Ananias and Sapphira, continued
In the last posting I proposed that the Story about Ananias and Sapphira was a reconciliation narrative in Acts 5. I ended with the critical relationship between the wW and the wAW.
Following the literary form, the wAW is how or why the wW is put into practice.
So, "speak to the people all the words of this new life" must be how "and they were all healed" is put into practice. In other words: Jesus' life giving words proclaimed by the apostles, were how they were all healed was accomplished.
In the sS, Sapphira falls down and dies at Peter's feet. Then she's carried off by some young men who found her dead. Before we are filled with the wrong kind of fear, let's look at the relationship between the sS and the wW:
Following the literary form, the sS gives specific meaning to the wW. "They were all healed" gives specific meaning to Sapphira who falls down and dies at Peter's feet, just as her husband, Ananias had done.
The only possible explanation is that there must have been a reconciliation ritual that was patterned in some way after the baptismial liturgy of dying to sin so that we can rise again to new life of the Spirit. Because of the relationship we observed in the last posting, this must have included Jesus' life giving words--for Jesus' life-giving words proclaimed by the apostles were how they were healed had been accomplished.
This ritual must have involved the whole community, and it must have been spiritually moving, for the following verse contains these words, "Great fear came on the whole assembly, and this fear was one of extreme reverence for God's compassion!
Before we continue this Story in the next posting, what do we think about the gospel narratives where the blind men seek to "see" again?
Following the literary form, the wAW is how or why the wW is put into practice.
So, "speak to the people all the words of this new life" must be how "and they were all healed" is put into practice. In other words: Jesus' life giving words proclaimed by the apostles, were how they were all healed was accomplished.
In the sS, Sapphira falls down and dies at Peter's feet. Then she's carried off by some young men who found her dead. Before we are filled with the wrong kind of fear, let's look at the relationship between the sS and the wW:
Following the literary form, the sS gives specific meaning to the wW. "They were all healed" gives specific meaning to Sapphira who falls down and dies at Peter's feet, just as her husband, Ananias had done.
The only possible explanation is that there must have been a reconciliation ritual that was patterned in some way after the baptismial liturgy of dying to sin so that we can rise again to new life of the Spirit. Because of the relationship we observed in the last posting, this must have included Jesus' life giving words--for Jesus' life-giving words proclaimed by the apostles were how they were healed had been accomplished.
This ritual must have involved the whole community, and it must have been spiritually moving, for the following verse contains these words, "Great fear came on the whole assembly, and this fear was one of extreme reverence for God's compassion!
Before we continue this Story in the next posting, what do we think about the gospel narratives where the blind men seek to "see" again?
posted by Anne and Mike at 8:21 PM
<< Home