Session Eight
Messianic Fulfillment – Part 2: Luke 22 - 24:
33 AD: Passion, Death, and Resurrection
Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer
The Church: The Acts of the Apostles
33 - 200 AD
White (The Spotless Bride of Christ):
Christ's Work Continues in His Kingdom, the Church
God’s Love Story:
· The Gospel According to Luke: 22 – 24
· Jesus prepared to replace the Old Covenant Passover with the sacrificial banquet of the New Covenant (22:14)
· Jesus offered His body and blood as a sacrifice for sin, said the first Mass, and set up the ordination of the New Covenant priesthood (22:21) See Eucharist
· Jesus warned about betraying Him (22:22)
· Jesus told how to be leaders in His Church by serving (22:27)
· Jesus entrusted His apostles with His Church (22:29)
· Jesus resigned Himself to the will of His Father (22:42)
· Jesus meekly accepted His betrayal and healed the slave of the high priest (22:53)
· Jesus made His divinity clear during His trial (22:66)
· Jesus was the innocent lamb being led to the slaughter (23:4)
· Jesus was mocked and ridiculed for our sins (23:12)
· Jesus warned those in Jerusalem about its destruction (23:30)
· Jesus was crucified for our sins, for our salvation, and for our redemption (23:23)
· Jesus showed mercy to those who crucified Him (23:34)
· Jesus forgave the thief who acknowledge his own sins (23:44)
· God tore the curtain of the Temple to show the opening of Heaven for all (23:45)
· Jesus died for our redemption (23:46)
· The Holy Spirit inspired the women at the tomb to remember Jesus’ prediction of His resurrection (24:7)
· Jesus revealed His risen self in the breaking of the bread (24:35)
· Jesus appeared to His disciples affirming His resurrection, and opening their minds to understanding the Scriptures (24:46)
· Jesus commissioned His disciples to spread the good news to all nations and promised to send power from on high (Holy Spirit) (24:29)
· Jesus ascended into heaven blessing His disciples as they worshipped Him (24:23)
God’s Love Story:
· Acts
· Jesus remained with His followers for 40 days after the Resurrection (1:3)
· Jesus promised them the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1:5)
· Jesus promised them power form the Holy Spirit so that they can witness to the ends of the earth (1:8)
· God sent angels to promise Jesus’s return after His ascension (1:11)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to lead the apostles in choosing one to replace Judas (1:26)
· They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in other tongues (2:4)
· The Holy Spirit allowed the Good News to be understood in many languages (2:13)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Christ as David and the prophets foretold (2:36)
· The Holy Spirit opened the hearts of three thousand who heard Peter’s message to repent and to be baptized (2:41)
· The Holy Spirit gave strength to those baptized to follow the apostles’ teaching and to join in their fellowship (2:42)
· The Holy Spirit inspired converts to form a sharing community (2:43)
· The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved (2:47)
· God gave Peter the power to heal the lame beggar (3:10)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to use the healing to proclaim Jesus as redeemer as foretold by the prophets (3:25) leading to the conversion of 5,000 (4:4)
· Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit to boldly proclaim Jesus as savior to the high priest, rulers, and elders (4:12)
· The Holy Spirit gave Peter and John the power to refuse the officials’ warning not to speak or teach in the name of Jesus (4:22)
· The Holy Spirit filled the believers with boldness (4:31) and inspired them to share their possessions (4:36)
· God punished Ananias and Sapphira with death for lying to the Holy Spirit about their donation of land (5:10)
· God gave the apostles power to heal many (5:12)
· And angel of the Lord released the apostles from prison and told them to proclaim the “words of this Life” (5:20)
· The Holy Spirit gave Peter and the apostles the power to proclaim Jesus and the Holy Spirit to the high priest and leaders (5:32)
· God inspired Gamaliel to realize that the growth of the Church could not be stopped if it is of God (5:39)
· God inspired the Twelve to ordain the first seven deacons (6:3)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Stephen to proclaim the truth about Jesus and gave him strength to become the first martyr (7:54)
· The Holy Spirit empowered Philip to preach in Samaria (8:4)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Peter and John to lay hands on the Samaritans that they might receive the Holy Spirit (8:17)
· God sent an angel to Philip to instruct and baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch (8:26)
· Jesus appeared to Saul to begin his conversion (9:4)
· The Lord spoke to Ananias to lay hands on Saul to restore his sight (9:12)
· God restored Saul’s sight and he was baptized (9:18)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Saul to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues and to the Greeks (9:26)
· The Lord granted peace to the Church and it continued to multiply (9:31)
· The Lord gave Peter power to heal Aeneas in Lydda and to raise Tabitha from the dead (9:40)
· The Lord sent an angel to Cornelius so the Gentiles could be baptized (10:48)
· The Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles who heard Peter speak and he commanded them to be baptized (10:48)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to convince the “circumcision party” to allow Gentiles to be baptized without circumcision (11:18)
· The hand of the Lord was with those who spoke to the Greeks in Antioch (11:20)
· The Lord inspired the Church in Jerusalem to send Barnabas who invited Saul to teach the Christians in Antioch (11:26)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Agabus to foretell the famine all over the world (11:27)
· The Lord gave James, the brother of John, the strength to die by the sword (12:2)
· The Lord sent an angel to deliver Peter from prison (12:18)
· The Lord sent an angel to strike down Herod who did not give Him the glory (12:23)
· The Holy Spirit told the Church of Antioch to send Barnabas and Saul to preach in Cyprus (13:4)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Saul to strike Elymas blind for misleading the proconsul (13:11)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Saul and Barnabas to proclaim Jesus in Antioch of Pisidia where they were rejected by the Jews and accepted by the Gentiles (13:13)
· The Lord gave Paul the power to heal a cripple in Lystra (14:8)
· The Lord gave Paul the power to get up and preach after he was stoned (14:20)
· The Lord inspired James to settle the dispute in Jerusalem about circumcision and to send a letter to the Gentiles explaining the decision (15:22)
· The Holy Spirit told Paul not to go to Asia, but to Macedonia (16:10)
· The Lord opened Lydia’s heart to listen to Paul (16:14) and she and her household were baptized
· The Lord gave Paul the power to send the evil spirit out of a slave girl (16:16)
· The Lord delivered Paul and Silas from prison with an earthquake (16:28) and inspired him to baptize his jailer (16:34)
· The Holy Spirit inspired Paul in Athens to convert Greeks to the faith (17:33)
· The Lord told Paul not to fear preaching in Corinth (18:10)
· The Holy Spirit came on the Ephesians who had only received John’s Baptism, but were now baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (19:6)
· God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul (19:11)
· The word of the Lord grew and prevailed mightily (19:20)
· The Lord gave Paul the power to raise Eutychus from the dead (20:12)
· Paul was bound in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem knowing that “the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction await me (20:23)
· The Lord stood by Paul and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also at Rome.” (23:11)
· Paul proclaimed the words of Jesus spoken to him at his conversion (26:15)
· God sent an angel to assure Paul that his ship would arrive in Rome (27:25)
· The Lord spared Paul from dying from the bite of a viper (28:5) and gave him the power to heal the father of Publius (28:8)
· The Lord delivered Paul safely to Rome where he preached the Kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ (28:31)
Summary: The Acts of the Apostles, the second volume of Luke’s two-volume work, continues Luke’s presentation of biblical history, describing how the salvation promised to Israel in the Old Testament and accomplished by Jesus has now under the guidance of the holy Spirit been extended to the Gentiles. This was accomplished through the divinely chosen representatives (Acts 10:41) whom Jesus prepared during his historical ministry (Acts 1:21–22) and commissioned after his resurrection as witnesses to all that he taught (Acts 1:8; 10:37–43; Lk 24:48). Luke’s preoccupation with the Christian community as the Spirit-guided bearer of the word of salvation rules out of his book detailed histories of the activity of most of the preachers. Only the main lines of the roles of Peter and Paul serve Luke’s interest.
· Romans: Of all the letters of Paul, that to the Christians at Rome has long held pride of place. It is the longest and most systematic unfolding of the apostle’s thought, expounding the gospel of God’s righteousness that saves all who believe (Rom 1:16–17); it reflects a universal outlook, with special implications for Israel’s relation to the church (Rom 9–11). Yet, like all Paul’s letters, Romans too arose out of a specific situation, when the apostle wrote from Greece, likely Corinth, between A.D. 56 and 58 (cf. Acts 20:2–3).
· 1 Corinthians: Paul’s first letter to the church of Corinth provides us with a fuller insight into the life of an early Christian community of the first generation than any other book of the New Testament. Through it we can glimpse both the strengths and the weaknesses of this small group in a great city of the ancient world, men and women who had accepted the good news of Christ and were now trying to realize in their lives the implications of their baptism. Paul, who had founded the community and continued to look after it as a father, responds both to questions addressed to him and to situations of which he had been informed. In doing so, he reveals much about himself, his teaching, and the way in which he conducted his work of apostleship. Some things are puzzling because we have the correspondence only in one direction. For the person studying this letter, it seems to raise as many questions as it answers, but without it our knowledge of church life in the middle of the first century would be much poorer.
· 2 Corinthians: Paul wrote 2 Corinthians for seral reasons: (1) He hoped to strengthen his relationship with loyal supporters in Corinth and prevent them from falling prey to false apostles; (2) He wrote to assert and defend his apostolic authority against those who would deny it; (3) He sought to resume his collection efforts for the poor Christians in Jerusalem; (4) The second section of the letter confronts false apostles; (5) He also wrote to inform the Corinthians of his plan to visit them for a third time.
· Galatians: The Galatians to whom the letter is addressed were Paul’s converts, most likely among the descendants of Celts who had invaded western and central Asia Minor in the third century B.C. and had settled in the territory around Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey). Paul had passed through this area on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:6) and again on his third (Acts 18:23). It is less likely that the recipients of this letter were Paul’s churches in the southern regions of Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Pamphylia where he had preached earlier in the Hellenized cities of Perge, Iconium, Pisidian Antioch, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13:13–14:27); this area was part of the Roman province of Galatia, and some scholars think that South Galatia was the destination of this letter.
· Ephesians: Ephesians is the great Pauline letter about the church. It deals, however, not so much with a congregation in the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor as with the worldwide church, the head of which is Christ (Eph 4:15), the purpose of which is to be the instrument for making God’s plan of salvation known throughout the universe (Eph 3:9–10). Yet this ecclesiology is anchored in God’s saving love, shown in Jesus Christ (Eph 2:4–10), and the whole of redemption is rooted in the plan and accomplishment of the triune God (Eph 1:3–14). The language is often that of doxology (Eph 1:3–14) and prayer (cf. Eph 1:15–23; 3:14–19), indeed of liturgy and hymns (Eph 3:20–21; 5:14).
· Philippians: Paul’s letter to the Christians at Philippi was written while he was in a prison somewhere (Phil 1:7, 13, 14, 17), indeed in danger of death (Phil 1:20–23). Although under guard for preaching Christ, Paul rejoices at the continuing progress of the gospel (Phil 1:12–26) and expresses gratitude for the Philippians’ renewed concern and help in an expression of thanks most clearly found at Phil 4:10–20. Much of the letter is devoted to instruction about unity and humility within the Christian community at Philippi (Phil 1:27–2:18) and exhortations to growth, joy, and peace in their life together (Phil 4:1–9). The letter seems to be drawing to a close at the end of what we number as Phil 2, as Paul reports the plans of his helper Timothy and of Epaphroditus (whom the Philippians had sent to aid Paul) to come to Philippi (Phil 2:19–3:1), and even Paul’s own expectation that he will go free and come to Philippi (Phil 1:25–26; 2:24). Yet quite abruptly at Phil 3:2, Paul erupts into warnings against false teachers who threaten to impose on the Philippians the burdens of the Mosaic law, including circumcision. The section that follows, Phil 3:2–21, is a vigorous attack on these Judaizers (cf. Gal 2:11–3:29) or Jewish Christian teachers (cf. 2 Cor 11:12–23), giving us insights into Paul’s own life story (Phil 3:4–6) and into the doctrine of justification, the Christian life, and ultimate hope (Phil 3:7–21).
· Colossians: This letter is addressed to a congregation at Colossae in the Lycus Valley in Asia Minor, east of Ephesus. At the time of writing, Paul had not visited there, the letter says (Col 1:4; 2:1). The community had apparently been established by Epaphras of Colossae (Col 1:7; 4:12; Phlm 23). Problems, however, had arisen, brought on by teachers who emphasized Christ’s relation to the universe (cosmos). Their teachings stressed angels (Col 2:18; “principalities and powers,” Col 2:15), which were connected with astral powers and cultic practices (see note on Col 2:16) and rules about food and drink and ascetical disciplines (Col 2:16, 18). These teachings, Paul insists, detract from the person and work of Christ for salvation as set forth magnificently in a hymnic passage at Col 1:15–20 and reiterated throughout the letter. Such teachings are but “shadows”; Christ is “reality” (Col 2:17).
· 1 Thessalonians: When Paul parted from Barnabas (Acts 15:36–41) at the beginning of what is called his second missionary journey, he chose Silvanus (Silas) as his traveling companion. Soon afterwards he took Timothy along with him (Acts 16:1–3). Paul was now clearly at the head of his own missionary band. About A.D. 50, he arrived in Greece for the first time. In making converts in Philippi and, soon afterwards, in Thessalonica, he was beset by persecution from Jews and Gentiles alike. Moving on to Beroea, he was again harassed by enemies from Thessalonica and hurriedly left for Athens (Acts 16:11–17:15). Silvanus and Timothy remained behind for a while. Paul soon sent Timothy back to Thessalonica to strengthen that community in its trials (1 Thes 3:1–5). Timothy and Silvanus finally returned to Paul when he reached Corinth (Acts 18:1–18), probably in the early summer of A.D. 51. Timothy’s return with a report on conditions at Thessalonica served as the occasion for Paul’s first letter (1 Thes 3:6–8).
· 2 Thessalonians: Paul wrote 2 Thessalonians to correct the way certain believers were thinking and living in light of Christ’s expected return. It includes both a doctrinal exposition and moral exhortation.
· 1 Timothy: The letter instructs Timothy on his duty to restrain false and useless teaching (1 Tm 1:3–11; 4:1–5; 6:3–16) and proposes principles pertaining to his relationship with the older members of the community (1 Tm 5:1–2) and with the presbyters (5:17–22). It gives rules for aid to widows (1 Tm 5:3–8) and their selection for charitable ministrations (1 Tm 5:9–16) and also deals with liturgical celebrations (1 Tm 2:1–15), selections for the offices of bishop and deacon (1 Tm 3:1–13), relation of slaves with their masters (1 Tm 6:1–2), and obligations of the wealthier members of the community (1 Tm 6:17–19). This letter also reminds Timothy of the prophetic character of his office (1 Tm 1:12–20) and encourages him in his exercise of it (1 Tm 4:6–16). The central passage of the letter (1 Tm 3:14–16) expresses the principal motive that should guide the conduct of Timothy—preservation of the purity of the church’s doctrine against false teaching. On this same note the letter concludes (1 Tm 6:20–21).
· 2 Timothy: 2 Timothy reads like a last will and testament. It is a moving account of how Paul, like a runner crossing the finish line, has reached the end of his apostolic career, with only the crown of martyrdom waiting him.
· Titus: The letter instructs Titus about the character of the assistants he is to choose in view of the pastoral difficulties peculiar to Crete (Ti 1:5–16). It suggests the special individual and social virtues that the various age groups and classes in the Christian community should be encouraged to acquire (Ti 2:1–10). The motivation for transformation of their lives comes from christology, especially the redemptive sacrifice of Christ and his future coming, as applied through baptism and justification (Ti 2:11–14; 3:4–8). The community is to serve as a leaven for Christianizing the social world about it (Ti 3:1–3). Good works are to be the evidence of their faith in God (Ti 3:8); those who engage in religious controversy are, after suitable warning, to be ignored (Ti 3:9–11).
· Philemon: Paul’s letter deals with an accepted institution of antiquity, human slavery. But Paul breathes into this letter the spirit of Christ and of equality within the Christian community. He does not attack slavery directly, for this is something the Christian communities of the first century were in no position to do, and the expectation that Christ would soon come again militated against social reforms. Yet Paul, by presenting Onesimus as “brother, beloved…to me, but even more so to you” (Phlm 16), voiced an idea revolutionary in that day and destined to break down worldly barriers of division “in the Lord.”
· Hebrews: The author saw the addressees in danger of apostasy from their Christian faith. This danger was due not to any persecution from outsiders but to a weariness with the demands of Christian life and a growing indifference to their calling (Heb 2:1; 4:14; 6:1–12; 10:23–32). The author’s main theme, the priesthood and sacrifice of Jesus (Heb 3–10), is not developed for its own sake but as a means of restoring their lost fervor and strengthening them in their faith. Another important theme of the letter is that of the pilgrimage of the people of God to the heavenly Jerusalem (11:10; 12:1–3, 18–29; 13:14). This theme is intimately connected with that of Jesus’ ministry in the heavenly sanctuary (Heb 9:11–10:22).
· James: From the viewpoint of its literary form, James is a letter only in the most conventional sense; it has none of the characteristic features of a real letter except the address. It belongs rather to the genre of parenesis or exhortation and is concerned almost exclusively with ethical conduct. It therefore falls within the tradition of Jewish wisdom literature, such as can be found in the Old Testament (Proverbs, Sirach) and in the extracanonical Jewish literature (Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, the Books of Enoch, the Manual of Discipline found at Qumran). More specifically, it consists of sequences of didactic proverbs, comparable to Tb 4:5–19, to many passages in Sirach, and to sequences of sayings in the synoptic gospels. Numerous passages in James treat of subjects that also appear in the synoptic sayings of Jesus, especially in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, but the correspondences are too general to establish any literary dependence. James represents a type of early Christianity that emphasized sound teaching and responsible moral behavior. Ethical norms are derived not primarily from christology, as in Paul, but from a concept of salvation that involves conversion, baptism, forgiveness of sin, and expectation of judgment (Jas 1:17; 4:12).
· 1 Peter: The letter constantly mingles moral exhortation (paraklēsis) with its catechetical summaries of mercies in Christ. Encouragement to fidelity in spite of suffering is based upon a vision of the meaning of Christian existence. The emphasis on baptism and allusions to various features of the baptismal liturgy suggest that the author has incorporated into his exposition numerous homiletic, credal, hymnic, and sacramental elements of the baptismal rite that had become traditional at an early date.
· 2 Peter: 2 Peter was written to Christians dangerously exposed to an outbreak of false teaching. The author responds to this situation both offensively and defensively.
· 1 John: The purpose of the letter is to combat certain false ideas, especially about Jesus, and to deepen the spiritual and social awareness of the Christian community (1 Jn 3:17). Some former members (1 Jn 2:19) of the community refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ (1 Jn 2:22) and denied that he was a true man (1 Jn 4:2). The specific heresy described in this letter cannot be identified exactly, but it is a form of docetism or gnosticism; the former doctrine denied the humanity of Christ to insure that his divinity was untainted, and the latter viewed the appearance of Christ as a mere stepping-stone to higher knowledge of God. These theological errors are rejected by an appeal to the reality and continuity of the apostolic witness to Jesus. The author affirms that authentic Christian love, ethics, and faith take place only within the historical revelation and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The fullness of Christian life as fellowship with the Father must be based on true belief and result in charitable living; knowledge of God and love for one another are inseparable, and error in one area inevitably affects the other. Although the author recognizes that Christian doctrine presents intangible mysteries of faith about Christ, he insists that the concrete Christian life brings to light the deeper realities of the gospel.
· 2 John: This is a brief pastoral letter from a shepherd to an endangered community of sheep. It managed to blend the right amount of commendation and caution to make a powerful impact on its readers.
· 3 John: The shortest writing in the New Testament, 3 John addresses the jurisdictional rivalry among leaders in the primitive Church.
· Jude: The letter is addressed in the most general terms to “those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ” (Jude 1), hence apparently to all Christians. But since its purpose is to warn the addressees against false teachers, the author must have had in mind one or more specific Christian communities located in the unidentified region where the errors in question constituted a danger. While the letter contains some Semitic features, there is nothing to identify the addressees specifically as Jewish Christians; indeed, the errors envisaged seem to reflect an early form of gnosticism, opposed to law, that points rather to the cultural context of the Gentile world. Like James and 2 Peter, the Letter of Jude manifests none of the typical features of the letter form except the address.
· Revelation: The Book of Revelation cannot be adequately understood except against the historical background that occasioned its writing. Like Daniel and other apocalypses, it was composed as resistance literature to meet a crisis. The book itself suggests that the crisis was ruthless persecution of the early church by the Roman authorities; the harlot Babylon symbolizes pagan Rome, the city on seven hills (Rev 17:9). The book is, then, an exhortation and admonition to Christians of the first century to stand firm in the faith and to avoid compromise with paganism, despite the threat of adversity and martyrdom; they are to await patiently the fulfillment of God’s mighty promises. The triumph of God in the world of men and women remains a mystery, to be accepted in faith and longed for in hope. It is a triumph that unfolded in the history of Jesus of Nazareth and continues to unfold in the history of the individual Christian who follows the way of the cross, even, if necessary, to a martyr’s death.
Session Eight: God sent His only son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to fulfill all His promises. Jesus followed the will of Our Father by offering His body and blood as a sacrifice for sin, establishing the Eucharist, and setting up the New Covenant priesthood (Luke 22 – 24). He was crucified for our sins, for our salvation, and for our redemption. He appeared to His disciples affirming His resurrection, and opening their minds to understanding the Scriptures. He commissioned His disciples to spread the good news to all nations and promised to send the Holy Spirit. He ascended into heaven blessing His disciples as they worshipped Him. Will we follow His Way of self-sacrificing love of God and our neighbor? Will we participate in the Eucharist? Will we spread the good news? Will we be empowered by the Holy Spirit? Will we open our minds to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to understand and follow the Scriptures? Passion, Death, Resurrection, Eucharist, Great Commission.
Session Eight: Discussion Questions Answered
1. Jeff Cavins explained that Jesus took the place of each of us on the cross, just as he took the place of Barabbas. Add your own insights.
2. Matthew 28:18-20 says, in part, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” This is “The Great Commission”. All Christians are called to witness and preach the Good News with words and actions. See talk notes F, 1: We need to follow Jesus to the cross of self-sacrificing love for others. We are to call others back to the Father. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live the gospel. All of us are sent.
3. Jesus lives on in the Church through the Holy Spirit who lives in the hearts of Christian believers and who animates and unifies the body of Christ, the Church.
4. The apostles were afraid in the Upper Room. Afterward, they were bold and joyful witnesses even to the point of death.
5. Just as the Holy Spirit at Pentecost gave the apostles inspiration and strength to spread the Gospel and to live in accord with it, we are empowered and inspired by the Holy Spirit after Confirmation to also spread the Gospel and to live in accord with it.
6. The “three waves of witness” that propel the gospel message outward from Jerusalem (Acts 1:8) are: (1) Judea, (2) Samaria, (3) the ends of the earth.
7. Include your own personal reflections on how you can live the life of Christ today.
8. You are called to be a follower, not just a believer. Include your own plan on how you will live your life differently because of this call.
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