The Migrant People of God righteous are outsiders; the unrighteous, those of the home culture. This critique of home culture continues in the Acts of the Apostles. The testimonies of the apostles and Stephen before the Jerusalem Council accuse these leaders of murder (Acts 3:22-23; 4:10; 7:52-53). Meanwhile the outsiders accept the evangelists’ teaching: in Samaria (Acts 8) and Ethiopia (Acts 8) and even to Gentiles like Cornelius (Acts 10). As the story of Acts continues, Paul declares to the Corinthian Jews “From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” (18:6; cf. also 28:28). The final chapters of Acts depict the occupying Romans as the reasonable characters who save Paul against home-culture violence (Acts 21-26). Acts ends with an argument between Paul and a synagogue in Rome. Here Paul declares: “Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen” (Acts 28:28). Thus, what starts in the Jerusalem Temple becomes a thoroughly Gentile affair. Luke-Acts stands as the sole example of segmented assimilation in the NT.19 However, it has great clout, because it alone provides a narrative theology of the post-resurrection church. The God of Luke-Acts constantly interacts with the world, through Jesus and through the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:39; 10:44). Luke’s God offers immanent salvation to those who accept Jesus as Messiah (Acts 2:22-36; 3:13-26; 4:8-12; 5:29-32; 7:2-53). God’s messiah comes for revelation to the Gentiles (εθνοι) and the redemption of all flesh (Luke 2:32; 3:6). God’s people extend beyond Abraham’s descendents (3:8). God pours out God’s spirit even on Gentiles (Acts 10) and recognizes all humanity as of the same ancestry (Acts 17:26). God’s judgment will come heavily against those who reject Jesus as Messiah (Acts 18:6), especially the Ιουδαιοι.20 In Luke-Acts, God’s people bear witness to God’s chosen, turning from home to the embrace of the welcoming Gentiles (Acts 28:28).
A Liminal World-Orientation The Gospel of John and the book of Hebrews share a liminal world-orientation. These writings also reject their home culture. In John’s gospel, the portrayal of “the Jews” demonstrates this (John 6-10). John reimagines many of the Jewish festivals in light of Jesus’s ministry. Judaism is his home culture. Yet their rejection of the Christ-believers, illustrated by the story of the man born blind (John 9), marks the rift between John and his home culture. In Hebrews, imperfection rather than antagonism motivates rejection of home culture. The preacher argues that the Law is “weak and ineffectual”; Jesus, as heavenly high priest, has ushered in a better covenant (Heb 7:18; 10). However, these writings also reject their host cultures. In Hebrews, all earthly structures are imperfect, and no lasting city exists for God’s people on earth (Heb 13:14). John writes that Christ comes into the world (John 17:14-16; 1:1-18; 18:36). The world does not know Christ (John 1:10), who made the world and comes to save it from sin, to give it life and light (John 1:29; 3:16-17; 6:33; 8:12). Thus, the world rejects Christ (John 3:19) and hates his testimony (John 7:7; 15:18). Christ comes to judge the prince of the world, which is accomplished by his being “lifted up” (John 12:31-32; 16:11), that is, by his being killed in and by the world. 6