The Twelve: Simon the Zealot

Simon the Zealot

Name meaning: We had that name before, his name literally means “the one who was heard.” To some extend it is a reflection on the suffering of matriarch Leah who said “[God has] heard...” when she conceived and bore the second boy (Genesis 29:33). There are two things in this “zealot” addition. First, the Gospel authors wanted to separate him from Simon that Jesus renamed into Peter. Second, there is an identity “marker” behind this word, which is accompanied with a very loaded meaning. Let's talk about the meaning.

Life story: The last apostle (before Judas Iscariot) has almost NO story. He is mentioned in the list of the 12 disciples (Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13). And apart from that we have no mentioning of him at all.

So, what can we learn from the fact that his not mentioned?

First, he should not be confused with Simon Peter. What do we know about Simon Peter? He stands out for his many of his qualities, but the main one is “jumping the gun.” Sometimes it is good – he was the first to confess Jesus as Christ, the Son of God, the Living One (Matthew 16:13-20). Sometimes it is not so healthy – everyone remembers the situation at the Last Supper (Mark 14:26-31). So, it is possible that Simon the Zealot is distinguished from St. Peter because he thinks through, not making rush decisions, calculating every step of the way.

Second, the importance of “zealot” designation. Zealots were a terrorist organization founded 6AD by Judas of Galilee. They would not refrain from violence. Their “methods” were based on Numbers 25:1-15. They were fighting for the independence of Israel from the Pax Romana – Roman rule in Mediterranean world. What is interesting is the fact that he did not have a single argument with Levi Matthew – the tax collector [for the Roman government]. The presence of Jesus united those who had opposed political views in the civil realm. They both made a choice of a better and more important part of their lives – being the apostles of the Savior of the world.

Third, St. Paul wrote to Titus about being zealous for good works (Titus 3:14). A few verses prior St. Paul talks about being saved by grace which was given to us in the Sacrament of the Holy Baptism. At the same time, he encourages the believers to be fruitful in their lives. In a sense, he points toward St. Simon – he was called from being a terrorist to the preacher of the Good News of Jesus. St. Paul invites the pastor and his congregation on Crete island to follow his example of being zealous for the LORD.

Tradition: Death and symbol. Traditionally, St. Simon is pictured with a saw in his hand, for his martyrdom was achieved by being sawed in half.

Date – as talked about this last time – the date of commemoration for St. Simon is the same for St. Jude, October 28.

Prayer: Almighty God, You chose Your servants Simon and Jude to be numbered among the glorious company of the apostles. As they were faithful and zealous in their mission, so may we with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Gospel of John: Creation narrative

First story: creation narrative

Text: John 1:19 – 2:12

Structure:

Day 1 – 1:19-28, confession of John

Day 2 – 1:29-34, Firmament – the Lamb of God

Day 3 – 1:35-42, First fruits, first disciples

Day 4 – 1:43-51, Heavenly lights – Philip and Nathaniel

Day 7 – 2:1-11, Sabbath – Wedding at Cana

Conclusion, 2:12, Placement to the Garden – He and the “family” moves to Capernaum.

Comments: The first story picks up on the first story of Genesis – Creation. Usually, commentators separate the testimony of John the Baptizer, selection of the first disciples, and the Wedding at Cana of Galilee. Yet, if we pay attention to John's choice of words, we see creation narrative as a backdrop drapes for the stage.

Day 1 – 1:19-28, confession of John

Day 2 – 1:29-34, Firmament – the Lamb of God

Day 3 – 1:35-42, First fruits, first disciples

Day 4 – 1:43-51, Heavenly lights – Philip and Nathaniel

Day 7 – 2:1-11, Sabbath – Wedding at Cana.

Conclusion, 2:12, Placement to the Garden – He and the “family” moves to Capernaum.

Genesis: Judah and Tamar

 Judah and Tamar

text: Genesis 38

Structure:

A. 38:1-5, Birth of Judah's children

  B. 38:6-11, promise of giving Shelah as a husband

    C. 38:12-18, Tamar got the pledge items

    C'. 38:19-23, Judah can not retrieve his pledge items

  B'. 38:24-26, Judah confesses that didn't gave Shelah to Tamar

A'. 38:27-30, Birth of Judah's children

Comments: There are at least two things that should be said before the comments. First, the length of this story. It takes maybe 5 minutes to read it, but when one puts the years of boys being born, get married, dye, and for Judah to have it right – the span of the narrative occupy 20+ years. Therefore, Judah comes to his senses about the same time when he takes personal responsibilities over the safety of Benjamin (Genesis 43:8) along with stepping up as the spokesman for the brothers negotiating with Joseph whom they have did not recognize (Genesis 44:18). That connects the story with the future part of the narrative – and it is the second point to know prior to the reading. Genesis's author carefully places Judah and Tamar story here to show his conversion and not to intervene the Joseph narrative in the future. We need to understand how Judah converts from being irresponsible selfish man to the head of the household who will end up being the heir of Jacob's blessings, becoming the ruling tribe (Genesis 49:8-12). Now to the text!

The Twelve: St. Peter

St. Peter

Meaning of his name: At his birth he got the name Shimon, which literally means “the one who was heard.” To some extend it is a reflection on the suffering of matriarch Leah who said “[God has] heard...” when she conceived and bore the second boy (Genesis 29:33). The apostle was named after the forefather – one of the sons of Jacob (which begs a question, maybe Andrew was the first and Simon – the second).

There is a famous passage (Matthew 16:18) that people identify as a moment when the apostle was renamed. (Close but no cigar). Actually, he was called Simon Peter prior to his confession, and after. But Jesus changed Simon's name – when the LORD called him as a disciple (John 1:41-42). Peter is a Greek word for “Rock” or a “jewel.”

Life story: The New Testament has many stories about St. Peter. I am not going to talk about his denial of Jesus, or cutting of an ear of the High priest servant, or multiple times in the prison, or conflict with St. Paul. We will pick a few of the most known ones to paint a picture of the apostle.

The Twelve: St. Andrew

St. Andrew

Meaning of the name: Let me begin with a quote from Origen of Alexandria – Church father of III century AD: a name is a designation that sums up and describes the particular character of the one named (ACCS NT, II:41).

Andrew means manly, brave. He had to be brave to switch allegiance from John the Baptizer to the One John was pointing to. He had to be brave to invite his brother. Also, his name is Greek, unlike Simon. This is an indicator that Jesus' mission has a worldwide direction from the very beginning.

Life Story: He was born in Bethsaida, Galilee (John 1:44). When Jesus called him, he lived in the same house with Simon' (Peter) family [note that Simon mentioned first] (Mark 1:29). According to the Gospel of John, he actually was called the first. Then he invited Simon, and then the rest of the disciples joined the band (John 1:37-42).

Gospel of Mark: Transfiguration

Transfiguration

Text: 9:2-13

Comments: A. Context. We see this as a follow up to the first foretelling of Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus got two responses: First, Peter rebuked Jesus. Second, there is no other response whatsoever. To give them a better understanding of the resurrection glory He takes 3 of His closer disciples to a mountain.

The mountain experience is overwhelming for them, and Jesus “charges them to tell no one until the Son of Man had risen from the dead” (v. 9). This triggers a conversation and He leaves it with a cliff hanger (v. 10-13).

B. Jesus and 3 others. Jesus selects James, John, and Peter as His “mighty men.” He spends more time with them and they see His glory of transfiguration. This is a pinnacle of Biblical leadership model. David had 3 mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, Eleazar son of Dodo, and Shammah son of Agee the Hararite (2 Samuel 23:8-12).

If we go even further in history, we should remember Moses and his three supporters: Aaron (his brother), Hur (community leader), and Joshua a son of Nun (military leader), helping Moses to pray and win the first battle of Israel after crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 17:8-16). Also, we should remember Noah and three of his sons: Shem, Ham, Japheth (Genesis 6:9). Or Daniel with three of his friends: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 1:6-7). In the royal court we can see the following model: monarch, prime-minister (dealing mostly with the internal affairs), minister of foreign affairs, and chief military commander.

Ultimately this paradigm comes from the order of creation, however in reversed order. In human world/terms we have a leader and three supporters. In creation order we have Trinity who invites Adam into fellowship of God's counsel. So, if we begin from the Creation account we need to notice other stories of the Bible where a human was given this privilege: Abraham and three visitors (Genesis 18), Isaiah who see the LORD Sabaoth (Isaiah 6 and Isaiah 53:1).

C. Seven persons. We know that Jesus was met by Moses and Elijah. So. So far we have 6 personalities: Jesus, 3 disciples, Moses, and Elijah. Then the Father speaks, making seven persons total. This completeness is important. Because prior to that Peter said something really strange – he did not know what to say, and have decided to say something. Proverbs 17:28 says: even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise. Peter should've take a class on the Books of Wisdom... What's so strange about his words? The problem is that he equalized Jesus, whom he just confessed to be the Messiah, with Moses and Elijah. These later guys are great BUT (!) Christ is greater, far superior. Author of the Letter to Hebrews, comparing Jesus and Moses put it this way: For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses – as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor then the house itself (Hebrews 3:3).

That's why the voice of the Father is SO important – He rearranges everything to it's proper place: this is My beloved Son, listen to Him (Mark 9:7). Moses, Elijah, David, all the other writers of the Holy Scripture have no glory of their own. They are as important as long as they point to Jesus as Messiah.

D. Why Moses and Elijah? Why these two? Why not Abraham or David? I think there are at least two reasons for it. Moses and Elijah represent two very distinctive periods in Israel history enveloping (more or less) all of its span. Moses is the one who brought them from patriarchal period to the LAND. Elijah ministered in the period of divided kingdoms preparing Israel for the first (Assyrian) exile.

Second, both Moses and Elijah have “weird” death stories. We are told that Moses died, but no one knows where his grave is. Who dug the grave? OK, maybe Moses, but who put the dirt back into the grave?? With Elijah it's not simpler – if Jesus is the first being raised from the dead, where did the prophet go to await for the resurrection of Jesus? We have many questions... AS a result we end up with two mysterious people who passed through death in some different way – so, they are the perfect representatives to talk to Jesus about death and resurrection.

E. Bright glory of Jesus – a foretaste of the glory of resurrection. As I said in the very beginning, the mountain experience of the apostles and Jesus' request not to share it with anybody until resurrection triggered a thought process in the right direction – what this rising from the dead means? (9:10). What Jesus did is gave them a foretaste of His resurrected glory. When we compare this passage with what we see in the Book of Acts 9:3-6 and Revelation 1:9-19, the purpose of Jesus becomes clear.

Therefore, we can identify a few elements of heavenly glory: bright glorious apparel and profound conversations with the spiritual giants of all, and most importantly – fellowship with the beloved Son of God, our Lord and Savior! 

Gospel of Mark: Many Healings

 

Many Healings

Text: 1:21 – 3:6. 

Comments: The number of “healing” stories is symbolic – maybe there is a paradigm of 10 commandments behind it, or maybe not.

1. 1:21-28, Jesus heals a man with unclean spirit. We talked about this story last time, but some things should be clarified. Note that Mark talks about “unclean” spirit not an evil one. It doesn’t make spirit “good,” what it does it presents a “specialization” of the spirit. It is not a spirit of sin; it’s a spirit that disqualifies a man from godly worship. In the Old Testament the Israel’s camp should be kept clean (not only tidy) – see Deuteronomy 23:9-14. Worshiping community is the LORD’s Army – therefore, keeping it clean (from within) is the utmost responsibility of the Church. His ‘authority’ is the authority of true King – he talks (teaches) and acts (Mark 1:27).     

2. 1:29-31, Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law. Then He goes from the synagogue to the house – all aspects of life are in submission to Jesus: church, home, and the world (see next stories – city, v. 33 and desolate place, v. 35). When the mother-in-law is restored – she begins to serve (v. 31).   

3. 1:32-34, Jesus heals many. They (?) bring Him people at the sundown – the last moments of a day (see Genesis 1:5b, 8b, 13). When the New day will come, they want to be sure to begin it as a “new creation.” Same as before, Jesus rejects the testimony of demons – He doesn’t want to be associated with them in any way.

4. 1:35-39, Jesus preaches in Galilee, casting out demons. He goes through the synagogues turning them into holy army of the Lord. Jesus says He wants to preach and Mark records that demons were cast out. It’s not a contradiction – for it is not “either/or” scheme. It is plan and result: preaching (His Word) results in cleanness/readiness for service (action).

5. 1:40-45, Jesus heals the leper. Two things: again, leprosy in the Bible is not simply a disease, it’s a sign of uncleanness and, therefore, is treated in isolation (Leviticus 13:46). Leper couldn’t be a part of worshiping community. So, when Jesus restores the guy, from now on he can be a part of spiritual army of the LORD (note, it is a priest who “lifts up the ban,” not a healer, prophet, or a king, Leviticus 14:1-7). As a result: many are coming to Him. Why? They found a way to overcome their isolation… Jesus brings people together!

6. 2:1-12, Jesus heals a paralytic. This story is in some respects a reversed story of a previous visit to Capernaum synagogue (1:21-28). Same city, not a synagogue but a home, but scribes (synagogal authorities) are there. Instead of marveling, they accuse Jesus of blasphemy (2:7). Jesus IN His spirit (same as the guy in the synagogue, lit. 1:23 should read IN unclean spirit) knows what they are trying to do and ruins their plans – by Word and Action!       

7. 2:13-17, Jesus calls Levi. Please note that in a call of Levi Jesus refers to the sick who needs a doctor. So, it is a story of “healing.” Also, Jesus calls Levi by the sea – like Simon/Peter and Andrew, James and John. This will “qualify” him to become a fisher of men, the sinners who want to be righteous, and not those who are satisfied with their own righteousness (2:17).   

8. 2:18-22, Question of fasting. In the presence of Jesus people should rejoice! That’s why in the West liturgical tradition 40 days of Lent do not include Sundays (do your math).   

9. 2:23-28, question of Sabbath. Jesus justifies the behavior of His disciples by referring to 1 Samuel 21:2-17. For a fuller understanding of the Bread of the Presence see Exodus 25:30 and Leviticus 24:5-9. Yet, the main question is who or what has the higher authority. The Man of God is the one who should’ve practiced the authority in the Garden (by kicking off the serpent), now Jesus brings this power back to humanity.   

10. 3:1-6, Jesus heals a man with withered hand. There is a possibility for an interesting parallel with Psalm 137:5 but we’ll save it for another time. Here again Jesus reinstitutes the PURPOSE of Sabbath – to restore a man, to make him about to worship properly – with raising his hands (1 Tim. 2:8). Also, note Jesus’ [holy] anger when He notices the hardening of their hearts (3:5). Their inability and rejection of acting godly did not stop or prevented the execution of His mercy.

 

Advent Readings: Luke 22

Luke 22

This is a famous chapter for the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus sits with His disciples; He knows it is the last night they can spend together before His “hour.” Most likely, they prepared a Passover seder and within the ceremony He takes the bread and redirects the attention from the past into the future. Exodus is still important for Him, apostles, and all believers, but Jesus builds up on the past and commands them to do it in remembrance of Him (Luke 22:19).

The volumes and countless papers were written on the Holy Communion: the Words of Institution, the historical setting, Passover roots etc. What I want to point out is the fact that taking part in the Last Supper did not magically preserve the disciples from the fall. First, they begin to argue who is the greatest (Luke 22:24-27). Just think about it – Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave to them, everyone of them (Judas included, cp. John 13:12-30). Yet, devil trod the path into their hearts… I don’t know, did they compare the pieces or what… Somehow, they did not accept Godly equality, they wanted to build the structural pyramid.

It gets even better – Jesus warns Peter, whom He calls Simon, like in the very beginning of their relationships. And one would hope that Simon would be cautious and thankful. No way: “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). And we know how it ends for him (Luke 22:54-62).

That’s why we do not believe in magic of Holy Communion – we confess the mystery of His presence in our life in, with, and under the Bread and the Wine. It’s not our acceptance makes it great, His forgiving presence leads to transformation. Being forgiven and restored after the Resurrection (John 21:15-19), St. Peter did endure both the prison and the death. Focusing on Jesus, and not on himself, the apostle was able to make great miracles, preach great sermons, and turn many to the Lord. 

COUNCIL in JERUSALEM

Council in Jerusalem

The Passage: Acts 15:1 – 16:5

Structure:

a. 15:1-2, Circumcision

 b. 15:3, Visit of towns

  c. 15:4-6, report at Jerusalem

   d. 15:7-11, yoke

    e. 15:12, Paul and Barnabas

     f. 15:13-21, Words of Jacob/James

    e’. 15:22, Paul and Barnabas

   d’. 15:23-29, burden

  c’. 15:30-35, Report at Antioch

 b’. 15:36-41, Visit of towns

a’. 16:1-5, Circumcision

Historical and geographical context: Chapter 8 tells us that everyone left Jerusalem during great persecution but apostles. Two things to note here: first, during these years Jerusalem church re-gained more people (due to evangelism and return). Two: one of the strongest parties within the church became the Pharisaic party – Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah but pushed the necessity to obey “the customs of Moses” to be saved. Their “mission” to Antioch resulted in Jerusalem council.

Paul and Barnabas are the main proponents of Una Sancta – One and Holy church. Their mission experience impacted their theological presuppositions.

On their way to Jerusalem Barnabas and Paul go through Phoenicia and Samaria. Two Gentile territories whose representatives accepted Jesus – Syrophoenician woman (Mk. 7:24-29) and the woman at Samaritan well (John 4). 

Theology:

Development of the authority structure in Jerusalem church. It used to be apostles with St. Peter as a spokesman (see ch. 6 – decision about diaconal office). Now, it is apostles and elders. Knowing what duties St. Paul assigns to bishops/overseers (1 Tim.3) and elders (Tit. 2), we need to differentiate elders in the Bible from the elders in the LCMS (unfortunately). Yet, the point remains – by the time of Jerusalem council, the church was governed not only by the apostles who “saw Jesus” but also by the godly men who came to faith later on. 

To understand the point of the story, we need to ask ourselves: what was the question? The answer: the way people come into the com-unity, not their sanctification. It was a challenge for “admission office” of the church – who and how can be counted as a full-right church member. This chapter should not be used as a background for antinominalism (cp. FC, 6 [both Epitome and SD]). At the same time, we should not forget the immediate example of Timothy. Comparing it with Ex. 4, we can see his circumcision as a dedication to a particular mission.

What does the restoration of the Tent of David point to? When Jacob refers to theology of Zion (vv. 16-17) he addresses two questions: first closeness of relationship with God, as the Tent of David allowed. Second, the other nations will be attracted to this closeness and will join Israel (cp. Is. 2:2-3).  

The very end of chapter 15 presents a sad story of a major disagreement between St. Paul and Barnabas. Two strong and godly men had a completely different attitude toward fitness of John Mark for the outreach ministry. So, this mission split – did it ruin or multiply the possibilities. The answer is “yes”. On one hand, the ruined unity was somewhat impactful – right after the unity of the church in decision over the acceptance of Gentiles into the full membership of the people of God, we see a story of breaking up the bond of togetherness. On the other hand, we know that Barnabas and [John] Mark were very active in their ministry. Therefore, God was able to use even this split for the spreading of the Gospel. To conclude, it is possible that apostle Paul and [John] Mark got re-united (2 Tim. 4:11; Philemon 23).   

Other themes:

Ecumenical Councils and Jerusalem council. There is an opinion that 7 Ecumenical councils are as authoritative as the Council in Jerusalem. This position leads to [at least] two opposing wrong conclusions: (1) the decisions of the Ecumenical councils are Divinely inspired. No, they are not. (2) the decision of Jerusalem council has only “suggestive” character. Again, being a part of the Bible, the description and the decision is fully inspired.

ST. PAUL and BAR-NABAS in LYSTRA and DEBRE

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Debre  

The Passage: Acts 13:50 – 14:28

Structure:

a. 13:50-52, Travel of evangelization

 b. 14:1-4, Increasing disciples

  c. 14:5-7, Stoning

   d. 14:8-13, crowd wanted a sacrifice

    e. 14:14-17, Words of apostles

   d’. 14:18, restraining crowd from a sacrifice

  c’. 14:19-20, Stoning

 b’. 14: 21-23, Increasing disciples

a’. 14:24-28, Travel of evangelization   

Historical and geographical context: This story concludes the First Mission trip. After St. Paul’s miraculous resurrection at Lystra (see below), he visits Debre, converting many, after which Paul and Barnabas begin their trip back. Passing through the same cities avoiding Cyprus they return to the church (Acts 14:27). Apparently, Antioch (of Syria) became a center of the church development.

The name of town Debre – the final destination – is derived from Persian Derbent which stands for “narrow gate” (lit. “barred gate”). It is interesting that the city with this name has accepted the Gospel without any hesitation or reservation. Debre is mentioned 4 times in the Book of Acts (14:6, 20; 16:1; 20:4). First time it is just a geographical pointer, then St. Luke simply states that “they preached the Gospel to that city and made many disciples”. Interesting, that the city with such name is fast to believe in Jesus (as He preached, Mt. 7:13-14).    

In comparison, two other cities mentioned in the story are Iconium and Lystra. The meaning of Iconium is based on “icon/image” – city of [the large or mass produced] Image. What is surprising is that regardless of the prohibition to create the images for “acknowledgement” (Ex. 20:4-6) there was a Jewish synagogue in town (Acts 14:1). The exact meaning of Lystra is lost, but it could mean something within a range of “loose goats, pain relief, or city of madness”. If the last one is true, no wonder St. Paul was stoned there. To conclude, Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, and Debre are Galatian cities St. Paul writes his famous letter to. 

St. PETER'S PRISON STORY

St. Peter behind the bars story  

The Passage: Acts 12:1-23

Structure:

a. 12:1-2, Death of Jacob, brother of John, by an order of Herod (by sword)

  b. 12:3-5, group of soldiers

    c. 12:6-10, Lord’s angel

      d. 12:11, Peter is released   

    c’. 12:12-17, His angel

  b’. 12:18-19, group of soldiers

a’. 12:20-23, Death of Herod (by worms)

Peter reports to Jerusalem Church

Peter reports to Jerusalem Church

The Passage: Acts 11:1-18

Structure:

A. 11:1-3, a complain of circumcision party

  B. 11:4-10, Peter’s report A: his vision – symbolic unity

    C. 11:11-12, Peter’s report B: timely arrival of messengers

  B’. 11:13-17, Peter’s report A’: realization of the vision – the real unity

A’. 11:18, silence and then praise   

Historical and geographical context:

St. Peter comes back to Jerusalem. Prior his arrival apostles and brothers heard about full unity with Gentiles. Therefore, by the time he came back from his “mission trip”, the circumcision party had prepared a set of complaints. This is a familiar Biblical paradigm – when the rumors travel faster than people (Gen. 50:16-17). Also, the way St. Peter responds we’ll discuss in Theology.      

Theology:

Receiving the Word of God. Two things: there are two terms that Bible use translated as “word” – Logos and Rhema. Logos is a conceptual Word – John 1:1. While Rhema is a preaching word – the word delivered in a sermon or proclamation. So, they received the Word – Jesus Christ. It is interesting to see how the accents begin to shift – from the theology of the Name we are moving to theology of the Word. Psalmist – king David – in a crisis appeals to the Word rather than to the Name (Ps. 138:1-2, lit. You have exalted Your Word above Your Name). Later in the Book of Acts we’ll see an even stronger accent on the Word (cp. Acts 17:11, note that they received the Word examining the Scriptures).    

Unity through eating. We already talked about the unity of believers as the heme for these three stories (see more, lesson 22: Visions of Cornelius and Peter, theology: Unity of believers). Here I just want to point out the parallel between the complaints of the circumcision party and the promotion of the [very] Closed Communion (11:3). For circumcision party the houses were micro-temples – eating together is a sharing of thanksgiving meal which should be dedicated to the only God the Creator and Redeemer.       

Pentecost as the beginning. Note how St. Peter draws a connection between the event of Pentecost and his current situation, using the reference to the beginning. It is interesting on a few levels. First, the refence to the beginning should direct us to the creation story – B’reshit, In the beginning (Gen. 1:1). For sure, both stories talk about the presence of the Spirit and Water (Gen. 1:2 and Acts 2:38). The new world/new creation came into existence with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and emergence of the Church (cp, 2 Cor. 5:17).

On the other hand, the beginning of a new creation can be associated with the Incarnation (John 1:1, Mk. 1:1). This is one of the examples of two stage development of God’s plan – Moses then Joshua, David then Solomon, John the Baptizer then Jesus, Jesus then the Church (cp. Acts 1:1).         

Gift of the Holy Spirit. It is important to reiterate the difference between the gift of the Holy Spirit, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Here, the gift means forgiveness of sins (salvation). See more lesson 6, “other themes”.

Hard decisions – accepted through silence. The circumcision party came to the meeting with very heavy accusations. Yet, when St. Peter tells them the story of outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles and reminds them of the words of Jesus, they had nothing to back up their understanding of the Law. Also, note how the apostle leads the discussion – in order (Heb. be-seder) and humility or, as he will put it later, with gentleness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15). 

Repentance [that leads] to life. Lutherans stress justification by grace through faith. It doesn’t mean that after baptism or conversion a believer can relax thinking “once saved – always saved”. Justification opens the doors to the path of sanctification.  

Other themes:

Interconnectedness of Scripture. St. Peter states that he remembered the words of the Lord (11:16). One can find these words in the Book of Acts 1:5. Right before His Ascension Jesus promises to the apostles that they will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. This promise is based on the teaching of John the Baptizer (Lk. 3:16).

St. Peter goes to Cornelius

St. Peter goes to Cornelius

The Passage: Acts 10:24-48

Structure:

a. 10:23b-24a trip to Cornelius’ home

  b. 10:24b-27, Cornelius fell at the feet of Peter

    c. 10:28-29, Peter’s initial enquiry

      d. 10:30-33, Cornelius describes his vision

    c’. 10:34-43, Peter’s answer/sermon

  b’. 10:44-47a, Holy Spirit fell upon them  

a’. 10:47, staying at Cornelius’ home     

Historical and geographical context:

Theology:

St. Peter did not travel alone this time. We noticed two lessons ago that Peter undertook the whole visitation journey by himself [singlehandedly]. It is important to pay attention to the fact that this time he is escorted not only by messengers from Cornelius but also by some brothers from Joppa congregation. I personally believe it is recorded to contrast these facts. Do know exactly why – that’s for the next generation of Bible students.        

Cornelius is a complicated character. On one hand, he has leftovers of pagan habits (even though he was introduced to a reader as a God-fearing gentile).  Yet, seeing Peter he bows down, and Luke has no hesitation to add that he worshiped the apostle (10:25). Note how Peter responds to this situation – no chewing up, at the same time no pride exhibition. He simply corrects his mistake (that’s how he takes it), lifting him with his own hands. Good leaders lift up people, not put them down.     

At the same time Cornelius “walks by faith” – the only commandment he got from an angel is to send for Simon-Peter. Similar to the situation of Abraham – father of our faith – when God told him to go to the land which he doesn’t know. In a sense the story of Cornelius is a NT retelling of a guy who was raised as a pagan and called by God to walk into an unknown situation – land or unfamiliar house, being fully transformed through this experience into faith heroes.

Peter’s initial statement goes back to the idea of unity within the community of believers. He does not interpret his vision on the roof (10:9-16) as a delicatessen challenge. His immediate interpretation is a challenge of associating with gentiles and God’s encouragement “not to call any person common or unclean” (10:28). As Cornelius describes his vision (10:30-33), Peter comes to an understanding that God has no partiality, because in Jesus Christ all the people of all the nations can be accepted to God for He – Jesus – is the Judge of the living and the dead (note the usage of this phrase in the Creed). Also, all the prophets prepared the OT Church by bearing witness about Jesus who is the reason for forgiveness of sins of the believers (10:43).

Outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Gentiles was a big surprise to the circumcised believers. Two things about that: first, they used to have converts in the community (proselytes, cp. 2:11) and God-fearing Gentiles (who were not allowed to come to Passover celebration). Now, when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, there should be no distinction between the believing Jews and Gentiles. Second, it is very interesting to notice the contrast between the First Church and current situation. Now the Gentiles have no problem to discuss the work of the Holy Spirit (one way or another), while the conversion of a single Jew leads people to shock (positive or negative).     

The baptism of those who are converted by the preaching of the Word is a seal of God’s promises. This historical account is accurate – the Bible is the Word of God, but it doesn’t contradict the statements of St. Paul (Col. 2:11-12) and St. Peter (1 Pet. 3:21) on efficacy of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.         

Other themes:

Coordinated prayers – angel of God appears to Cornelius at the same time when Peter prays on the roof-top. Which tells us about the grandiose plan of Almighty God Who brings people to salvation then and there He desires (AC V). 

VISIONS: Cornelius and Simon

Visions of Cornelius and Simon  

The Passage: Acts 10:1-23

Structure:

a. 10:1-2, Cornelius, devout God-fearing man

  b. 10:3-6, angelic call to Cornelius

    c. 10:7-8, messengers are sent

      d. 10:9-16, the vision of Peter in a trans

    c’. 10:17-18, messengers arrive

  b’. 10:19-20, Holy Spirit addresses Peter

a’. 10:21-23a, Cornelius, devout God-fearing man  

Historical and geographical context:

Simon (St. Peter) stayed at the house of another Simon in Joppa – a tanner – for many days (Acts 9:43). The next two-part story is a part of St. Peter’s “pastoral vacation.”

Cornelius lives in Caesaria – about 40 miles north of Joppa, on the same Mediterranean shore. Note that the whole story takes 4 days. Day 1, Cornelius sees a vision and sends the men. His servants and a soldier arrive on the next day little after noon – at noon St. Peter was praying. The messengers stay overnight at Simon’s house, which makes it Day 2. Day 3, two servants, a soldier, Simon/Peter, and “some brothers from Joppa” went to Caesarea. (Acts 10:23). Day 4, the party arrived at Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:24).      

Theology:

Unity of the believers. The main point of these stories – visions of Cornelius and Peter, outpouring of the Holy Spirit during St. Peter’s sermon, and the reception of the news by Jerusalem congregation – is the unity of believers in God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regardless of the national background.

Under the institutions of Torah there was a separation between Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. People were born or converted into Jewish lifestyle. Yet, a gentile who believed or trusted to God of Abraham, Isaak and Jacob did NOT have to convert – he or she could maintain a status of God-fearing believer. To be a God-fearing gentile is not the same as to have the fear of the LORD (cp. Pr. 1:7). This status had some ramifications – for example, a non–circumcised person could NOT participate in Passover ceremony – Seder. Later, in the times of the Second Temple, apparently there was a wall that would separate the “house of men” from “the house of women and gentiles”. It is possible that St. Paul mentions this partition in Eph. 2:14, building up his theological argument of universal grace.       

The most profound expression of the theology of unity is a meal together (apart for intimate relationship that reserved only for a husband-wife pair). Eating and drinking together creates a very special environment of companionship, trust, and ultimately love. Think about your own birthday parties – who do you want to see there? Or high school or college graduation? Or a wedding or wedding anniversary? Usually, you do not invite strangers there. No, you invite people who shared their lives with you, and you want this “togetherness” to go to another – deeper – level.  

That’s what triggered a harsh response on the side of the Jerusalem congregation – “you ate WITH them” (Acts 11:2-3), will talk about it in a couple of weeks. To be a God-fearing gentile would presuppose that a person would follow the dietary laws of Torah (Lev. 11). Therefore, the vision of Simon/Peter should be interpreted in this light – as a symbolic revelation of unity of brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, the vision of St. Peter is not about the food, it is about the communion of the saints where everyone has an equal part in the distribution of the Lord’s gifts because “God has no partiality” (Acts 10:34).       

Other themes:

Angel of God vs. the Angel of the LORD. The term angel (lit. messenger) in the Bible can be used in a variety of meanings. First – most obvious one – a specially created being (not a human) for a specific task God would require (cp. Geb 28:12). Second, it can be a human being who delivers a message of God. We have a whole Biblical book named after such a guy – Malichi, lit. my messenger (cp. Mal. 1:1; 3:1). Third, the Angel of the Lord – the Second person of the Trinity, appearing during the times of the Old Testament or technically before Incarnation (cp. Josh. 5:13-15; Judges 13:21-23; John 1:14). After the Incarnation in Christ humans are restored to their high position of creation leadership (cp. Ps. 8:3-5; 1 Cor. 6:1).

ST. PETER goes to LYDDA and JOPPA

St. Peter goes to Lydda and Joppa

The Passage: Acts 9:32-43

Structure:

a. 9:32, Travel of St. Peter

  b. 9:33-35, Healing of Aeneas, people turned to the Lord

    c. 9:36, she is occupied with good works and almsgiving

      d. 9:37a, she died, and was brough to the upper room. 

    c’. 9:38-39, showing the tunics and cloaks that Dorcas made

  b’. 9:40-42, Healing of Tabitha, people turned to the Lord  

a’. 9:43, Stay of St. Peter

Historical and geographical context:

Interesting fact, St. Peter undertakes his trip when Jerusalem congregation together with the churches in Judea, Galilee, and Samaria reached peace. Then the apostle decided to visit them all (v.31). [On singularity of this decision see below…]. Going around the land – again, visiting all – the author of Acts paid attention only to two accidents – in Lydda and Joppa.     

Lydda – modern Lod and Joppa – Jaffa in Israel. Lod is a city within the boundaries of the tribe of Benjamin. Interesting, it is not mentioned in a list of cities given to the tribe during the Conquest (Josh. 18:11-28). It is one of the dominant places for the returnees from the Exile (Ezra 2:33). Jaffa is technically a part of modern Tel-Aviv. Historically, it is believed that Joppa was built by one of the sons of Noan – Japheth (cp. Gen. 10:2-5). It is the city that prophet Jonah ran into for his attempted escape to Tarshish (Jonah 1:1-3).          

Theology:

Trip of St. Peter. Worthy to note that the apostle makes his trip singlehandedly. Lenski noted the work was so abundant that apostles had to spread themselves so thin – take the tours one by one (Lenski, Acts, p. 381-382). It does not sound convincing. The mission field of St. Paul is even widespread, yet he is always accompanied by other people (cp. 2 Tim. 4:11). Honestly, I don’t know what to make out that. Personal gain? Unlikely. Pride? He is not maintaining his fame. Being first among the even ones? Don’t know…     

Healing. St. Peter did not exercise his own healing abilities. He states: Jesus Christ heals you. Two things should be remembered here. First, Luke from the very beginning carries the idea that the Book of Acts is a continuation of the work of Jesus Christ. Second, the healing is similar to the healing in 3^rd chapter, where the apostle heals the lame in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.    

Aeneas and Dorcas’ healing and (her) resurrection – double stories. This is not the first parallel (or sandwich-type) story. Mark tells us (5:21-43) how Jesus goes to heal Jairus’ daughter. His attempt is intervened by a woman who suffered for 12 years of a blood discharge who is healed. Then the story returns to the resurrection of Jairus’ daughter. She is raised by Jesus’ command – Talitha cumi (Mark 5:41), while Dorcas is raised by St/ Peter’s command – Tabitha cumi (9:40). Note the similarity of beth and lamed in Hebrew/Aramean letters.    

Resurrection of Tabitha. First, a disciple is not an apostle or a minister. Tabitha is called a disciple. It does not mean that she should be “labeled” as a “worship leader” of their church. Second, her Aramaic name has a Hebrew parallel – Zibiah (2 Kings 12:1; 2 Chr. 24:1). Historical books mention Beersheba in both passages. Michael Kochman believes that it was given as a sign to gather control over all the land by Judean kings. If it is true, Tabitha’s death and resurrection consolidates and invites more believers into the fellowship of the saints.           

Other themes:

Burial customs – bringing a person to the upper room and having “criers” in the room for a period of time. Usually, in a warm climate people are buried fast (cp. John 11). Yet, Bible has a few stories of falling asleep “ascending to the upper room” (1 Kings 17:17-24; 2 Kings 4:32-37). The resemblance with these stories leads us to believe that the resurrection of Tabitha is done not for her sake but for the sake of the community. In the similar way it forces us to rethink the Upper Room dinner of Jesus and apostles – He did everything for their (and our) sake.

Luke uses an ambiguous phrase – for many days – to identify how long of St. Peter lived in Joppa (cp. St. Paul’s stay in Damascus, 9:19,23). IMHO, Luke wants to make an impression of a prolonged period of time of peace and tranquility for the Church.

Praying for bold preaching

Prayer for bold preaching   

The Passage: Acts 4:23-31

Structure:

a. 4:23, the report of what happened

  b. 4:24, Sovereign Lord

    c. 4:25-26, gathered together against You and Your Anointed

    c’. 4:27-28, gathered in the city against Your servant Jesus whom You anointed

  b’. 4:29-30, Lord

a’. 4:31, continued to talk/speak  

Historical and geographical context:

St. Peter and St. John go to their friends (this can be understood psychologically/emotionally or sociologically – as those who support them). Probably, it is the same house where they were gathered to choose the replacement for Judas and/or during events of Pentecost.  

Theology:

The report. It is important to see that the unity of the church is built upon common confession, togetherness in worship, and honesty in the description of life. St. Peter and St. John go and share their unpleasant experience with the rest of the gathering. Which teaches us a value of shared lives – all the good and all the difficult episodes of our walk with God. The unity of disciples in prayer let to the similar effects like the people of Israel experienced during the wilderness – shaking of the place.    

Addressing God as the Creator. Interesting how the disciples address God as the creator of the heavens and the earth, and the sea. He is the One who has the power to create and to restructure the world. This is the reason for the parallel passage in v. 29-30, where they ask for boldness, and the continuation for the healing, signs and wonders that were performed “through the name of Your holy servant Jesus”. Holy servant Jesus is the one whom Sovereign Lord raised from the grave overcoming the power of death – this is one more reminder of the creative powers of God who is the only one who can overcome the mortality.     

Using the psalms in prayer. First, check out how easily the disciples can incorporate the text of a psalm in their prayer. Not as a starter, and not as a conclusion (like we use Lord’s prayer to conclude the meeting or so). They address God as the Creator of the Universe and then apply the text of Psalm 2 for their particular situation. Or, better put – they see their situation through the lenses of Psalm 2. Which presupposes years of practice of praying using the Psalter.   

Inspiration of Scripture. There was no questions or confusion among the believers on the sources and the Source of the Word. For sure they recognized the difference in authorship of different parts or books of the Bible. That’s why NT writers often go back and mention Isaiah (Lk. 3:4-6), Jeremiah (Mt. 2:17-18). Here the communion of saints reflected on the words of king David. At the same time without any hesitation, they state that David was moved by the Holy Spirit when he wrote the psalm. Similar thought we can find in 2 Pet. 1:19-21. Thinking about the nature of Scripture, Peter says that the Word that we have is true (v. 19). His reasoning is based on the fact that prophetic word was not done according to the will of men, but “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21).   

Other themes:

Saying everything up to this point creates an interesting hermeneutical challenge (challenge for interpretation) – the attribution of Ps. 2 to David. The Hebrew text of the psalm (as we have it right now) does not have the superscription referring to David’s authorship. Does it post a contradiction? No, because this is a perfect example for us to see that the Bible is a Book that should be read in its entirety. There are parts of the Old Testament that help us to understand the mission of Messiah (Mt. 21:4-5) or the ministry of the Church (1 Cor. 10:11). At the same time there are parts of the New Testament that clarify and add a nuance or two to our proper understanding of the events, people, and situations that happened before the Incarnation of the Son of God. Therefore, the inspired voices of the disciples said that Ps. 2 is written by David. So be it!

St. Peter and St. John answer to the Council

St. Peter and St. John before the Counsel  

The Passage: Acts 4:5-22

Structure:

a. 4:5-7, Reaction of Rulers (question of power)

  b. 4:8-12, Speech of Peter being filled with the Holy Spirit

    c. 4:13, Initial assessment of the rulers

      d. 4:14, seeing the man rulers have nothing to say

    c’. 4:15-17, inner conferring – we can not deny, but it has to stop

      d’. 4:18, rulers charge apostles not to speak  

  b’. 4:19-20, Response of Peter and John

a’. 4:21-22, Reaction of Rulers (afraid of [the power] of people)  

Historical and geographical context:

Temple is the place of worship, social interactions (receiving alms), justice, and banking. We saw the first two in the previous lesson. The question of justice will come up here, while the banking will come up in a couple of lessons. It is important to understand that the Temple was a more “complicated” place. It is not a simple equivalent of our modern churches.      

Sanhedrin. ESV in v. 15 puts it as council. This is the first time St. Luke uses the term (14 in Acts, 1 in Luke [22:66], total 22 times in NT – number of letters on Hebrew alphabet). Sanhedrin was a gathering of the rulers of Judea gathered every day in the Temple area, in the building called House/Hall of Hewn Stones. Total number of members was 71: Moses + 70 elders (Num. 11:16-17, 24). Just by itself it is a symbolic number – prime, more specifically it is a permutable prime (71 and 17), also it is centered heptagonal number (1+7+14+21+28).   

Theology:

Theology of name (cont.). The rulers associate the Name and Place (1 Kings 8:48). Which was a correct interpretation prior to incarnation of Jesus. Yet, after the destruction there was an idea that the Name should be closer connected with the Word Ps. 138:2.    

Sanhedrin’s reasoning is similar to the reasoning for the crucifixion – John 11:45-53. If the power/authority over people is the main question, then the rulers will do everything to secure it. Knowing that they cannot deny the sign/miracle, the rulers attempt to suppress the spreading of preaching in the name. Note that they lit. do not have power, cp. 1:8, you will receive power, and St. Peter speaks being filled with the Holy Spirit. He already was one of the 120 – original Pentecostal group. Yet, we have here a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (Mt. 10:17-20).       

Importance of people. The Book of Acts will present the masses raging against the Gospel (cp. Acts 19:28,34). Here we have a positive impact of the people. There is an important aspect of theology of gathering. St. John in his last two epistles concludes that he wants to see brothers face to face (2 John 12; 3 John 14). Also, it raises the important question for the future, “should we serve Holy Communion only individually during persecution or next governmental shut-down?”

Other themes:

Needed correction of translation in 13 – uneducated, should be “not scribes”. They did not belong to the educational elite scribal cast. It is not the point of knowledge, but an inner circle acceptance. Apostles WERE educated, for sure they were not illiterate, knowing 4 languages. St. Paul uses the same word for “common man” in 2 Cor. 11:6 as “un-skilled”. Also, Jesus promised to provide new generation of prophets, wisemen, and scribes (Mt. 23:34). The rulers did not see their “ID” of trained scribes…       

Usage of OT Scriptures. In the next passage the congregation as a whole recites and interpreters Ps. 2. But here St. Peter weaves in Ps. 118:22 in v.11. He attributes the stone of the passage to Jesus and builders – to the rulers (right at their faces). Doing this St. Peter follows the example of Jesus (Mt. 21:42). Also, Ps. 118 has a very interesting place in the Canon – right in the middle of the Bible (in our setting). There are 594 chapters around Ps. 118, it is surrounded by the shortest “chapter” (117), and the longest one (119). 594+594+1=1189. It should be Ps. 118:9 – it is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in princes. Or the real middle of Ps. 118:15 – Glad song of salvation are in the tents of the righteous.   

Significant numbers in the lives of people. He was 40 years old – being lame from birth (3:1) he spent 40 years “stumble along” – like Israel in the desert. Now he is brought into the “promised land” of life with Christ. 

St. Peter heals a beggar

Peter heals crippled beggar  

The Passage: Acts 3:1 – 4:4

Structure: a (scene’s beginning) – b,c,d,e,d’,c’,b’, (Peter’s speech) – a’ (scene’s end)

a. 3:1-11, all people in the portico 

  b. 3:12-13, God of ancestors

    c. 3:14-16, refusing the sacred person

      d. 3:17-18, suffering Messiah

        e. 3:19, Repent

      d’. 3:20-21, appointed Messiah, Jesus

    c’. 3:22-24, refusing the sacred person

  b’. 3:25-26, God made covenant with ancestors

a’. 4:1-4, 5000 people

Structure of “a”

a. 3:1, Peter and John are in the Temple

  b. 3:2, Lame man was carried in by the Beautiful Gates 

    c. 3:3, He sees Peter and John going into the Temple

      d. 3:4, Peter speaks

        e. 3:5, He looks at them – response to Peter

      d’. 3:6, Peter speaks

        e’. 3:7, His feet and ankles got strong – response to Peter

    c’. 3:8, He begins to walk

  b’. 3:9-10, Now man leaping by the Beautiful Gates

a’. 3:11, Peter and John are at the Portico of the Temple   

Historical and geographical context:

The passage begins with a fairytale start – “once upon a time”. Sometime after Pentecost within a timeframe of 2:40-47 (see last lesson). Now the story moves from “houses” to the Temple area. 

Theology:

Healing is an important part of Christian ministry but not the main one. The most important one is the restoration of man because of his faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, note that disciple do same things as Jesus did – cp. John 5. 

Name of Jesus. Building up theology of the NAME. The name of God was associated with the Sanctuary – the Tabernacle and Temple. To be in the name – to be in God’s presence (1 Kings 8:48 “the house I have built for Your NAME”). 

Proclamation of Jesus Christ crucified. The consistent central point of apostles preaching. St. Peter brings this during his Pentecostal sermon (2:22-24), here in ch. 3, then 4:10-11. The first Christian martyr Stephen drives the same point (7:52-53). Then St. Paul declares it as the main message of his ministry (1 Cor. 1:22-24). Also, note personal theological growth one can see in the life of St. Peter. Matthew 16:21-23 tells us that idea of suffering and crucifixion was repulsive to Peter, he was confession the Son of God as a glorious person, not the one who must suffer and die. Yet, being a person of betrayal and an eyewitness of the Cross and Resurrection, he comes to personal, devotional conviction of the importance and necessity of Son’s sacrifice.    

Other themes:

Regular religious life of the apostles was taking place in Jerusalem and – most importantly – in the Temple. They did not cut off all the connections with the “old ways” but used any chance to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to those who knew the Scriptures, who were raised in the traditions, who wanted to maintain piety prescribed by Torah. Neither St. Peter nor St. John who accompanied him wanted to insult the worshipers or obscure their faith and conduct. They engaged in the healing activities because they were asked to. What later St. Peter will summarize in 1 Pet. 3:15.

Peter addresses the crowd

Peter addresses the crowd  

The Passage: Acts 2:14-39

Structure:

A. 2:14-21, I will pour out my Spirit

  B. 2:22-24, Jesus which you crucified – God raised Him up,

    C. 2:25-28, Prophecy of David

      D. 2:29-31, Descendant of the throne

        E. 2:32, God raised this Jesus

      D’. 2:33, Exalted to the right hand of God

    C’. 2:34-35, Prophecy of David

  B’. 2:36, God has made Him both Lord and Messiah, Jesus which you crucified

A’. 2:37-39, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

  

Historical and geographical context: This is the second part of the larger story (ch. 2).  We need not need to discuss context at length. Just a short reminder – everything happened in Jerusalem, but NOT at the Temple.

Theology:

The role of St. Peter – Note that St. Peter being reinstalled into the ministry (John 21) after his denial plays a very active role at the starting point of the church development. He “speaks” in an official capacity more than anybody. His address toward 120 led to the election and ordination of St. Matthias. He speaks to the crowds at the Day of Pentecost. He shares the Gospel in a such a way that the sick is restored (ch. 3). He defends the faith in resurrected Jesus in front of the Great Gathering (Sanhedrin). Not surprisingly, people sometimes see him as the head of the church. Yet, we need to remember that it is Jesus who is the head of the body, which is the Church (Col. 1:18) and he had to be corrected by St. Paul on a number of issues (cp. Gal. 2:11-16). Also, what Jesus promised to St. Peter (Matt. 16:19) is given to the apostles (Jn. 20:22-23).         

Usage of the Scripture in Peter’s sermon. The sermon as we have it is not everything what St. Peter said (cp. 2:40). Out of what we have about a half is dedicated to the Scriptural passages. He simply states the facts of Scriptures from Joel (2:28-32a) and Psalms (16:8-11; 110:1) and lets the Holy Spirit do the job of convincing the hears of men (AC V).   

Presence of the Son (Second person of the Trinity) in the OT history. Seeing how St. Peter build his sermon, note that he takes the words of king David as speaking about Theophany of the Son (esp. v.25 – Ps. 16:8). Jesus is the incarnation of the Son who is the creator (Col. 1:15-16) and the God who speaks and acts within the period of OT history.    

The mystery of salvation – on one hand we are promised that “everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (v. 21). On the other we know that people come to church, get baptized, even confirmed, and yet fall away. What we need to say is that God in Christ has reconciled world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19; Col. 1:20). Salvation is available for everyone regardless of nationality, sex, or social status. It is complete by the Cross and there is nothing people can add to it. But they can reject the message, neglect the means of grace, and – as a result of continual push back of the Lord’s pursuits – fall away.       

Other themes:

Gift of the Spirit vs. gifts of the Spirit vs. fruit of the Spirit. What St. Peter talks at the end of his sermon if salvation – it is THE gift of the Spirit. Them in 1 Cor. 12 and 14 St. Paul talks about the gifts of the Spirit: languages, prophecy, management etc. These are the gifts and talents that vary from person to person. (1 Cor. 12:12-14) and are given for building of the body – the church. A Christian – the one who received the gift (salvation) should diligently exercise his gifts for the benefit of the church to produce the fruit (Gal. 5:22-24). Notice that St. Paul does not talk about many fruits, but the fruit – our “behavioral” representation of the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer.