Reading Assignment

Elwell and Yarbrough Chapter 13 & 14 (pp. 193-222).

Acts 1:12-2:47

"Church of God Founded (CE 34-38)" in Chronology of the Apostolic Age

Optional background reading: Chapter 4 Founding of the Church in The First Christians.

Viewing Assignment

Words and Phrases

Know the following words and phrases:

Cynicism

Hellenization

historical narrative

Quiz
Take the Lesson 1 Quiz. It is an open book quiz, with a 90 minute time limit, worth 56 points.

Writing Assignment

Carefully develop an exegesis of Carefully develop an exegesis of  Acts 4:11-12 which reads:

This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

In this exegesis problem you have two goals:

• to explain what the text meant to its original audience and in its original historical setting

• to explain what the text means for today

Follow each of the steps below, developing a paragraph of at least three sentences for each step (do not skip a step). Then polish as a narrative by presenting your seven paragraphs in order with no headings. This assignment is worth 50 points.

1. To whom is the author writing and why?
2. Examine the context of the passage and determine where the writer begins and ends the thought.
3. What key words, images, symbols does the author use? Where else are these key words used by the same writer? By other biblical writers? [compare the translations so as to clearly see the differences and check to see if there any variant readings noted in the footnotes.]
4. What is the historical and cultural context embedded in the text?
5. Concisely summarize the primary ideas of the passage and state what you sense was the author's purpose (what is the author trying to convey to his readers?) in writing this passage?
6. How does the passage fit with the whole message of the Bible?
7. What is the lesson or implication for the people of God today?