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According to Luke’s descriptions in the first chapters of Acts, the Jewish setting and context of the early church are characterized as follows. Foremost, miracles and signs are the key basis for describing the early church in which God acted. In Luke’s picture of the world’s perception, this church is presented as a place in Jerusalem where people filled with the Holy Spirit and enlightenment are “unable to explain” the miraculous events taking place. During the feast of Pentecost, the Spirit of Christ was revived, and about three thousand people, including Jewish pilgrims, were converted to Christ in just one day (Elwell and Yarbrough 179-192). The risen Christ not only poured out the Spirit but also healed the lame, thus showing the power of His name to those who believed in Him (Hiesberger, 1508-1558). The church filled with the Spirit, in the first Acts, studies, worships, shares with neighbors and testifies, as well as suffers persecution but also prays and shares its testimony.
Luke’s descriptions also mention the Jewish environment and certain religious dogmas, norms, and values. For example, in “The Day of Pentecost,” the second chapter of the Acts states that the Jewish capital of Israel – Jerusalem: “Now there were Jews residing in Jerusalem” (Hiesberger, 1508-1558). In the same chapter, one of the Apostles, Peter, addresses the people: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, [am]know this, and pay attention to my words” (Hiesberger, 1508-1558). In fact, the Apostle identifies the Jewish people as the dominant part of the entire population of Jerusalem and the main church workers.
I think Luke went to great lengths to portray the early church as genuinely Jewish for the next moments. In Acts, Luke tries to demonstrate clearly that the Jews are also part of the people of God. Thanks to numerous conversions, the Christian community is growing. Its piety and strength, unselfishness, and harmony are visible in it and it causes universal admiration and reverence. In addition, Christianity is partly a continuation of the Jewish concepts and motives that were originally laid down in the minds and hearts of people. Moreover, Christianity, which has in mind to gather everyone around “one,” appears to the Jew as an impracticable idea and, for this reason alone, false. Consequently, it is possible to prove to the Jews that they are wrong only in fact, that is, by implementing the Christian idea in practice, consistently bringing it into actual life (Stacy 2021). Hence, Luke imagined the Christian idea of a spiritual and universal theocracy so that it would be possible to introduce Jews to Christian views.
Today, it is especially important for Christians to understand and realize the Jewish roots of their faith due to the following aspects. Primarily, such measures are necessary to ensure social justice, peace, and harmony at all levels, including the local and global scale of manifestation. In addition, it is especially important to understand the correct interpretation of texts and excerpts from them, where the acts of the Jews and their significance for modern believers occur. Often, the Jewish people are shown in an unfavorable light in many sources – this moment should be eradicated when studying the roots of faith. Such knowledge can enrich a Christian with a deep and comprehensive understanding of the heritage they have in their faith. Being objective and reliable, the information allows a person to determine their attitude to the problem of personal salvation and, therefore, take decisive steps towards freedom and happiness.
Bibliography
Elwell, Walter E. and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies). Ada, Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 2013.
Hiesberger, Jean Marie. The Catholic Bible: The New American Bible: Including the Revised New Testament and Psalms Translated from the Original Languages with Critical Use of All the Ancient Sources. New York: Oxford University Press, 2007.
Stacy, Robert W. “Presentation: The Jewish Setting of the Early Church in Acts.” Course Video, 2021.
Stacy, Robert W. “Presentation: Pentecost & the Eschatological Setting of the Early Church in Acts.” Course Video, 2021.
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