Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Reading for April 18th

Read Acts 4.32- 5.16
In 4.32-34: Luke's picture of common ownership expresses a vision of the practices of the community of the resurrection (see also 2.44-47; 24.15-16, 25).
In verse 25: On the distribution as any had need, see 6.1-2.
In verse 36: Barnabas is identified as a Levite (they have no "allotment" in the land, Deut 14.29) and will provide a link to Paul's mission to  Cyprus (Acts 11. 19-20; 13.2-4; 21.16).
In verse 37: His gift, laid at the apostles' feet, acknowledges their authority without coercion.
In 5.1-4: The consent and knowledge of Sapphira disclose the conspiracy to lie which they contrived.
Satan is associated with the premeditated character of such collusion (see Lk 22.3-6).
In verse 9: They are not merely challenging apostolic authority, but putting the Spirit of the Lord to the test, as in Israel in the Exodus (see Ex 17.2, 7; Deut 6.16; Lk 4.12; 11.16; Acts 15.10).
In verse 11 The fear is characteristic awe of divine activity (2.43; 19.17; Lk 1.12, 65; 2.9; 7.16; 8.37).
This is the first mention of the church (Gk., "ekklesia"), meaning the "assembly" pr "assembly of believers" (4.32), as Israel was also called in the Greek scriptures (Deut 4.10; 9.10; 18.16; 23.1-2).
In verse 12 Solomon's Portico clearly puts them back in the temple (3.11; 5.25), in the presence of danger (4.1).
In verse 15: the expectation that even Peter's shadow could heal is a remarkable testimony to the over-shadowing power of the Most High (Lk 1.35; Acts 19.11-12).
In verse 16 As in the early conflicts with Jesus over his healing, Luke emphasizes that they were all cured (Lk 6.19).
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