Explore the book of Acts in depth with Dr. Darrell Bock, who is internationally recognized for his scholarship in Luke-Acts. You will hear Dr. Bock’s commentary on key speeches and significant events such as Pentecost, the expansion of the gospel to the Gentiles, and the Jerusalem council that decided how Jews and Gentiles would function as one body. You will learn how Luke’s writings are the “glue” that coheres the New Testament, and how these works explain the way the Old Testament fits into the New.
“In legitimizing a religion, what counts is experience and time and having been around for a long time. Luke-Acts makes the argument that even though Christianity seems to be new, it actually is the realization of promises that go back all the way to Abraham, all the way to Moses. It’s been around a long time. It’s the completion of Jewish hope, and that legitimizes the early church.” (source)
“In Acts 2:29–39 the Spirit has been poured out, and Peter is explaining that this gift has now come, and that this is evidence that Jesus is raised from the dead, this is evidence that God has vindicated Jesus, and, more importantly, this is evidence that salvation—with the cleansing that assumes the coming of the Spirit having taken place with Jesus’ crucifixion—now in place, God can send the Spirit and indwell people because they’ve been made holy through the grace of God.” (source)
“The pressure of the reaction of many Jews and leaders of Judaism forced the church to become a distinct entity. But if you listen to the message carefully of what it is that’s being preached, what’s being preached is that Jesus Christ is the Messiah of Israel and completes the promise that God made to Abraham long ago.” (source)
“No. She’s being blessed because the way to blessing is that suffering comes and then exaltation—on the model of the ministry of the Suffering Servant that Jesus is as the Messiah.” (source)
“Faith, turning, and repentance are the three response words related to salvation. We change our mind, we turn, and we end up trusting in what it is that God has done. That’s the relationship between the three.” (source)