Prophethood of All Believers (Journal of Pentecostal Theology Suppleme Series, 16)

140 Pages·1999·1.67 MB·English

by  Roger Stronstad

Journal of Pentecostal Theology
STupplemertn Seriees
16
Editors
John Christopher Thomas
Rickie D. Moore
Steven J. Land
Sheffield Academic Press
Sheffield
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The Prophethood
of All Believers
A Study in Luke's Charismatic Theology
Roger Stronstad
Sheffield Academic Press
To Michael Szuk
Diane Vint
and Jamie and Carrie McDonald:
former students, friends
First published 1999
Reprinted 2003, 2004
Copyright © 1999, 2003 Sheffield Academic Press
A Continuum imprint
Published by Sheffield Academic Press Ltd
The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
15 East 26th Street, Suite 1703, New York NY 10010
www. continuumbooks. com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Typeset by Sheffield Academic Press
Printed on acid-free paper in Great Britain by CPI Bath
ISBN 1-84127-005-9
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments 7
Abbreviations 8
Introduction 9
Chapter 1
READING, INTERPRETING AND APPLYING LUKE-ACTS 13
1. Reading Luke-Acts 14
2. Interpreting Luke-Acts 18
3. Applying Luke-Acts 27
Chapter 2
JESUS: THE PROPHET MIGHTY IN WORD AND DEED (LUKE 1-24) 35
1. Jesus: The Anointed Prophet 35
2. Jesus: The Eschatological Prophet 36
3. The Infancy Narrative: The Restoration of Prophecy 39
4. The Prophetic Ministry of Jesus 40
Chapter 3
THE DISCIPLES: A COMPANY OF SPIRIT-BAPTIZED PROPHETS
(ACTS 1.12-2.41) 54
1. The Theophany of Pentecost 54
2. The Promise of Pentecost 59
3. Inaugurating the Prophethood of All Believers 65
Chapter 4
THE ACTS OF THE COMMUNITY OF PROPHETS (ACTS 2.42-6.7) 71
1. The Community of Prophets Becomes a Nation 71
2. Programmatic Summary: Characteristics of the Prophetic
Community (2.42-47) 75
6 The Prophethood of All Believers
Chapter 5
THE ACTS OF FIVE CHARISMATIC PROPHETS (ACTS 6.8-12.24) 85
1. The Acts of Stephen: A Charismatic Deacon (6.8-7.60) 86
2. The Acts of Philip: A Charismatic Deacon (8.1-40) 91
3. The Acts of Barnabas: A Charismatic Prophet 93
4. The Acts of Agabus: A Charismatic Prophet 94
5. The Acts of Peter: A Charismatic Apostle 95
6. Parallels between Jesus and Stephen 100
Chapter 6
THE ACTS OF PAUL: A CHARISMATIC PROPHET
(ACTS 12.25-28.31) 102
1. Paul: A Charismatic Apostle 104
2. The Acts of Paul 105
3. Paul and Peter 109
4. Paul's Churches: Prophetic Communities 111
Chapter 7
THE PROPHETHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS: A SYNTHESIS 114
1. Jesus is the Eschatological Anointed Prophet 114
2. Jesus' Followers are the Eschatological Community
of Prophets 115
3. The Community of Prophets is Empowered for Witness 116
4. The Community of Prophets is Extended 119
5. The Spirit of Prophecy or Soteriological Spirit? 121
6. Additional Function and Effects of the Spirit 122
7. The Prophethood of All Believers:
Contemporary Relevance 123
Bibliography 125
Index of References 129
Index of Authors 136
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Several people have contributed to the production of this book. DJ.
Groen and Judy Gathers typed the four original lectures, which are
herein revised as Chapters 2-5. Jamie McDonald and Michael Szuk
have given invaluable computer assistance to me.
Western Pentecostal Bible College gave me sabbatical time (January-
June 1998) to complete the writing of this manuscript, which had been
set aside since 1993. The Association of Canadian Bible Colleges
awarded me a research grant to help cover research costs.
Dr David Wenham, Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, has read the manuscript
and offered constructive criticism. This has been especially helpful
since he disagrees with my interpretation at a number of key points.
I would like to thank the above persons and institutions for the assis-
tance, support and encouragement which they have extended to me.
Abbotsford, British Columbia
30 June 1998
ABBREVIATIONS
AB
Anchor Bible
CBL
The Complete Biblical Library
HNTC Harper's NT Commentaries
ICC International Critical Commentary
JPT Journal of Pentecostal Theology
JPTSup Journal of Pentecostal Theology, Supplement Series
JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament
JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament, Supplement
Series
LSI H.G. Liddell, Robert Scott and H. Stuart Jones, Greek-
English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 9th edn, 1968)
NAC The New American Commentary
NCB New Century Bible
NIBC New International Biblical Commentary
NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament
NIGTC The New International Greek Testament Commentary
RCNT The Radiant Commentary on the New Testament
TDNT Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich (eds.), Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament (trans. Geoffrey W.
Bromiley; 10 vols.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1964—)
TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
WBC Word Biblical Commentary
INTRODUCTION
The following study returns to and develops the subject about which I
first wrote in the short, popular article 'Prophets and Pentecost', in The
Pentecostal Testimony (March 1976, p. 5). In its present form this book
had its impetus in the invitation to give the inaugural Pentecostal
lectureship at Asia Pacific Theological Seminary, Baguio City, Philip-
pines, in February 1993. Chapters 2-5, inclusive, update and revise
those lectures.
The style of discussion reflects the fact that at its heart it contains
four updated and revised lectures. Graduate students, academics,
pastors and missionaries made up its first audience. The presentation
necessarily reflected the limitations which are inherent in a public
lecture to a diverse audience. For example, it lacks the characteristic
comprehensiveness of a thesis or dissertation. It also lacks the scholarly
sophistication of a formal research project. I have written this book for
a similarly mixed readership—undergraduate and graduate students,
academics, the clergy and interested and informed laypeople. Just as the
original lectures were written to be listened to, so this book is written to
be read (and not just used for research purposes). To this end I have
steered the course between unhelpful brevity, on the one hand, and
tedious lengthiness, on the other hand; between being too popular and
too technical.
This study is not about 'the theology of St Luke'. It is much more
narrowly focused. It examines the data in Luke-Acts about Jesus, the
fountainhead of Christianity, and about his disciples and their converts
and their individual and corporate experience of the Holy Spirit. Many
important and relevant data, such as those, for example, about Jesus as
the royal Messiah, Jesus' teaching about the kingdom of God, and his
radical ministry to the marginalized, are discussed only as they intersect
the data about Jesus as the eschatological anointed prophet, and the
disciples as a community of Spirit-baptized prophets. To discuss Luke's
data about Jesus as the royal Messiah and other Lukan themes more