Luke's Rhetorical Compositions

Luke's Rhetorical Compositions offers new ideas in Lukan scholarship, especially in regard to Aelius Theon's first-century rhetoric manual (Progymnasmata) and inter-textual, Lukan-Pauline, biblical studies. Two chapters deserve special mention: the material in chapter 3 is a groundbreaking discussion of Acts 2:38 in which its Greek verb tense speaks to the subsequent reception of the gift of the Holy Spirit following salvation, not coincident with salvation. In Acts 2:38 it is Luke's intention to portray Peter as promising the gift of the Holy Spirit to hearers and to those beyond narrative time as a Pentecostal experience.

Chapter 9 discusses Luke's use of progymnasmatic examples in his descriptions of the salvation experience. It also discusses Luke's clarification of Paul using narrative persuasion from Jesus tradition and history. Also, Luke's use of basic soteriological vocabulary provides clarity and plausibility. His distinctive selection of examples from the Jesus tradition and his duplication of Paul's soteriological vocabulary is very helpful.