Core Message of Speeches in Acts and High Christology

This study explores three fundamental inquiries. First, it investigates the core message embedded within the primary speeches in Acts, employing the information structure analysis which was developed by Stanley E. Porter and Matthew B. O’Donnell. Second, it examines the formulation of a creedal statement derived from an amalgamation of core expressions of the speeches and a broader examination of texts of the New Testament. Third, it explores the nexus between these findings and the domain of Systematic Theology that includes the texts of Nicene Creed, Chalcedonian Creed, Anthony C. Thiselton, Richard N. Longenecker, Paul Tillich, Norman L. Geisler, and Robert D. Culver, seeking harmony among exegesis, New Testament Theology, and Systematic Theology. Through exegetical analysis of selected texts from speeches in Acts, a recurrent topic emerges: the proclamation of Jesus’s resurrection, constituting the essence of the core statement of the speeches. This core statement evolves into a creedal statement replete with theological import, elucidating both the exalted status of Jesus and the imperative of repentance. Further scrutiny of canonical texts, including the Gospels and the Pauline epistles, bolsters the pivotal significance of Jesus’s resurrection, thus illuminating its enduring influence on Christian theology. In addition, the centrality of the resurrection testimony in discussions surrounding Christology in Systematic Theology underscores its indispensable role as a cornerstone of Christian faith and as a focal point in doctrinal discourse concerning high Christology.