Discussion: Acts, Letters, and Revelation
Read Duvall& Hays Chapters 14,16, and 17, Read Klein, Blomberg, & Hubbard: Chapter 10 (Acts, Epistles, Revelation) and respond to the following questions.Consider these questions with the information in your textbooks in mind, but feel free to use other sources as needed to add to the conversation. In the subject line of each of your threads, acknowledge which question is being answered (e.g., “Discussion: Acts, Letters, and Revelation, Question 1”), and restate the question within your thread. Create each thread as a new topic. Use 400 words each to answer questions 1 and 5. You must support your assertions with three (3) scholarly citations from a minimum of two (2) sources in current Turabian format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years. Acceptable sources include the Bible, textbooks, scholarly articles.
1. Give an explanation of the genre of the book of Acts as theological history. What are the implications for this particular genre on the interpretation of the book? How does the reader differentiate between the theology and the history in the book? What kinds of things should an interpreter look for in Acts so as to understand properly the message of the book? In your opinion, should Acts be read for doctrinal purposes? Why or why not? Please give examples from the book of Acts.
5. What are the general characteristics of letters as they are found in the New Testament? How important for interpretation are the historical and literary contexts for these documents? Why did first-century writers employ the genre of letters when writing to other Christians? What specific issues must the interpreter take into consideration in order to discover the main principles of a New Testament letter? Do all the letters of the New Testament follow the same form? If not, give a list of some that do not and define their distinctive elements.
