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No.5a. The Acts of the Apostles.
Its testimony to the Resurrection.
pp. 102 - 106
Peter and the twelve.
Luke the writer of "the former treatise", i.e. Luke's Gospel, is careful to give a resumé
of the last chapter of that Gospel, and to include a testimony to the resurrection, saying:
"To whom also He showed Himself ALIVE after His passion by many infallible
proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God" (Acts 1: 3).
They `saw' and `heard' and were convinced. They were also told to wait for the
promise of the Father to be fulfilled, when they should "receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me" (Acts 1: 4, 8). When Peter
would explain the happenings of the day of Pentecost, he linked it with the resurrection,
saying concerning the prophecy of David:
"He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ . . . . . This Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof we all are witnesses . . . . . He hath shed forth this, which ye now see
and hear",
concluding his testimony by saying:
"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made THAT
SAME JESUS, Whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2: 31-36).
On this day 3,000 were added to the number who already believed, and let it be
remembered, that they were convinced by the Apostles' witness, for the Gospels were not
then in existence. That this testimony was of God is made evident, for "many wonders
and signs were done by the apostles" (Acts 2: 43) as a confirmation of their witness. The
references to the resurrection that follow are:
(1)
Those arising out of the healing of the lame man. (3: 12-18, 22; 4: 2, 9-12, 33).
(2)
Those arising out of the attitude of the Sadducees. (5: 17-32).
(3)
Those arising out of the apprehension of Stephen. (7: 52, 53, 56, 59).
In addition to the 3,000 of Acts 2: 41 who were convinced, we must include the
5,000 of Acts 4: 4 and the unspecified number of disciples, and priests who were
obedient to the faith, and last but not least, the young man named Saul who heard and
saw Stephen's testimony, and began to "kick against the goads" lest he succumb and
believe.
To the testimony of the Apostle Paul, we must now give our close attention.