The Gentile Mission in Old Testament Citations in Acts: Text, Hermeneutic, and Purpose

188 Pages·2009·20.3 MB·English

by  James A. Meek

LIBRARY OF NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES
385
formaly thr joam.JIIi1r the Scudy oft he Nt-h' Tcsrumcnt Supplrrncnt Srrirl·
Editor
Mark Goodacre
Editorial Board
john M.G. Barclay. Craig Blomberg, R. Alan Culpepper,
Jamcs 0. G. Dunn. Craig A. Evans, Stephen Fowl,
Rdx-rt Fowl(·r, Simon J. Gathcrcolc. john S. Kloppcnborg,
Michad Lahahn, Robcn Wall. Stc\'c Walton.
Robert L Webb. Catrin 1-1. Wil1iams
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THE GENTILE MISSION IN OLD
TESTAMENT CITATIONS I N ACTS
Text, Hermeneutic and Purpose
James A. Meek
.\\
t&.t dark
Copyright Clhme-s A. Meek. 2008
Published by T&T Clur~ International
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Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartcnsiu. edited by Karl Ellig_er und Wilhelm Rudolph. Fifth Rc\'ised
Edition. edited by Adri.an Schenker. •0 1971 and 1997 Ikutschc BibdgC$CIIS('haft S!uttgan.
Used by permission.
Scphaoginta. cdite.d by Alfred Rahlfs.'!:> 1935 and 1979l>cutsc.hc Bibcfgesdl~haft. Stut1garl.
Used by permission.
Ke.sdc-Aiaod. Novum Te-stomentum Gmcce. 27th Re\'iscd Edition. edited by Barbara Alnnd.
Kun Alond. lohunncs Kamvidopoulos. Curio M. Manini. und Bruce M. Meb:ger in coopemtion
wilh the Institute for New Testumcnt Textual Rcscurch. MiinstcrJWcstphafin. C 1993 ~utschc
BibdgcsellschufL Stuttgan. Usc:d by pem1ission.
Re\'ised Standard Version of the Bible. •0 1952 [lnd edition. 19711 by the Oi\·ision of Chri.s1ian
Educ-ation of the Kational Council of the. Chun:hes of Christ in the Unitc.d States of Amcrico.
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ISBN-10: HB: 0-567-03380·5
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CONTENTS
Preface vii
The Old Testament in Luke-Acts
1.1 The Old Testament and Gentile Mission
1.2 The Use of the Old Testament in Luke-Acts 4
1.3 The Rhetorical Use of Old Testament Quotations 7
1.4 Goals, Methodology and Assumptions 9
2 Listening to luke 14
2. I Scripture Summaries 14
2.2 Old Testament Citations 17
2.3 Analysis 20
2.4 Conclusion 23
3 The Servant and the Nations (Isaiah 49.6 in Acts 13.47) 24
3. I Text 25
3.2 Isaiah 49.6 27
3.3 The Expected Se1·vant 39
3.4 Acts 13.47 43
3.5 Summary 53
4 The Kingdom and the Gentile-< (Amos 9.11 -I 2 in Acts 15. I6 -I 8) 56
4. I Text 56
4.2 Amos9_ll-12 64
4.3 The Expected Kingdom 73
4.4 Acts 15.16-18 77
4.5 Summary 93
5 The Spirit and All Flesh (loel3.1-5 MT in Acts 2.17-21) 95
5. I Text 96
5.2 Joel3.1-5 m 97
5.3 The Expected Spirit 104
5.4 Acts2.17-21 106
5.5 Summa I)' I 12
vi Contents
6 Abraham's OftSpring and tJ1e Families of the Eanh
(Genesis 22.18 in Acts 3.25) 114
6.1 Text 116
6.2 The Blessing in Genesis 116
6.3 The Expected Blessing 120
6.4 Acts 3.25 122
6.5 Summary 127
7 Conclusion 130
7.1 Text 131
7.2 Hermeneutic 132
7.3 Purvose 133
7.4 Excursus: Jews, Gentiles and the People of God 135
Appendix I Scripture Summaries in Luke--Acts 137
Appendix 2 Explicit Old Testament Citations in Luke-Acts 139
Bibliography 145
Index of Referenc.es 165
Index of Authors 177
PR£FACE
Questions about the relationship between the OT and the NT are as old as the
ministry of Jesus. My own preoccupation with these issues has lasted well over
thirty years. I recall one morning in college calling my pastor to ask how the t-.'T
writers found Christ in theOT. He referred me to Hengstenberg's classic study of
the Christology ofth e Old Testament, and so my first serious exploration of the
topic began with a lutheran. reconunended by a dispcnsationalist. Subsequently
I was exposed to a biblical and covenantal theology thnt emphasized the organic
and progressively untblding c-haracter of biblical redemption and revelation.
I continue to wrestle with a related groupofquest'ions: How does the OT speak
about Jesus'? How do the OT and NT fit together? How does the OT function as
canon for the church of the new covenant'? Is the t-.1 interpretation of the OT
l'esponsible? Should the church seek to reproduce it in our own exegesis, i.e. does
the NT function as canon (nonn) not only in conte-nt. but also in its inte1pretntion
of the oT? These questions led to a Th.M. thesis on typology as one way to
explore the relationship between the te.stame-nts. The present srudy. initially
undenaken as a doctoral dissertation. is another.
Many have helped me along the way. I am grateful to the faculty of Concordia
Seminary in St Louis. for their wann welcome of a Presbyterian into their com
munity. [ am indebted to Drs Jack Preus and James Voelz, who allowed me to
develop fucets ofthis study in work for their courses, as well as to Drs Paul Raabe
and Leo Sanchez. who. as readers, offered valuable.c ounsel. I am espec.iaJI)r grate
ful to my Dokforl'flter and fellow Rice Owl. Dr Jeff Gibbs, who provided needed
focus. guidance and lots of encourage.ment. I am also gmtefhl to Covenant Theo
logic-al Seminary. where it was my pleasure to serve for thirteen ye.ars, to Presi
dent B1·yan Chapell, who encouraged me to undertake. doctoml studies and
extended financial suppo1t, and to fonne1· colleagues on the fhculty for periodic
counse.l and frequent e.ncouragement. And I remain indebted to Dr Ed Blum, my
college pastor, fo1· indulging my questions about the relationship between the
testaments (and many other things) so very long ago.
I benefited greatly from the resources oft he Buswell Library at Covenant Theo
logical Seminary (especially the inestimable. Director Jim Pakala and the patient
Associate Librarian Denise Pakala), Concordia Seminary libraJ)'. Duke Divinity
School library, the. Barbour Library at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, the
library ofTrinity Episcopal School tbr Ministry (especially its gracious Director,
John Doncevic). and the Stevenson library at lock Haven University.
Most of all, I am indebted to Esther, Starr. Stacey and Stephanie~ who so often
suffered from my distraction and preoccupation with this project I appreciate
viii Prefoce
your sacrifice more than (can say. I hope that seeing the work in this fonn is
some reward.
As the Preacher says, :of making many books there. is no end'. Severn! impor
tant works appeared or came to my atlention too late to receive.t he conside-ration
here that they deserved: Max Tumer's Pou.•crfrom on High: The Spirit
in/srael~'i
Restoration and Witness in Luke-Act:>, Chris Wright's T1ut A-fission of God:
Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrath-e and Terence Donaldson's Judaism and
the Gentiles: Jewish Patterns ofU niversalism (to /35 CE).
UnJess otherv.dse noted, citations of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament are from
BHS. of the Septuagint from Rahlfs' edition. of the Greek New Testament from
NA :n. of the Vulgate from Biblia Sacra Juxta Vu/galam Versionem1 and of the
English Bible-from the RSV. Chaptet· and verse references are from the English;
the occasionally divergent numbering of the and the LXX are.n oted when rele
).tT
vant. Citations from1he apocrypha and pseudepig:rapha are from Charlesworth,
OTP. Abbreviations of standard scholarly works follow the SBL Handbook.'
I. Bonifatio Fischer <:tal. . eds. (4th <:dn. Stuugart: OeuiSchc: Bibelgcsc1l~>chaft. 199-1).
2. Potricl; 1-1. Alex.andc:r al.. The SBL 1/undbook ofS tyle: For Andf:'llt."leur £as1em. Biblical,
<(
a11d Early Clrristia11 St11di~s (Pe-!lbody. Mass.: Hendrickson. 1999).
T HE Ow TESTAMENT IN l uKE- AcTS
I .I The Old Testamelll and Gentile A1ission
The importance of the or in Luke-Acts has long been recognized. In an influ
ential 1953 essay. Paul Schubert a~·gued that 'prool~from-prophee.y theology is
luke)s c.entral theological idea throughout the two-volume WOI'k', 1 specifically
the proof'that Jesus is the Chris1' Although Schubert's thesis was not new (he
.!
acknowledged his debt to Hem·y Cadbury's Th• Making of Luk<rActs'), his
article has become.t he point ofde.pru1ure for a considerable discussion oft he pur
pose and hermeneutic involved in Luke's use of the or .
.1
The most substantial contributions have focused on the Christo logical use of
the or in Luke-Acts.5 While. Darrell Bock has coJTectly observed that Christo l
ogy is 'the key area of Luke's OT usage as acknowledged by it is not the only
all'.~
are.a in which Luke employs the OT. Consider. for example, the. important sum
mary ofoT application in Luke 24.46-49a.
And he said to them. 'Thus it is written. that the Christ should suffer nnd on the third
day ri~ from the dcnd. and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be prc:nchc<l
in his name to all nations. beginning from Jerusalem. You arc wilnC'$.SCSOf these: things.
And behold. J send the promise-of m)' Ftuher upon )'OU.'
Schubert notes that in this text.
The k('rygma includes the-proclamation ... of repentance and the: forgiveness of sins in
his name ... which is to go to all the nutions ... that tltc 'apostles' ate: to be. witne-sses of
these-things ... and the coming of the. Hoi)' Spirit.1
I. Puul Sdwlx'rt. 'The.Structut( und Sjgnillc-ancc ofluke24', in Nl!llli'SttliJU'tltlidren Silldienfiir
RudolfR•tltmaJIII (c-d. Walther Eltester: BZNW 11: Berlin: Alfred TOpchnann. 1954). 176, cf. 178.
2. Schubcn. 'Structure and Sig:ni.ficance". 17.3.
3. Henry J. Cadbury. Tile> /ll(lking ofLuk~-.4cts (2nd c:dn.: london: SPCK. 1958).
4. See tltc litcraturt cite-d in Oarrdl L Bock. Proclummionfi·om Propht->tyand Pattenr: Lucan
Old Teswment ChriJto/o~:v(JSNTSup 11: Shcffidd: Sbc:ffidd Acade-mic Pms, 1987}. 13-16: Gcrt I.
Stc:yn. Septllagint Quotations in tht> Co11tex1 ofllle Petri11e and Paulit1e Speeclles (if/he Ac1a Apos·
ro!onm1 (CBET 12; Kampen: Kok Phuros. 1995). 1-11.
5. 11le two mo!>l substantial studic-.; arc Bock. Proclamation: Martin Rese ..4 11t~slamemlicile
Motiw: i11 der Clll'istologie del· LukaJ (SNT I: Giit~rsloh: Gcrd Mohn. 1969).
6. Bocl:. Proclam(lfioll. 41.
7. Schubcn. ·struc.turc: and Significance'. 177. Yc t Schubert himself seems to understand ·proof
from prophecy' primatily in terrns of dc:monsttotion 'that Jesus is the: Christ' ( 173).