Universal Perspective: Acts and 1 Peter

'Catholic' (Universal) Christianity
History is the purposeful narration of past events.

Church history is the Christian community's faithful remembrance of its past.

The NT often narrates past and current events

according to the paradigmatic histories of Israel and Jesus.

Churches and believers thus become 'characters' in the ongoing gospel story.

The narrative seems fundamental, not just a useful literary device.

The writings below share a 'wide perspective' on Christian community.

Other writers' perspectives are narrower, addressing more particular settings.
(Do such differences help resolve some apparent biblical inconsistencies and contradictions?)

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 is transformative for 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 is ongoing (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.
(What would this say of their origin and circulation in the first century?)

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).

"This is the true grace of God: stand fast in it" (5:12).

Paradigmatic Perspectives
Christians can operate with 'a canon within the canon':

Paul is paradigmatic for classical Protestants.
Acts is paradigmatic for Pentecostalism.
1 Peter is paradigmatic for the ethical vision of Will Willimon and Stanley Hauerwas, Resident Aliens.