From Followers to Leaders

Download or read book From Followers to Leaders written by Nelson P. Estrada and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2004-04-01 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nelson Estrada examines the apostles' transformation of status from followers to leaders in Acts 1-2. He challenges the common view that Acts 1:12-14 is the preparation for the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2, and that the sole purpose of Acts 1:15-26 is to set the number of the apostles at twelve-in line with Jesus' prophecy in Luke 22:30. Instead, Estrada reads Acts 1:12-14 and 1:15-26 as primarily propagandistic in nature. He argues that these pericopes promote the leadership integrity of the apostles by attempting to win the support of the women disciples and Jesus' family and then, through Judas' excommunication, extirpation, and replacement, to win that of the 120 disciples.