A Theology Shift for the Early Church, Why Acts Reminds Me of the Reformation, and Be Careful When You Research
Reflections on Acts 11-12
BIG UPDATE:
I made a claim in my last post on Acts that Cornelius was not a believer in YHWH, and I was wrong. After a bit of research, I realized my error. I changed my post, and it is now updated to reflect the truth. I also deleted the recording, just in case.
I’m currently working my way through a series on Acts. What I’m sharing are my reflections as I read through it. In most cases I did not seek out a commentary, if I did I’ll make sure to make note of it. I may share some things I learned in class as we reflected together on what we can glean from this rich document regarding the Early Church.
I’m back in the book of Acts this week, sharing my reflections from Acts 11-12. I’m trying to include more chapters but there’s just so much to dig into! Let’s recap my last post:
Saul witnesses Stephen’s martyrdom but then experiences Jesus on the way to Damascus
Philip baptizes an Ethiopian Eunuch
Peter goes to Cornelius’… and enters *gasp*
The Holy Spirit falls on Gentile’s!
A reminder, or if you’re new here, this is how my random thoughts appear in the post.
We’re bouncing back and forth between Peter, and Saul here for the next little bit, but it’s apparent that these events were happening roughly around the same time. They meet up in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council.
After Peter’s, frankly groundbreaking, experience the word spreads up to Judea that now Gentile’s (I’m a Gentile, and if you’re not Jewish, you are too) are included in God’s family. When he returns to Jerusalem they all celebrated? Right? Right!?! No, they did not. In fact, Acts 11:2-3 tells us that the circumcised believers both criticized , and accused Peter.
Have you ever been away at a retreat or event for the weekend, and you’re feeling really amazing at what you experienced or learned? You’re really excited about what God is doing, and can’t wait to tell others?
When I was a youth leader, we referred to this as a “spiritual high.” Then the next week, or day, or on the way home, reality hits. Something bad happens. Maybe you chalk it up to spiritual warfare.
I wonder if that’s how Peter felt.
What was their accusation? “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!” (11:3).
See, I told you the was theology changing! This was a huge deal back in Ancient Israel.
I love Peter’s response. He shares what happened and says,
If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then who am I? Could I stand in God’s way?
Acts 11:17
I once had a conversation with my husband when I entered seminary that reminds me of this. I always felt “called” to lead, or teach. I kept getting leadership, pastoring, teaching, and apostleship for my spiritual gifts test results.
Now, I don’t encourage spiritual gifts tests, often you know yourself better than tests do, and so do the people around you. That being said, they are a good tool to help you understand both gifts, and yourself.
Anyway, I loved sharing, and speaking. However, I attended a church with very conservative views. As my husband and I were driving by it one day, and I was discussing the (unexpected) direction my life was taking, I exclaimed “If God has called me to something, who is [the Pastor] to stand in my way? It’s God’s call, not his!”
After Peter shares his experience, everyone calmed down, and praised God for this inclusion of the Gentile’s.
Skipping back to Saul - When Stephen was martyred, the church scattered, sharing the message with other Jewish people. However, the message began being shared with Gentile’s in those areas, too. The Kingdom/Kin*dom1 is growing.
This reminds me of the Reformation. “Why?” you ask. Here’s my reasoning.
Martin Luther, the German monk who nailed his 95 Thesis to the door of the church in 1517 (awesome btw), is often credited with beginning the Reformation. This led to the Lutheran church.
However, in 1518 Ulrich Zwingli, a priest in Switzerland was coming to some of the same conclusions, especially when someone selling indulgences came to Zurich, where Zwingli was residing. Unlike Luther, Zwingli studied “Scripture according to the method of the humanists.”2 This led to the Reformed church.
Shortly after, in 1525 the church experienced another shift that resulted in the rise of the Anabaptist movement. This movement really started when George Blaurock baptized Conrad Grabel… in the fountain in the middle of Zurich.3 Anabaptists believed in pacifism, and adult baptism, which both Luther and Zwingli disagreed with. Pacifism was hard for Luther and Zwingli because they were under constant threat from outside forces, like the Turks or the Catholic church. And, at that time adult baptism was simply not practiced, infant baptism was. Anabaptists believed that people you shouldn’t automatically be a Christian because of where you lived, or which family you were in.
So, why does the passage in Acts remind me of the Reformation? Because God was moving, and people not near each other (Luther & Zwingli) were experiencing theology changing shifts that would impact the church in a way to include more people. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out very well for the Anabaptists. They were opposed by Luther, Zwingli, and the Catholic church - and cruelly martyred.
Coincidentally, I believe this is happening today, right now, in the Western Church, minus the cruelly martyred piece, or really even the persecuted piece to be honest.
Acts 11 ends with Barnabas going to find Saul. Saul has been away in Tarsus for a whole year. I’m not a patient person, which is compounded by our instant gratification culture, so I can’t begin to imagine how Saul felt. Was he asking questions like… “Where are you God!? I’m ready!”
I’m on the edge of seat, wondering what’s going to happen with Saul… but instead, Luke takes us back to Peter, who is arrested by Herod. What?! Where did that come from? And, we learn that James (John’s brother) was killed by Herod.
The history of which Herod this is, the family dynamics, the military dynamics, and the interwovenness with Jesus’ ministry is something that is actually very interesting to me. It helps bring it all together, and relate a lot of the New Testament. However, that’s not why I went searching through commentaries. I was more interested in James.
According to the Tyndale New Testament Commentary on Acts by I. Howard Marshall, James was the brother of Jesus. However, when I checked the Believers Bible Commentary there was no mention of this, instead saying this was the James who was present at the Transfiguration. I also checked the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary, Brazos Theological Commentary, and Teach the Text Commentary - none of them mention James as being the brother of Jesus.
The Belief Commentary by Willie James Jennings takes a completely different direction, focusing on the impact of prisons as demonstrations of state power. Which was also interesting. I love reading whatever Jennings writes, I know I’ll learn something.4
However, I also find out that “killed with a sword” (12:2) likely meant beheaded. Which brings us to another debate. The Teach the Text commentary series suggested this type of death was scandalous/shameful because it was a death reserved for apostates who weren’t going to experience eternal life/after-life/resurrection (whichever term best suits you). The Zondervan Exegetical Commentary says that this is based on a later Mishnaic law, and since we can’t actually know, any suggestion that it was shameful is hypothetical.5
This is why it’s always good to check out a few different commentaries, you never know what rabbit hole you’ll find yourself in, but you’ll gain a better understanding of Scripture. Even if you don’t mean to!
Things are looking pretty down for the early church! What’s going to happen?
Peter finds himself chained between two guards, with soldiers guarding the prison entrance. He’s about to be taken before Herod, the guy who killed James, and will likely execute him, too… the next day… and he’s sleeping!
Was this exhaustion sleep? How can he be sleeping!?
Come on a little spiritual exercise with me.
Place yourself in Peter’s shoes. Actually, he wasn’t wearing shoes, he may not have been wearing anything at all. Imagine being chained between 2 large men, with 2 more men guarding the entrance to where you’re being held. It’s nighttime. You’re about to see the person who had your friend executed. What would you be doing? What emotions would you be feeling?
Close your eyes, and think about this for a moment.
What would you be doing? What would you be feeling?
…..
Grief? Mourning? Fear? Amazement at what God has done? Downtrodden at the turn of events? Melancholy? Hope? Despair?
I’d have a hard time sleeping at a time like this. Yet, if we look back at the gospels, maybe Peter is simply following Jesus’ example when he slept through the storm. This is just a storm of different proportions, I guess.
An angel comes to him. The chains fall off. The angel tells him to get up, get dressed, put his sandals and coat on, and walks with him out of the jail through out gates, and down a street, then disappears.
It never says that the two guards chained to him, or the two soldiers guarding the entrance are asleep. I wonder what happened for them? What did they see? What didn’t they see?
Peter believes it’s a vision. I would believe it was a cruel dream, but I don’t know about you. Anyway, he finds himself at Mary’s house. Mary is John’s mother. John is also known as Mark or John Mark later in Acts. Confused yet? Me too. He knocks at the outer gate, and a servant girl (Rhoda) is so overjoyed she doesn’t let him in but instead runs and tells everyone he’s there. No one believes her.
Reminds me of Mary Magdalene when she told the disciples that Jesus was alive. No one believed her either. Mary… the apostle to the apostles.
Peter stays outside the gate until they finally come to see who’s knocking. He’s like, “Hi! I’m here! Here’s what happened.” Then he leaves for “another place” (12:17).
Things don’t go so well for the guards though. Herod executes them. Then he leaves for Caesarea, gives a speech from his throne, and the people there kept shouting “This is a god’s voice, not the voice of a mere human” (12:22). Not such a great idea though, an angel of the Lord kills Herod on the spot because he didn’t honour God.
The last two verses of Acts 12 switch back to Barnabas and Saul, as they travel from Antioch to Jerusalem taking John Mark with them.
At some point in all of those commentaries, I came across the statement that because Barnabas’ name was listed first, it was likely that he was the leader for their missional journey.
I guess that makes sense, Saul isn’t even called Paul yet.
Next Time…
When I write on Acts again, I’m hoping to cover Acts 13-15. Here’s what we’ll encounter:
Barnabas and Saul begin their missional journey
James (the actual brother of Jesus) is at the Jerusalem Council to discuss circumcision and Gentile believers.
Peter continues on his Redemptive Arc
The term kin*dom was first coined by Dr. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz in the academic world. It removes the hierarchical and authoritarian aspect of Kingdom, instead reflecting the relationship we have with each other, and creation.
Justo Gonzalez. 2010. The Story of Christianity: Volume 2 - The Reformation to Present Day. New York: Harper Collins, 59.
I love how accessible these books are for understand Christian history, and I highly recommend reading them.
Check out Volume 1 - The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation by Gonzalez, as well.
Gonzalez, 69.
Jennings, Willie James. 2017. Acts. First edition. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.
Tyndale New Testament Commentary:
Howard Marshall. 2008. Acts : An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 5. Nottingham: IVP Academic.
Believer’s Bible Commentary:
MacDonald, William. 2016. Believer’s Bible Commentary: 2nd Edition. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Brazos Commentary:
Pelikan, Jaroslav. 2005. Acts. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Brazos Press.
Teach the Text Commentary:
Garland, David E.. 2017. Acts (Teach the Text Commentary Series). Grand Rapids: Baker Books.
Zondervan Exegetical Commentary:
Eckhard J. Schnabel. 2016. Acts. Vol. 5. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Academic.