At a kind of critical level what jumps out at me is: Theophilus. Theophilus means lover of God. It could be a proper name. It could be a term used for initiates for baptism or a name used in the faith communities Luke worked in for fellow followers of the Way (i.e., Christians). There were also in ancient times a significant number of pagans who basically converted to Judaism yet for various reasons refused to take full circumcision and I seem to remember but cannot confirm from any books on my shelf that these folks were referred to by the Jews as god-lovers.
Why is this important (to me?). Because I tend I try to be mindful of who the intended or ideal reader of a book is. I think it gives me perspective and limits the range of interpretations I might bring. To a certain extent a text like this is something I cannot claim to own but rather borrow and so I have a kind of obligation to Luke in this regard.
So questions raised here: Is this a book for seasoned members of the faith? For prospective initiates -- like handing a book on the background of Quakerism to someone interested in joining your meeting? Or is this a tract for curious outsiders?
The other words which jump out at me, for very different reasons: he gave his instructions, through the Holy Spirit, to the special messengers of his choice.
Interesting a whole mess of ways. The apostles had access to Jesus' instructions through the Holy Spirit before Pentecost. Is this a recap of Luke 24 or is this new information?
Luke 24:32. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
Luke 24:46. and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day.
His disciples, the ones he personally trained during his earthly life, needed a resurrected Christ to instruct them in the meanings of both their current situation and in the meaning of the scriptures that point towards that present situation. And he does so through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:2).
6 comments:
Here is the passage translated by Andy Gaus in his version, from 'The Unvarnished New Testament'
Dear Theophilus,
I chose to make my first words about all the things that Jesus came to do and teach, up to the day, when after giving orders by sacred breath to the apostles he chose, he was taken up on high. He also showed himself in the flesh to them after his suffering in many instances, during forty days when he appeared to them and told them of the kingdom of God.
The version of the Bible I like and read the most is the New Jerusalem. Something very interesting in these verses. Whereas most other translations of v. 2 are along the lines of the NRSV...
..giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen...
The NJB gives a completely different slant..
...he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit...
This suggests that the action of the Holy Spirit is choosing the apostles rather than teaching them. Jesus here is the teacher and the Holy Spirit the discerner.
Quakers recognise both aspects of the Holy Spirit ...as teacher and the source of discernment...
A fellow New Jerusalem fan! Actually for making me read things differently I liked the original Jerusalem.
But hanging with Anglicasn at school and I ended up with the NRSV -- which now dominates. Good piece of translation as far as I can know. But not helpful when you want to be challlenged where you think you know stuff and maybe don't. That Unvarnished NT seems good for that based on the short passage you posted from.
Is the Jerusalem version a catholic version?
See link here.
The Jerusalem was a Catholic translation, intended for ecumenical use -- the idea was that it would be acceptable enough to both Catholic and Protestant scholars that they could discuss interpretations in an ecumenical and collegail way rather than quibbling over text critical issues.
The original Jerusalem bible was a bit stuilted in wording -- it was a transaltion into the French and then into English from there. The New Jerusalem was a direct translation into English.
The Jerusalem also had one other feature that I appreciated -- it listed JRR Tolkien as one of its contributing editors.
I think its translation of the Old Testament is particularly good. The way it speaks of 'Yahweh' rather than 'the Lord' really freshens it up. I find its rendering of the psalms very beautiful. It is my own reading version along with the NRSV.
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