$105.00

Steven A. Marquardt explores how early Christians would have understood the stories in Luke and Acts about God’s miraculous judgment of individuals who opposed or threatened divine purposes. From the muting of a doubting priest and the blinding of opponents to the sudden deaths of those who defy God, these episodes often have puzzled modern readers. By examining Luke’s stories alongside incidents of divine judgment in the Septuagint, Marquardt demonstrates how early Christians would have viewed these accounts not as isolated acts of punishment but rather as important signs within the larger story of God’s kingdom. For an ancient audience, Luke’s stories showed that God was continuing to work among Israel while also extending divine purposes to the nations. These unusual stories show how Luke situates the emergence of the early church within the continuing story of Scripture.

Steven A. Marquardt is an independent scholar and secondary educator in Atlanta, Georgia.

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