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Version 1.2 2008

Revivalist dogma and the book of Acts

An exegetical and theological evaluation

Ian Thomason,

MTheol

Introduction

The aim of this essay is to review, grammatically and theologically, several blocks of text from thebook of Acts frequently cited by Revivalists

in support of their belief that salvation and speaking intongues go hand-in-hand

. Consequently, the essay is an

intentionally

selective

treatment of Acts.The

Revised Standard Version

(RSV)

iii

forms the basis of the commentary. However, the “original”Greek readings

comprise the textual base when weighing the evidence underpinning all theexegetical decisions made. For this reason considerable reference to Greek constructions appears inthe body of the paper when establishing crucial points of grammatical, syntactical and theologicalimportance. Theologically, the direct work of the biblical authors should form the basis of doctrine,not interpretations of the same as mediated through English translation.The analytical method used throughout the essay is

grammatical-historical

exegesis. Theapplication of such a method minimizes the potential intrusion of personal subjectivity and bias, byproviding established criteria and guidelines to support the close reading of the various Greek traditions

of the book of Acts. Consequently we deal transparently and responsibly with thegrammar, the syntax and the range of contexts considered, noting the book’s intentionally historicaland Christian perspective. The principle aim of

grammatical-historical

exegesis is to establish whatthe various biblical passages meant to the

original

audience as intended by the author.

Theologicalexegesis

is subsequent to exegesis, and is undertaken to bridge the gulf between the first andtwenty-first centuries, to translate

meant

into

means

, and

sense

into

significance

.The body of the paper itself consists of a series of very closely argued conclusions drawn

directly

from the passages of Acts as we have them, and from the theological inferences that result. Theydemonstrate decisively, that Revivalist

assumptions

concerning salvation and the sign of “unknown” tongues have no basis in or support from the book of Acts itself. Put plainly, LloydLongfield’s doctrinal legacy owes more to his thoroughly biased and tendentious “re-imagining” of Luke’s writings then to a strictly “literal” reading of the same: Longfield’s understanding of Acts isconsiderably different to how the original audience would have perceived the book. Consequentlythe thesis of this paper is that the Revivalist “salvation message” is completely illegitimate

vii

Background data

Scholarship almost universally attributes the book of Acts to the author of the Gospel of Luke. Thereceived position within the Christian Church is that the author was Luke

viii

, a man who was mostlikely a Gentile physician

converted to the Christian faith, and who accompanied the apostle Paulon several of his missionary and pastoral journeys. The recipient

of Acts is introduced in theprologue to the gospel of Luke (1:3), and in Acts (1:1) as Theophilus, a common Greek nameduring the first century, one which had as its basic meaning,

“loved by God (or the gods)”

. Lukeaccords to him the honorific “most excellent” at the commencement of his Gospel, which translatesthe Greek

κράτιστε

, a title generally reserved for Romans of Equestrian rank

. The use of the title,the fact that Luke wrote in very polished Greek, and that he “published” a lengthy (and thereforecostly) writing in Theophilus’ honour, indicates that Theophilus should be viewed as someonenoteworthy, as a person who was quite possibly serving (or Luke was hoping that he

would

serve)as a “patron” for the beleaguered Christians in Rome. That Luke writes in an outwardly deferentialfashion—both the gospel and his Acts demonstrating considerable respect towards Roman figuresand Roman authority in general—infers that Luke-Acts was intended to function as a sophisticatedapologetic for the Christian faith and its leaders, principally the apostles Peter and Paul. WhetherTheophilus was himself a Christian is less certain, although it seems at the very least possible giventhat Luke-Acts was written,

“...That you may know the truth concerning the things of which youhave been informed”

(Luke 1:4). That

κατηχήθης

(“to be instructed”) was the term chosen by Lukeis interesting, as its basic meaning is a

second-hand

report

xii

. In other words, a report intended toshed light on facts that would

not

otherwise have been known. Given that Luke-Acts gives everyappearance of having been written in the early 60’s,

xiii

that Paul was then imprisoned in Rome, andthat the situation under the Emperor Nero was moving against the best interests of the Christiancommunity, is itself suggestive. The inference is that Luke published is narrative to defend themessage of Jesus, and the ministers who proclaimed it, against those who would ordinarily view itas threatening to the

Pax Romana

xiv

. Our assessment is that Luke approached Theophilus as “client”to “patron” appealing to him to mediate between the Roman Christians and the Roman rulingelite

.In summary, then, it seems probable that

neither

the gospel of Luke, nor the Acts of the Apostleswere “published” either to, or

for

, a strictly Christian audience.

xvi

Both writings display deliberaterhetorical features indicating that they were intended for use as sophisticated Christian apologetic toa

non

-Christian audience, specifically with respect to the life and teaching of Jesus as the Son of God, and subsequently of his ministers (principally the imprisoned Peter—by early Christian

3tradition—and Paul). Importantly, Luke-Acts goes to lengths to establish that Christianity was

not

athreat to proper Roman social, legal or political order. None of this would have been necessary werethe writing intended for an “internal”, Christian audience.

The structure of Acts

Fundamental to gaining a proper insight into the purposes Luke had in mind when writing his Acts,is a solid understanding of the structure of the work itself. As we have already intimated, Acts formsthe second part of a two-stage work: the first, the gospel, deals with the earth-bound ministry of Jesus as the Christ of God. With Acts the resurrected Jesus is soon removed from earth to heaven (inchapter one); however, his ministry continues through the agency of the Holy Spirit as he worksthrough the lives of his chosen followers—the apostles (from chapter two onwards). It is theministry of the apostles, or more specifically of Peter (from chapter one through twelve) and then of Paul (chapters thirteen through twenty-eight), preaching the universal message of Christ, in thepower of God’s Spirit, to the ever-expanding world (from chapter eight onwards), which stands asthe book-ends to the Acts narrative.The pivot around which the premise of the entire narrative hinges is verse eight of chapter one.There we read of Jesus’ commission to his chosen representatives, the apostles,

“but you shallreceive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalemand in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.”

Necessary to correctly understandingwhat Jesus intended; however, is the acknowledgement that the context of the commission isrestricted in scope to the core group of ministers called

apostles

, more specifically, to the group thatwas widely known as the “Twelve”.

xvii

Theologically, in the Old Testament the nations werenumbered at

seventy

(or seventy-two depending on which textual variant one takes as authoritative),as were the Elders of Israel. Similarly Jesus appointed

seventy

disciples of his own (or seventy-two,again depending on which textual variant one considers authoritative). And just as in the OldTestament God called to himself a core group of

twelve

tribes to function as his Israel before thenations, so too did Jesus call to himself a core group of

twelve

men to function as the representative

new

Israel

xviii

. We consider this theological motif later in the essay.The essay will focus on four key events drawn from Acts, given that Revivalists believe them topresent irrefutable proof that “unknown tongues” always accompanies Christian salvation

xix

. First tobe addressed will be the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 1 and 2), which will

of 00

Revivalist Dogma and the Book of Acts

An exegetical and theological evaluation by Ian Thomason, MTheol

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