For anyone else doing a Bible study, I thought I would share some of the sidelights from my own reading today.
In reading chapters 1 through 3 in Acts, I was paying closer-than-usual attention to the commentaries and other study aids. That is because I am much less familiar with everything in the Bible after the Gospels.
One of the things mentioned when looking at the authorship of Acts was something called the "Muratorian Canon" (or fragment). I had never, ever heard of this so I checked it out. It's interesting and the Wikipedia article led me to a couple of other things. I am familiar with the Book of Wisdom, but I had not heard of Peter's Apocalypse.
What now?
Yeah.
So, I look at both of those extra-biblical sources the same as I do things like the Book of Enoch and Bel and the Dragon - with interest but not for serious study. Peter's Apocalypse troubled me for some reason.
Another thing that was pointed out in one of the commentaries is that Acts 2:14 begins the first Christian sermon. It is given by Peter in response to people's reaction to the pouring out of the Spirit.
Speaking of that pouring out of the Spirit, from which people spoke in various tongues, an interesting mention was made. That day of Pentecost -when the people were speaking in various tongues (not their native language) and being understood - reminds us of the opposite happening at the Tower of Babel. I had never thought about that before. This is what the note says:
"Theologically it is possible that Pentecost is the direct opposite of the tower of Babel (cf. Genesis 10-11). As prideful, rebellious humans asserted their independence (i.e., refusal to disperse and fill the earth), God implemented His will by the insertion of multiple languages. Now, in the new age of the Spirit, the nationalism which impedes humans from uniting (i.e., one world government of the eschaton) has for believers been reversed. Christian fellowship across every human boundary (i.e., age, sex, class, geography, language) is the reversal of the consequences of Genesis 3."
Anyway, today's reading was quite exciting. I have made so many notes of things to look further into later. So, don't tell me that Bible study is boring!
Peace
-- Free
P.S.: The specific study aids I used are included with (or added from additional modules) the eSword app on my computer.
