Sermon Tone Analysis

The Place

Jerusalem

Upper RoomSabbath day's journey-

.6 mile

The Apostles

Order changes from Luke's list in

Gives prominence to Peter, John and James- all individual roles in Acts.

The Women

Not clear who they are exactly.

Could have included the wives of the apostles (Peter had a mother-in-law).

Certainly the women who accompanied Jesus from Galilee and witnessed crucifixion.

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God.

And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

The women who had come with him from Galilee followed and saw the tomb and how his body was laid.

Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,

Mary the mother of Jesus.

Jesus’ Brothers

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?

And are not his sisters here with us?”

And they took offense at him.

For not even his brothers believed in him.

6 Jesus said to them,

Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

James becomes the leader of the Jerusalem church.

But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison.

And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.”

Then he departed and went to another place.

After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.

On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother.

James and Jude both write books of the Bible.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

Their Activity

Unity

120 believers

In rabbinic tradition 120 was the minimum requirement for constituting a local Sanhedrin.

Peter convenes the coming assembly.

Prayer

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Replacing Judas

In those days= during their wait (7 days)

Fulfilling Scripture= obedience to God's Word motivates the replacement of Judas.

Scripture that has a prophetic emphasis must come to fulfillment.

Qualifications

Significance of Apostles-

only 12-

no succession because of qualifications.

James is not replaced after martyrdomJudas lost his because of his betrayal- not his death.

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Matthias and JosephThey prayed like JesusLuke 6:12-13 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles:

Cast Lots

Each would have been given a stone in a jar.

First to fall out wins.

The Old Testament used the outcome as God's will.

Before Pentecost and the Holy Spirit the church sought the direction of God the way they had in the past.

After Pentecost the church makes its decisions under the direction of the Spirit.