 Below is an assignment submitted in my New Testament II class. In the early chapters of the book of Acts, Luke provides a historical record of the culture and context of the early Church. Biblical scholars debate the reasoning behind Luke's purpose for writing such an account. Robert Wayne Stacy believes that Luke may have written Acts "to remind his audience both then and now, that irrespective of the distances that have subsequently developed between Judaism and Christianity, Christianity began as a legitimate movement within the piety of first-century Judaism" (Stacy, Module 1 Overview, 0:44-1:00). In other words, Luke writes much of his book to remind us that the first Christians were Jews. Unfortunately, Christians in the twenty-first century, being far removed from the culture and setting of the book of Acts, often have a skewed perception of these first-century followers of Christ. This misunderstanding leads to misinterpretation and misapplication of the Scriptures. Therefore if we are to interpret and apply the Scriptures rightly, it is essential that we understand the context and setting behind the early Church. In studying Luke's account of the early Church, it is clear that Christianity began as a movement within Judaism that quickly spread beyond its roots, reaching not only Jews but also Gentiles. Luke portrays the "Jewishness" of the first Christians throughout the early chapters of Acts. For example, in Acts 1:12, Luke describes the distance from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem as a "Sabbath day's journey." A "Sabbath day's Journey" was Luke's way of giving a "Jewish measurement," approximately three-quarters of a mile, the distance the Jews were allowed to travel on the Sabbath according to tradition. Luke provides further evidence of the "Jewishness" of the early Church when he explains the events of Pentecost, through the record of Peter's sermon (Acts 2:14-41). This sermon given during Pentecost is entirely Jewish in understanding. First, the very festival of Pentecost itself was a "Jewish festival." Elwell states, "Pentecost (2:1) refers to the ancient Hebrew holiday instituted in Moses's time (Deut. 16:16, there called the Festival of Weeks). It took place seven weeks after the Passover observance and is still celebrated by Jews today" (Elwell 2019, 198). Second, Peter, quoting Joel 2:28-32 and Psalm 16:8-11, proclaims that Jesus, as Israel's long-awaited Messiah and God's own Son, has ushered in the "day of the Lord" through his death burial and resurrection. The fact that he uses the Jews own scriptures to make his arguments certainly alludes to his own Jewish instruction. This concept of "the day of the Lord" was a Jewish concept in which Yahweh would, as Stacy states, "come to vindicate the faithful and vanquish the wicked, and supremely ... establish Yahweh's power over the earth [through] the Kingdom of God" (Stacy, Pentecost & the Eschatological Setting of the Early Church in Acts, 4:21-4:30). Luke, along with the early Christians, believed that the "day of the Lord" had already begun. The inauguration of "the Kingdom of God" began at Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. The final consummation would occur at Christ's return to earth to put an end to all rebellion, evil, and sin. Another aspect that Luke describes which reveals the "Jewishness" of the early Church is in Luke's portrayal of the first Christians attending the Jewish temple for worship and prayer (see Acts 2:46; 3:1; 5:21, 42). Walter A Elwell, concerning this practice, observes that their presence in the temple was "significant," for they were "witness that the God who had instituted temple worship had now delivered an additional and climactic word" (Elwell 2019, 200). That is, Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures and inaugurated the Kingdom of God. Therefore to be a true child of Abraham was to partake in the inheritance of Christ by repentance and belief that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. This message eventually would be seen as a threat to traditional Judaism and would provoke many Jews to persecute those who claimed Jesus was indeed the prophesied Messiah. Luke describes such an account in Acts 6-7 when Steven is killed because of his testimony concerning Jesus. Ultimately, Luke's portrayal of the "Jewishness" of the early Church provides the historical fulfillment of the covenantal promises made to the people of Israel. It's as if he is saying, not all Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Those who rightly understood the promises of the Scriptures as revealed in the Old Testament recognized their fulfillment in Jesus, and therefore followed the true Jewish Messiah (Jesus of Nazareth), and have now become part of the "Kingdom of God." Understanding the unfolding of God's plan through the Jewish people, and ultimately the Jewish Messiah is equally essential for us as Christians in the twenty-first century. It is impossible to understand the New Testament without understanding the Jewish roots of our faith. Without knowing the historical setting of the early Church, we set ourselves up to misinterpret the scriptures, and as a result, misapply them as well. It is a tragedy when people use the Bible to their own advantage by twisting and ripping it's meaning out of context. May we, as faithful Christians, always seek to understand the Scriptures properly by placing them in their proper context and therefore avoid any skewed perceptions that may lead to error. Bibliography
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