"I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David" A Comparison of Messianic Elements in the Inauguration Speeches of Jesus, Peter and Paul in Luke-Acts

Abstract

This study will focus on the inaugurating speeches of Jesus, Peter and Paul and the messianic elements which emerge from them. There are reoccurring similarities with Jesus and his followers throughout Luke's double work (Luke–Acts), but the speech given by Jesus differs from the ones given by Peter and Paul. At first, Jesus speech seems to carry prophetic element, but through the study a progression for the royal Davidic Messiah will be detected. The study primarily investigates the quotes from scripture, which Luke uses to prove and confirm the claims made by Jesus, Peter and Paul. The Messianic era was understood as being present by the coming of the spirit and it was progressively launched in phases through these speeches. For Luke, the signs of this era are demonstrated by the outpouring of the spirit and the gentile inclusion. In the final discussion a hypothesis will be presented regarding an interim Davidic typology for Luke's narrative outline and the understanding of the Messiah. This means that the differences detected in the speeches might be explained by Luke's use of the Davidic narrative in 1 Sam 13–2 Sam 2, which describes the anointing of David long preceding his enthronement. A pattern, which matches the progression of the speeches in Luk 4, where Jesus was anointed, but not enthroned (in heaven) until his post resurrected exaltation in Acts 1. The speeches of Peter and Paul therefore share different premises for the proclamation about the Messiah.