A Theology of the New Testament by George Eldon Ladd

Author:George Eldon Ladd
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Bible, Systematic, New Testament, General, Religion, Christian Theology, Biblical Commentary, Biblical Criticism & Interpretation
ISBN: 9780802806802
Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Published: 1975-01-01T22:00:00+00:00

27. The Church

Literature: F. J. Foakes-Jackson and K. Lake (ed.), The Beginnings of Christianity, Part I: The Acts of the Apostles, 5 vols. (1920-33); W. L. Knox, “The Theology of Acts,” The Acts of the Apostles (1948), 69-99; G. B. Caird, “The Spirit,” The Apostolic Age (1955), 57-72; B. Reicke, “The Constitution of the Primitive Church in the Light of Jewish Documents,” in The Scrolls and the NT, ed. K. Stendahl (1958), 143-56; A. Schlatter, The Church in the NT Period (1961); E. Schweizer, “The Primitive Church in Jerusalem,” Church Order in the NT(1961), 34-50; R. Schnackenburg, “The Primitive Church’s View of Itself,” The Church in the NT (1965), 56-61; C. S. Mann, “The Organization and Institutions of the Jerusalem Church in Acts” and “Pentecost in Acts,” in J. Munck, The Acts of the Apostles (1967), 276-84, 271-75; J. Munck, “Primitive Jewish Christianity,” The Acts of the Apostles (1967), lxii-lxx; F. F. Bruce, NT History (1969), 195-348; L. Goppelt, Apostolic and Post-Apostolic Times (1970), 8-60; J. D. G. Dunn, Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1970); H. Conzelmann, History of Primitive Christianity (1973); M. M. B. Turner, “Jesus and the Spirit in Lucan Perspectives,” TB 32 (1981), 3-42; idem, “The Significance of Receiving the Spirit in Luke-Acts: A Survey of Modern Scholarship,” Trinity Journal 2 (1981), 131-58; E. Richard, “The Divine Purpose: The Jews and the Gentile Mission,” in Luke-Acts, ed. C. H. Talbert (1984), 129-47; E. F. Harrison, The Apostolic Church (1985); C. K. Barrett, “The Gentile Mission as an Eschatological Phenomenon,” in Eschatology and the NT, ed. W. Gloer (1988), 65-75; G. B. McGee (ed.), Initial Evidence: Historical and Critical Perspectives on the Pentecostal Doctrine of Spirit Baptism (1991); K. McDonnell and G. T. Montague, Christian Initiation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit (1991).

The Beginning of the Church: Pentecost

Jesus looked upon his disciples as the nucleus of Israel who accepted his proclamation of the Kingdom of God and who, therefore, formed the true people of God, the spiritual Israel. He indicated his purpose to bring into being his ekklesia who would recognize his messiahship and be the people of the Kingdom and at the same time the instrument of the Kingdom in the world. However, Jesus and his disciples did not form a separate synagogue, nor start a separate

movement, nor in spite of constant conflict with the Jewish leaders break with either the temple or synagogue in any outward way. His disciples formed an open fellowship within Israel whose only external distinguishing mark was their discipleship to Jesus.

After Jesus’ death and resurrection this small group of disciples, now numbering 120, for several weeks apparently did nothing but wait on God for divine direction. During a period of forty days, Jesus appeared to them from time to time, continuing to instruct them in the same theme that had been his central message — the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). They still believed that this meant the restoration of the Jewish theocracy (1:6), but Jesus indicated that God had a different purpose for the present.

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