Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Acts 1:1-11 – Chiasm
Acts 1:1-11 (NASB)
A – RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION (1) The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach (2) until the day when He was taken up (analambanō) to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. (3) To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking (lego) of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
B – JERUSALEM (4) Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
C – HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED (5) for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
D – TIME (6a) So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying (lego), “Lord, is it at this time (chronos)
E – KINGDOM (6b) You restoring the kingdom to Israel?”
D’ – TIMES (7) He said (lego) to them, “It is not for you to know times (chronos) or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority,
C’ – HOLY SPIRIT PROMISED (8a) but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you,
B’ – JERUSALEM (8b) and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
A’ – ASCENSION AND 2ND COMING (9) And after He had said these things, He was lifted up (epairō) while they were looking on and a cloud received Him out of their sight. (10) And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. (11) They also said (lego), “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up (analambanō) from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”
A,E – This is the introduction to this scene and the subject matter is the Kingdom of God. Therefore it makes chiastic sense for the center to be on the Kingdom.
A,A’ – Both have linguistic connections: speaking/said (lego); taken up (analambanō). While “heaven” is in both sections, it is added in A.
B,B’ – Both emphasize Jerusalem but for different purposes. In B they are told to stay in Jerusalem and wait. In B’ Jerusalem becomes the starting point for their leaving.
C,C’ – Both are promises of the Holy Spirit
D,D’ – Both use time (chromos), but with differences. In English we see D is singular while D’ is plural, and maybe more importantly D is NOW and in D’ it is past, present, and future.
Comments