Interesting story. Maybe even funny, but not very.

I’ve written in other posts about the power of presence and how I wish I had more contact with my students. This year I had a rare opportunity to meet one of my current students face to face. The first time I met him in person was last year–at [...]]]>

Interesting story. Maybe even funny, but not very.

I’ve written in other posts about the power of presence and how I wish I had more contact with my students. This year I had a rare opportunity to meet one of my current students face to face. The first time I met him in person was last year–at least that’s the first time I remember meeting him.

Maybe I should back up…

Meeting Again for the First Time

At the end of the spring semester last year one of my students (Pavol Krasnocvetov) contacted me by Skype. He said he was going to be in Chicago for the summer and was wondering if we could meet up. Absolutely! So we did, we ended up getting together twice. Once he came to our house and we spent the evening enjoying live music at a park here in Deerfield.

The next time we met was more interesting. It turns out Pavol has been making annual trips to America for several years. In fact he has a green card and comes back each year in order to be able to keep it. While in the States on those annual trips he works for some Slovak construction companies in the western suburbs and attends the same church as some Slovaks we know from back in Slovakia. So it turns out our circles of friends intersect. Actually, it turned out that our circles of friends intersect even more than that.

While I was writing posts for the series on religion in Slovakia I went into some detail as to why we have found English camps to be so effective in Slovakia. In order to supplement that post I was going through old collections of photos from the Nitra English camps of 2001-2005. As I was browsing through the photos I noticed one in which I was sitting next to someone that looked very familiar. Pavol Krasnocvetov! That’s him sitting right next to me (far right) in the photo above. The picture is from about 2003 or 2004, well before I met him for the first time. Er, that is, well before I thought I met him for the first time.

I feel I must explain myself. I’m always telling people what close relationships we establish with people at these English camps and here I am sitting right next to a guy that just a few years later I don’t know even when I meet him face to face. To defend myself, since I was one of the few Americans at the camp that could speak Slovak, I usually ended up teaching the very, very, very beginners class. Pavol was not anywhere near that group. Also, as one of the organizers and translators at the camp, on top of the teaching duties and presenting the gospel at the end of the week, I didn’t have as much time to get to know the campers as some others. I guess that’s still pretty lame.

I’ve talked with people whose parents would often invite missionaries to stay with their family whenever they passed through on deputation. Some have told me what an impression it left on them to hear those missionary stories while growing up. They were amazed and even inspired at the sacrifice and faith they saw in missionary families [...]]]>

I’ve talked with people whose parents would often invite missionaries to stay with their family whenever they passed through on deputation. Some have told me what an impression it left on them to hear those missionary stories while growing up. They were amazed and even inspired at the sacrifice and faith they saw in missionary families who visited them.

I think about that sometimes as we travel to various places in the process of raising support for returning to Slovakia. Those are big shoes to fill.

Times have changed a bit, though. Missionaries nowadays don’t generally pack up all their things in their caskets, knowing they are unlikely to ever return to their homeland alive. But even if missions has changed, there’s still plenty to be inspired about. Only this time, I find myself (the missionary) being inspired by those we visit.

In August we took a short trip to Grove City, PA where there is a faithful couple and church that have been supporting our ministry for almost ten years now. On that trip we stopped by some other supporters in Dublin, OH (near Columbus) who are also close friends. In each case we found ourselves challenged by their examples.

The Duffs

The Duffs are our friends and supporters from Dublin, OH. They have two daughters, Hannah (10) and Sarah (8), so their kids are pretty close in age to Elisabeth (8) and Max (6). During our few days in Dublin we were able to relax and enjoy spending time with their family. The Duffs are involved in a ministry out of Ohio State University which connects international students with Christian families who are willing to open up their homes in order to help the international students adjust to life in the States. David and Mai are one of those families.

Perhaps part of the reason they have such a heart for this ministry is the fact that Mai herself came to the United States from Vietnam as a very young girl, when her family was escaping the communism of Vietnam.

It’s a harrowing story–escaping on a boat from Vietnam and then staying in a refugee camp in Indonesia, before finally arriving in the United States. But her family eventually ended up in the home of a Christian family in St. Louis that helped them adjust to their new life. Not only that, it was that family in St. Louis that introduced Mai and her family to the gospel. So now David and Mai are continuing that ministry through their own family.

The Daytons

I don’t know of many people near retirement age who have been professors at Universities or who have owned a successful business who would be willing to readjust to life in a dormitory, let alone a dormitory in a foreign country. But the Daytons did just that back in the spring of 2000 when Anne spent one semester teaching English at the university in Jana’s home town of Prešov, Slovakia.

While Anne was teaching, Dave had some time to think about his next business venture (he had sold his computer business before the trip to Slovakia). When he saw the amazing handmade folk crafts in Slovakia he felt sure there would be a market for these kinds of items in the States, especially in Western Pennsylvania, where Slovaks from the Old World tended to settle at the beginning of the twentieth century. So Dave and Anne decided to create import and export businesses to bring Slovak folk crafts to the States. They opened a store to sell the items in December of 2000.

The real story behind this venture is not the business itself. It’s the Daytons. The Daytons are not driven by a desire to make a profit off Slovak folk crafts, they’re driven by a desire to help out the Slovaks and their economy, and a desire to help build the church in Slovakia. Since 2000 they’ve been leading small groups from their home church in Grove City, PA back to Eastern Slovakia to help develop a camping ministry, then to help develop a similar facility in Ukraine.

Live to Eat, or Eat to Live?

I once bought a suit at Manny’s Menswear near Chicago. As I was having the slacks fitted I was contemplating adding just a little bit in the waist. It was quite an investment to buy this suit and I wanted to make sure it was going to last for a long time. But the salesman persuaded me otherwise. “No, no, no,” he said, “Size ‘em to fit. Besides, I can see you’re like me, you don’t live to eat, you eat to live.”

There’s so much more to life than eating, drinking, and being merry. There’s more to life than getting ahead, or even just getting by. The thing that inspires me about the Duffs and the Daytons is how clearly I can see in their lives that they don’t live to eat, they eat to live. They have set their hearts to serve the Lord and they arrange their lives accordingly. They haven’t planned their ministry around their lives, fitting it in wherever there might be room; they have planned their lives around their ministry.

Luke set our expectations for the book of Acts in 1:8. That’s where he indicated that the disciples are going to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But first, Jesus told the disciples they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit. That happens in Acts 2 [...]]]>

Luke set our expectations for the book of Acts in 1:8. That’s where he indicated that the disciples are going to be his witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But first, Jesus told the disciples they would be baptized by the Holy Spirit. That happens in Acts 2 and it is crucial for the rest of the book. In this post we look at one of the reasons for its importance.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
-Acts 1:8

During the time of the early church, there were certain writings in Judaism that made a connection between the Pentecost holiday and the giving of the law at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19-40). Not only that, but with the quote from the prophet Joel and the description of the tongues of fire, it seems quite possible that what we have in Acts 2 is a deliberate picture of the democratization of the presence of God (via the Holy Spirit) with his people.

Mount Sinai and the Establishment of the Covenant

When we read about the giving of the law in the book of Exodus what we find is a covenant making ceremony between God and the people of Israel. A covenant is the establishment of a special and well defined relationship between two parties. When I say well defined I mean there are certain stipulations that each party must uphold in order to keep the relationship in good standing. If those stipulations are not upheld, then there are specific consequences. That is what the law is–it defines the stipulations of the relationship (both God’s and the people’s) and the consequences of holding to or not holding to he covenant (bad and good, see Deuteronomy 27-28).

In order to establish a covenant with his people, Exodus paints the picture of God having descended from heaven, coming as far as the top of Mount Sinai. God’s presence is manifest by thick smoke “because the Lord descended on it in fire” (Exodus 19:18). The people, meanwhile are at the bottom of Mount Sinai carefully keeping their distance because if they get too close to Mount Sinai “the Lord will break out against them” (Exodus 19:24).

What’s the point of all this separation? God is holy. If something that is not holy (think about this as something that is contaminated) is about to come into contact with something that is holy (completely without any contamination of any sort), then one of two things will happen. Either the holy thing will become contaminated by the unholy thing, or the unholy thing will be utterly destroyed to prevent contamination. Since God, who is holy, cannot become contaminated, that means the people, who are unholy, cannot come into the presence of God (until they are made holy). That’s why they have to keep their distance from God at the bottom of Mount Sinai.

With God at the top of Mount Sinai and the people at the bottom, Moses acts as a mediator for the covenant ceremony. So Moses goes up and down the mountain to communicate back and forth with God, carrying his instructions to the people. For example in the first instance Moses goes up the mountain and God asks him to carry a message to the people. Basically, God wants the people to give their initial expression of willingness to enter into a covenant with him (Exodus 19:5-8).

God says …

Now if you obey my fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
-Exodus 19:5-6

And the people reply …

We will do everything the Lord has said.
-Exodus 19:8

Next, we have the giving of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and the book of the covenant or the Covenant Code in Exodus 20:19-23:33. Then we have the long description of how the tabernacle is to be built and how the priests are to be consecrated to the Lord and then how the tabernacle is actually built and how the priests are actually consecrated.

To really understand what’s going on here we have to understand just what the tabernacle is. The tabernacle with the whole sacrificial system, is the means by which an unholy people can enter into fellowship with a holy God. The holy of holies will become the throne room of God, the place where God in his holiness dwells in the very midst of his people. But in order for God’s people to have fellowship with him, they must first be consecrated–they must become holy. The people become holy only when their sins are washed away and covered through the sacrificial system associated with the temple. It is through the sacrificial system that we can enter into fellowship with a holy God.

But first, this whole system has to be established. That’s what is happening in the book of Exodus when God is instructing them in how to set up the temple with the altar and the basin on the way up to the temple. It’s also what is happening when the priests are first consecrated for service in the temple. And that is why, when all of the setting up and consecrating is done and when the covenant has been established, God’s presence (represented by the fire) moves from the top of Mount Sinai and comes down to dwell in the temple.

Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
-Exodus 40:34

Pentecost and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

I wonder if you see already how the establishment of the covenant between God and Israel at Mount Sinai is related to the coming of the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost.

At Mount Sinai God came down out of heaven to dwell in a special way with his people, whom he consecrated for himself, by dwelling among them in the temple.

During the Pentecost God also came down out of heaven to dwell in a special way with his people. Just like at Mount Sinai, God’s presence is depicted in the fire that came down from heaven, but now God’s presence does not dwell in the holy of holies that is in the tabernacle but in the holy of holies that is in the heart of every believer. This is the democratization of the presence of God; God is now present with every individual who has been consecrated to him by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In fact, it is because of Jesus Christ that God’s spirit need no longer dwell in the tabernacle but can now dwell in the heart of every believer.

At Mount Sinaia, the people of Israel were defined by the covenant that God established with them. As a result of the covenant, God set them apart from every other nation and he dwelt with them like with no other nation. God actually created Israel when he brought them out of Egypt and established his covenant with them.

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
-Acts 2:3-4

When the Holy Spirit baptized the disciples on the day of Pentecost, God redefined his covenant community. Before it was the temple and the sacrificial system that defined how God’s people were able to approach him and be in his presence. Without the law and the tabernacle and the sacrificial system there was no way to be in relationship or in covenant with God. That is why Israel was a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6). They were the mediators between God and all the other nations on the earth. No one came into relationship with God except through the tabernacle–through Israel. But now Jesus has done something new and the implications of what he has done come through at Pentecost. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection we are made holy without any need for the sacrificial system or the tabernacle. Now the Holy Spirit dwells in each and every one of us.

The implications of what Jesus has done by his death and resurrection go beyond what we have said here. In fact, it’s the implications of what Jesus has accomplished that Luke unpacks throughout the rest of the book of Acts.

Where are We in the Story?

I said at the beginning that we’re reading as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. So far, we’re well on our way. We have already seen the fulfillment of our first expectation, that is the Holy Spirit baptism of the disciples. This same type of baptism will play an important role on several other occasions in the book.

A couple weeks ago Elisabeth wanted to show me her new diving skills–but not until she was good and ready, and had a little fun teasing me. Max thought the diving looked like fun so he [...]]]> Elisabeth and Max had their last swimming lesson today. They both made lots of improvement during their four weeks of lessons.

A couple weeks ago Elisabeth wanted to show me her new diving skills–but not until she was good and ready, and had a little fun teasing me. Max thought the diving looked like fun so he mustered up his courage to see if he could do it, too.

What follows is a three-stranded interweaving of my Ministry Manifesto, the Legacy of Viktor Poloha, and the quiet calling of the Savior on each of our lives.

Before 1989, when communists still ruled Central and Eastern Europe, we in the West prayed that God would help the saints in those countries persevere through the persecution they faced [...]]]>

What follows is a three-stranded interweaving of my Ministry Manifesto, the Legacy of Viktor Poloha, and the quiet calling of the Savior on each of our lives.

Before 1989, when communists still ruled Central and Eastern Europe, we in the West prayed that God would help the saints in those countries persevere through the persecution they faced in daily life.

There are thousands of examples of faithful people that held strong in their faith. Some smuggled Bibles through Slovakia to Ukraine, some shared their faith with their classmates or colleagues, others taught the Scriptures to youth, and still others attended forbidden Bible studies.

My father-in-law, Viktor Poloha, is a saint from Slovakia. As a teenager he attended a high school several hours from his home. Despite the ridicule of his classmates and the scorn of the administration, he would kneel beside the bed in his dorm each day and pray to a God who can shut the mouths of lions and squelch the sting of fire. He gained a reputation as one who would not compromise his faith. As a result, the administration took away his privileges to leave the dormitory on nights when the local Baptist youth group met. But even that did not deter him; he snuck out of the dorms in order to faithfully attend those meetings. For some in that youth group he became a hero and they also learned to have a courageous faith. As for Viktor, even though he was one of the best students in his class, the administration refused to recommend him to a university.

Because of our prayers here in the West and because of the faith of the people behind the iron curtain, communism wasn’t successful at weakening the faith of believers. But one area where communism did succeed was in severely limiting opportunities for theological education. It’s hard for us to imagine a church with untrained pastors, with no Bible colleges, and with almost no commentaries, guides to pastoral leadership, church administration, or small groups; but that was the reality behind the iron curtain.

Viktor’s dream was to become a pastor. Since his options were limited he became a faithful servant of the church as an elder and youth leader. He frequently preached on Sundays or during the week at smaller fellowships in the countryside of Eastern Slovakia. He studied the Scriptures every day and took every opportunity he could for further training. He knew that if the faith was going to continue in Slovakia it depended on the teachings of Scripture being passed from one generation to the next.

Sometimes we think of theological education as academic book knowledge. Theology is like philosophy, we think, and theologians live at universities in ivory towers. But really, theology is what we do in everyday life. It guides our decisions about how we educate our children, what kind of career we choose, how we behave toward our neighbors, or what political views we hold. Whether you realize it or not, you can’t go through one hour of your day without making a decision based on your understanding of Scripture.

Theology is especially important when we face changes in the world around us. How do we respond to same sex marriage, global warming, or new church growth methods?

When communism fell in 1989, the church in Slovakia faced a wave of cataclysmic change.

All four of Viktor and Anna’s children grew up with a faith like their parents. Their older children were part of an ambitious group of young people in Slovakia who decided to take advantage of their post-communist freedom. In 1991 they formed a music group that played praise songs and rented out a theater in the center of town. After only a couple of months, more than 200 young people attended each week. They came to meet friends, listen to the music, and hear a gospel presentation. Most of them had never heard anything like it.

Since then the ministry has become the countrywide Youth for Christ Slovakia. They hold an annual Christian music festival and prayer and praise events throughout the year. In the clip below the band (it’s called Timothy) and guests are singing the theme song of the 2007 CampFest festival, “May Your Kingdom Come”.)

In part because of the lack of solid theological training, the church in Slovakia wasn’t sure how to react to all these new changes. The denominational leadership wasn’t providing a theological framework for a response. Factions developed within single denominations. Energy was wasted solving problems within the church instead of reaching out at a time of unprecedented openness. The church, which was a beacon of resistance under communism, changed into a symbol for an old regime.

The elders of the church weren’t sure how to respond to the young people’s outreach. Some felt uncomfortable with the music and what seemed to them to be the influx of secular culture and charismatic tendencies. The pastor felt his authority was being threatened and he responded by censoring their activities. As far as he was concerned this ministry was being carried out against his will.

In his sermons and teachings at youth meetings he tried to rein in the young people. The problem was, he had no plan of his own for outreach and he could not respond to their questions on theological issues like the gifts of the Holy Spirit or what proper worship is like. The youth began to look outside their own tradition for more coherent responses to their questions and this only made the tension increase.

In the end, the youth outreach was hampered and there was needless division in the church, partly as a result of the leaders’ inadequate theological response. I’m thankful that my father-in-law was one of those who served as a bridge between the youth and the elders of the church and played a part in the healing that would come over time.

The leaders of four evangelical denominations in Slovakia recognized the need for theological education. Like them, I believe that every culture in every time needs theological leadership that can guide the church through the unique changes faced in their context and to train the next generation of leaders. In 1993 the leaders of these denominations founded an evangelical seminary in Banská Bystrica–the same one where I currently teach. Since then, this seminary has been training pastors, teachers, and missionaries for Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Romania, Africa, and elsewhere.

I met Jana and her family on my first day in Slovakia. I worked side by side with Jana and others to start a campus ministry in her town, with her youth group, and with the ministry of that band. Jana and I fell in love and after one year I asked her to marry me. When I asked Viktor and Anna for their daughter’s hand in marriage he said something to me that I will never forget. “I always hoped that one of my own sons would become a pastor but I never dreamed that my son-in-law would also be a minister of the gospel.”

When Jana and I return to Slovakia, where I will teach Old Testament courses at the evangelical seminary, we will also work alongside Jana’s brother who is the pastor of the church in that town.

I’m doing my best to fulfill the legacy of Viktor Poloha–not so much for him as for the Lord he served and because of the passion that he has laid on my heart.

My passion is to study, live, and teach God’s story in Slovakia. I have a passion for theological education that equips every believer for life and service in the church. Both Jana and I have a passion for the 99% of the people of Slovakia who do not know the salvation of Jesus Christ.

We appreciate your prayers for us, especially now as we are raising support to return to Slovakia. Please pray that we’ll be able [...]]]> Our July, 2010 family and ministry update is now available. Read about

1. Our new address!
2. Max and Elisabeth’s summer
3. Music Together at Trinity extended through the fall
4. Teaching on Acts in Rockford and Naperville
5. Our support team building status

We appreciate your prayers for us, especially now as we are raising support to return to Slovakia. Please pray that we’ll be able to go by December of this year.

Newsletter archives

I just finished by 7th year of teaching theology at the seminary in Banská Bystrica. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. But maybe that’s because out of those seven years I was only in Slovakia for two of them. Even when I was in Slovakia, I had to travel two hours to get to [...]]]>

I just finished by 7th year of teaching theology at the seminary in Banská Bystrica. It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. But maybe that’s because out of those seven years I was only in Slovakia for two of them. Even when I was in Slovakia, I had to travel two hours to get to the seminary so my classes met just once every other week. Usually just showed up, taught my classes and went home. Since I was working with the church plant in Nitra, I wasn’t involved much in the life of the students and I didn’t have much of a chance to get to know my colleagues.

Oddly enough, this summer I’ve had more of a chance than ever before. Pavel and Daniela Hanes (HA-ness; as in “HAhaha” and “Loch Ness) were in Wheaton (just 45 minutes from here) for six weeks from the end of June to mid July. Pavel is the professor who is responsible for the Old Testament classes I teach and Daniela was the Principal (Academic Dean?) of the seminary when I first started. They were participating in a Summer Tutorial program put on by an organization that wants to help Central and Eastern European church leaders have the opportunity to do research near a quality library and at the same time network with other leaders from the region.

We were able to get together with them on three different occasions. Last Saturday (July 10) we took them to Chicago to see the city from the John Hancock observation deck and also enjoyed some pizza at Gino’s East. During those three visits we’ve had some good time to talk about the seminary, theology, and future plans for us when we return to Slovakia. All in all, we just plain enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level. They’re great people who have dedicated their lives to building God’s kingdom in Slovakia.

It’s going to be great to work alongside them in Banská Bystrica.

As we begin to read the book of Acts along the lines of story we want to continually keep in mind that we are reading from expectation to fulfillment (or from tension to resolution).

There are two aspects to that kind of reading. The first aspect is that we always keep in mind where we are [...]]]>

Warming Up

As we begin to read the book of Acts along the lines of story we want to continually keep in mind that we are reading from expectation to fulfillment (or from tension to resolution).

There are two aspects to that kind of reading. The first aspect is that we always keep in mind where we are along the path to fulfillment. Certain passages will move us forward toward fulfillment and so we’ll want to keep track of that movement and adjust our expectations accordingly (more on that in later posts).

The other aspect is related to the first. We want to relate every passage to the larger whole. When we read for plot we won’t usually be satisfied with “this happened, then that happened, then the other happened,” without understanding how the author has placed the events in relation to each other.

When we read for plot we won’t usually be satisfied with “this happened, then that happened, then the other happened,”

Sometimes the author will even give literary clues as to how passages are related. For example he can tie passages together by repeating key words, by repeating structures, or by putting passages in parallel positions in larger poetic structures. Other times you just have to think through the logic of how the passage you are dealing with contributes to the overall movement of the plot. That’s the situation we have in the passage we are covering in this post. We will have to think carefully about the logic of the passage and how it fits into the whole.

The Plan of God

One of the key supports for Luke’s argument in the book of Acts is that God is in control of history. This helps us to see that the events of history are unfolding according to his plan. In other words, what we see happening is not the happenstance of history, it is not due to some method of man but it is the very plan of God. This idea is so important that I will be using this phrase throughout this series.

As one way of supporting this idea in the book of Acts, Luke demonstrates that the ministry of Jesus continues through the ministry of the apostles even after Jesus has been taken up to heaven. In this post we’ll take a look at one particular passage that I think works along those lines.

The Election of Matthias

Lots of questions arise when we read Acts 1:15-26. Questions of lots, for example. How is it appropriate to cast lots when making a decision like this? Is it because the Holy Spirit had not come upon them yet? And why did they even think they need to replace Judas? What in the world do the texts Peter quotes have to do with replacing Judas? Did they jump the gun–shouldn’t Paul have been the twelfth apostle? Sometimes, instead of answering all of our questions, the best interpretation will make answering them irrelevant.

I want to get at this passage by looking first at the word δει (dei-pronounced day). This is a Greek word that means “it is necessary.” It’s used two times in this passage. The first time is in v. 16 where Peter says, “Brothers, it is necessary that the Scriptures be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago…” The second is in v. 21 when Peter says, “Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us…” Both of these instances of the word δει are important because they explain the justification for Peter’s belief that Judas must be replaced by another disciple.

In Luke-Acts we find that this word δει is used relatively frequently and that Luke is often (but not always) using it to emphasize what must happen because God himself has foreordained it to be so. Clearly the usage in this passage indicates that the selection of Matthias is necessary because it is a part of God’s plan. The main reason we can know this is that Luke is recording the selection of the twelfth disciple as being in accordance with Scripture.

Reading the Text, not the Event (an aside)

I would like to emphasize this point. It is Luke who is associating the selection of Matthias with the fulfillment of God’s plan. True, it is Peter who is quoting Scripture in an actual historical event. But it is Luke who decided to record the event and who decided to associate the event with Scripture. Peter’s assertions (though real and historical) have moved into the background and it is now Luke who is putting forth the argument. These are now Luke’s (who, by the way, is the Holy Spirit inspired author) assertions that are meant to be understood in the context of the book of Acts more than they are meant to be understood in the context of the event itself.

This is true even if Luke’s assertions are exactly identical to Peter’s. But if the assertions are the same, what difference does it make? It makes a world of difference because it is two different ways of interpreting the text. If interpreters had understood that Luke is making these assertions and not just Peter, no one would have suggested the disciples were jumping the gun by electing Matthias as the twelfth disciple.

As readers we often have a tendency to slip back behind the text and wonder what was going through Peter’s mind when he did or said this or that. We think if we can understand what Peter was thinking we will better understand the text. That is rarely the case. Instead of worrying about what Peter was thinking when he made these statements we need to wonder what Luke was thinking when he included these statements. That answer is found by understanding the text in its context.

While we can hardly expect to know what Peter was thinking because we have so little information about what was happening during this event, we can certainly expect to be able to understand why Luke included these statements. The reason we can expect to understand Luke is because Luke wrote his book as a single work with a single goal and he included everything we need to know to understand how his argument progresses and how each part of his argument fits into the whole.

Back to δει

What we have so far is that Luke is saying that Scripture must be fulfilled and if Scripture is to be fulfilled then they must elect a twelfth disciple to replace Judas. The question now is: What does the Scripture he quotes have to do with this assertion?

As is often the case in the New Testament use of the Old Testament, this is not a straight forward instance of prophecy and fulfillment. Psalm 69 and 109 are not predicting that Judas’ place must be emptied and another must take his place. What both Peter and Luke are doing is taking the general idea of these Psalms and applying them to a particular instance of the general case. Better said, they are interpreting their particular situation as belonging to the general movement of God’s bringing salvation to his people in line with what the Psalms are looking forward to. So what is the general case and how does it apply to the particular situation?

The General Case: Understanding the Psalms

Peter cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8. We need to look at the wider context out of which these verses come, not just to the quoted verses themselves.

May his place be deserted;
let there be no one to dwell in it
Acts 1:20 using Psalm 69:25

May another take his place of leadership
Acts 1:20 using Psalm 109:8

When we read these psalms we find that in both the Davidic figure (the Messiah, the suffering servant, the representative of Israel) is crying out to God because his enemies seem to have the upper hand. He is crying out for the defeat of his enemies and salvation for himself and Israel (for example see Psalm 69:34-36). Actually, the book of Psalms as a whole is crying out for precisely this. It is looking forward to the day when God’s chosen one (the Messiah and also all Israel) will no longer be oppressed by his enemies. God in his justice will punish the enemies as they deserve and Israel will be restored. When God’s kingdom comes, the longing of the psalmist will be fulfilled and the Messiah’s reign will be established without opposition.

That is the general case, but how is it applied to the specific situation?

The Specific Situation

When Peter and Luke apply these verses to Judas, they identify Judas with the enemies of the Messiah. The psalmist was pleading with God that justice be brought to his enemies and that is precisely what has happened in the case of Judas. Unlike in the psalms, however, Judas has been defeated. As the psalmist prays in Psalm 69, Judas’ place has been deserted. The psalmist wasn’t predicting this, he was looking forward to it, he was asking God to do this. In other words, Peter and Luke see the demise of Judas as God’s answer to the prayer of the psalmist. Judas’ demise is itself a sign that God has begun to answer the plea of the psalmist and usher in his kingdom.

With Psalm 69 Peter and Luke see in Judas the beginning of the fulfillment of what the Psalms were looking forward to.

In the first quotation Peter and Luke interpret what has happened to Judas in the light of what the Psalms were looking forward to. In their next quotation, in the application of Psalm 109, they they go beyond what has already happened to Judas and apply it to what they think must happen next in order to continue to be in line with what the psalmist was looking forward to.

Their reasoning goes like this. Because of what happened to Judas and because of Jesus’ resurrection, we know that God has begun to fulfill what the Psalms were longing for. The Messiah has achieved victory and the kingdom of Israel is going to be restored. However, the Messiah’s program is not yet complete. The kingdom has not been restored to Israel and Jesus has told us that in order for that to happen we will be his disciples in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But wait a minute–Jesus appointed 12 disciples and now there are only 11 of us. Doesn’t that mean that the Messiah’s program is incomplete unless the number is restored to 12, as he originally intended?

That is why they include the second citation from Psalms 109:8. Their logic is that if Jesus is ushering in God’s kingdom in the sense that the enemies of the Messiah/Israel will be defeated and Israel will be restored, then the program cannot go half way. Peter and Luke have correctly reasoned that Judas’ place must be filled in order for the Messiah’s program to continue. He then uses Psalm 109:8 to make this assertion.

With Psalm 109, Peter and Luke reason that in order to see the fulfillment of what the book of Psalms looked forward to in the Messiah, then Jesus’ original program of 12 disciples witnessing about him must be reinstated.

Putting it Together

I hope you can begin to see how this passage now fits into the larger whole. We have already said in the post on The Beginning of Acts that our expectation for the book is that the disciples will be Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This is God’s plan for the continuing work of the Messiah. If it is to continue, the number of disciples, as the Messiah selected them, must be restored.

Peter and Luke recognize this fact. When Peter cites these psalms and applies them to the case of Judas and the missing disciple, he recognizes that God is beginning to fulfill the longing of the psalmist. More than that, though, he and all the disciples together recognize that they have been commissioned to be Christ’s witnesses and the first thing they must do in order to bring that to fruition is reinstate the group of 12 as Jesus originally intended. So already in this early episode the disciples recognize what Jesus commissioned them to do in Acts 1:8 and they are taking up that task.

This text fits here perfectly because it brings about the restoration of the 12 disciples, making them ready to receive the Spirit and then to begin the fulfillment of the expectation set out by Jesus in Acts 1:8. In that way this passage sets the stage for what is to come and demonstrates the continuity of the ministry of the disciples with the program of the Messiah and the plan of God.

It’s summer time! Elisabeth and Max sure were glad when the school year ended and we sure were glad to see their report cards. We’re proud of their progress not only academically, but we’re also glad to see them grow in the way they interact with their teachers and their classmates. Along with school Elisabeth and [...]]]>

It’s summer time! Elisabeth and Max sure were glad when the school year ended and we sure were glad to see their report cards. We’re proud of their progress not only academically, but we’re also glad to see them grow in the way they interact with their teachers and their classmates. Along with school Elisabeth and Max were both taking piano lessons from Jana this year and Elisabeth was participating in ballet, while Max was involved in gymnastics.

This summer we’re hoping we’ll get to see our family in Durand as much as possible. That’s worked out pretty well so far because in May and June I was teaching a Sunday school in Rockford on the book of Acts. The kids will also have the chance to take swimming lessons and spend lots of time at the pool. They’re excited about that.

What they’re not so excited about is that this summer we’re also putting a lot of emphasis on Slovak school work. Every Monday through Thursday for two to three hours Max and Elisabeth have to do some work that will help prepare them for the transition to Slovakia.

For Max the major transition will be the Slovak language. Max understands Slovak perfectly, but he doesn’t speak it at all. He really has a hard time even thinking of the words, let alone getting out a whole sentence. Jana has him going through some of the first grade materials to help him get a head start.

Elisabeth’s a little better at Slovak than Max is. She not only understands perfectly but with a little help she can stutter out enough broken Slovak to communicate on a very basic level. We think she’ll be speaking Slovak in no time at all once we get to Slovakia. On the other hand, Elisabeth will be transitioning into third grade in Slovakia. The students there will have learned a lot of Slovak geography and Slovak language and it seems like the Slovak schools also go a little bit faster in Math, which is the subject that is the most challenging for Elisabeth. That means Elisabeth’s focus this summer is math and Slovak language.

I’m not sure how I would have taken it as a first or third grader if someone told me that during my summer break I was going to have to do homework. They sure don’t like, but so far they’re being real troopers.

In the introductory post of this series on The Story of Acts I tried to explain how plots work, that is, that they move from expectation to fulfillment or from tension to resolution. In the second post I used Gen 2:18-25 as an example of How to Read a Story.

In this post we’re back in the [...]]]>

In the introductory post of this series on The Story of Acts I tried to explain how plots work, that is, that they move from expectation to fulfillment or from tension to resolution. In the second post I used Gen 2:18-25 as an example of How to Read a Story.

In this post we’re back in the book of Acts and my goal is to show how I think Acts 1:1-11 sets up the expectation for the rest of the book. I also want to start to explain why identifying this initial expectation is important for reading the rest of the book.

Getting into the Text

At the very beginning of the book of Acts (which is the second part of Luke-Acts) the disciples are in the company of the resurrected Jesus just before his ascension into heaven. Luke is construing this text as Jesus’ last words to the disciples–his final farewell. The text says that Jesus is talking to them “about the kingdom of God” and that Jesus instructs them saying,

Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

(All quotes here are from the NIV.)

Given this background, Luke now informs us that the disciples posed a question to Jesus,

Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

To which Jesus gives the apparently cryptic reply,

It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Now to us, it seems like Jesus rebuffs the disciple’s question and changes the topic altogether, putting their focus on what he thinks (and now we all know) is really important–evangelism of the lost. But I don’t think that’s what he’s doing.

Instead, I think he’s pointing them toward a different vision of the kingdom than they are used to and giving them indication as to how that new kingdom vision will come about. As we progress through this series, I hope it will become more clear why I think this to be the case. For now suffice it to say that we will be much helped if we have a better idea what they are thinking about when they are talking about “the kingdom.”

Kingdom Expectations

How do we know what they were expecting from the kingdom?

This is where my disclaimer comes in. I’m not a New Testament scholar and I have done next to nothing in the area of kingdom expectations during the time of Jesus. Of course first century Jewish expectations had their roots in the Old Testament but to really know how that OT teaching was developed and taught in the time of Jesus, you have to read the literature leading up to that period. (I have to give that disclaimer because my brother-in-law, my neighbor, and a good friend from Australia have done research in Acts and know a lot more than I do about this stuff.) Nonetheless, I think I can say a few things without being too far off the mark. (All corrections are welcome.)

First of all, Israel would not be under the authority of a foreign government. A king from the line of David (the Messiah) would be ruling unhindered from Jerusalem. Of course for that to happen, Israel’s foes would have to be vanquished and Israel would return to being a sovereign state. In fact, they would have expected Jerusalem to be the most glorious capital ruling over all the earth.

God would be present with his people to bless them. In Israel, the temple was the place where God’s presence was made manifest, so the temple and the whole sacrificial system would be fully functioning, unhindered and undefiled.

Along with the sacrificial system, all of the law would be properly applied and obeyed. Which brings us back to the sovereign kingdom where God’s law would be the highest law. As it was, their law was subordinate to the Roman law. Not only that but there were different perceptions among the Jews as to how God’s law was to be followed (think of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, or the Essenes). Nothing of the sort would be the case in the kingdom, all would be made clear in terms of how the law was to be followed and all people would follow the law in the same way. In other words, the unity of Israel would be restored. All Israel would serve the Lord together.

There’s one more thing. How would Israel relate to the nations? There were different views on this topic. Some thought the Gentiles would be forever vanquished. Others thought that they would be streaming in to serve God in the temple and become a part of his kingdom. Some thought both.

At the risk of inserting a spoiler here (remember, we’re reading this as a story), I want to quickly compare these kingdom expectations to the church at the time that Luke is writing Luke-Acts. By the time he writes this book there are already a significant number of Gentiles that have joined the ranks of the church. Just a short time later the number of Gentiles would practically overwhelm the Jews and now the church has lost almost any trace of being a Jewish phenomenon. If you were to gather those early disciples together just after Jesus ascended into heaven, and if you were to tell those Jewish believers (they were all Jewish) that in a very short time there would be more Gentiles among them than Jews and that not long after that “Christianity” would be considered a separate religion from Judaism, they would certainly not have believed you. Unthinkable. Nigh unto blasphemy.

Story Expectations

It’s a good thing Jesus didn’t tell them that. However, what he did say pointed them in that direction. Luke is now using this statement of Jesus to set the direction for the rest of the book and open the door for a shift in their expectation as to just how God was going to bring about the restoration of the kingdom to Israel:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Some commentaries refer to this as the programmatic statement for the book of Acts. This sentence sets out the agenda for the rest of the book and more than that, it shapes our expectations for the rest of the book. This is the expectation that must be fulfilled in order for the plot to come to a successful conclusion. The Holy Spirit must come on the disciples (a sign of God’s kingdom coming) and they must then be witnesses of Jesus in

1. Jerusalem
2. Judea and Samaria
3. to the ends of the earth

Whatever is happening in these statements, it’s more than just geography. Jerusalem is a city. But it’s also the center of Judaism and the place from where the Messiah will reign over all the earth. Judea and Samaria are regions. But they’re also historically the northern and southern kingdoms. The Samaritans are half-Jews. Is this a hint at the reunification of Israel? Perhaps most importantly, for a Jewish person “the ends of the earth” signifies more than just all corners of the globe. To say “the ends of the earth” is to say the same thing as “the Gentiles” (see Psalm 2:8, for example, remembering that the nations is the same as the Gentiles). In other words, the Gentiles are going to be the recipients of the witness of Jesus. Just how that would look and what it would mean for God’s people has yet to unfold.

I wonder if we could even think about this verse as not just setting the agenda for the rest of the book but maybe also setting a trajectory. From Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. From the Jews to the Gentiles. We’ll talk about that more as we get further into the book.

For now, it’s important to point out that as we read we are going to keep this statement in mind. This statement does more than just let us know how the program of the book will progress (first A, then B, and then C); it lets us know how the parts of the book are connected into a single whole. This is absolutely crucial to reading for plot because when we read for plot we read to understand how the beginning leads to the middle and how the middle leads to the end.

We must always keep our expectation in mind and constantly ask ourselves the question as we read: Where are we in fulfilling the expectation set up for us at the beginning of the book?