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I offer here some thoughts that occurred to me as I read Acts 1 this morning. \u00a0They regard the literality of the early Christian claim of Christ\u2019s resurrection. \u00a0For this blog entry (and for the sake of clarity and freshness), I\u2019ll be using the English Standard Version (ESV) for the English text, unless I expressly indicate otherwise:<\/p>\n
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Acts 1:1-2:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,<\/span>2\u00a0<\/sup>until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.<\/span> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The first book<\/em> [\u03c0\u03c1\u1ff6\u03c4\u03bf\u03bd \u03bb\u03cc\u03b3\u03bf\u03bd; King James: former treatise<\/em>; New American Standard: first account<\/em>] to which Luke, the author of Acts, refers is plainly his own gospel. \u00a0Scholars often speak of a coordinated two-part work that they call Luke-Acts<\/em>. \u00a0According to fairly strong tradition, Luke was a physician and, thus, among the best educated of the first generation of Christians. \u00a0(He may have been a Gentile convert, or perhaps a Hellenized Jew.) \u00a0The gospel of Luke begins with this explanation:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us,<\/span> 2\u00a0<\/sup>just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses [\u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03cc\u03c0\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9 (autoptai<\/em>; literally \u201cown eyes\u201d)] and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,<\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,<\/span> 4\u00a0<\/sup>that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. \u00a0(Luke 1:1-4).<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n This passage appears to suggest that Luke was relying for the writing of his gospel upon eyewitness testimony, perhaps even interviews, and there seems no reason to assume that he had abandoned that approach when he wrote the gospel\u2019s sequel, the book of Acts. \u00a0(For part of Acts, in fact, he may well have been Paul\u2019s traveling companion and associate. \u00a0[See the well-known \u201cwe\u201d passages of Acts 16:10\u201317; 20:5\u201315; 21:1\u201318; 27:1\u201337; and\u00a028:1-16.] \u00a0If this is true, it\u00a0would have afforded Luke plenty of time for talking, not only with Paul but with other early Christians. \u00a0And, for many events, he would himself have been an eyewitness.)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Acts 1:3-4:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 3\u00a0<\/sup>He presented himself alive [\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd \u1f11\u03b1\u03c5\u03c4\u1f78\u03bd \u03b6\u1ff6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1] to them after his suffering by many proofs [\u1f10\u03bd \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2 \u03c4\u03b5\u03ba\u03bc\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2], appearing to them [\u1f40\u03c0\u03c4\u03b1\u03bd\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fd6\u03c2] during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. \u00a04\u00a0And while staying [\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bb\u03b9\u03b6\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2]\u00a0with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Regarding 1:3\u2019s \u201cpresented himself alive,\u201d the relevant footnote in The UBS Greek New Testament: A Reader\u2019s Edition <\/em>(hereafter, UBS)\u00a0gives the meaning of\u00a0\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u1f77\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03bc\u03b9 (from which\u00a0\u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03ad\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03c3\u03b5\u03bd derives<\/span>)\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>as \u201cto show,\u201d \u201cto present.\u201d \u00a0There is nothing in the verb to suggest metaphor.<\/p>\n Also in 1:3: \u00a0\u03b6\u1ff6\u03bd\u03c4\u03b1 (roughly zonta<\/em>) is from the same Greek term that gives us words like zoo<\/em> and zoology<\/em>. \u00a0It\u2019s about animate \u2014 even animal<\/em> \u2014 life. \u00a0Literal. \u00a0Not symbolic.<\/span><\/p>\n For the\u00a0\u03c4\u03b5\u03ba\u03bc\u03b7\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03b9\u03c2 of 1:3, the UBS gives \u201c(decisive) proofs.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The ESV footnote to 1:4\u2019s staying<\/em> offers the very down to earth eating<\/em> as an alternative translation of\u00a0\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bb\u03b9\u03b6\u03cc\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd\u03bf\u03c2<\/span>. \u00a0It is a middle participle derived from the verb \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bb\u03af\u03b6\u03c9\/\u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03b1\u03bb\u03af\u03b6\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9. \u00a0The Greek preposition \u03c3\u1f7b\u03bd\u00a0means \u201cwith,\u201d \u201calong with,\u201d and shows up in such English words as symphony<\/em>, sympathy<\/em>, and synthesis<\/em>. \u00a0The UBS\u00a0offers the relevant definition at 1:4 of \u201ceat with (someone).\u201d \u00a0It could scarcely be more literal, even mundane. \u00a0J. B. Phillips translates 1:4 as, simply, \u201cOn one occasion, while he was eating a meal with them, he emphasised that they were not to leave Jerusalem.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Acts 1:9-10<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 9\u00a0<\/sup>And when he had said these things, as they were looking on [\u03b2\u03bb\u03b5\u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd], he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight [\u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f40\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd].<\/span> 10\u00a0<\/sup>And while they were gazing [\u1f00\u03c4\u03b5\u03bd\u03af\u03b6\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2] into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,<\/span> 11\u00a0<\/sup>and said, \u201cMen of Galilee, why do you stand looking [\u03b2\u03bb\u03ad\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2] into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw [\u1f10\u03b8\u03b5\u03ac\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5; etheasasthe<\/em>] him go into heaven.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The common Greek verb\u00a0\u03b2\u03bb\u1f73\u03c0\u03c9 (blepo<\/em>), from which 1:9\u2019s\u00a0\u03b2\u03bb\u03b5\u03c0\u03cc\u03bd\u03c4\u03c9\u03bd and 1:11\u2019s\u00a0\u03b2\u03bb\u03ad\u03c0\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2 comes, simply means \u201cto look.\u201d It\u2019s a usual verb for ordinary \u201clooking.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In 1:9, the \u201cout of their sight\u201d [\u1f00\u03c0\u1f78 \u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd \u1f40\u03c6\u03b8\u03b1\u03bb\u03bc\u1ff6\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff6\u03bd] is, literally, \u201cfrom their eyes [ophthalmon<\/em>].\u201d \u00a0(Think of ophthalmology<\/em> and optics<\/em>.) \u00a0Martin Luther\u2019s 1545 translation has \u201cvor ihren Augen weg.\u201d \u00a0The 1995 Reina-Valera translation has \u201cocult\u00f3 de sus ojos.\u201d \u00a0St. Jerome\u2019s ancient Latin Vulgate has ab oculis eorum.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n In 1:10, the participle\u00a0\u1f00\u03c4\u03b5\u03bd\u03af\u03b6\u03bf\u03bd\u03c4\u03b5\u03c2<\/span> comes from the verb\u00a0\u1f00\u03c4\u03b5\u03bd\u1f77\u03b6\u03c9, which means \u201cto gaze at,\u201d \u201cto look intently at,\u201d even \u201cto stare.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The\u00a0\u1f10\u03b8\u03b5\u03ac\u03c3\u03b1\u03c3\u03b8\u03b5 of 1:11 is downright theatrical<\/em>. \u00a0The verb\u00a0\u03b8\u03b5\u1f71\u03bf\u03bc\u03b1\u03b9, from which it derives, means \u201cto view\u201d or \u201cto gaze at.\u201d \u00a0It\u2019s the word that gives us our noun theater<\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n These are words about literal seeing, not merely seeing \u201cwith the mind\u201d or \u201cin the mind\u2019s eye.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, when Acts 1:15 says that \u201cin those days Peter stood up [\u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u1f70\u03c2; anastas<\/em>] among the brothers,\u201d it uses a very ordinary verb that is directly related to the\u00a0\u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03ac\u03c3\u03b5\u03c9\u03c2 (anastaseos<\/em>) of Acts 1:21-23:<\/span><\/p>\n 21\u00a0<\/sup>So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,<\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us\u2014one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection [\u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03ac\u03c3\u03b5\u03c9\u03c2; anastaseos<\/em>].\u201d<\/span> 23\u00a0<\/sup>And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias.<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The Greek \u1f00\u03bd\u1f71\u03c3\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03b9\u03c2 (anastasis<\/em>) , which we typically render as \u201cresurrection,\u201d simply means \u201cstanding up,\u201d or \u201cgetting up.\u201d \u00a0There is nothing intrinsically mystical or spiritual or religious about it. \u00a0Unless there\u2019s reason to view it otherwise, it\u2019s a very literal thing.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Small matters, in themselves. \u00a0Certainly. \u00a0But part of a much larger cumulative case through which I\u2019m slowly thinking my way. \u00a0This was physical. \u00a0Real, not imaginary. \u00a0To be understood literally. \u00a0The witnesses, ordinary people, used ordinary language to describe what they really saw. \u00a0That, certainly, is what Luke is saying.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00a0 \u00a0 I offer here some thoughts that occurred to me as I read Acts 1 this morning. \u00a0They regard the literality of the early Christian claim of Christ\u2019s resurrection. \u00a0For this blog entry (and for the sake of clarity and freshness), I\u2019ll be using the English Standard Version (ESV) for the English text, unless […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[10940,11081,2001,1356,11090,11093,3112,11099,9806,9848,9914,11096,10543,1369,6288,2974,11087,10634,11084,1366,8052,8376,4003,921,749],"class_list":["post-84814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-acts","tag-acts-1","tag-ascension","tag-christ","tag-corporal","tag-corporeal","tag-eyewitness","tag-eyewitnesses","tag-fiction","tag-fictional","tag-greek","tag-imaginary","tag-imagination","tag-jesus","tag-literal","tag-luke","tag-material","tag-physical","tag-physicality","tag-resurrection","tag-terminology","tag-terms","tag-witness","tag-witnesses","tag-words"],"yoast_head":"\n