The Gospel Abroad: Acts and 1 Peter

Sources: Raymond E. Brown, The New Testament: an Introduction (Doubleday, 1997); Bart Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, 3d ed. (Oxford, 2004); I. Howard Marshall et al., Exploring the New Testament: A Guide to the Letters and Revelation (IVP, 2002), chapter 21.

The Acts of the Apostles (especially Peter and Paul)
Acts is volume II of "Luke-Acts."
Its main characters are still Jesus (1:1), the Spirit (1:4-5), and the Apostles (1:8).
Acts chronicles several transformations with remarkable subtlety:

In Jerusalem — from Jesus to Peter (Luke 24-Acts 2).
Judea and Samaria — from Peter to others (chs. 6-8).
To the ends of the earth — from others to Saul/Paul (chs. 9-15).

Major themes:

The Church is apostolic Israel (ch. 1, cf. 3:25-26, Acts 24:10-21, Acts 26:1-23, Paul's farewell speech in 20:16-38).
The power of the Church is the Spirit of Jesus (2:1-42, 3:1-10, 8:4-17, 8:18-24, 19:1-20).
The good news is the apostles' preaching (sermons in 1:16-20, 2:14-39, 3:12-26, 4:8-12, 5:29-32, 10:34-43, 13:16-41 [and 4:24-30, 7:1-53, 17:22-31, 20:18-35?]) and interpretation (8:26-40).
The way of the cross is the Church's politics (4:1-31, 5:12-42, 6:8-8:3, 21:1-36, 22:22-26:32).
The Church is one (2:41-46, 4:32-37, 6:1-7) holy (5:1-11) fellowship.
The Church is universal (mission to Samaritans in 8:4-17 and Gentiles in 10-11/13:13-52/17:16-34 and ramifications for all in 15:1-31/21:20-26).
The way transforms both persons (Paul's conversion in 9:1-31, 14:8-20) and the world (16:16-40, 19:21-41, 28:1-10).
Mission continues (1:6-11, 28:14b-31's anticlimax).

An interpretive question: Over the course of (Luke-)Acts, is the fellowship the same? changing? progressing? evolving? apostasying?

For Christ, for the World: 1 Peter
Is the author Peter, via Silvanus?

The writer assumes his formerly pagan audience's facility with the Tanakh, especially Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah (e.g., in 1 Pet 2:4-10).
The story and teachings of Jesus are ethically central (e.g., 2:20-25 in 2:13-3:12).
1 Peter draws on traditions common to Matthew and Luke, Paul, James, Hebrews, and Ephesians — an apostolic mainstream.

Some themes:
Israel-in-exile is the paradigm for Christians' relationship with the empire (e.g., 1:1, 2:11-12).
Yet this is transformed in 2:18-5:11 into Christ-suffering-in-righteousness.
Jesus' atonement is extended to the world through the suffering Christian community:

The weak submit trustfully, following "in his steps" (2:21-25).
This wins over the strong by showing them Christ's way (3:1).
The strong honor the weak as joint heirs (3:7-8), particularly through church structure (5:1-11).
The innocent bear abuse from the wicked with a clear conscience (3:13-22).
The wicked are subject to God's harsh judgment (4:17-18).

Followers are called to perseverance: "This is the true grace of God: stand fast in it" (5:12).
A recent Petrine vision: Will Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas, Resident Aliens.

"The Kingdom of the World Has Become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ" (Rev 11:15)
Both writings reflect

the Father establishing Christ above all powers and authorities,
Christ establishing OT promises in the Kingdom of God,
the Spirit establishing his disciples in his mission, and
the church establishing the gospel in Gentile contexts (cf. Rev 1:1-2).

How much do these new settings alter the substance of the themes of the OT and the Gospels?

Human beings have our hero, and we antiheroes can now follow in his footsteps.
God's people can still be unreliable and fail, but they are no longer incapacitated.
A lot still needs to change, but God's provided and providing Spirit affords new relationships with God and the world.
The shape of the future remains apocalyptic, but is becoming clearer.