Interplanner
Well-known member
The few lines of Acts 5 that tell us what Peter was preaching are an interesting condensed version of the longer Acts 2 and 3. In some ways, this makes things more clear.
1, It's always interesting to hear what the audience thinks. The summary provided by the leaders of Judaism is that the apostles were 'trying to make them guilty of the death of Christ,' v28. That's what the audience thought, not the intention of the apostles:
2, The summary provided by Luke here is the opposite, v31. What had taken place was actually for Israel's repentance and forgiveness. Along with this we see that God raised Christ (his body did not vanish by way of the apostle's tricks) and Christ was made Prince and Savior of Israel, in case some are afflicted with 2P2P and think that is for later. We also see that he is placed at the right hand of God, as a reminder that Ps 110 has taken place as well. We also see that this is the predicted outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whose purpose is to proclaim this message further and further. The Spirit, for Israel, does not mean the land gets restored etc. It is the mission of Christ.
3, All of the above content is the 'good news that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah.' v42. It is great news that there is forgiveness through these things, but also if you say this in 1st century Judea, it is great because it dissolves the hazard of agitating the country into a destructive revolt. That had been the topic of Gamaliel. What he was saying was that the hostility between zealot groups and the leaders had only proven to get worse when the leaders clamped down on them. The leaders concern, like Caiaphas earlier, was that the whole country would erupt in revolt. The Christian apostles had their own difference with Judaism's leaders but not for the purpose of 'leading a revolt' like Judas the Galilean.
1, It's always interesting to hear what the audience thinks. The summary provided by the leaders of Judaism is that the apostles were 'trying to make them guilty of the death of Christ,' v28. That's what the audience thought, not the intention of the apostles:
2, The summary provided by Luke here is the opposite, v31. What had taken place was actually for Israel's repentance and forgiveness. Along with this we see that God raised Christ (his body did not vanish by way of the apostle's tricks) and Christ was made Prince and Savior of Israel, in case some are afflicted with 2P2P and think that is for later. We also see that he is placed at the right hand of God, as a reminder that Ps 110 has taken place as well. We also see that this is the predicted outpouring of the Holy Spirit, whose purpose is to proclaim this message further and further. The Spirit, for Israel, does not mean the land gets restored etc. It is the mission of Christ.
3, All of the above content is the 'good news that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah.' v42. It is great news that there is forgiveness through these things, but also if you say this in 1st century Judea, it is great because it dissolves the hazard of agitating the country into a destructive revolt. That had been the topic of Gamaliel. What he was saying was that the hostility between zealot groups and the leaders had only proven to get worse when the leaders clamped down on them. The leaders concern, like Caiaphas earlier, was that the whole country would erupt in revolt. The Christian apostles had their own difference with Judaism's leaders but not for the purpose of 'leading a revolt' like Judas the Galilean.
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