The Spirit as Gift in Acts : The Spirit's Empowerment of the Early Jesus Community /
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"What does Luke mean when he describes the Spirit as gift (Acts 2:38)? This study explores the social implications of gift-giving in the Greco-Roman world, arguing that gifts initiate and sustain relationships. Therefore, the description of the Spirit as gift is inherently social, which is shown in the Spirit's empowerment of the teaching, unity, meals, sharing of possessions and worship of the early Jesus community. The Spirit as gift then leads us to see that the early Jesus community is 'the community of the Holy Spirit'"--
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1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references and index. :
9789004504431
9789004504424
"Convinced that God had called us" : dreams, visions, and the perception of God's will in Luke-Acts /
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Dream and vision scenes figure prominently in Luke-Acts. Following a discussion of methodology, historical background, and critical scholarship, this study provides a comprehensive examination of the dreams and visions in the Lukan narrative. Special attention is given to those scenes that feature significant interpretation by characters in the story (e.g., Zechariah and Mary [Luke 1-2], Saul's/Paul's conversion [Acts 9, 22, and 26], the Cornelius-Peter episode [Acts 10:1-11:18], and Paul's dream at Troas [Acts 16:9-10]). While a number of studies have highlighted the importance of dreams and visions for Luke's portrayal of God, the present study suggests that the human side of these visionary encounters is equally important. Just as Lukan dreams and visions depict God's active involvement in the events of human history, they also depict God's people attempting to perceive God's will through these visionary encounters.
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Revision of the author's thesis (doctoral)--Princeton Theological Seminary. :
1 online resource. :
Includes bibliographical references (p. [245]-257) and indexes. :
9789047411420 :
0928-0731 ; :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.
Historiography and self-definition : Josephos, Luke-Acts, and apologetic historiography /
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For centuries scholars have recognized the apologetic character of the Hellenistic Jewish historians, Josephos, and Luke-Acts; they have not, however, adequately addressed their possible relationships to each other and to their wider cultures. In this first full systematic effort to set these authors within the framework of Greco-Roman traditions, Professor Sterling has used genre criticism as a method for locating a distinct tradition of historical writing, apologetic historiography. Apologetic historiography is the story of a subgroup of people which deliberately Hellenizes the traditions of the group in an effort to provide a self-definition within the context of the larger world. It arose as a result of a dialectic relationship with Greek ethnography. This work traces the evolution of this tradition through three major eras of eastern Mediterranean history spanning six hundred years: the Persian, the Greek, and the Roman.
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1 online resource (xiv, 500 pages) :
Includes bibliographical references (p. 394-426) and indexes. :
9789004266940 :
Available to subscribing member institutions only.