Assignment: Pentecost
In Luke, we read that Jesus was crucified at one of Israel's three major annual Jewish festivals, Passover. The material covered in this assignment has to do with a set of events that occur in Jerusalem at another of the key Jewish festivals, Shavuot, also referred to as the "Feast of Weeks" (Shavuot is Hebrew for "weeks"), since it is seven weeks after Passover. In Greek, it is called, "Pentecost" (i.e., "fiftieth"), since it is considered the fiftieth day from Passover. At Shavuot, the "first fruits" of the wheat harvest are offered to God. (It also came to be associated with God's giving of the Torah to Moses at Sinai, but this may have occurred after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE).
Look at Acts 1:8. When Jesus says, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you," this would seem to refer primarily to the event we read about at Pentecost (i.e. the stuff in chapter 2). Based on what Jesus says in 1:8, what does coming of the Holy Spirit accomplish? In other words, what is it for?
Read 2:1-13. Why do you think it was important for the Spirit to cause the disciples to speak in languages that they normally couldn't speak?
Note: It may or may not have anything to do with your answers to this question, but as a quick note, the Greek word for "tongue" (the thing in your mouth) is the same as the word for "language," so in this passage, when "tongues" of fire rest on the disciples and they begin to speak in other "languages," both of these are the same word in Greek.
Read 2:14-36.
a) Does Peter understand the crucifixion of Jesus to be the result of human will, God's will, or some combination of the two? Make sure to explain what in the passage led you to your answer.
b) Why does Peter insist that David "both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day" (2:29)? Make sure you consider the context of this verse (i.e., the rest of the passage) as you think about your answer.
4. Read 2:37-40. According to Peter, what is the purpose of being baptized?
Read 2:41-47. How would you describe (in your own words) the basic picture of the Jerusalem church that we get in this passage? What is life in this community like?
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also Include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.