Many convincing proofs : persuasive phenomena associated with gospel proclamation in Acts / Stephen S. Liggins.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Liggins, Stephen S., author.

Series:

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche ; Beiheft 221.

Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Acts--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Bible. Acts.

Evangelistic work.

Persuasion (Psychology)--Religious aspects.

Persuasion (Psychology).

Physical Description:

xii, 317 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2016]

Summary:

An examination of the text of Acts reveals various persuasive phenomena associated with evangelistic proclamation in the book. This study identifies the four key persuasive phenomena - the Jewish Scriptures, witnessed supernatural events, the Christian community and Greco-Roman cultural interaction - and examines their impact on those people who heard or read the Acts narrative in the decades after its completion. The Series: Beihefte Zur Zeitschrift Für Die Neutestamentlsche Wissenschaft The series Beihefte zur Zeiischrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft (BZNW) is one of the oldest and most highly regarded international scholarly book series in the field of New Testament studies. Since 1923 it has been a forum for seminal works focusing on Early Christianity and related fields. The series is grounded in a historical-critical approach and also explores new methodological approaches that advance our understanding of the New Testament and its world. Book jacket.

Contents:

Chapter 1 Introduction 1

1.1 Topic and approach 1

1.2 The key persuasive phenomena 3

Evangelistic proclamation in Acts 4

Persuasive phenomena 7

Key persuasive phenomena 8

Less prominent persuasive phenomena 13

Method of classification 13

1.3 Methodology 14

Narrative influence 15

Socio-historical influence 19

1.4 Structure 25

Chapter 2 Early audiences and their perception of Acts 27

2.1 The early audience perspective 27

2.2 The early audiences of Acts 27

The author of Acts 27

The early audiences of Acts 29

2.3 The genre of Acts 35

2.4 The credibility of Acts 38

Speeches 39

The supernatural 42

Chapter 3 Jewish and Greco-Roman persuasive religious communication 44

3.1 Preliminary matters 44

3.2 Jewish persuasive religious communication 46

3.3 Persuasive phenomena associated with Jewish proselytising and conversion to Judaism 47

Josephus' account of the conversion of the royal house of Adia-bene (Jewish Antiquities 20.17-96) 49

Josephus' Jewish Antiquities other accounts relevant to proselytising and conversion 54

Josephus' Against Apion 57

Philo's On the Life of Moses 60

Philo on the welcoming of converts 61

The Letter of Aristeas 62

The Third Sibylline Oracle 64

Horace's Satires 1.4.138 - 43 66

Other references to Jewish proselytising 66

Summary 67

3.4 Persuasive phenomena and Jewish persuasive religious communication 68

Jewish Scriptures 68

Human physical coercion (use or threat) 70

Greco-Roman cultural interaction 71

Good character 73

Jewish community 74

Witnessed supernatural events 75

Other persuasive phenomena 77

Summary 79

3.5 Greco-Roman persuasive communication 79

3.6 Persuasive phenomena associated with Greco-Roman proselytising and adoption of Greco-Roman religions 80

Lucian on Alexander's Cult of Glycon (Alexander the False Prophet) 81

Livy on the Bacchanalia (Ab Urbe Condita 39.8 - 19) 85

Plutarch on the Oracle of Mopsus (De defectu oraculorum 45) 86

Apuleius on the Cult of Isis (The Golden Ass 11) 87

Horace on Jupiter (Odes 1.34) 88

1 Maccabees 1:41 - 53 88

Acts 8:9 - 11 89

The Emperor Cult 90

Summary 96

3.7 Persuasive phenomena and Greco-Roman persuasive communication 96

Witnessed supernatural events 97

Human physical coercion (use or threat) 99

Visual/concrete phenomena 100

Greco-Roman cultural interaction 101

Greco-Roman rhetoric 101

Oracles 104

Community 104

Other persuasive phenomena 104

Summary 106

3.8 A brief comparison of Jewish and Greco-Roman persuasive religious communication 107

Chapter 4 Persuasive phenomena associated with evangelistic ministry in Acts 1 - 12 109

4.1 Introduction 109

4.2 Luke's presentation of Peter 110

4.3 Persuasive phenomena associated with evangelistic ministry in Acts 1 - 12 110

Acts 1:1 - 12: Introduction 110

Acts 1:13 - 26: Peter's leadership in the early Christian community 112

Acts 2:1 - 41: Peter's paradigmatic ministry at Pentecost 115

A paradigmatic passage 116

Persuasive phenomena 119

Acts 2:42 - 47: Peter and the paradigmatic summary of the early Jerusalem Christian community, Part 1 130

A paradigmatic passage 130

Persuasive phenomena 131

Acts 3:1 - 4:4: Peter speaks in the temple 135

Acts 4:5 - 22: Peter speaks before the Sanhedrin, Part 1 140

Acts 4:23 - 31: Peter and the Christians pray 141

Acts 4:32 - 37: Peter and the early Jerusalem Christian community, Part 2 142

Acts 5:1 - 11: Peter and community discipline 142

Acts 5:12- 16: Peter and the early Jerusalem Christian community, Part 3 143

Acts 5:17 - 42: Peter speaks before the Sanhedrin, Part 2 145

Acts 6:1 - 7: The choosing of the Seven 146

Acts 6:8 - 8:3: The arrest, speech and stoning of Stephen 147

Acts 8:4 - 25: Philip, Peter and John in Samaria 149

Acts 8:26 - 40: Philip and the Ethiopian 152

Acts 9:1 - 31: Saul's conversion and early ministry 153

Acts 9:32 - 43: Peter in Lydda and Joppa 154

Acts 10:1 - 11:18: Peter's paradigmatic ministry at Cornelius' house 154

A paradigmatic passage 157

Persuasive phenomena 158

Acts 11:19 - 30: The church at Antioch 162

Acts 12:1 - 25: Peter's escape and the death of Herod 163

Peter in Acts 13 28 164

4.4 Brief comments 164

Chapter 5 Persuasive phenomena associated with evangelistic ministry in Acts 13-28 165

5.1 Introduction 165

5.2 Luke's presentation of Paul 165

5.3 Persuasive phenomena associated with evangelistic ministry in Acts 13-28 166

Saul/Paul in Acts 1 - 12 166

Acts 13:1 - 3: Saul/Paul and Barnabas sent out 166

Acts 13:4 - 12: Saul/Paul on Cyprus 168

Acts 13:13 - 52: Paul's paradigmatic ministry in Pisidian Antioch 169

A paradigmatic passage 170

Persuasive phenomena 171

Acts 14:1 - 6: Paul in Iconium 175

Acts 14:6 - 21: Paul in Lystra and Derbe 176

Acts 14:21 - 28: Paul follows up churches, Part 1 180

Acts 15:1 - 35: Paul and the Council at Jerusalem 180

Acts 15:36 - 16:5: Paul follows up churches, Part 2 182

Acts 16:6 - 40: Paul in Philippi 183

Acts 17:1 - 9: Paul in Thessalonica 186

Acts 17:10 - 14: Paul in Berea 187

Acts 17:15 - 34: Paul's paradigmatic ministry in Athens 188

A paradigmatic passage 189

Persuasive phenomena 191

Acts 18:1 - 18: Paul in Corinth 196

Acts 18:19 - 23: Paul in Ephesus, Part 1; and Paul follows up churches, Part 3 196

Acts 18:24 - 28: Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos 197

Acts 19:1 - 20:1: Paul in Ephesus, Part 2 198

Acts 20:1 - 38: Paul follows up churches, Part 199

Acts 21:1 - 36: Paul approaches and arrives in Jerusalem 200

Acts 21:37 - 22:22: Paul speaks to the Jerusalem crowd 200

Acts 22:23 - 23:11: Paul before the Sanhedrin 202

Acts 23:12 - 24:27: Paul's transfer to Caesarea and his trial be-fore Felix 203

Acts 25:1 - 22: Paul's trial before Festus, who then consults King Agrippa 204

Acts 25:23 - 26:32: Paul's paradigmatic speech before King Agrippa and Festus 204

A paradigmatic passage 206

Persuasive phenomena 206

Acts 27:1- 28:14: Paul travels to Rome 208

Acts 28:15 - 31: Paul in Rome 209

5.4 Brief comments 210

Chapter 6 Impact upon early audiences of Acts Part 1: Phenomena, contexts and influence 211

6.1 Introduction 211

6.2 Jewish Scriptures 212

The What? 212

The Where? 213

The How? 217

6.3 Witnessed supernatural events 218

The What? 218

The Where? 221

The How? 224

6.4 Christian community 225

The What? 225

The Where? 227

The How? 229

6.5 Greco-Roman cultural interaction 229

The What? 229

The Where? 232

The How? 232

6.6 Human physical coercion (use or threat) 233

The What? 233

The Where? 233

The How? 233

6.7 Summary 234

Chapter 7 Impact upon early audiences of Acts - Part 2: The ongoing mission 235

7.1 Introduction 235

7.2 Ongoing mission 236

7.3 The early audiences' role 238

7.4 The place of key persuasive phenomena 240

Jewish Scriptures 242

Witnessed supernatural events 243

Christian community 247

Greco-Roman cultural interaction 248

Human physical coercion (use or threat) 249

7.5 Summary 250

Chapter 8 Conclusion 252

8.1 Introduction 252

8.2 Distinctive findings 252.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9783110459708

3110459701

OCLC:

945641324