D. Falk, 2002
(RSV)When the day of
Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly a sound
came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared
to them tongues as of fire, distributed and resting on each one of them. 4 And
they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues,
as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were
dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at
t his sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each
one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and
wondered, saying, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how
is it that we hear, each of us in his own native
language? 9 Par'thians and Medes and E'lamites and residents of Mesopota'mia,
Judea and Cappado'cia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phryg'ia and Pamphyl'ia, Egypt and
the parts of Libya belonging to Cyre'ne, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and
proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians, we hear them telling in our own tongues
the mighty works of God." 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to
one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others mocking said,
"They are filled with new wine."
14 But Peter, standing
with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and
all who dwell in
17 `And in the last days
it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 yea, and on my
menservants and my maidservants in those days
I will pour out my
Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show
wonders in the heaven above
and signs on the earth beneath,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be
turned into darkness
and the moon into blood,
before the day of the Lord comes,
the great and manifest day.
21 And it shall be that
whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall
be saved.'
22 "Men of Israel,
hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty
works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you
yourselves know -- 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan
and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
24 But God raised him up, having loosed the pangs of death, because it was not
possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,
`I saw the Lord always
before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart
was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will dwell in hope.
27 For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades,
nor let thy Holy One see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known
to me the ways of life;
thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy
presence.'
29 "Brethren, I may
say to you confidently of the patriarch David that he both died and was buried,
and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing
that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants
upon his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ,
that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This
Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses.
33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from
the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you see
and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says,
`The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,
35 till I make thy
enemies a stool for thy feet.' 36 Let all the house of
37 Now when they heard
this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them,
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are
far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40 And he
testified with many other words and exhorted them, saying, "Save
yourselves from this crooked generation." 41 So those who received his
word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of bread and the prayers.
43 And fear came upon
every soul; and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 And
all who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they sold
their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need. 46
And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their
homes, they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and
having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day
those who were being saved.
Exodus 19:16-18 On the morning of the third day
there was thunder and lightning, as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and
a blast of a trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Moses brought the people out of the
camp to meet God. They took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now
Isaiah 66:15-16 For the LORD will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to pay back his anger in fury, and his rebuke in flames of fire. 16 For by fire will the LORD execute judgment, and by his sword, on all flesh; and those slain by the LORD shall be many. (RSV)
Genesis 1:1–2
In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (RSV)
Joel 2
Blow the trumpet in
…
15 Blow the trumpet in
20 I will remove the northern army far from you, and drive it into a parched and desolate land, its front into the eastern sea, and its rear into the western sea; its stench and foul smell will rise up. Surely he has done great things! . . .
28 Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all
flesh; your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, your old men shall dream
dreams, and your young men shall see
visions. 29 Even on the male and female
slaves, in those days, I will pour out
my spirit. 30 I will show portents in the heavens
and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned to darkness,
and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD
comes. 32 Then everyone who calls on the name of
the LORD shall be saved; for in
[Acts tells a story
of a Hellenistic Jew named Stephen who is a follower of Jesus and his conflict
with members of his synagogue, and his subsequent
execution. The author of Acts provides a sermon that Stephen purportedly
preached: he recites the history of
(RSV)And Stephen, full
of grace and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some
of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was
called), and of the Cyre'nians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from
Cili'cia and
7:1 And
the high priest said, "Is this so?"
2 And Stephen said:
"Brethren and fathers, hear me. The God of glory
appeared to our father Abraham, …
[The speech contains
a recitation of the story of the patriarchs until Moses]
35 “This
Moses whom they refused, saying, `Who made you a ruler and a judge?' God sent as both ruler and deliverer by
the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out,
having performed wonders and signs in
44 “Our fathers had the
tent of witness in the wilderness, even as he who spoke to Moses directed him
to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. 45 Our fathers in turn
brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations which God thrust
out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, 46 who found favor
in the sight of God and asked leave to find a habitation for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48 Yet the Most High does
not dwell in houses made with hands; as the prophet says,
49 `Heaven is my throne,
and earth my footstool.
What house will you
build for me, says the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make
all these things?'
[Now begins the
sermon to the people of his day:]
51 “You
stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the
Holy Spirit. As your fathers
did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute?
And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous
One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law
as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”
54 Now when they heard
these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth against him. 55 But
he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
Jesus standing at the right hand of God; 56 and he said, "Behold, I
see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of
God." 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and
rushed together upon him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned
him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man
named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit." 60 And he knelt down and cried with a loud voice,
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this,
he fell asleep.
8:1 And Saul [Paul]
was consenting to his death.
And on that day a
great persecution arose against the church in
(RSV) 9:1 But Saul
[Paul] , still breathing threats and murder against
the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters
to the synagogues at
10 Now there was a
disciple at
For several days he was
with the disciples at
(RSV) 10:1 At Caesare'a
there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian
Cohort, 2 a devout man who feared God with all his
household, gave alms liberally to the people, and prayed constantly to God. 3
About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God
coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius." 4 And he stared at him in
terror, and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your
prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. 5 And now send
men to Joppa, and bring one Simon who is called Peter; 6 he is lodging with
Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside." 7 When the angel who spoke
to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from
among those that waited on him, 8 and having related everything to them, he
sent them to Joppa.
9 The next day, as they
were on their journey and coming near the city, Peter went up on the housetop
to pray, about the sixth hour. 10 And he became hungry and desired something to
eat; but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the
heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four
corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and
birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and
eat." 14 But Peter said, "No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything
that is common or unclean." 15 And the voice came to him again a second
time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common." 16 This
happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven.
17 Now while Peter was
inwardly perplexed as to what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold,
the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made inquiry for Simon's house,
stood before the gate 18 and called out to ask whether Simon who was called
Peter was lodging there. 19 And while Peter was pondering the vision, the
Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you. 20 Rise and go
down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent them." 21 And
Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for;
what is the reason for your coming?" 22 And they
said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well
spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for
you to come to his house, and to hear what you have to say." 23 So he
called them in to be his guests.
The next day he rose and
went off with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. 24 And
on the following day they entered Caesare'a. Cornelius was expecting them and
had called together his kinsmen and close friends. 25 When Peter entered,
Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26 But Peter
lifted him up, saying, "Stand up; I too am a man." 27 And as he
talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered; 28 and he said to
them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate
with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should
not call any man common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came
without objection. I ask then why you sent for me."
30 And Cornelius said,
"Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in
my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, 31 saying,
`Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered
before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter;
he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.' 33 So I sent to
you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all
here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by
the Lord."
34 And Peter opened his
mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, 35
but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable
to him. 36 You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news
of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 the word which was proclaimed
throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John
preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with
power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the
devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in
the country of the Jews and in
44 While Peter was still
saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. 45 And the
believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed,
because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared,
47 "Can any one forbid water for baptizing these
people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48 And he
commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him
to remain for some days.
11:1 Now the apostles
and the brethren who were in
(RSV) 13
Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, and came to Perga in
Pamphyl'ia. And John left
them and returned to
"Men of Israel,
and you that fear God, listen. 17 The God of this
people
26 "Brethren, sons
of the family of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us has been
sent the message of this salvation. 27 For those who live in
42 As they went out, the
people begged that these things might be told them the next sabbath.
43 And when the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout
converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged
them to continue in the grace of God.
44 The next sabbath almost the whole city gathered together to hear the
word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with
jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and reviled him. 46 And
Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was necessary that the
word of God should be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it from you, and
judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have set you to be a light for
the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the
earth.”
48 And when the Gentiles
heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God; and as many as were
ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord spread
throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews incited the
devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up
persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.
(RSV) 15:1 But some men came down from
6 The apostles and the
elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had
been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in
the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should
hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God who knows the heart bore
witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; 9 and he
made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith. 10
Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of
the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But
we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as
they will."
12 And all the assembly
kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs
and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they
finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has
related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for
his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,
16 “After this I will
return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has
fallen;
I will rebuild its
ruins,
and I will set it up,
17 that the rest of men
may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
18 says
the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.” 19 Therefore my
judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20
but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from
unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 For from early
generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read
every sabbath in the synagogues."
(RSV) We ourselves,
who are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, 16 yet who know that a man
is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ,
even we have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in
Christ, and not by works of the law, because by works of the law shall no one
be justified. 17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we
ourselves were found to be sinners, is Christ then an agent of sin? Certainly
not! 18 But if I build up again those things which I tore down, then I prove myself a transgressor. 19 For I through the law died to the law, that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with
Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I
now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were
through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.
3:1 O foolish Galatians!
Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as
crucified? 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of
the law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun with the
Spirit, are you now ending with the flesh? 4 Did you experience so many things
in vain? -- if it really is in vain. 5 Does he who
supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
6 Thus Abraham "believed
God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 7 So you see that
it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the scripture,
foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel
beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be
blessed." 9 So then, those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham
who had faith.
10 For all who rely on
works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be every
one who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do
them." 11 Now it is evident that no man is justified before God by the
law; for "He who through faith is righteous shall live"; 12 but
the law does not rest on faith, for "He who does them shall live by
them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a
curse for us -- for it is written, "Cursed be every one who hangs on a
tree" -- 14 that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon
the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15 To give a human
example, brethren: no one annuls even a man's will, or adds to it, once it has
been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring.
It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many; but,
referring to one, "And to your offspring," which is Christ. 17 This
is what I mean: the law, which came four hundred and thirty years afterward,
does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise
void. 18 For if the inheritance is by the law, it is no longer by promise; but
God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It
was added because of transgressions, till the offspring should come to whom the
promise had been made; and it was ordained by angels through an intermediary.
20 Now an intermediary implies more than one; but God is one.
21 Is the law then
against the promises of God? Certainly not; for if a law had been given which
could make alive, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the
scripture consigned all things to sin, that what was promised to faith in Jesus
Christ might be given to those who believe.
23 Now before faith
came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should
be revealed. 24 So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we
might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer
under a custodian; 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through
faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are
Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.
(RSV) I am speaking the
truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy
Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I
could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of
my brethren, my kinsmen by race. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of
the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs,
and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all
be blessed for ever. Amen.
6 But it is not as
though the word of God had failed. For not all who are descended from
11:1 I ask, then, has
God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of
Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his
people whom he foreknew. …
11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through
their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make
13 Now I am speaking to
you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my
ministry 14 in order to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of
them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what
will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as
first fruits is holy, so is the whole lump; and if the root is holy, so are the
branches.
17 But if some of the
branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their
place to share the richness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the
branches. …
(RSV) They brought to
the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15
The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to
them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." 16 Some of
the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a
sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. 17 So they again
said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened
your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
18 The Jews did not
believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called
the parents of the man who had received his sight, 19 and asked them, "Is
this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" 20
His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born
blind; 21 but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his
eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." 22 His parents
said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if
any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."
24 So for the second
time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God
the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." 25 He answered,
"Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." 26 They said to
him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" 27 He
answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do
you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?" 28
And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are
disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for
this man, we do not know where he comes from." 30 The man answered,
"Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he
opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one
is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the
world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." 34 They answered
him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they
cast him out.
[Toward the end of the first century, a curse against
heretics and separatists was directed to exclude Christians from synagogues]
May there be no hope for the apostates, and speedily uproot the kingdom of arrogance in our own day. May the Nazarenes [nozerim] and the sectarians [minim] perish in an instant. May they be blotted out from the book of life, and may they not be recorded with the righteous (Psalm 69:29). Blessed be you, O Lord, who subdues the arrogant.
[adapted from Heinemann, Literature
of the Synagogue, 1975, 33–6]
[Justin Martyr, an early Christian apologist, ca 100–165
CE]
. . . for you have slain the Just One, and His prophets before Him; and now you reject those who hope in Him, and in Him who sent Him—God the Almighty and Maker of all things—cursing in your synagogues those that believe on Christ.
[Early Church Fathers,
[Jerome was one of the greatest of the
early Christian scholars, ca. 345–420 CE. He studied Hebrew with
a Jewish teacher]
. . . in your synagogues, who night and day blaspheme the Saviour, they utter curses against the Christians three times a day, as I have said, under the name of Nazarenes.
[Jerome, Commentary in Amos I, on 1:11f.;
cited from Schiffman, Who Was a Jew?, 58]
[from Schiffman, Who Was a Jew?, 64]
If meat is found in the hand of a non-Jew, it is permitted
to derive benefit from it. (If it is found) in the hand of a “heretic” [min],
it is forbidden to derive benefit from it. That which comes forth from the
house of a min,