Monday, January 19, 2009

Bengel on Acts

J.A. Bengel concluded his comments on Acts with the words:

"Victoria Verbi Dei: Paulus Romae, apex evangelii, Actorum finis ... Hierosolymis coepit: Romae desinit. Habes, Ecclesia, formam tuam: tuum est, servare eam, et depositum custodire".

"The victory of the Word of God. Paul at Rome, the culmination of the Gospel, the conclusion of Acts ... It began at Jerusalem: it finishes at Rome. Here, O church, you have your pattern. It is your duty to preserve it and to guard it".

Cited from Howard Marshall, Luke: Historian and Theologian, 221-22.

2 comments:

volker said...

Hi, nice to read something from Bengel - I have lived for 8 years near the Bengelhaus in Tuebingen.

On a different note: How do your two books on Paul differ? Could you post the table of contents or email them to me (v.rabens-at-gmail.com)? Thanks, Volker

geoffhudson.blogspot.com said...

"It began at Jerusalem: it finishes at Rome." But did it? Was it the other way round in the first place? The journey by ship at the end of Acts had to be broken because of the prevailing north easterly winds in the Autumn - winds which would have otherwise been favourable for a journey from East to West.