April 17th, 2021

On this, the Third Sunday of Easter, the pattern continues of looking at the so-called ‘Acts of the Apostles’ for the First Reading. Last week the text was from Acts 4. This time the text is from Acts 3[:11-21]. On the Day of Pentecost, we will obviously be looking at chapter 2. The book itself has a chronology, a progression, but that is not always followed in the readings.

It might be helpful to go back to the very beginning. The title of this book is ‘The Acts of the Apostles’, and apostles are those who are sent out. The work starts with Jesus essentially sending out the apostles in Jerusalem, and it ends with Paul, also one of the apostles, who just made it to Rome.

Paul is essentially called an apostle in Acts 14:4 and 14, and some would say that this chapter is near the transition between the focus of those apostles talking to the Jews and then to the Gentiles. In a way, this is most certainly true, but in the very last chapter of the book, Paul is still speaking to the Jews in Rome. There is a more theological (God’s word) emphasis at this middle point within the book. And one way to find that emphasis may be to look at the words that people are speaking.

One thing that many people have commented on is the large number of speeches within this book. When someone speaks, those words could all be written down, or those words could be summarized. There is a large number of speeches that are laid out within the text, and they make that text significantly longer.

Although this may take a little while (a little longer than my usual length), it might be helpful to look at some of the ‘reactions’ (and perhaps it would be good to lay out that word in this way: re-Act-ions) within this book. What follows is a list of the words that occur after some of the longer sections of essentially quoted words in this book. Looking at these may help to see what is most important. To be somewhat consistent, groups of words that made up three or more verses were chosen, and these texts are somewhat-literal translations.

At the end of Peter’s speech to the ‘brothers’ in Acts 1:

(verse 23-26) ‘So they set two: Joseph, the one called Barsabbas, who was also named Justus, and Matthias. And praying … and they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was added to the eleven apostles.

At the end of Peter’s speech to the Jews who had gathered in Jerusalem for Pentecost in Acts 2:

(verses 37-41) And hearing this, they were stung in the heart, and they said to Peter and the remaining apostles, ‘What may we do, men, brothers?’ And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, each one of you ….’ …and there were added in that day about 3000 souls.

At the end of Peter’s speech (while he was with John) to the people in the porch of Solomon in Acts 3:

(chapter 4, verses 1-4) And while they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people … and the number of men became about 5000.

At the end of Peter’s speech (while he was with John) in Acts 4 to the Jewish leaders:

(verse 13-14) And beholding the boldness of Peter and John, and perceiving that they were unlettered men and laymen, they marveled and … they had nothing to say against them.

At the end of the believers’ prayer in Acts 4:

(verse 31) And as they were making their request, the place in which they were gathered was shaken, and all were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

At the end of Peter’s speech (with the apostles) to the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:

(verse 33-35) And those hearing this were cut and intended to kill them. But a Pharisee named Gamaliel … said to them….

At the end of Gamaliel’s speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:

(verse 39-41) And they obeyed him. And having called the apostles, they were beating them and they commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and they released them. And they went rejoicing from the face of the Sanhedrin….

At the end of Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin in Acts 7:

(verse 54) And hearing these things, they were cut to their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth at him.

At the end of Peter’s speech in Acts 10:

(verse 44-45) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all the ones hearing the word. The circumcised believers who came with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out also on the Gentiles.

At the end of Peter’s speech to the circumcised believers in Acts 11:

(verse 18) When they heard this, they were silent and glorified God saying, ‘Then also to the nations God gives repentance into life.’

At the end of Paul’s word of exhortation (with Barnabas) at the synagogue in Acts 13:

(verse 42) As they were going out, they exhorted them that these words be spoken on the next Sabbath….

At the end of Paul’s speech (with Barnabas) in Lystra in Acts 14:

(verse 18) And saying these things, they barely restrained the crowds not to sacrifice to them.

At the end of Peter’s speech at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:

(verse 12) And all the multitude was silent, and they heard Barnabas and Paul relating the signs and wonders that God did among the nations through them.

At the end of James’ speech at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:

(verse 22) Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with all the church, to send to Antioch chosen men of them with Paul and Barnabas, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers….

At the end of Paul’s speech in Athens in Acts 17:

(verse 32) And hearing of the resurrection of the dead, some, on the one hand, scoffed, but some, on the other hand, said, ‘We will hear you also again concerning this.’

At the end of the city clerk’s speech at Ephesus in Acts 19:

(verse 41-chapter 20, verse 1) After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly. And after the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and, after exhorting and leaving them, he went out to go into Macedonia.

At the end Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:

(verse 36) And having said these things, placing his knees with all of them, he prayed.

At the end of Paul’s speech to the crowd in Jerusalem in Acts 22:

(verse 22) And they heard him as far as this word, and they lifted up their voices saying, ‘Take this man from the earth, for it is not fitting for him to live!’

At the end of Tertullus’ presentation of the case against Paul before Felix in Acts 24:

(verse 9) And also the Jews joined in asserting these things to be thus.

At the end of Paul’s reply to Felix in Acts 24:

(verse 22) And Felix postponed the things, knowing more exactly the things concerning the Way....

At the end of Festus’ discussion with the king regarding Paul’s case in Acts 25:

(verse 22) And Agrippa said to Festus, ‘I would like to hear the man myself.’

At the end of Paul’s speech to the leaders of the Jews in Acts 28:

(verse 21-22) And they said to him, ‘We ourselves have not received letters about you from Judea, nor has arrived any of the brothers who have told or spoke anything evil about you. But we think it is worthy to hear what things you think from you, concerning this sect, known to us; it is everywhere spoken against.’

At the end of Paul’s ‘final statement’ in Acts 28:

(verse 29 is only in some manuscripts and 30-31) After having said these things, the Jews left, having a large argument among themselves. And he remained a whole two years in his own rented place, and he welcomed all the ones coming to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered.

It could be said that there is a lot of Act-ivity after these speeches. There are some very significant actions—some people were significantly changed, for better or worse; some are stung, some are cut to the heart, some are ready to kill. At the end of a very long speech, if it took a lot of room—and a lot of money to get it on the papyrus—then you might expect a big reaction. Perhaps you have heard of this saying: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. A big action USUALLY has a big reaction.

Our Lord, though, does not have to prove himself. His words always do what they say, but not always in a big way. A big reaction may draw more attention, but that is usually the way of power and not the way of love.

I think it is significant that there is some ‘silence’ after two of these speeches, in Acts 11 and 15—although at the end of that first speech, there ends up being some talking by glorifying God. (And it seems significant that the Acts 15 crowd is described as a ‘multitude’.) I also think that it is significant that these two speeches are more theological ones. They are speeches dealing with the salvation going to the Gentiles as well. And that, I think, should interest you.