A student of mine, Brian Marr, has produced a fascinating study of the literary and structural features of Acts 6-9.
One of the things that emerges from Brian’s study is the way Luke highlights parallels between Stephen and Saul, making Saul/Paul a new Stephen, destined for a future martyrdom that, like Stephen’s, will cause the gospel to expand. Brian’s structural analysis also highlights the importance of sins against the Spirit. The story of Simon trying to buy the Spirit (8:26-40) is at the center of the passage. That is a sin against the Spirit in Samaria, as Ananias and Sapphira sinned against the Spirit in Jerusalem (5:1-11) and Paul contended with Elymas in Paphros (13:4-12).
The entire paper is available in the “Downloads” on this page.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
How the State Failed Noelia Castillo
On March 26, Noelia Castillo, a twenty-five-year-old Spanish woman, was killed by her doctors at her own…
The Mind’s Profane and Sacred Loves
The teachers you have make all the difference in your life. That they happened to come into…
History’s Pro Tips on Iran
Nothing in human experience compares to the wars of the last 120 years. Their scope has grown…
