The Agenda of the Ascended One
Acts 22:17-21
17 And it
came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in
the temple, I was in a trance; 18 And saw him saying unto me, Make
haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy
testimony concerning me. 19 And I said, Lord, they know that I
imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And
when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and
consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And
he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Outline:
I. In a Trance in the Temple (22:17)
II. Ordered out of Town (22:18)
III. A Reputation for Violent Persecution (22:19-20)
IV. Unfinished Business (22:21)
I. In a Trance in the Temple (22:17)
And it came to pass, that, when
I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a
trance;
This previous return to Jerusalem following his
conversion and visit to Damascus is recorded in Acts 9:26-30; 26:20-23.
The specific detail recorded here of him receiving direct
revelation from Christ while in a trance in the temple is not recorded in any
of the other accounts. The uniqueness of this personal detail must not be
allowed to obscure its significance in this sermon, but rather to highlight it
given the setting and the audience.
Other times besides the two incidents recounted by Paul
here when Christ communicated directly to him include (but are not limited to)
18:9f.; 23:11; and 27:23f.[1]
Cp. Is. 6:1-13.[2]
The First Cycle: From Temple to Temple[3]
II. Ordered out of Town (22:18)
And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and
get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony
concerning me.
The emphasis here is on the speed with which the Lord
wants Paul to get out of Jerusalem based on the reason given.
Jesus is Lord of the Temple.[4]
III. A Reputation for Violent Persecution (22:19-20)
19 And I said, Lord, they know that
I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20 And
when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and
consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
witness (NASB,
ESV, HCSB, and NLT) is translated as martyr
in the KJV and the NIV. This is the first usage where the normal word for witness acquires the connotation
associated with bloodshed and death[5]
that it has borne ever since.[6]
Others in the past had voiced objections to the Lord’s
directives:
1. The objections
of Moses to the Lord sending him to Pharaoh in Egypt -
1) The command of the Lord to Moses -
Exodus 3:10 - Come now therefore, and I will send
thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of
Israel out of Egypt.
2) The objections of Moses to the Lord -
(1) Exodus 3:11 - And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and
that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
(2) Exodus 3:13 - And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel,
and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and
they shall say to me, What is his
name? what shall I say unto them?
(3) Exodus 4:1 - And
Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken
unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
(4) Exodus 4:10 - And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I
am not eloquent, neither heretofore,
nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
(5) Exodus 4:13 - And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee,
by the hand of him whom thou wilt
send.
3) The responses of the Lord to Moses’ objections -
(1) Exodus 3:12
(2) Exodus 3:14-22
(3) Exodus 4:2-9
(4) Exodus 4:
2. The objection
of Jonah when sent by the Lord to the Gentiles in Nineveh -
1) The command of the Lord to Jonah -
Jonah 1:1-2 - 1 Now
the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2 Arise,
go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is
come up before me.
Jonah 3:1-2 - 1 And
the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, 2 Arise,
go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid
thee.
2) Jonah’s objection -
Jonah 4:1-3 - 1 But it
displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. 2 And he
prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I
fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. 3 Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech
thee, my life from me; for it is
better for me to die than to live.
3) The response of the Lord to Jonah’s objection -
Jonah 4:10-11 - 10 Then
said the LORD, Thou hast had pity on the gourd, for the which thou hast not
laboured, neither madest it grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a
night:
11 And should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are
more than sixscore thousand persons that cannot discern between their right
hand and their left hand; and also
much cattle?
3. The objection
by Ananias when the Lord told him to go to Paul in Damascus -
1) The command of the Lord to Ananias -
Acts 9:10-12 - 10 And
there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the
Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord. 11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called
Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And
hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive
his sight.
2) Ananias’ objection -
Acts 9:13-14 - 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have
heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at
Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind
all that call on thy name.
3) The response of the Lord to Ananias’ objection -
Acts 9:15-16 - 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way:
for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and
kings, and the children of Israel: 16 For I
will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
When we read these words we may wonder:
1. Was Paul responding to Christ’s order to leave
Jerusalem, Make haste, and get thee quickly
out of Jerusalem (vs. 18), by disagreeing with Him? Was Paul pleading
with Christ to allow him to stay and face martyrdom since he was convinced that
he deserved no less a fate than Stephen’s?
2. Or, was Paul responding to Christ’s expressed reason
for the order to leave Jerusalem: for
they will not receive thy testimony concerning me (vs. 18)? Was Paul
disagreeing with Christ, reminding Him
that there were good reasons involving Paul’s reputation for allowing him to
stay in Jerusalem? Does Paul summarize the violent persection in his past to
Christ as an argument in favor of allowing him to continue attempting to
testify of Christ there since they might be more predisposed to receive
Christ’s testimony from one with Paul’s credentials than from anyone else?
3. Or, both?
Acts 21:10-14 - 10
And
as we tarried there many days, there
came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus. 11 And when he was come unto us, he took
Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy
Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and
shall deliver him into the hands of
the Gentiles. 12 And
when we heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought him not
to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then
Paul answered, What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not
to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we
ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done.
IV. Unfinished Business (22:21)
And he said unto me, Depart: for
I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
The emphasis here is on the geographical distance from
Jerusalem, far hence,[7]
and the ethnic difference from the Jews, unto
the Gentiles.
This final word, Gentiles,
is what provokes the immediate tumultuous interruption by the mob effectively
bringing Paul’s defense to an end -
Acts 22:22a - “And they gave him audience
unto this word…”
“No single fact so aroused the enmity of the Jews as to
be told that God sent the apostles to bring salvation to the Gentiles.27”
“27Acts 6 &7; 11:1-3; 13:46-50; 21:19-22;
22:21-22; 26:19-21; 28:28.”[8]
“The word struck like a match in dry straw. The silence exploded.”[9]
The Second Cycle: From Gentiles to Gentiles
Cp. Acts 2:39; Is. 57:19 (LXX); Eph. 2:17-18, 12-13.
Complete outline:
I. In a Trance in the Temple (22:17)
II. Ordered out of Town (22:18)
III. A Reputation for Violent Persecution (22:19-20)
IV. Unfinished Business (22:21)
[Sermon preached 1
FEB 2015 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown,
PA.]
The Three Parallel Accounts of Saul’s Conversion in
Acts
Acts 9:1-30;
22:3-21; and 26:4-23[10]
I. The Background to the Conversion of Saul
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Acts 9:1-2
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Acts 22:3-5
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Acts 26:4-12
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1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, 2
And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found
any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound
unto Jerusalem.
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3 I am verily a man
which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a
city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect
manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are
this day. 4 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high
priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also
I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus, to bring them
which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to be punished.
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4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first
among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews;
5 Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify,
that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. 6
And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto
our fathers: 7 Unto which
promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope’s sake, king Agrippa,
I am accused of the Jews. 8 Why should it be thought a thing
incredible with you, that God should raise the dead? 9 I verily
thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of
Jesus of Nazareth.
10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the
saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief
priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 11 And I punished
them oft in every synagogue, and compelled
them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12
Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief
priests,
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II. The Confrontation with the Lord - The
Conversion of Saul on the Damascus Road
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Acts 9:3-9
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Acts 22:6-11
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Acts 26:13-18
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3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and
suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: 4 And
he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me? 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the
Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what
wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord
said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee
what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood
speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose
from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led
him by the hand, and brought him
into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither
did eat nor drink.
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6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey,
and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven
a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and
heard a voice saying unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 8
And I answered, Who art thou, Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of
Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. 9 And they that were with me saw
indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that
spake to me. 10 And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord
said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of
all things which are appointed for thee to do. 11 And when I could
not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were
with me, I came into Damascus.
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13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from
heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them
which journeyed with me. 14 And when we were all fallen to the
earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue,
Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it
is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 15 And I said,
Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have
appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness
both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I
will appear unto thee; 17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I
send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from
darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
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III. The Ministry of Ananias - The Healing and
Baptism of Saul
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Acts 9:10-18
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Acts 22:12-16
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Acts 26
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10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named
Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold,
I am here, Lord. 11 And
the Lord said unto him, Arise, and
go into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of
Judas for one called Saul, of
Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a
man named Ananias coming in, and putting
his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then
Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he
hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: 14 And here he hath
authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name. 15
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to
bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16
For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake. 17
And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands
on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord,
even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent
me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been
scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
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12 And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law,
having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 13 Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me,
Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14
And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest
know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his
mouth.
15 For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou
hast seen and heard.
16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and
wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
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IV. The Aftermath of the Conversion of Saul - The
Inauguration of his Ministry
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Acts 9:19-30
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Acts 22:17-21
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Acts 26:19-23
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19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then
was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus. 20
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of
God. 21 But all that heard
him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which
called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he
might bring them bound unto the chief priests? 22 But Saul
increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at
Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 23 And after that many
days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: 24 But
their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and
night to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and
let him down by the wall in a
basket. 26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join
himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not
that he was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared
unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him,
and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28
And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. 29 And
he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the
Grecians: but they went about to slay him. 30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea,
and sent him forth to Tarsus.
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17 And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to
Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18
And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of
Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. 19
And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue
them that believed on thee: 20 And when the blood of thy martyr
Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and
kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me,
Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
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19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient
unto the heavenly vision: 20 But shewed first unto them of
Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they
should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. 21
For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me. 22 Having therefore
obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and
great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did
say should come: 23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead,
and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles.
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Appendix 1 - Resources
cited in Notes:
F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text
with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).
F. F. Bruce, Paul:
Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1977).
Richard R. DeRidder, Discipling
the Nations (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975).
Thomas A. Golding, “Pagan
Worship In Jerusalem?” Bibliotheca
Sacra 170:679 (Jul 2013), pp. 304-316.
Paul R. House, “Suffering
And The Purpose Of Acts,” Journal of
the Evangelical Theological Society 33:3 (Sep 1990), pp. 317-330.
Dennis E. Johnson, “Jesus Against the Idols: The Use of Isaianic Servant Songs in the Missiology of Acts,” Westminster Theological Journal 52:2 (Fall 1990), pp. 343-353.
Dennis E.
Johnson, The Message of Acts in the
History of Redemption (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997).
Morris V. Klock, “Ten
Appearances To Paul,” Central
Bible Quarterly 18:1 (Spring 1975), pp. 25-30.
Ernst Lohmeyer, The Lord of the Temple, trans. Stewart Todd (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1961; Richmond: John Knox Press, 1962; trans. German orig. Kultus and Evangelium).
Ernst Lohmeyer, The Lord of the Temple, trans. Stewart Todd (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1961; Richmond: John Knox Press, 1962; trans. German orig. Kultus and Evangelium).
I. Howard Marshall, Acts:
An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).
David G. Peterson, The
Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar
New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).
John Pollock, The
Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed. (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969,
2012); also published as The Man Who
Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York: Doubleday,
1969).
Timothy J. Ralston, “The
Theological Significance of Paul’s Conversion,” Bibliotheca Sacra 147:586 (Apr 1990), pp. 198-215.
A. T. Robertson, Epochs
in the Life of Paul: A Study of Development in Paul's Character (Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).
Allison A. Trites, The
New Testament Concept of Witness, Society for New Testament Studies
Monograph Series 31 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977).
Allison A. Trites, “The Idea of Witness in the Synoptic
Gospels: Some Juridical Considerations”, Themelios
5:2 (1968, old series under IFES), pp. 18-26; on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ifes/5-3_trites.pdf
[accessed 6 FEB 2015].
Allison A. Trites, “Witness, Testimony,” in The New International Dictionary of New
Testament Theology, gen. ed. Colin Brown, English ed. (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan Publishing House, 1978; trans. from Germ. original, Theologisches Begriffslexikon Zum Neuen
Testament, 1971 by Theologischer Verlag Rolf Brockhaus, Wuppertal), 3:1047-1051.
Allison A. Trites, “Martus
and Martyrdom in the Apocalypse: A Semantic Study,” Novum Testamentum 5 (1973), pp. 72-80.
Allison A. Trites, “The Importance of Legal Scenes and
Language in the Book of Acts,” Novum
Testamentum 16 (1974), pp. 278-284.
Appendix 2 - Resources on the Sermons in Acts:
F. F. Bruce, The
Speeches in the Acts of the Apostles (London: The Tyndale Press, 1942); on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/speeches_bruce.pdf
[accessed 8 FEB 2013].[11]
F. F. Bruce, “The Speeches In Acts―Thirty Years
After,” Robert Banks, ed., Reconciliation and Hope. New Testament Essays on
Atonement and Eschatology Presented to L.L. Morris on his 60th Birthday
(Carlisle: The Paternoster Press, 1974), pp. 53-68; on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rh/acts_bruce.pdf
[accessed 8 FEB 2013].
Colin J. Hemer, “The Speeches of Acts,” Tyndale Bulletin 40:1 (NA 1989), pp.
77-85.
Simon J. Kistemaker, “The Speeches In Acts,” Criswell Theological Review 5:1 (1990),
pp. 31-41; on Theodore Hildebrandt’s “Biblical eSources,” on Gordon Faculty Online at https://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/ntesources/ntarticles/ctr-nt/kistemaker-speechesacts-ctr.pdf
[accessed 27 AUG 2014].
William L. Lane, "The
Speeches of the Book of Acts", in Jerusalem
and Athens: Critical Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetics of Cornelius
Van Til, ed. E. R. Geehan (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.,
1971), pp. 260-272, Ch. XIII, notes on pp. 473-477.
Appendix 3 - Resources
on Acts:
G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of
the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.
Paul Barnett, The
Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 2005).
Darrell L. Bock, Acts,
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament, eds. Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids:
Baker Academic, 2007).
F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text
with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).
Dennis E. Johnson, The Message of Acts in the History of
Redemption (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997).
I. Howard Marshall, Acts:
An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).
David G. Peterson, The
Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar
New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).
John B. Polhill, Acts,
Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary,
gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers,
1992).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts,
Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical
Commentary on the New Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2012).
W. C. van Unnik, “The ‘Book of Acts’ the Confirmation of
the Gospel,” in Novum Testamentum 4:1
(OCT 1960), pp. 26-59; reprinted in The
Composition of Luke’s Gospel: Selected Studies from Novum Testamentum,
compiled by David E. Orton, Vol. 1 of Brill’s
Readers in Biblical Studies (Leiden: Brill, 1999), pp. 184-218.
William H. Willimon, Acts,
in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for
Teaching and Preaching, series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed.
Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).
Appendix 4 - Resources on Paul:
Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural
Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011).
F. F. Bruce, Paul:
Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1977).
D. A. Carson, The
Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1996), pp. 496-501.
W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged
American ed. (New York: E. B. Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Adolf Deissmann, Paul:
A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson
(New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.).
F. W. Farrar, The Life
and Work of St. Paul (New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed
12 FEB 2013].
Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul: Life and
Letters”, in The Face of New Testament
Studies: A Survey of Recent Research, ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R.
Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), pp. 283-325.
Richard B.Gaffin, Jr.,
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End Notes:
[1] Morris V. Klock, “Ten Appearances To Paul,” Central Bible Quarterly 18:1 (Spring 1975), pp. 25-30.
[2] David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar New Testament Commentaries,
gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009),
pp. 604; F.
F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set
Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977), pg. 144,
note 37.
[3] Thomas A. Golding, “Pagan
Worship In Jerusalem?” Bibliotheca
Sacra 170:679 (Jul 2013), pp. 304-316.
[4] Ernst Lohmeyer, The
Lord of the Temple, trans. Stewart Todd (Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1961;
Richmond: John Knox Press, 1962; trans. German orig. Kultus and Evangelium). Cited by I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And Commentary,
Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries,
gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008
reprint), pg. 377.
[5] Paul R. House, “Suffering
And The Purpose Of Acts,” Journal of
the Evangelical Theological Society 33:3 (Sep 1990), pp. 317-330.
[6] F. F. Bruce, The
Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd
ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951, 1952), pg. 405.
Allison A. Trites, The New Testament Concept of Witness,
Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series 31 (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 1977). Cited by I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen.
ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint),
pg. 377, note 11; and David G. Peterson, The
Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar
New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), pp. 605, note 54.
Allison A. Trites, “The
Idea of Witness in the Synoptic Gospels: Some Juridical Considerations”, Themelios 5:2 (1968, old series under
IFES), pp. 18-26; on Biblical Studies
at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/ifes/5-3_trites.pdf
[accessed 6 FEB 2015].
Allison A. Trites,
“Witness, Testimony,” in The New
International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, gen. ed. Colin Brown,
English ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978; trans. from Germ.
original, Theologisches Begriffslexikon
Zum Neuen Testament, 1971 by Theologischer Verlag Rolf Brockhaus,
Wuppertal), 3:1047-1051.
Allison A. Trites, “Martus and Martyrdom in the Apocalypse:
A Semantic Study,” Novum Testamentum
5 (1973), pp. 72-80.
Allison A. Trites, “The
Importance of Legal Scenes and Language in the Book of Acts,” Novum Testamentum 16 (1974), pp.
278-284.
[7] Dennis E.
Johnson, The Message of Acts in the
History of Redemption (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997), pg. 116, and 121, note 35.
[8] Richard R. DeRidder, Discipling the Nations (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1975), pg. 19, and
note 27.
[9] John Pollock, The
Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed. (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969,
2012); also published as The Man Who
Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York: Doubleday,
1969), pg. 194. See also: A. T. Robertson, Epochs
in the Life of Paul: A Study of Development in Paul's Character (Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974), pg. 230; and F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977), pp. 350-351.
[10] Timothy J. Ralston, “The
Theological Significance of Paul’s Conversion,” Bibliotheca Sacra 147:586 (Apr 1990), pp. 198-215.
[11] “This was delivered as The Tyndale New Testament Lecture 19 DEC
1942 at a Conference of graduate and theological student members of the
Inter-Varsity Fellowship in Wadham College, Oxford.”
