Acts 8:14-17

Acts 8:14-17
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of The Text This Week

Reading the Text:
- NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
- Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
- The Bible Gateway: NRSV, RSV, NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
- The Blue Letter Bible. KJV, alternate versions, Greek text with concordance, commentaries.
- The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
- Comparative texts about Baptism: Water & Spirit, Judean-Samaritan Feud and Samaritan Theology from DSS, Josephus, Babylonian Talmud. At (Rutgers University Dept of Religion) Mahlon H. Smith's Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus companion to the historical study of Christian texts.
- Chapter IX, On Idolatry, Tertullian (c. 211)
- VI.II, The Refutation of all Heresies (Philosophumena), Hippolytus of Rome. (c. 225)
- Epistle LXXI -- Cyprian of Carthage (c. 255)
- From the Geneva Notes.
- From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
  - "No man can give the Holy Spirit by the laying on of his hands; but we should use our best endeavours to instruct those for whom we pray."
- From Wesley's Notes.
  - "The Holy Ghost - In his miraculous gifts? Or his sanctifying graces? Probably in both."
- From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
  - "...the apostles ... sent Peter and John--showing that they regarded Peter as no more than their own equal."
- From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
  - "Prayed for them. That the Holy Spirit might fall on them. They had been born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5), but had not received that baptism of the Spirit which conferred miraculous powers."
Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
- Commentary, Acts 8:14-17 (Baptism of our Lord),Issrael Kamudzandu, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2019.
  - "Acts 19: 1-7 has the message of the Holy Spirit as the promise to all believers and read in the context of Acts 8: 14-17; one wonders as whether the Holy Spirit needs a human being to authenticate the reception ..."
- "Spirit," Frederick Buechner, Buechner Blog.
  - "The spirit of God, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, is highly contagious. When Peter and his friends were caught up in it at Jerusalem on Pentecost, everybody thought they were drunk even though the sun wasn't yet over the yardarm (Acts 2). They were."
- Commentary, Acts 8:14-17 (Baptism of our Lord), James Boyce, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2013.
  - "The reading catches us up in the midst of a veritable whirlwind of events in the early post-resurrection church. "
- "Cross Cultural Bridges and the Holy Spirit," Robert Cornwall, Ponderings on a Faith Journey, 2013.
  - "As we consider the meaning of this passage of Scripture in its original context, what are its missional implications for the church today?"
- "The Jerusalem Holy Spirit Police," Mark Stenberg, The Hardest Question, 2013.
  - "If throughout the Book of Acts â€œreceiving the Holy Spiritâ€� is most certainly a different, second move from mere faith or believing or even baptism, has the Charismatic/Pentecostal movement discovered the true meaning of the Christian faith?"
- Commentary, Acts 8:14-17 (Baptism of our Lord), Karoline Lewis, Preaching This Week, WorkingPreacher.org, 2010.
  - "While it is likely that this reading from Acts will not be the primary focus of today's liturgical emphasis, it most certainly can reinforce the preaching on Luke's story of Jesus' baptism and the meaning of baptism for the Christian life."
- "First Thoughts on Passages on Year C Epistle Passages in the Lectionary," Baptism of Our Lord, William Loader, Murdoch University, Uniting Church in Australia.
  - "At all the various levels of human development which follow there will be a response of faith appropriate to that level."
- Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
- Kairos CoMotion Lectionary Discussion, Acts 8:14-17. "A place of conversation regarding Progressive Christianity."
  - "We still make up rules and regulations about effective baptism and its deeper meaning when that is not measurable. I can't help but wonder what Jesus would have said about what additional was needed for a baptism in his name to be a baptism in his name."
- "They Received the Holy Spirit," Rev. Bryan Findlayson, Lectionary Bible Studies and Sermons, Pumpkin Cottage Ministry Resources.
  - "How is the Spirit released in our lives and what does this entail?"
- "Simon and Simon (Acts 8:1-25)," by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
  - "Whenever men lose sight of the sovereignty of God, they begin to think and to act according to the rules of magic. And all of this can take on a very pious appearance."
- "The Conversion of the Samaritans in Acts 8:14-17 and the Unified Progress of the Gospel in the Book of Acts," Greg Herrick, Biblical Studies Foundation.
  - "Luke’s presentation of the conversion of the Samaritans focuses on the issue of unity in the church in the face of possible schism along religious and ethnic lines."
Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices. Annotated list of "starting place" articles at ATLAS for this week's texts (includes direct links).
- Dickerson, Patrick L., "The Sources of the Account of the Mission to Samaria in Acts 8:5-25," Novum Testamentum, 1997.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Handy, David A., "Between Text and Sermon: Acts 8:14-25," Interpretation, 1993.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Lee, Mark, "An Evangelical Dialogue on Luke, Salvation and Spirit Baptism," Pneuma, 2004.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Turner, Max, "Interpretating the Samaritans of Acts 8: The Waterloo of Pentecostal Soteriology and Pneumatology?" Pneuma, 2001.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
- Wiberg, Glen V., "A Costly Baptism," The Christian Century, 1994.
  EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
  EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
Sermons:
- "Could you Be Wrong about God?" the Rev. Craig Barnes, Day 1, 2000.
With Children:
- Worshiping with Children, Baptism of Our Lord, Including children in the congregation's worship, using the Revised Common Lectionary, Carolyn C. Brown, 2013.
Drama:
Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
- Clip Art, Acts 8:17, Fr. Richard Lonsdale, Resources for Catholic Educators.
Hymns and Music:
- Hymnary.org, hymns, scores, media, information.
- Hymns with Scripture Allusions: Acts 8:17. The Cyber Hymnal.
- Hymnal Scripture References, The Lutheran Hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
Study Links and Resources for the Book of Acts