Acts’ Literary-Temporal Component

Again, scholars widely explore this component and particularly discourse time in relation to story time and/or historical time.325 _{For Acts the component concerns: (1)}

Acts literary time; (2) a literary chronology with externally corroborated events; (3) the role of summaries; (4) a temporal overlapping technique; (5) a flashback (analepsis); and (6) the significance of specific temporal terms.

A literary time frame of specific temporal references in Acts totals approximately ten years and nine months, though this is increased by many general references. As shown in Appendix IV the five “Acts” have an uneven distribution of literary time with forty-six days in “Act I”; one year and seven days in “Act II”; thirteen days in “Act III”; five years and forty-six days in “Act IV”; and four years, three months and sixty-eight/seventy days in “Act V”.326 _{Acts’ rhythm has examples}

320 _{Possibly as a reaction to the theological weight placed on Luke’s geography by}

Conzelmann, Theology, 18–94.

321 _{Sleeman, Geography, 1–3.}

322 _{Sleeman, Geography, 26–56 and esp. his interaction with Edward W. Soja, Thirdspace:}

Journeys to Los Angeles and Other Real-and-Imagined Places (Oxford: Blackwell, 1996), who, 11, defines thirdspace as “real-and-imagined-and-more”. There is a physical “what it is”, a conceptual “what it does”, and a philosophical “what it means”. Cf. Patrick Schreiner, “Space, Place and Biblical Studies: A Survey of Recent Research in Light of Developing Trends”, CurBR 14 (2016): 340–71.

323 _{Extended to Acts 21 onwards by Matthew Sleeman, “Paul, Pentecost and the}

Nomosphere: The Final Return to Jerusalem in the Acts of the Apostles”, in Cities of God? An Interdisciplinary Assessment of Early Christian Engagement with the Urban Environment(s), ed. Steve Walton, Paul Trebilco and David Gill (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, forthcoming).

324 _{Sleeman, Geography, 263.}

325 _{Günther Müller, Die Bedeutung der Zeit in der Erzählkunst (Bonn: Universitäts-Verlag,}

1947); Müller, “Erzählzeit und erzählte Zeit”, in Morphologische Poetik: Gesammelte Aufsätze, ed. Helga Egner and Elena Miller (Darmstadft: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1968), 269–86; De Jong, Narratology, 73–104; Hughes, Reading Novels, 50–52; Marguerat and Bourquin, Bible Stories, 85–101; Tolmie, Narratology, 87–103, esp. 101–102; Eisen, Poetik, 99–110.

of ellipsis (discourse time considerably < story time),327 _{summary (discourse time <}

story time),328 _{and pause (discourse time considerably > story time).}329 _{The slowing}

of narrative time suggests literary significance.330

A literary chronology does not feature in Acts. Talbert notes five externally corroborated events,331 _{but Acts neither locates them within its literary chronology}

nor constructs an accurate historical framework. A temporal purpose for the structure is therefore unlikely.332 _{Consequently, the present study does not construct an}

accurate chronological time-line, even if Acts is accepted as an accurate historical narrative of real events over the thirty year period333 _{of AD 30–60.}

The role of summaries in Acts is unclear due to the complexities of identification, categorisation, and purpose. The number identified334 _{varies since}

there are no consistent features.335 _{Also the scholars debate the categorisation of}

summaries. Witherington distinguishes between “summary statements” linking the narrative panels and “summary passages” describing the believing community (Acts 1–8).336 _{Alternatively, Joseph Fitzmyer categorises “major summaries” of several}

verses, “minor summaries” of one verse, and “numerical summaries”.337 _Analysed

grammatically, the purpose of a summary is as a distinct stand-alone literary

327 _{E.g. Acts 1:15; 4:5; 5:7; 6:1; 11:27. Eisen, Poetik, 102–103.}

328 _{See the following discussion on the role of summaries and n.334–45.}

329 _{Acts 1:1; 10:1–2. Eisen, Poetik, 103. For wider discussion of literary rhythm see Bal,}

Narratology, 98–109; Genette, Narrative Discourse, 93–112. There are no examples in Acts of scene (discourse time = story time) or slow-down (discourse time >story time).

330 _{E.g. Stevens, Acts, 301, Acts 27 covers a two week period with an entire chapter.}

331 _{Talbert, Acts, 237–244, as: (1) death of Herod Agrippa I in 12:23 at AD 44; (2) famine in}

Claudius’s reign in 11:28 at AD 46–48; (3) Claudius’s edict expelling Jews from Rome in 18:2 at AD 49; (4) Gallio’s proconsulship in 18:12 at AD 51–52, and (5) Festus’s procuratorship in 24:27 at AD 59.

332 _{As suggested by C. J Cadoux, “The Chronological Division of Acts”, JTS 19 (1917–18),}

333–341, citing 336, that Charles H. Turner’s Six-Panel Structure (1:1–6:7; 6:8–9:31; 9:32–12:24; 12:25–16:5; 16:6–19:20; 19:21–28:31) are five year periods. Cf. Dale A. Moody, “A New Chronology for the Life and Letters of Paul”, in Chronos, Kairos, Christos: Nativity and Chronological Studies Presented to Jack Finegan, ed. Jerry Vardaman and Edwin M. Yamauchi (Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 1989), 223–240, esp. 227–33. The suggestion is refuted by O’Neill, Theology of Acts, 65; Keener, Acts, 1:575. Also Steven Ger, The Book of Acts: Witnesses to the World (Chattanooga: AMG 2004), 11, suggests that Acts 1–12 and 13–28 divide the first twenty-nine years of church history into two equal parts consisting of fourteen and a half years each.

333 _{Aune, Literary Environment, 119, comments that both Acts and Luke’s Gospel span thirty}

year periods. Cf. Witherington, Acts, 7.

334 _{Walters, Unity, 74–88, uses Dibelius, Cadbury, Benoit, Conzelmann, and Fitzmyer to}

determine nineteen summaries.

335 _{See the previous discussion under “Six-Panel Structure”, §2.2.4.1, p.66.} 336 _{Witherington, Acts, 157–59.}

337 _{Fitzmyer, Acts, 97–98. Those looking at the major summaries of 2:41–47; 4:32–35; 5:12–}

16 include Pierre Benoit, Jesus and the Gospel, 2 vols. (New York: Seabury 1974), 2.94–103, citing 96; M. A. Co, “The Major Summaries in Acts (Acts 2, 42–47; 4, 32–35; 5, 12–16): Linguistic and Literary Relationship”, ETL 68 (1992): 49–85; Gregory E. Sterling, “Athletes of Virtue”, JBL (1994): 679–696.

marker,338 _{a link-back to the preceding section,}339 _{a summation of the succeeding}

section,340 _{or a connecting transition between two sections}341 _{in what Parsons calls}

“revolving doors” looking back and anticipating what follows.342 _{Scholars suggest}

the summaries either briefly suspend the momentum of the story343 _{or link the}

sections for progression within the narrative.344 _{The summaries serve in the temporal}

rhythm with discourse time < story time and especially where they contain a temporal reference.345

The temporal overlapping technique is used in Acts 8–12 for the events of Philip in Samaria and with the Ethiopian eunuch (8:4–40), Saul’s conversion- commission (9:1–31), Peter’s Judaean ministry and Cornelius (9:32–11:18), the church in (Syrian) Antioch (11:19–26), and Peter /Herod (11:27–12:25). A temporal order is difficult to establish346 _{and the sections thematically function by advancing}

in a preparatory manner towards the prototype Gentile mission of Barnabas and Saul beginning at 13:1–4.347

A flashback (analepsis) emphasises Paul’s vision (22:17–21).348 _{Shimon Bar-}

Efrat suggests that flashbacks in speeches are backward glances which link to a

338 _{E.g. 2:42–47; 4:32–37; 5:12–16; 12:24; 13:49; 18:11 and 28:30–31, with a δέ at their start}

and in the succeeding verse with the exception of 28:30–31 which only has a δέ at the start.

339 _{E.g. 6:7 and 19:20, with a καί at the start of the verse and a δέ in the succeeding verse.} 340 _{E.g. 19:10, with a δέ at the start of the verse and a τέ in the succeeding verse making a}

specific forward connection. However, if the summary is defined as 19:10–12 then it is a stand-alone with a δέ in 19:13.

341 _{E.g. 9:31 and 16:5, with μὲν οΰν (“on the one hand therefore”) linking to the past and the}

succeeding δέ (on the other hand) giving an emphasis on what follows.

342 _{Mikeal C. Parsons “Christian Origins and Narrative Openings: The Sense of a Beginning}

in Acts 1–5”, RevExp 87 (1990): 403–422, citing 410.

343 _{Troftgruben, Conclusion, 141; Johannes de Zwaan, “Was the Book of Acts a Posthumous}

Edition?”, HTR 17 (1924): 95–153, citing 103, prefers to call them “stops” since they do not really summarise the preceding narrative.

344 _{Satterthwaite, “Classical Rhetoric”, 355. Cf. Parsons and Pervo, Rethinking, 70–71;}

Puskas, Conclusion, 51–52.

345 _{Acts 2:42–47; 4:32–35; 5:42; 9:31; 12:19b; 14:28; 15:30–35; 17:11–13; 18:18; 18:21b–}

23; 19:8–12; 19:22. Eisen, Poetik, 101–102.

346 _{Tyson, Images, 117. Cf. Steve Walton, “How Mighty a Minority Were the Hellenists?”, in}

Earliest Christian History: History, Literature, and Theology: Essays from the Tyndale Fellowship in Honour of Martin Hengel, ed. M. F. Bird and J. Maston, WUNT 2.320 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012), 305–327, citing 322; Longenecker, Boundaries, 175–86.

347 _{Possible candidates for the first Gentile mission in Acts are the Ethiopian eunuch (8:26–}

40), but against this is his description as a worshipper at Jerusalem (8:27); Cornelius (10:1–11:18), but against this is his description as a God-fearer (10:2); the church at (Syrian) Antioch (11:19–26), but this in uncertain due to the more difficult reading of Ἑλληνιστής (11:28) which is previously used of Greek-speaking Jews (6;1; 9:29), but is in contrast to Jews at 11:19. They could be God-fearers or proselytes. The term “prototype mission” is borrowed from John Eiffion Morgan-Wynne, Paul’s Pisidian Antioch Speech (Acts 13) (Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2014), 4. Cf. Dupont, Nouvelles études, 344; O’Neill, Theology of Acts, 131.

character’s longing for the past.349 _{This supports the proposal followed in this study,}

that Paul’s imprisonment in 21:27–26:32 marks the restoration of his mission which is in decline following his decision to return to Jerusalem (19:21).

The significance of specific temporal terms such as the “forty days” (1:3), portraying a complete period of preparation,350 _{“the Sabbath” (thirteen times),}

suggesting a Jewish focus,351 _{“night/midnight” (sixteen times), suggesting spiritual}

darkness, and “dawn” (three times), picturing the resurrection, are highlighted in the exploration of Chapters Three to Five. The recurrence of periods like “today” (nine times),352 _{“three days” (seven times),}353 _{“seven days” (four times),}354 _{“three months”}

(three times),355 _{and “two years (three times)”}356 _{may underline their symbolic}

connection or cause the reader to link story events. Lengthy temporal terms emphasise the importance of the locations and/or events.

Diagram VII, on the next page, combines these factors to show the repeating temporal terminology, the overlapping temporal nature of “Act II”, and the temporal sequences in “Acts IV and V”. This study tests the hypotheses that: (1) an absence of temporal movement (“Acts I, II, and III”) suggests an interpretation of the sections as thematic/paradigmatic principles; and (2) a temporal movement (increasing in “Act IV” and especially “Act V”) suggests missional progression or development.

349 _{Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art, 180–184.}

350 _{This is given a fuller consideration in Chapter Four (see §4.3.1.9, pp.184–85).}

351 _{Spread evenly across Acts from 1:12 to 20:7 with four refs in Acts 13. Hornick and}

Parsons, Acts, 210–12; Isaac W. Oliver, Torah Praxis after 70 CE: Reading Luke and Acts as Jewish Texts (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2013), 194–237, esp. 233–37.

352 _{A literary marker. Baban, “Reasons for Luke-Acts”, 54–55; Allen, Lukan Authorship of}

Hebrews, 236–37.

353 _{The resurrection after a suffering period (Hos 6:2; Matt 12:40).} 354 _{The creation (Gen 1:1:1–2:2).}

355 _{A period of completeness. Cf. Francis Pereira, Ephesus: Climax of Universalism in Luke-}

Acts. A Redactional-Critical Study of Paul’s Ephesian Ministry (Acts 18:23–20:1) (Anand, India: Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, 1983), 127–29, for the sense of completeness in Exod 2:2; 2 Sam 6:11; 1 Chr 21:12; Goulder, Type and History, 165, links it to the three months of care Moses received from his family (7:20).

356 _{Linking successful mission (19:10), recovery (24:27), and closing ministry (28:30). Cf.}