed in a book—this book. I had just completed a major writing project, and his determination to get me started quickly on my next one provided a creative spark and made me eager to dig in.
I made significant progress on the book and learned much about myself as an author while spending three weeks of summer 2010 as a writing fellow at the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey. I am grateful to the Center’s director, William Storrar, for inviting me to participate in a writers’ workshop led by Marilynne Robinson. The criticism and suggestions I received from her and my eleven writing companions proved to be invaluable; because of their insights, this book is much better than it would have been had I started the writing journey alone. Luther Seminary’s academic dean at the time, Roland Martinson, enthusiastically supported my participation in this workshop. Jacqueline Lapsley, Gregory Bezilla, and their family showed me tremendous hospitality, making my time in Princeton more enjoyable and productive.
The Louisville Institute awarded me a generous Project Grant for Researchers in 2012–2013, creating the time I needed to bring my first draft almost to completion. My faculty colleagues and academic leadership at Luther Seminary were very supportive while I carved out time to write.
Barbara Joyner made it possible for me to take multiple short writing retreats, each one replete with generous hospitality. Never has working on a book been so fulfilling.
Eric Barreto, Greg Carey, Jaime Clark-Soles, Carey Newman, John Semmes, and Jenee Woodard read an early draft of the book; their careful attention and editorial suggestions made for a much-improved final product.
Notice the theme emerging here: the contributions of others. This book relies on many people’s encouragement, support, and wisdom. Most of these contributors remain unnamed. I am grateful to my students and audiences in numerous classes, workshops, and congregations who have shared their questions and insights about the book of Acts with me. Countless people, all kinds of people, have shaped how I read Acts and have taught me what to look for in its pages. This is a good thing, since my book is committed to talking about God. We always need one another’s insights if we’re going to do that well.
Introduction
About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. (Acts 19:23)
“No little disturbance.” The phrase introduces a story Acts tells about a riot in the ancient city of Ephesus. The deliberate understatement attracts our attention: it’s a serious commotion. Indeed, in the scene that follows, the riot’s instigators, joined by a throng of protestors, violently denounce what “the Way”—the expanding Christian movement that had recently come to Ephesus—will mean fo