002 - Cyclical growth in the steps of the Master

Thus throughout the book of Acts we are shown how the church fulfills Christ’s ascension words; “Ye shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8 ). Jesus’ words provide us with a structural/sectional overview of the book; the church would witness of her ascended Lord in and outward spiral from Jerusalem to the ends of the known world (i.e. the four corners of the world). This pattern expanded the Church geographically and relationally (i.e. closeness to God). This fourfold pattern is played out through Acts. The first section (Acts 1-5 ) can be seen as a continuation of Jesus’ Gospel microcosm to the Jews only. In section two (Acts 6:1-9:31 ) the church’s mission extends to the periphery of Israel (i.e. to Hellenist Jews, Israelites in Samaria and to eunuch Israel). Section three (Acts 9:32-12:24 ) is characterised by Peter preaching to Palestinian God-fearers, he took the good news from Jerusalem to the major cities of Judea. In this third section God reveals the admission of Palestinian God-fearers into the church and it symbolically foreruns the wholesale admission of outright Gentiles into the body. The fourth section (Acts 12:25 to 28) is the climax of the book. It is here that we read of the church extending to outright Gentiles. Luke divides this section into Paul’s four major missionary trips, to the ends of the Roman Empire (“world”). Through this outward spiral all believers, regardless of their ethnicity, were brought into a position of closeness to God (Ephesians 2:13 ). The Old Covenant hierarchy structured God's people in terms of their closeness to Him, with the Jews being the closest. These old degrees of separation were being removed and the Gentiles (and all those who were far off) brought close to God. No longer were Gentiles to be confined to the outer courts, they were being brought into the sanctuary through the position of being one with their Jewish brothers in the body of Christ. The new temple did not establish a person's closeness to God's sanctuary by ethnicity. So the Gospel was going to the four corners of the world, in a four fold spiraling (from Jerusalem) pattern.

It is important to note that the number four is highly symbolic within the Biblical narrative. We ought to understand and associate the symbolic linkages that flow through Scripture in order to develop the grand picture God’s Word is showing us. This will help us to fill out our Biblical theology. Multiples of four are used throughout the Scriptures to represent a time of grace and testing. The rains fell on the earth for forty days and nights, and Noah opened the Ark window forty days after it landed (Genesis 7-8 ); the Israelites wandered in the desert eating manna for forty years (Exodus 16:35 , Numbers 32:13 ); Moses went up into the cloud on the mountain for forty days (Exodus 24:18 , 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:9-11 , 10:10); the spies went into the land of Canaan for forty days (Numbers 13:24-26 , Deuteronomy 8:2-4 ), the children of the unfaithful Israelites, who wondered the deserts, spent a further forty years of shepherding in the desert until entering the promised land (Numbers 14:33-34 ); Moses prostrated himself, eating and drinking nothing for forty days when the Israelites built the golden calf (Deuteronomy 9:18-25 ), during various reigns of righteous men the land of Israel had forty years of peace (Judges 3 , 5:31, 8:28); the Israelites were given into the hands of Philistines for forty years at the birth of Samson (Judges 13:1 ); Eli had led Israel for forty years when he fell backwards and died (1 Samuel 4:18 ); Goliath took a stand, every morning, against the Israelite army for forty days (1 Samuel 17:16 ); David reigned for forty years (2 Samuel 5:4 ), Solomon reigned for forty years from Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:42 , 2 Chronicles 9:30 ); God judged Egypt for forty years (Ezekiel 29:11-13 ); Ninevah had forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4 ); Jesus fasted forty days and nights (Matthew 4:2 ) being tempted by Satan (Mark 1:13 , Luke 4:2 ); Christ gave Israel forty years (i.e. one generation) to repent (Matthew 24:34 ); the resurrected Lord appeared to his disciples over a period of forty days (Acts 1:3 ); forty men vowed to starve themselves until they had killed the Apostle Paul (Acts 23:11-22 ). The number four and its multiples can be seen as a time just short of covenant fulfillment (i.e. the fiftieth year of jubilee). They are times/years wherein God’s people are tested, with the goal of them obtaining maturity. God seeks to move His people from infancy to maturity. It is through maturity that dominion and rule are given from God to His people. In other words, dominion via the outworking of the Gospel is received after maturity (covenantal obedience).

With this in mind, it is interesting to read how Luke sections the book of Acts to show the growth of the church. The major overarching key to the establishment and expansion of the first-century church can be found in the fourfold structure of Acts (cf. Acts 1:8 ). We should understand the book of Acts as “a reliving by Christ of all that he began both to do and to teach in the Gospel; four main sections, each displaying the pattern of Christ’s life; and the fourth itself sub-divided into four journeys, each with the same underlying pattern. As Christ lived and died and rose again, so does his Church; so do his apostles; so does Paul in his mission…The basis of Jesus’ incarnate life is the basis of the inevitable Christian cycle: election, inspiration, proclamation, miracle, persecution, deliberation, betrayal, passion, death, resurrection.” (Goulder, 1964, p. 110). The church (i.e. body) is established and expands through re-living the life of Christ (i.e. head). Through this we read how God leads His people towards maturity through walking them in the steps of Christ. This continues throughout the life of the church. Her history (our history) is not linear but cyclical. Through experiences, trials and tribulations the church will mature and expand to the glory of God.

Table one identifies the key patterns to the expansion of the first century church:

Table one is adapted from Goulder (1964).

Keys to church expansion in these “Acts books,” reflect the “Christian cycle” (Goulder, 1964, p. 110). The stages in the Christian cycle are keys to how God moved His church forward through the first century time of great tribulation (Matthew 24:34 ). The old heavens and earth were passing away (Matthew 5:17-19 , cf. Matthew 24:34 ) and the new world coming in via the new covenant, established in the blood of the Messiah. And in this time God shows how victory is accomplished; through sacrificial obedient faith to His Word. In the New Covenant phase of history God shows how death to self brings new life, victory and expansion of His Kingdom. This is the great paradox of new covenant life - death (symbolic or real) brings new life and kingdom growth (i.e. dominion). In other words, the Church’s historical victory (i.e. dominion) is accomplished in the same pattern as Christ’s earthly mission – the Church (as a whole and as each individual member) must first be a servant and go through exodus experiences before she is given kingship/dominion. True kingship is received and gained by servitude. We must remember that prior to Joseph reining the world and every knee bowing to him, he was thrown into prison (metaphorical death). This exodus like experience is a pattern of how dominion is achieved throughout the Bible (e.g. David, Daniel, Jesus, Paul etc). Expansion of the first century church follows this same cyclical, death to new life/growth, pattern. God takes His people from infancy to maturity through various experiences, trials and sometimes tribulations. The growth of the kingdom of God is usually preceded by a time of testing unto maturity. We should understand/see the growth of the historical church (from Adam through history) as the waves crashing on and moving up the seashore until high tide. Kingdom expansion is thus (usually) cyclical rather than a smooth linear growth. The history Luke presents in Acts follows this same upward spiraling pattern of expansion, with many points of overlap and repetition. The key patterns or Christian cycle, identified in table 1, should be taken as somewhat normative in the overarching life and work of the historical church. However, the form of these patterns can and is experienced through different particular circumstances and lives.

End notes:

Works cited

Goulder, M D. Type & History in Acts. London: S.P.C.K, 1964.

Image used:
The graphic used above is a Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons image from the user Chris73 and is freely available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NautilusCutawayLogarithmicSpiral.jpg under the creative commons cc-by-sa 2.5 license.