This is the question, “Why did not our Savior show Himself after His resurrection to all the people? why only to witnesses chosen before God? and this is my answer: “Because this was the most effectual means of propagating His religion through the world.”
In our program Book of Books, we carry on the study of the Book of Acts.
Peter’s and John’s first appearance before the Sanhedrin (4:1-22), a council of seventy men composed of scribes, priests, and various influential men plus the high priest, Caiaphas, who headed it, is instigated by one of the Judaic parties known as the Sadducees. Led by the “captain of the temple guard,” second in authority only to the high priest and guardian of the temple precincts, they arrest Peter and John and “put them in jail until the next day (v. 3). The Sadducees denied the concept of bodily resurrection, for this doctrine does not appear in the Pentateuch, which they considered the only bona fide Scriptures, and they were especially “disturbed” because of Peter’s proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead” (v. 2). Equally irksome to them was the fact that “many who heard the message believed” (v. 4), bringing the total number of male disciples in the early church to about five thousand. It is a significant occasion, attended by no less than Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, called high priest by Luke, because he was the real power behind the Sadducean-dominated priesthood, though several years before he had been removed from this office by the Romans (see Luke 3:2; John 18:12-24). The lead question, “By what power or what name did you do this?” (v. 7) actually reflects the prejudice that these Christians acted wholly without any divine mandate.
Among the letters of Paul, 1 and 2 Corinthians are perhaps most notable for their practical content and personal style. But what was the city of Corinth at that time? Renowned for its metallurgist, who specialized in bronze work and for its sponsorship of the biennial Isthmian games, which were second to popularity and prestige only to those of Olympia, the city rapidly attracted a variety of new residents, creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere dominated by economic sanctification and cultural diversity. We talk about this great city in the program “Book of Books”.
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Categories: RUSSIAN