Brief+Study+of+the+Resurrection+in+Acts

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=Brief Study of the Resurrection in Acts=

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead marks the pinnacle of the most prominent event in all of history.[|[1]] Many thought that death defeated whom they supposed to be the Messiah, yet the Lord conquered death. His triumph from the grave displayed the validity of who Christ said that He was which in turn lead others to put their faith in Christ, the “fact created faith.”[|[2]] In the Acts of the Apostles, resurrection is a prominent teaching of both Peter and Paul.[|[3]] The resurrection was the hub in their presentation of the gospel. All cycles around the reality that Jesus is alive.[|[4]] Indeed, the work of Christ continued in the book of Acts because Jesus lives.[|[5]]

The Apostle’s Job Foundational in Acts is the resurrection of the Lord. One of the first obstacles that needs to be overcome in Acts is filling Judas’ spot as an apostle. Peter took charge and made qualifications for those who could be selected. They had to be with Jesus from the beginning and had be a witness of His resurrection (Acts 1:22). One can imply that this is the peak of Christ’s ministry. The text clearly says that they were to be witnesses “//of His resurrection//”. The main point of the Apostles’ ministry was not affirming that Jesus fed the 5,000 or that He was born in Bethlehem, but that He rose from the dead. His conquering of death proves much about who He is. Being a witness means two things: first the witness sees something and second he bears witness or testifies of what he saw.[|[6]] The apostles were ones who would proclaim the resurrection of Christ, therefore, the work of the church was founded on men proclaiming the resurrection.

=Peter and the resurrection in Acts 2=

After the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles in Acts 2:1-4, Peter began a speech which had its foundation in the resurrection. Throughout the sermon, Peter uses Old Testament passages including Psalm 16 and Psalm 110. Peter uses Psalm 16 to develop the centrality of the resurrection of Christ. Psalm 16 is a Messianic Psalm which shows the Messiah[|[7]] as more powerful by God than death. Peter then reaffirms to his listeners that the Psalm was not referring to David, but it was prophetic and was referring to Jesus. Notice how Peter shows why the resurrection is important in verse 24. The resurrection put “an end to the agony of death”. Verse 29-31 show that the resurrection is a fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (II Samuel 7:12). In other words, the resurrection is a direct testimony to the faithfulness of God.

Moreover, Luke uses Psalm 16 to show that Jesus had a bodily resurrection and that He did not see corruption. This made Jesus stand apart from any other person who had died. Even those who were resurrected in the Old Testament eventually faced death and died (except for Enoch and Elijah, but they were not resurrected). God’s raising of Jesus says much about how God the Father views Jesus; Jesus is worthy.[|[8]]

When Jesus died, so much confusion must have swirled in the minds of the people. The disciples believed He was the Messiah, but He died! One must understand that the Jews believed that the Messiah would be one who came ruling and conquering. When Jesus died, it seemed that all hope failed. The One who was promised from the beginning in Genesis 3:15 who would be of the line of David had died! Jesus is more powerful than death (31). But Peter throws Psalm 110 in the mix which shows the deity of Christ in Matthew 22:41-46. In a similar manner, Peter uses this Psalm to build on the resurrection to show the now exalted Christ. Without the resurrection, Psalm 110 could not be fulfilled. Peter shows that Jesus is now the exalted Lord and Messiah with Psalm 110 (34-36).[|[9]] “Jesus’s resurrection means far more than merely that there is life after death. It is a vindication of Jesus’s life and mission, a demonstration that Jesus lives and still rules, and a reflection that Jesus is a unique person, sharing the precious presence and glory of God in a unique way.” [|[10]] The resurrection of Christ attests to the faithfulness of God, and His deity, Lordship, and Messianic nature of Christ.

Peter’s used of the Old Testament to show the Jews that even their own scriptures attested to the resurrection of the Messiah. Peter began his ministry by proclaiming the truth of the resurrection. It sets the bar so that the theme: “the reality of the resurrection” was found throughout the rest of apostolic teaching.[|[11]]

=Paul’s teaching on the resurrection in Acts 17=

After looking at idols and being provoked by them, Paul began to deliver a sermon on Mars Hill. His conclusion to the sermon is found in Acts 17:30-31. Paul calls for people to repent because God will one day judge the world through Christ. The text also says that God appointed Him and “furnished proof to all by raising Him from the dead.” Therefore, resurrection in this passage serves to validate certain judgment from Jesus. Larkin states it well: “It [resurrection] establishes both the warning of judgment and the promise of salvation blessings”.[|[12]] The need for repentance (which incorporates belief) rests on the reality of the resurrection. The response from the crowd tells the reader about how obscene this message of resurrection sounded to the Gentiles. No other religion makes such a bold claim, thus the response of the people was three-fold: sneering, procrastination, and belief.[|[13]] Notice that the resurrection of Christ requires a response. No one is said to be left unaffected. The response of the people testifies to the uniqueness of the claim. The procrastination was due to a lack of understanding of the nature of the resurrection. It changed everything because of the validation of His authority, yet many did not want to submit to it. Paul’s use of the topic confronts every religious tradition concerning their religious beliefs with this one truth that rules them all.[|[14]] Jesus will judge and He is able to because of the resurrection. However, men are not left without hope because all are called to repentance. Resurrection from the dead, even to the extremely religious was absurd because of its changing power. One the one hand the resurrection validates Jesus as Judge, on the other hand the resurrection validates Jesus as Savior, thus the call for repentance is recorded.

From this narrative, the reader learns that Paul incorporated the resurrection of Christ into his gospel presentation to Gentiles. He also took it a step further by incorporating the resurrection as proof that Jesus is the judge which makes repentance a necessity (Peter did this as well in Acts 2:24-32).[|[15]] The Resurrection of Christ and the Resurrection of the Rest

Luke argues for a changed time in Israel’s history due to the resurrection because they could experience the forgiveness of sins. This is why Paul so often spoke of the resurrection. Wright explains it like this: “Jesus’ own resurrection //from// the dead is the beginning of ‘the resurrection //of// the dead’.” Thus resurrection in Acts is linked with future hope. “But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, ‘Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisee; I am on trial for the hope and the resurrection of the dead!’” (Acts 23:6). The answer to the hope which the apostles so boldly proclaimed was because Jesus rose. Indeed resurrection is “future human hope”.[|[16]]

=Conclusion=

From a short study of 3 narratives in Acts, the reader quick sees the importance that the early church put on the resurrection of Jesus. It was fundamental in their proclamation of the gospel and often was the climax of their presentation. In Acts 1 the reader sees that the apostles were primarily witnesses to the resurrection. In Acts 2, Peter uses the Old Testament to show many things about who Jesus is, including his Messianic title as well as His Lordship. Finally in Acts 17, Paul uses the resurrection as a validation of coming judgment. The only one whom death could not hold will one day judge the living and the dead. This study barely scratches the surface of studying the resurrection in Acts, but hopefully it instills an understanding of the centrality of the resurrection to the Early Church.

Bibliography: Bock, Darrell. //Acts//. Grand Rapids Mich.: Baker Academic, 2007. Kistemaker, Simon. //New Testament commentary : exposition of the Acts of the Apostles//. Grand Rapids Mich.: Baker Book House, 1990. Ladd, George. //A theology of the New Testament.// Grand Rapids Mich.: Eerdmans, 1974. Larkin, William. //Acts//. Downers Ill. USA: InterVarsity Press, 1995. MacArthur, John. //The resurrection of Jesus Christ//. Chicago: Moody Press, 1989. MacArthur, John, and John MacArthur. //Acts 1-12//. Chicago: Moody Press, 1994. Wright, N. //The resurrection of the Son of God//. 1st ed. Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press, 2003.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[1]] N Wright, //The resurrection of the Son of God//, 1st ed. (Minneapolis MN: Fortress Press, 2003), 456. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[2]] George Ladd, //A theology of the New Testament.// (Grand Rapids Mich.: Eerdmans, 1974), 320. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[3]] Simon Kistemaker, //New Testament commentary : exposition of the Acts of the Apostles// (Grand Rapids Mich.: Baker Book House, 1990), 66. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[4]] John MacArthur and John MacArthur, //Acts 1-12// (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), 64. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[5]] Ladd, //A theology of the New Testament.//, 327. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[6]] Kistemaker, //New Testament commentary//, 66. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[7]] Wright, //The resurrection of the Son of God//, 456. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[8]] Ibid., 455-456. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[9]] Ibid., 576. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[10]] Darrell Bock, //Acts// (Grand Rapids Mich.: Baker Academic, 2007), 137. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[11]] John MacArthur, //The resurrection of Jesus Christ// (Chicago: Moody Press, 1989), 44. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[12]] William Larkin, //Acts// (Downers Ill. USA: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 260. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[13]] Ibid., 260-261. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[14]] Wright, //The resurrection of the Son of God//, 456. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[15]] Ladd, //A theology of the New Testament.//, 317. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[16]] Wright, //The resurrection of the Son of God//, 451-457.

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