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LUKE - ACTS
JESUS AND HIS CHARISMATIC
COMMUNITY
In his work Empowered for Witness,
R.P.Menzies describes the Christian community in Jerusalem as a
"prophetic community empowered for a missionary task". [1] In this
study we ask whether Luke in his Gospel sees Jesus beginning to shape
such a community before Pentecost. [2]
1. CHRISTOLOGICAL TITLES AND THE IDEA OF COMMUNITY
That Jesus intended to form a community can be deduced from
the titles he used and accepted.
Messiah
"He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; his kingdom will never
end" (Lk.1:33). The promises given at the nativity of Jesus spoke of
him receiving a kingdom. But is this kingdom the nation of
Israel, or is it larger, a spiritual kingdom - the messianic kingdom of
God? Jesus did call people to himself - his messianic mission included
proclaiming the good news (9:1-2). [3]
Master and Lord
The terms of discipleship, Master and Lord, may be seen as communal
terms. The members of the Jewish and Hellenistic churches in the
Acts are called disciples (e.g., Acts 6:1,2,7; 14:21,22). The
disciples of Jesus included women (Lk.8:1-3).
Son of Man
In the OT book of Daniel the Son of Man is an apocalyptic person, who
represents a community of "the saints" or "the holy ones" (Dan.7:9-14,
26-27). Did Jesus use the title to represent his messianic community?
T.W.Manson says that the demands Jesus made on his disciples suggests
this.[4] Jesus, he says, in adopting this title of solidarity, expected
the purposes of God to be accomplished in the community that gathered
around him. He says:
This at once suggests that what was in the mind of Jesus was
that he and his followers together should share that destiny which he
describes as the Passion of the Son of Man; that he and they together
should be the Son of Man, the Remnant that saves by service and
self-sacrifice, the organ of God's redemptive purpose in the world. [5]
2. THE CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP
The Gospels witness to the fact that Jesus called people to
follow him. The Lord's apostles were with him for three years
before the Easter events.
The call to follow
Luke records that Jesus called his first followers after a period of
preaching. This was when Simon, and the sons of Zebedee followed
him (Lk.5:1-11). [6] There was something very compelling about Christ's
call. It was a call to follow him - not
a belief, philosophy or
group (5:27). Again, uniquely, Jesus' community was to be a
missionary community - they would "catch men" (5:10). The
followers of Jesus were called "disciples". [7] John the Baptist had
disciples (11:1), but the call of Jesus and his concept of discipleship
must be compared with that of John's. J.A.Fitzmyer compares
Jesus' disciples to "the sons of the prophets" (e.g., 2
Kgs.2:3,5,7,15), [8] the pupils of the Jewish rabbis, the Qumran
disciples, disciples of the Pharisees (Lk.5:33), and those associated
with the mystery religions and philosophical schools. [9]
The challenge of discipleship
(9:57-62)
After the account of the rejection of Jesus by a Samaritan village,
Luke brings together three stories that feature Christ's challenge of
discipleship. Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem - and the cross
(Lk.9:51).
The first man expressed
a zealous ambition to follow Jesus (9:57-58). Jesus' reply, in
the form of a Son of Man saying, indicates that the man had not really
counted the cost of what discipleship would mean (cf.14:28-33).
"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to lay his head" (9:58). L.Morris says that here we
are given an incidental glimpse of the cost of the incarnation and
comments: "It shows that the follower of Jesus must not reckon on
luxurious living". [10]
The second man is
challenged to follow Jesus. In response the man first seeks
permission to bury his father (9:59-60). Jesus challenges any
delay to his call - the spiritually dead can look after the dead -
Jesus' call must have priority. If the man wanted to stay at home
until he had performed his family duties then the Lord's challenge is
in keeping with the challenge: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate
his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters
- yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple" (14:26). The
challenge of Jesus would have greater urgency if the man's father was
already dead. [11]
The third man who
expresses a desire to follow Jesus, wanted to say farewell to his
family (9:61-62). The story is reminiscent of that of Elijah and Elisha
(1 Kgs.19:19-21). Jesus must have sensed some indecision in the man's
request when he responded. According to I.H.Marshall, "He had to be
told that there can be no turning back in the service of Jesus, any
more than a backward-looking ploughman can expect to produce a straight
furrow". [12]
The call of Jesus was direct and demanding, as the three challenges
recorded in Lk.14:26-33 demonstrate. To follow Jesus entailed an
undivided commitment (v.26), the willingness to face persecution and
death (v.27), and self-denial (v.33).
3. THE DISCIPLES SHARE IN THE MINISTRY OF JESUS
"Discipleship means to be totally bound to Jesus' person and
his mission. It was only as they shared in his mission that his
disciples shared in his authority and charismatic power (Mk.3:14f.; 6:7
pars.; Lk.10:19)" (J.D.G.Dunn). [13]
The disciples in mission
Jesus called people to follow him, and those who responded became his
disciples. Some disciples journeyed with Jesus, while others
stayed at home (Lk.9:38-42). Luke records that after prayer the
Lord chose twelve men from among his disciples and designated them as
apostles (Gk. apostolos,
apostle, messenger, or sent one) (6:12-16).
[14] In Luke chapter nine the Twelve are sent on a mission to "preach
the kingdom of God and to heal the sick" (9:1-2). In Luke chapter
ten 70 (or 72) are appointed and sent out to heal the sick and to
announce, "The kingdom of God is near you" (10:9). Both missions
were successful (see 9:6; 10:17). [15]
Power and authority
"When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and
authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent
them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick"
(Lk.9:1-2). There is a strong sense of fellowship in the
community [16] of Jesus (10:16). The disciples were called to
share in the ministry of Jesus in a real way. He gave them his
power and authority. If the power of Jesus was "the power of the
Spirit" (4:14), then the Spirit's power is shared with the
disciples. This "power" enabled them to lay hands on the sick so
that they were cured. The touching of the sick brought healing
(8:46).
The terms "power" (dunamis)
and "authority" (exousia) are
sometimes
synonyms in Luke. [17] However, the thought of exousia as "delegated
authority" is meaningful in the context of Luke 9 and 10. The
story of the centurion's servant illustrates this authority (7:1-10).
The comments of R.Stronstad on "the transfer motif" may apply here.
[18] As there was a transfer of the Spirit from Moses to Joshua, and
from Elijah to Elisha, from Saul to David, so Luke uses this
charismatic motif for Jesus and his disciples. [19]
The church with a mission
Luke's record of the Great Commission includes the vision of Jesus:
"Repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all
nations" (Lk.24:47). J.D.G.Dunn says that those who gathered
around Jesus "did so to share in his task, to follow him in his
mission, and for no other reason". [20] T.W.Manson says that the call
of the Twelve indicates two objectives: "the creation of a circle of
intimate companions, and the establishment of a missionary body". [21]
4. DID JESUS INTEND TO FOUND A CHURCH?
Did Jesus seek to organise a community - a fraternity of
people that would be the church? [22]
The term "church"
An answer can be sought by asking whether Jesus used the word "church"
in his teaching. The fact is, in the Gospels, it can only be
found in Mt.16:18 and 18:17. This had led some scholars to doubt
whether Jesus used it at all. The term ekkēsia (assembly, church)
is not found in the Gospel of Luke, but it is found in the Acts.
It is used in a secular sense in Acts 19:32, 39 - it is used by Stephen
of the congregation of Israel in the OT (Acts 7:38). [23] In a
Christian sense it is used of local Christian communities (Acts 11:22;
13:1; 15:41; 16:5), as a collective term of communities in an area
(9:31) and of the universal church (20:28).
But in his ministry Jesus does use other words and pictures that
suggest a settled community of God's people. His use of the
titles Master, Lord and Son of Man intimate his purpose in creating a
community. Then, the metaphors of the kingdom of God (e.g.,
Lk.18:17), the shepherd and the sheep (12:32; 15:1-7) and the family
(8:21) also support this view. [24]
Further intimations
That Jesus expected his disciples to continue as a church can be argued
from the following points:
-
Jesus appointed the Twelve as spiritual leaders of his
community (Lk.6:12-16; Acts 1:15-26).
-
He commissioned his followers to make disciples from the
nations (Lk.24:46-49; cf. Mt.28:19-20).
-
He gave the sacraments of water baptism and the communion
(or Lord's Supper) to his community (Lk.22:19-20)
-
He gave teaching to his community (e.g., Lk.6:20-49;
11:1-4). [25]
We can expect the lessons Jesus taught his inner circle of
disciples in community for three years to be applied to the new
communities of the Jerusalem church. Acts 2:42-47 does represent
the continuation of a close fellowship of believers meeting in
table-fellowship. If Jesus planned to form a church it was not in
the sense of a religious organisation with a hierarchy of
officials. The church of the Acts is a dynamic church - an
organism unified and inspired by the Holy Spirit! The apostles
continued the ministry they had shared with Jesus in an augmented sense
as the Spirit came on them at Pentecost as the Lord promised (24:49).
5. QUESTIONS
1. Note C.A.Craig's comments on Lk.12:1-59. [26] On vv.13-21
he says, "The disciples must also learn not to be diverted from their
commitment to Jesus by greed for wealth and material possession, a
theme that is important to the evangelist Luke". [27] Is this teaching
applicable to today's church?
2. Can the doctrines of the so-called "prosperity gospel" be
found in the teaching of Jesus?
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