Feast of the Ascension Discussion Questions

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A Conversation with the Weekend Readings
Theme: Ascension & Heaven
 First Reading: ACT 1:1-11
Second Reading: EPHESIANS 1:17-23
Gospel: MATTHEW 28:16-20

Questions to consider:
                       
1)    The Book of Acts is believed to have been written by the same author as the Gospel of Luke. Both texts are believed to have been written near the end of the 1st century (50+ years after Jesus walked this earth). The material was passed on orally during these decades.  Why do you think it is important for us to be aware of this historical condition and in ways might it impact the details of the text? 

2)    In the Book of Acts, it is stated that Jesus was on the earth for 40 Days before ascending.  He tells the disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit to be with them (Pentecost) when he leaves this earth.  Numbers were significant in antiquity because they marked a divine order to reality. What do you think is the significance of the number 40 in this text? Where else in the Hebrew or Christian Scriptures is the number 40 a significant detail of the story? How might it lend itself to the theme of Ascension / Heaven?  

3)    The Letter to the Ephesians was attributed to the Apostle Paul, but most Scripture scholars agree it was probably written later than Paul, by one of Paul’s students/disciples.  Paul’s authentic letters are the earliest texts within the Christian Canon (New Testament), but this letter probably was written around the same time as Acts.  In what ways might the date/context of the letter help us to better understand the community of faith that had formed around it? 

4)    In the Letter to the Ephesians, the following line, “May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened” stands out. What do you think the writer meant by this? What does this phrase mean to you personally?    

5)    Matthew is included in the Canon of Scripture as the first Gospel, but it is not the earliest one written.  It is placed first because it is pastorally most significant. In this text we find our baptismal formula: Go, therefore and baptize all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Neither the sacrament of Baptism nor a doctrine of the Trinity had developed at this time. It would be many years before either would fully develop.  Most Scripture scholars suggest this passage in Matthew was a later redaction or addition to the text.  In the footnotes of the NRSV, it states, “This explicit Trinitarian formula is rare in the NT and probably derives from early Christian worship.”  The theology of the sacrament of Baptism evolved in the history and tradition of the Church and is still evolving. Why is this information pertinent to understanding the text?  How has this text been misunderstood and used to abuse historically, particularly the command to “baptize all nations”? How has it been fruitful? How do you personally understand the theology of the sacrament of Baptism? Has your understanding of it changed over the years?

6)    When you think of this theme of Ascension/Heaven, what images come to mind? Is heaven for you a place or a state of being? 

7)  What are the key preaching points that stand out for you in these readings? 
                                   

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