Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

What is the book of Acts?

The little particle μὲν signals that Luke intends that it is to be the continuation of what Jesus began to do, and which he has already recorded and laid down in Luke (the gospel).

In other words, Acts is is the continuation of the story!

Furthermore, Acts doesn't come to a definitive ending, coming to a conclusion with Paul alive in Rome, but under arrest, and on trial before Nero.

The point is the story continues!

It is not over, the gospel is still being preached and the church still serves as a living witness of the resurrection of Christ.

Luke states that his first book (πρῶτον λόγον) was an account of what Jesus began (ἤρξατο) to do and teach (ποιεῖν τε καὶ διδάσκειν).

For Luke the narrative of the work, gospel and kingdom of God through Christ is clearly not over, but in many ways just getting started.

The gospel would soon sweep the Roman empire, to become a dominant force prior to close of the first century.

By the fourth century the emperor himself would adopt Christianity as the state religion!

It is hard to overstate the significance of Luke's observation here.

Two important factors

1.

The convincing proofs of Jesus resurrection, which for the apostles resulted in a deep conviction and certainty that Jesus had, indeed, bodily risen from the dead.

2. The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, by which the power of God, as it had in the ministry of Christ, was now at work in the church, especially through the apostles.

The phrase "by many convicting proofs" (ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις) should be taken seriously.

Luke is categorically stating that Jesus resurrection was proven to the apostles and others beyond all doubt by his continual and repeated appearances over a period of 40 days (οἷς καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν αὐτὸν ἐν πολλοῖς τεκμηρίοις, διʼ ἡμερῶν τεσσεράκοντα ὀπτανόμενος αὐτοῖς) (Holmes, M. W. (2011–2013).

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition ().

Lexham Press; Society of Biblical Literature).

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition ().

Lexham Press; Society of Biblical Literature).

First, he presented himself alive to them, after his suffering ().

This is important, that Jesus was seen alive, and that he deliberately and systematically appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.

The were not a few isolated emotional encounters that could be confused with hysteria, but rather prolonged encounters in which numbers of people saw the physical Jesus alive, were convinced of his resurrection, many after doubting or disbelieving earlier reports.

In these encounters Jesus taught them, ate with them and spoke with them at leisure!

The result of this was that all those to whom Jesus appeared were utterly convinced!

During these encounters he offered what Luke call's convincing proofs.

The word he uses here means something that offers decisive proof of something (Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, 994).

It was used as a technical term for incontrovertible proof in the sphere of logic (Polhill, John B. Acts.

Vol. 26.

The New American Commentary.

Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992, 81).

The nature of these proof mis primary evidence, which the disciples and others saw, heard and touched () (Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.

Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, Vol. 2, 174).

Luke is is describing in his gospel and Acts eyewitness testimony, by those who had primary proof of Jesus resurrection.

The preposition with the dative indicated that these demonstrable and convincing proofs were the means by which Jesus presented himself alive!

And these continued for a period of 40 days!

In other words, the nature of the demonstration is something that removed all doubt and question about the issue of Jesus resurrection and that he was truly alive after his crucifixion and death.

First, he presented himself alive to them, after his suffering ().

This is important, that Jesus was seen alive, and that he deliberately and systematically appeared to his disciples after his resurrection.

The were not a few isolated emotional encounters that could be confused with hysteria, but rather prolonged encounters in which numbers of people saw the physical Jesus alive, were convinced of his resurrection, many after doubting or disbelieving earlier reports.

In these encounters Jesus taught them, ate with them and spoke with them at leisure!

The result of this was that all those to whom Jesus appeared were utterly convinced!

The were not a few isolated emotional encounters that could be confused with hysteria, but rather prolonged encounters in which numbers of people saw the physical Jesus alive, were convinced of his resurrection, many after doubting or disbelieving earlier reports.

In these encounters Jesus taught them, ate with them and spoke with them at leisure!

The result of this was that all those to whom Jesus appeared were utterly convinced!

During these encounters he offered what Luke call's convincing proofs.

The word he uses here means something that offers decisive proof of something (Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, 994).

It was used as a technical term for incontrovertible proof in the sphere of logic (Polhill, John B. Acts.

Vol. 26.

The New American Commentary.

Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992, 81).

The nature of these proof mis primary evidence, which the disciples and others saw, heard and touched () (Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.

Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, Vol. 2, 174).

Luke is is describing in his gospel and Acts eyewitness testimony, by those who had primary proof of Jesus resurrection.

The preposition with the dative indicated that these demonstrable and convincing proofs were the means by which Jesus presented himself alive!

And these continued for a period of 40 days!

In other words, the nature of the demonstration is something that removed all doubt and question about the issue of Jesus resurrection and that he was truly alive after his crucifixion and death.

During these encounters he offered what Luke call's convincing proofs.

The word he uses here means something that offers decisive proof of something (Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, 994).

It was used as a technical term for incontrovertible proof in the sphere of logic (Polhill, John B. Acts.

Vol. 26.

The New American Commentary.

Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992, 81).

The nature of these proof mis primary evidence, which the disciples and others saw, heard and touched () (Jamieson, Robert, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.

Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, Vol. 2, 174).

Luke is is describing in his gospel and Acts eyewitness testimony, by those who had primary proof of Jesus resurrection.

The preposition with the dative indicated that these demonstrable and convincing proofs were the means by which Jesus presented himself alive!

And these continued for a period of 40 days!

In other words, the nature of the demonstration is something that removed all doubt and question about the issue of Jesus resurrection and that he was truly alive after his crucifixion and death.

DEVELOPMENT

What then is the nature of these "proofs?"

What then is the nature of these "proofs?"

1.

What about the appearances of Jesus convinced them that he had risen from the dead, and that he was physically alive?

First, let's note that although Jesus was physically alive after his resurrection, and the disciples were convinced of this, the physical properties of his body and the nature of these appearances indicated that there were differences when compared to before the crucifixion.

For example, he appeared in the room without entering the door - indeed the doors were barred and locked, and the disciples didn't let him in, but he appeared anyway among them (, ; 36).

He appeared at different locations, and sometimes disappeared as easily as he appeared (we are unaccustomed to properties like this in physical matter).

He was recognized by them (even if not at first), but the shock of seeing him made them at first think he was a ghostly apparition ().

But they were soon convinced that he was physically present when he invited them to touch his body, examine his hands and side (; , ).

They saw Jesus break bread with his hands or eat actual food they had prepared themselves as he met and talked with them (, ; , ; ).

They felt the breath of Jesus when he breathed on them and told them to receive the Holy Spirit ().

John later famously said that they proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus whom they had heard, seen and touched after his resurrection ().

Paul states that he also saw the risen Christ on the Damascus road, and this was not just visionary experience, but a genuine meeting with Jesus himself, convincing enough to turn the archenemy of the church into its most powerful apostle().

2. The disciples did not believe immediately, but took some convincing!

The infamous unbelief of Thomas who refused to accept that Jesus was alive, when the 10 other disciples and those who were with them insisted that Jesus had appeared on the evening of that first day ().

His refusal is blunt and surprisingly firm.

When Jesus appeared the next week under similar circumstances, he immediately addresses Thomas with the very words he had to oppose the others.

Thomas' resistance melted immediately, maybe even before he had touch the scars, and proclaimed "my Lord and my God!" ().

He was convinced immediately, and without hesitation by Jesus appearance.

There was something about it that overcame all doubt and his own stubborn refusal to accept the word of the others (cf.

)! Paul mentions three remarkable appearances of Jesus Peter, James his brother, and to 500 men at one time ().