FIRST READING: Acts 2: 14a, 22 - 32 (RCL)

Acts 2:14 (NRSV) But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them,

22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power. 25 For David says concerning him,
"I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
moreover my flesh will live in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One experience corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.'
29 "Fellow Israelites, I may say to you confidently of our ancestor David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would put one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Foreseeing this, David spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, saying,
"He was not abandoned to Hades,
nor did his flesh experience corruption.'
32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that all of us are witnesses.

h/t Montreal Anglican


Acts 2:14a,22-32
Luke has described the coming of the Holy Spirit, a divine intervention in the world, as best he can in human terms: it was “like the rush of a violent wind” (v. 2) and “divided tongues, as of fire” (v. 3). Now Peter, on behalf of the other “eleven” (v. 14) apostles (Matthias has been chosen to replace Judas) has begun interpreting the event to them, “devout Jews from every nation” (v. 5). He has recalled God’s prophecy made through Joel (vv. 17-21): that “in the last days” there will be cosmic signs (including “fire”), then “I [God] will pour out my Spirit”, and then people will “prophesy” (probably enthusiastically share the faith) and salvation will be offered to all “who [call] ... on the name of the Lord”. The “last days” are the time of the Church (1:6-8).
Having demonstrated from Joel that the end times are at hand, and therefore salvation is also at hand, Peter now demonstrates how we have access to salvation. First he shows that Jesus is the Messiah, from Psalm 16 (the quotation in vv. 25-28). Jesus, “a man attested ... by God with deeds of power” (v. 22) was turned over by Jews to the Romans to be executed – as part of God's plan for saving humankind. But God did not “abandon” (v. 27) him (permanently) to death. In the resurrection, Peter sees fulfilment of a prophecy of David that “your Holy One” would not experience “corruption” (or death). David was not speaking about himself because we can see “his tomb” (v. 29) today! So he must have been speaking of Jesus, who was raised from the dead (v. 32). Therefore, Jesus the Messiah gives access to salvation, and the way to be saved is to repent, and be baptised in his name (v. 38). Peter's sermon is the crux of the message of Acts: the Spirit has been poured out to give power to God's people; the end times are here; the Messiah has appeared; and a message of salvation must be preached so that those who hear may receive new life in Christ.
Acts 2:14a,22-32
An outline of Peter’s sermon:
• vv. 14-21: Introduction relating the sermon to the narrative framework
• vv. 22-36: Jesus kerygma, framed as an accusation of the audience, replete with arguments from the Old Testament
• vv. 38-39: Call for repentance and conversion based on the kerygma. [NJBC]
Verse 14: “‘all who live in Jerusalem’”: Luke (the author of Acts – see 1:1) also accuses the people of Jerusalem of murdering Jesus in v. 23 and 13:27-28, but these are the same people that left the crucifixion scene ready for repentance, as Luke 23:48 tells us (“beating their breasts”). [NJBC]
Verses 17-21: The quotation is the Septuagint translation of Joel 2:28-32, adjusted to fit Luke’s intentions. (Most scholars believe that Peter’s sermon has been placed on Peter’s lips, largely because the construction and grammar are more erudite than could be expected of a Galilean fisherman. This was a standard practice in ancient history writing. Not having access to the actual text – or even to the event – of a speech, the author would compose a speech for the speaker as a way of explaining the meaning of the narrative. Though we might consider such a practice fraudulent today, in ancient times it was considered just a tool for describing the truth in the historical narrative.) The gift of the Spirit to “all flesh” (all people) and not just to certain individuals, is a mark of the messianic age. Like Paul (in 1 Corinthians 12:13), Acts usually assumes that all Christians receive the Holy Spirit. See also 10:44-48 (Cornelius and his household).
Verse 24: “God raised him up”: The Greek word used here for raise up is anistani. The same Greek word is used in vv. 32, 13:33-34 and 17:31. The same word is used in the Septuagint translation of Deuteronomy 18:15 (the promise to raise up a prophet like Moses) – which may be the verse Peter thinks of. [NJBC]
Verse 24: “having freed him from death”: Literally having loosed the pangs of death – as in the Septuagint translations of Psalms 18:5 and 116:3. The Greek phrase is derived from the Hebrew for cords of death. In contemporary Jewish usage, odines (pangs) had the connotation of messianic woes. See Mark 13:8 (the Little Apocalypse); Matthew 24:5-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:3. [NJBC]
Verses 25-28: The quotation is Psalm 16:8-11. In the Septuagint translation into Greek, these verses are translated freely from the Hebrew original, giving the worshipper the prospect of immortality. [JBC]
Verse 26: “my flesh”: Meaning, to the psalmist, all earthly human beings, but to the Septuagint translator, only the transitory part of humans. [NJBC]
Verse 27: “my soul”: In the Hebrew original, equivalent to the personal pronoun I; in the Septuagint, the component of a human destined for immortality.
Verse 27: “corruption”: The Hebrew word means pit. The translator into Greek used “corruption” to make the concept intelligible to his readers. [NJBC]
Verse 29: “his tomb”: The tombs of the House of David were a notable feature of interest in Jerusalem. For the grave of David, see 1 Kings 2:10, Josephus Antiquities 7.15.3 paragraphs 392-393 and Josephus Jewish Wars 1.2.5 paragraph 61. For David not being the reference point of his own messianic testimony, see also 2:34-35 and 13:35-37. [NJBC]
Verse 30: “prophet”: In the Old Testament, David is never called a prophet, but see 11QPsa (Psalter at Qumran, Copy 1) 27:11 and Josephus, Antiquities 6.8.2 para 166. As a prophet, David could perhaps speak for the Messiah, perhaps as a antitype of the latter. [NJBC]
Verse 30: “God had sworn with an oath to him ...”: Psalm 132:11 says: “The LORD swore to David a sure oath from which he will not turn back: "One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne”. [NJBC]
Verse 33: “exalted”: i.e. bodily ascended. [NJBC]
Verse 34: It is helpful (although not in the text) to insert Further at the beginning of this verse.
Verses 34-36: Luke quotes Psalm 110:1. “David” was thought to be the author of all the psalms. The first verse of the psalm was interpreted thus: “The LORD [i.e. God] says to my Lord [i.e. David], 'Sit on my throne' [i.e. ascend the throne, govern on my behalf]”. More generally, the king was seen as governing for God. Early Christians saw Jesus (the heavenly “my Lord”) as replacing David and other Old Testament kings in this role; further, they saw him as the “Messiah”, the ideal king Jews expected to come in the future. [NOAB]






SECOND READING: 1 Peter 1: 3 - 9 (all)

1Pet 1:3 (NRSV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, 7 so that the genuineness of your faith--being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire--may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.



1 Peter 1:3-9
The author has addressed this letter to those “chosen and destined” (v. 2) by the Father and “sanctified” by the Holy Spirit in order “to be obedient to Jesus Christ” and to share in the forgiveness available through Christ’s sacrificial death (v. 2). (“Blessed be ...”, v. 3, is a traditional Jewish prayer form.) The Father, in his mercy, has caused us to be born again (“new birth”, baptism) into a hope which is very much alive, “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. Our rebirth is also into “an inheritance” (v. 4): in the Old Testament, the inheritance was principally Palestine, but for the Church, it is heavenly. Palestine was lost in war, but our inheritance is “imperishable”, indestructible, free from sin (“undefiled”) and never lost. We, through our trust in God (“faith”, v. 5) are guarded by God’s power – for “salvation” – already accomplished but to be shown to all at the end of time (“last time”). In all of this (v. 6), the readers rejoice even if they have had to suffer “trials” (ostracism or persecution). These verify their faithfulness to God – as the purity of gold is tested by heating it. Such fidelity will be rewarded when Christ comes (to judge) at the end of time (v. 7). Their faith is such that they love him, believe in him and rejoice, even though they (unlike Peter) have never seen him (v. 8). Why? Because they are aware that they are being saved now – this being a logical and temporal goal of trust in God.

1 Peter 1:3-9
See also 1 Corinthians 15:20-28: what God intends to do for the faithful. [NOAB]
Verse 3: “Blessed be ...”: This formula also appears in the New Testament in 2 Corinthians 1:3; 11:31; Ephesians 1:3; Luke 1:68 (the Benedictus). For Jewish blessings, see Psalms 66:20; 68:19; 72:18; Genesis 9:26 (Noah); 1 Kings 1:48 (David); 2 Maccabees 15:34; 2 Chronicles 6:4 (Solomon). [JBC] [NJBC]
Verse 3: “new birth”: See also v. 23; 2:2; John 3:3, 5; Romans 6:3-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 4:19; Titus 3:5; 1 John 3:9. As in Romans 6:3-11, baptism allows the Christian to share in the new life. [CAB]
Verse 3: “living hope”: A dominant theme of 1 Peter, much more so than a word count suggests. See also 1:13, 21; 3:5, 15. [NJBC]
Verse 3: “through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”: The resurrection is the foundation for Christian hope, for in him God has shown what he intends to do for the faithful. See also 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. [NOAB] “New birth” also comes to us through the resurrection. [NJBC]
Verse 4: “kept in heaven for you”: The greater part of our inheritance is yet to come. See also Colossians 1:5 (“the hope laid up for you in heaven”) and Philippians 3:20. [NJBC]
Verse 4: “inheritance”: Paul tells us of the “inheritance” given to Christians in Romans 8:17 and Galatians 4:7. [CAB] The greater part of it is yet to come. See also Colossians 1:5; Philippians 3:20; Galatians 4:26. For Israel’s inheritance being primarily Palestine, see Deuteronomy 15:4. [NJBC]
Verse 5: “faith”: In 1 Peter, faith has a wide range of meanings: see also vv. 7, 9, 21 and 2:6-7. Here it refers to trust in God which is essential for salvation. [NJBC]
Verse 5: “the last time”: 1QS (Rule of the Qumran Community) 4:16-17 says: “... For God has sorted them into equal parts until the last day ...”
Verse 6: “rejoice”: Religious and eschatological joy. This notion is also found in 4:13; Matthew 5:12; Jude 24; Revelation 19:7. [NJBC]
Verse 6: “trials”: Suffering tests the quality of faith: see also Psalm 26:2. James 1:2-3 instructs us: “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance”. [NOAB] In 1 Peter, Christian experience of social dislocation in a pagan world is normally called suffering: see 1:11; 4:13; 5:9; 2:19-20; 3:14, 17; 4:1, 15, 19; 5:10. The suffering of Christians is linked with the suffering of Christ in 5:1; 2:21, 23; 3:18; 4:1. [NJBC]
Verse 7: “tested by fire”: For this metaphor, see also Proverbs 17:3 (“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, but the LORD tests the heart”); 27:21; Psalm 66:10 (“For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried”); Jeremiah 9:7; Malachi 3:3. [CAB]
Verse 7: “when Jesus Christ is revealed”: The second coming of Christ, when he will be judge. The revelation of Christ is also mentioned in 1:13 and 5:1. [CAB]
Verse 8: “Although you have not seen him”: In 1:1, Peter is presented as one of the original apostles; they saw (witnessed the earthly ministry of) Jesus. Acts 1:21-22 tells us that being a witness of Jesus’ life was a requirement for apostleship. In John 20:29, Jesus asks Thomas: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe”. [NJBC]
Verse 9: “souls”: i.e. self, person. The Greek word also appears in 1:22; 2:11, 25; 3:20 (NRSV: “persons”). [NJBC]
Verse 9: See also Acts 16:31 (Paul and Silas to the jailer); Ephesians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:39. [CAB]
Verse 10: “prophets”: Not Christian ones but those of the Old Testament. Matthew 1:22-23 tells us: “All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet [Isaiah]: ‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us’”. In Romans 1:2, Paul speaks of “the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures”. See also Romans 4:23 and Acts 3:18. [NJBC]
Verse 11: “the Spirit of Christ within them”: Probably the Holy Spirit. In 1:12, the author speaks of “the Holy Spirit sent from heaven”. In Romans 8:9, Paul mentions those who do not have “the Spirit of Christ”. See also Philippians 1:19 and Acts 16:7 (“the Spirit of Jesus”). [NJBC]
Verse 12: The prophets, and even “angels”, sought to understand what God was doing for the restoration of the faithful to him. [NOAB]
Verse 12: “things into which angels long to look”: The image is of peering through a window, as in 1 Enoch 9:1. [NJBC]


GOSPEL: John 20: 19 - 31 (all)

John 20:19 (NRSV) When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
24 But Thomas (who was called the Twin ), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe."
26 A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." 27 Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." 28 Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" 29 Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe."
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. 31 But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.


John 20:19-31
Early on Easter Day, Mary Magdalene has discovered that Jesus’ body is missing from the tomb; the door is open, so it looks as though someone has stolen it (v. 1). She has seen a man standing near the tomb. When he speaks to her, she recognizes him as Jesus. She has told the disciples: “I have seen the Lord” (v. 18).
Later the same day, Jesus joins the disciples, gathered behind locked doors. He shows them that he is the one who was crucified (v. 20). Jesus confers on “the disciples” (not including Thomas, but perhaps a group larger than the ten) “peace” (vv. 19, 21) and “the Holy Spirit” (v. 22). As God “breathed” life into Adam, the proto-human, so Jesus now breathes the new, spiritual, life of recreated humanity into his followers. Aided by the Spirit, they continue Jesus’ judicial role in the world, forgiving the sins of the faithful and holding others blameworthy (“retain”, v. 23) for their actions. Thomas is expected to believe without having seen, but he demands: show me the evidence! (v. 25) The next Sunday, the community gathers again (v. 26). Upon seeing, Thomas makes the most complete affirmation of faith of anyone in the gospel (v. 29). Henceforth the faith of all Christians in all ages will rest on the testimony of the first believers. Vv. 30-31 tell us John’s purpose in writing the book. His eyewitness account is intended to help us, who were not witnesses of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension to “come to believe” and thus “have life in his name”, eternal life.

John 20:19-31
Verses 19-23: Apart from in the longer ending of Mark (Mark 16:14-18), which a number of important manuscripts lack, and the mention of an appearance “to the twelve” (1 Corinthians 15:5), the only parallel to this story is Luke 24:36-51, where Jesus shows himself to “the eleven and their companions”. The following contacts with the Lucan story are noted:
John Luke
v. 19
“stood among them” 24:36
“stood among them”
v. 20
“then the disciples rejoiced” 24:41
“while in their joy they were disbelieving”
v. 20
“he showed them his hands and his side” 24:39
“Look at my hands and my feet” [BlkJn]

Verse 19: “evening”: In John’s time, Sunday was a normal day of work, so the community would meet for Eucharist during the evening. So this passage would have a special resonance for the worshipping community, as they met for their weekly commemoration of Jesus’ resurrection. When Paul visited Greece, Christians celebrated the Eucharist in the evening: see Acts 20:7ff. [BlkJn]
Verse 19: “the doors ... were locked”: For “fear of the Jews” see also 7:13; 19:38. It is not clear why at this time Jesus’ followers should fear them.
Verse 19: “Jesus came and stood among them”: For the spiritual qualities of Jesus’ resurrected body, see 1 Corinthians 15:35-56.
Verse 19: “Peace be with you”: Exchanging the peace was a usual Jewish greeting (see Judges 6:23; 19:20; Tobit 12:17) but the repetition of the words in vv. 21 and 26 suggests a reference back to 14:27 (“ ... my peace I give to you”) and 16:33 (“... in me you may have peace”). [BlkJn]
Verse 20: “hands ... side”: Identifying marks. See also Luke 24:25-26. [NOAB]
Verse 20: “rejoiced”: This fulfils the promises of renewed joy: see 14:19 and 16:16-24. [NJBC] This contrasts with Luke 24:37: there the stress is on terror and amazement. [JBC]
Verse 21: “Peace”: Also a promised gift: see 14:27. [NJBC]
Verse 21: “‘so I send you’”: See also 5:23; 13:20; 17:18. [NJBC]
Verse 22: The commissioning of the disciples also appears in other post-resurrection appearances: see Luke 24:47-48; Matthew 28:19-20a. Jesus confers on the disciples the mission of which he has spoken: see 17:18. See also 4:38; 13:16. [NJBC]
According to BlkJn, 7:39 says that the Holy Spirit would be received after Jesus’ glorification; 15:26 and 16:7 say that the Holy Spirit would be received after Jesus returned to the Father. The ascension has now happened.
Verse 22: “he breathed on them”: The same image is used to describe the communication of natural life in Genesis 2:7. Here it is used to express the communication of the new, spiritual, life of re-created humanity. [NOAB] In Greek, pneuma means both breath and spirit. In Genesis 2:7, God breathes into the nostrils of Adam, giving him earthly life; [JBC] the Septuagint translation uses pneuma here. See also Ezekiel 37:9 (the valley of dry bones) and Wisdom of Solomon 15:11.
Verse 22: “‘Receive the Holy Spirit’”: In 15:26 and 16:7, Jesus says that when he has returned to the Father, he will send the Holy Spirit. In v. 17 he has told Mary Magdalene that he has not yet ascended, so in that he now gives the disciples the Holy Spirit, the ascension has now happened. So in John, Jesus’ resurrection, his ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit all happen in the same day. But to John (and other New Testament authors) chronology is of secondary importance. In common with the authors of the synoptic gospels, John insists on the connection between the resurrection and the animation of the Church by the Holy Spirit. [JBC] Note the connection between the granting of authority and receipt of the Holy Spirit. See 16:7 for the continuation of Jesus’ ministry by the Holy Spirit.
While in 7:39, Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will only be given after Jesus’ glorification and in 16:7 he says that he will send the Holy Spirit after he has returned to the Father, but here Jesus appears to grant the Holy Spirit before he has been exalted. Scholars have puzzled over this for centuries. The most likely explanation is that early Christians were less concerned with chronological sequence than we are – they saw Jesus’ resurrection, his appearances, his exaltation, and the gift of the Holy Spirit as one event. Only later did they begin to be described as separate events. As support for this apparent lack of chronological sense, note that while Luke describes the Ascension as occurring at Pentecost in Acts 1:3-10, he describes Jesus’ decisive parting from the world on Easter Day in Luke 24:51.
Verse 23: Through the Holy Spirit, the Church continues the judicial role of Christ (3:19; 5:27; 9:39) in the matter of sin (Matthew 16:19; 18:18; Luke 24:47). (In Matthew 16:19, “bind” and “loose” are technical rabbinic terms: “bind” means forbid; “loose” means permit.) [JBC]
Verse 23: “forgive ... retain”: BlkJn notes that these expressions are not used elsewhere in John and not at all in the Matthean parallels (Matthew 18:18; 16:19). He notes that Matthew 16:19 (“whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven ...”) recalls Isaiah 22:22, so he suggests that both this verse in John and the parallels in Matthew may be variants of a common original. This original, which might well have been in Aramaic, may have followed Isaiah in speaking of the conferral of authority as opening and shutting. In this case, John and Matthew provide different interpretations of what Jesus said, with the Johannine version arising out of the ambiguity in the Aramaic words, for there the word to shut also means to seize or to hold. Given hold for shut, loose (release, set free) for open follows naturally. In support of this hypothesis, BlkJn notes that the Greek verb translated retain is not used here in any of its normal senses, so it may be a Semitism.
Verse 24: In the synoptic gospels, incredulity is shared by the other disciples. [JBC]
Verse 25: This verse reminds us of 4:48: “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” Criminals were usually tied to the cross, rather than being nailed through the palms of the hands.
Verse 25: “nails”: The usual custom was to tie the criminal to the cross, but Jesus was nailed to it.
Verse 27: Jesus’ invitation to Thomas contrasts with his prohibition to Mary Magdalene in v. 17. [JBC]
Verse 28: We are not told whether Thomas actually touched Jesus. Before Jesus’ ascension, he forbade Mary Magdalen to touch him. [JBC]
Verse 28: Thomas’ words became a common confession of faith in the early Church. [JBC]
Verse 28: “Lord and ... God”: In the Septuagint translation, theos kyrios translates the name of the God of Israel (Hebrew: Yahweh Elohim). Theos kyrios was also a name used as a designation of a god in the Hellenic world. It became a common Christian confession of faith. [JBC]
Verse 29: 1 Peter 1:8 says: “Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy”. [CAB]
Verse 30: “signs”: John tells us of six signs in chapters 2-12. The seventh is Jesus’ resurrection. [NJBC]