Jan 7, 2011

Luke-Acts and the Centrality of Jerusalem


Although some would argue against the centrality of Jerusalem in Luke-Acts, most tend to affirm the pivotal role of Jerusalem. For example, Andrew Rider states,

"The unity of Luke's double volume is achieved in two ways. There is, first of all, an external unity. More than any of the other evangelists, Luke is concerned with geography. For example, he extends Mark's story of Jesus on 'the way' in the central section of his Gospel. The journey to Jerusalem occupies a central portion of the narrative.
. . .

"Jerusalem, then, forms the geographical link between the Gospel and Acts. The account of the ascension from Jerusalem is repeated at the beginning of Acts. The disciples are told to await the coming of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem. The city is the focal point from which the universal mission of the church radiates-even Paul has to return there. Jerusalem remains the mother-church as the Word of the Lord spreads to the ends of the earth. The city provides the external geographical link that binds Luke's story together."

Andrew Ryder, Following Christ: Modes of Discipleship in the New Testament (Franklin, WI: Sheed & Ward, 1999), 74–5. 
  

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