Fluid Sacredness from a Newly Built Temple in Luke–Acts

Abstract

In Stephen’s speech in Acts 7, Luke negates God’s indwelling of the Jerusalem Temple. God’s presence is not confined to a specific place, but is fluidly revealed to God’s people. In Luke-Acts, Jesus and his apostles take over the role of the old Temple so that they become newly built corporeal temples. Luke transfers the presence of the divine from the old Temple to the bodies of Jesus and his followers, and their behaviour produces sanctity around them. As the corporeal temple moves, this generates new sacred space everywhere. Thus, sacredness does not dwell in a fixed place, such as the Temple, but is fluidly expanded across previously restricted place.