acts revelation

8/18/2019 Acts Revelation

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ACTS UNTIL REVELATHE REST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT FOR THE COURSE O


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INTRODUCTION

The New testament is basically made up of two parts: The s

Jesus and the Story of the Jesus Movement, the emergence

church. Our sources, primarily the book of Acts, tell us only

march of the Christian faith west to Rome; we know nothing

the expansion to Egypt and east to Syria and beyond, excepthis also occurred at a very early time.

Here then is a short description of the books / letters that m

the rest of the New testament canon.


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THE BOOK OF ACTS

The second part of Luke’s Gospel and written by the same authe story of how the church was formed after Jesus ascended

and with the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit narra

faith travelled from Jerusalem to the center of the Roman Em

Rome. Acts was given the title as the Acts of the Apostles or E

Apostles but it is the reality of the Holy Spirit which is quotethe book, that it can be also be referred to Acts of the Holy S

focuses on Peter and the disciples before transitioning to the

and his missionary journey to the Gentile world.


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PAULINE LETTERS

Then we proceed to the letters sent by the Apostle Paul to

churches he has established throughout the Mediterranean w

are Romans, 1st -2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,

Colossians and 1st -2nd Thessalonians. These are letters of Pa

to the churches in each city where the apostle addressed ma

on the various issues that confronted to each particular c

letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon are personal correspon

apostle to a particular person as seen in the name. Bible scho

not all letters were genuinely written by Paul as some wrote

the apostle to give a sense of authority when read to the churc


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GENERAL EPISTLES

The rest of the letters in the New Testament fall under th

These are Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John and Jude. Heb

were considered to be written by Paul but after careful study o

and literary style were so different from the previous letters oand now biblical scholars say it was written by a different pers

traditionally written by the brother of Jesus who became

earliest authority of the church.


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GENERAL EPISTLES

The letters of Peter and John were believed to be written

disciples Peter and John while Jude in Christian tradition is attr

to another brother of Jesus. We say traditionally because

letters were written by communities and the authorshi

attributed to the leader of the congregation. Remembchurches were heavily persecuted and these letters were w

anonymously for security and the names of prominent leader

to give authority on the messages found in these letters.


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REVELATION

Revelation is a very simple book. It is a drama of the epic c

between the powers of good and the powers of darkness,

final assured victory for the forces of good. It functions to c

and empower those who are overwhelmed and oppressed

powers of darkness in this world, but also to lodge a protest athe oppressive, imperial powers of this world. The book se

give hope for God’s struggling people, but fear among thos

persistently reject the ways of God.


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REVELATION

On the other hand Revelation is a very difficult book, because

a culturally specific set of symbols and images with wh

communicate its message. In the book we find the unmaski

global military-commercial complex, dominated by eco

interests. In revelation we find an analysis that points political, military, environmental, religious, and especially eco

aspects of globalization. The analogies to the present wo

startling.


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REVELATION

Written during Pax Romana (the peace of Rome) from 27Roman Empire as an “aristocratic empire” where it grotechnological innovation or more efficient productivity bacquisitions through military conquests. The acquisimaintained by the terror mechanism of “crucifixion” – 10,0

alone from around 63 – 70 CE. Basically its theme is Jerusalem, rival economies between which the readers mBabylon representing the economy of the Roman Empire anrepresenting an alternative economy characterized by Revalues.


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REVELATION

Why Revelation remains to be confusing and not well discusse

1) It is presented in a very culturally specific idiom and formforeign to us.

2) Its message was domesticated by the theologians of the Em

Rome’s social elite.3) This book has been deliberately avoided or rejected by eve

Protestant reformers.

4) This book has been relegated to the domain of the end-makers.


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REVELATION

The challenge is to restore this book to its prope

within biblical revelation, along with its challenge fo

faithful to disengage from Babylon’s reign of greed, a

attach itself to God’s reign of justice and peace.

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