At the 76th annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Diego (November 2024), CSNTM Research Coordinator, Preston Russell, presented his paper, “Paul and Barnabas as ????? (Law) to the Gentiles? On the Significance of ??? (Light) in Acts 13:47.”
Preston Rusell argues in this paper that, in Acts 13:47, Paul and Barnabas are portrayed as bringers of God’s Mosaic Law, recontextualized within the framework of the death and resurrection of God’s Messiah, to the Gentiles. The basis for this claim is comprised of (1) Luke’s Greek Isaiah source demonstrates a heightened emphasis on Mosaic Law and is connected with the concept of “light” and (2) the historical, literary, and theological contexts of Acts 13:47 heavily favor the presence of Mosaic overtones in Paul and Barnabas’ solemn pronouncement. Therefore, the revelatory light that Paul and Barnabas represent is nothing less than the expansion of God’s covenant relationship to include the Gentiles in light of God’s promise to Israel fulfilled in Christ.