Mortality & Divinity in Communion:

 “And you will be my witnesses…”

Father Dion and Patricia Jennings invite you to join them in Parish Hall for fellowship and conversation from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM on Thursday evenings, April 28 through June 9. A Zoom option will also be available. Our study will include an acclaimed verse-by-verse film of The Acts of the Apostles. The study guide can be found HERE.

Acts is one of the essential texts in the New Testament. Without it, we would not know the story of how the Christian community developed or how the faith spread from Palestine to Rome. St. Luke tells us that story in an action-packed narrative powered by the Holy Spirit. It is part two of his magnum opus; the first being the Gospel of St. Luke.

Click HERE to register for Bible Study of the Acts of the Apostles

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information, please get in touch with Father Dion at dthompson@stannes-annapolis.org, or Patricia Jennings at pajquilter@yahoo.com.

Other suggested readings:

And You Will Be My Witnesses

The Word as Sacrament

Session One: April 28th

Chapters 1 - 4:

Key Greek Word: Homothumadon – Of one accord. (Acts 1:4, 4:24)

Session Two: May 5th

Chapters 5 - 8:

Key Greek Word: martyr. We find this word in Acts 1:8 when Jesus tells the disciples that they will be his witnesses, his martyrs. The word has its roots in the legal field but was carried over in Christianity to include those who witness to Christ by their acts, or by giving their lives.

 

Ceslas Spicq, writing in his amazing lexicon, says the following: “The biblical martys is not a mere eyewitness, simply present at a happening: he is active, called upon to tell what he has seen and heard, to proclaim what he knows.”

 

In one sense, Acts could be called The Book of the Witnesses.

Session Three: May 12th

Chapters 9 - 12:

Key Greek Word: Prosopolemptes – Technically this word, found in Acts 10:34, means "to show no partiality." It is a rare word, steeped in the social traditions of the ancient Near East. For us, it describes a basic tenet of the Christian faith. 

“As used by Peter, it means that God does not favor only Jews, but also respects Gentiles who call upon him. In this regard both Luke and Paul basically agree about God’s impartiality toward Jews and the law-free Gentiles and the justified evangelization of the Gentiles.” Joseph A. Fitzmyer, Commentary on Acts.   

 

Session Four: May 19th

Chapters 13 - 16:

Key Greek Word: Euangelion – Good News – Gospel

Along with related words such as evangelist and evangelism, euangelion helps describe the story of Acts. The apostles saw themselves as messengers – evangelists/euangelistes – bringing the good news – euangelion – of God’s action through Jesus Christ.

In the secular world, the “good news” could be our army’s victory in battle, the news that the king is coming to visit, or the announcement of a successful birth. For us, Jesus is our good news, our gospel message. And, we cannot keep it to ourselves. Note the opening verse of the Gospel of Mark: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ…”

Romans 10:14-15 and Isaiah 52:7 also offer excellent examples of how the bringer of the good news and the content of the good news were understood in the Christian and Hebrew writings.

“Euangelion, as used by Paul, does not mean only the content of what is preached, but also the act, process and execution of the proclamation. Content and process of preaching are one.” – Ulrich Becker, The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology.

Session Five: May 26th

Chapters 17 -20 :

Key Greek Word: Sozo/Soteria – Save/Salvation: These are beautiful, dynamic words, rich in meaning. In secular terms, a victorious general could be described as having saved his country. Many Roman emperors styled themselves as saviors.

Ceslas Spicq, writing in his Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, describes the Christian perspective: “It is no exaggeration to say that the whole covenant is summed up in the announcement of the angel to the Virgin Mary: ‘You shall give birth to a child and you shall call his name Jesus,’ that is, ‘Yahweh saves.’”

The question of what Jesus saves us from leads into theological discussions about soteriology and salvation. What are we saved from; and what do we do after we are saved? These crucial questions inform the gospel message.

Paul, who considered himself saved by Jesus Christ, wrote the following words to Timothy: “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the foremost.” 1st Timothy 1:15

Salvation brings new life. What are you doing with your new life in Christ?

Session Six: June 2nd

Chapters 21 - 24:

Key Greek Word: Paradidomi – To hand over; To give something to someone; To pass on.

This flexible word has two major meanings in Christian interpretation. The first is related to our Lord’s Passion. In Galatians 2:20 we read that Jesus “gave himself for me.” In another sense, Judas Iscariot is described as the one who “handed Jesus over” to authorities. Here the word carries the idea of Judas’ betrayal.

But, the relation of paradidomi to the Passion is key. We hear echoes of this in Eucharistic Prayer A when, in the institution narrative, the Celebrant says: “On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our Lord Jesus Christ took bread …”

Another important use of paradidomi occurs in the sense of a teaching or instruction that is passed on from one person to another. This can happen by means of revelation or proclamation. For instance, in 1st Corinthians 11:23, Paul writes: “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you.”

In the opening lines of his Gospel, St. Luke points out that he is part of a long-standing tradition. Many before him have told the stories of Jesus, and he, too, will pass them on “just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.” – Luke 1:2

We also stand within the great Christian tradition. We, too, are called to “pass it on.”

Session Seven: June 9th

Chapters 25 - 28:

Key Greek Word: Eucharisteo/Eucharistia – To express appreciation for benefits or blessings; the quality of being grateful.

We see this attitude in Paul’s words of encouragement during the storm at sea. Though the situation seems dire, he remains anchored in faith. “… he took bread; and giving thanks to God in the presence of all, he broke it and began to eat.” – Acts 27:35

Thankfulness and being thankful are key to our relationship with God, even when circumstances break our hearts. It should not surprise us that The Great Thanksgiving, the central act of Christian worship, is also called The Eucharist.

R. C. Trench, a renowned clergyman and Greek scholar of the 19th century, wrote the following in his Synonyms of the New Testament: “Regarded as one manner of prayer, eucharistia expresses what should always be present in our devotions; the grateful acknowledgment of past mercies as distinct from seeking future ones.”

“Let us give thanks to the Lord,” are among the first words the Celebrant says in the Eucharistic prayer. And in response the congregation says: “It is right to give him thanks and praise.”