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Paul's contributions to Christianity
Paul's contributions to Christianity
Paul's contributions to Christianity
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First major theme of the book of Acts is the work of the Holy Spirit in the apostles and the early church. Jesus appeared to his disciples and commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift, the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:3b-5) As they gathered together and prayed in one place, the Holy Spirit came to rest on each of them (2:1-3). The disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit boldly proclaimed God’s word and performed miracles (2:14-42, 3:1-10). Throughout the book, the author focuses on how the Holy Spirt ministers the apostles and the believers in their lives and the community.
The Holy Spirit enabled Stephen to speak the truth boldly (6:10) until he was killed by the crowd (7:54-60). Saul the persecutor encountered with Jesus
What observations do you have about the character of the Holy Spirit in Acts?
The Holy Spirit is the gift given by God freely to those who repent their sins and believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 1:4-5, 2:38). It is God’s promise for all the people (2:39). The Holy Spirit is available to any believers even if they are the gentiles. Peter was astonished when he saw that the gentiles also received the Holy Spirit (10:24-48). He realized that ‘God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right’ (10:34-35). Since it is the gift from God, it cannot be purchased with money (8:19-20).
The Holy Spirit gives us power to make things possible. Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The power enabled the apostles to heal the sick (3:1-10, 5:15-16, 9:32-35) and raise people from the dead (9:36-43). The power also enabled them to speak the truth boldly (4:1-14, 7:1-53,
In Acts 2:36, Peter preached that “Let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” He also declared that “Jesus is Lord of all” (10:36). I understand that ‘Jesus is Lord of all’ means that everything is under his authority. In general, authority is not given to anybody but a person who is in the highest position.
In addition, Matthew 28:18 says that “Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth.” This verse reminds me of Genesis 1:1, which it say, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” According to Genesis, God has the authority over the heavens and the earth because he created them. Based on the scripture verses above, certainly, not only God but also Jesus has the authority over all.
Therefore, ‘Jesus is Lord’ implies meaning that Jesus is God. The meaning is clarified through Romans 10:9. It says, “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” The Lord Jesus came to the world to save us (John 3:17). Salvation comes from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who has the authority (Acts
In the film “The Holy Ghost People,” right away we get individual accounts of what the “Holy Spirit” is to certain individuals. One woman says the Holy Ghost guides her and keeps her going. The people are very intense about their beliefs, which comes from the religion Pentecostalism, which has a hyper focus on personal experience with God and baptism with the Holy Spirit. We see them in their church, we hear the sermon, and see the ritualistic dances and the way the prayer overcomes them, and causes seizure like motions. We see and hear the prayers for the healing of one woman’s eyesight, and another woman’s back pain. One man, seemingly the pastor, says that “if God is not doing what they ask, people aren’t believing hard enough.” Later we get an account from a woman of how she was nursed back to health as a little girl brought her nutrients, and she believes it was
Acts describes the continued spread of the gospel to new peoples and land. God’s love is not for any one race or ethnic subgroup a love, but for all who will respond to the gospel call.
The Spirit helps us implore (Romans 8:26-27). He gives us new life (John 3:3-6). He is our consoler, and he helps us comprehend God's statement (John 14:26). He lifts up Christ (John 15:26). He convicts us of wrongdoing (John 16:7-11). He helps us to live holy lives (Romans 15:16). He gives us love, happiness, peace, tolerance, thoughtfulness, goodness, faithfulness, tenderness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). He helps us share our confidence (Acts 1:8). What's more, he lives inside us (Romans
Jesus gave insight regarding these roles during His discussion with the disciples in John 14-16. From this, we learn that is was the role of the Holy Spirit to “guide [the apostles] into all truth” (John 16:13). It was by way of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that these men preached and taught the truth, and through that same inspiration that the writers of the New Testament penned the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:20, 21). The role of Jesus (the Word) is that the message that the Holy Spirit would “guide” the apostles in belonged to Him and would bring glory to Him. “‘He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you,’” (John 16:14). It was also in Jesus’ (the Word’s) name, or by His authority (cf. Matthew 28:18), that the Holy Spirit was to be sent. Finally, the Father’s role in New Testament revelation was to send the Holy Spirit, in Jesus’ name (John 14:26). It is also clear that the message which belonged to Jesus originated and came from the Father Himself (John 16:15). It was Deity that revealed His will in the form of the New Testament, and each Person had a specialized role in that
Jesus has been referred to in the Gospels as a man who had power over
Historical Context The Book of Acts, or sometimes known as The Acts of the Apostles, was written between 62 and 70 A.D. To better understand the meaning behind Acts, one should look at the history and what led to the writing of this book. It was written as a second half of a two part series, with Luke being the first half. Without mentioning himself in either of his writings, it is believed that Luke, a traveling companion of Paul, as mentioned in Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11, and Philemon verse 24 was the author of both Luke and Acts. We are told that Luke wrote or dedicated both works to Theophilus (meaning a friend of God). Back in the Gospel of Luke chapter 1, Theophilus is also referred to as “most excellent”, which in Greek is Kratistos, to show an expression of honor.
The Holy Bible, New American Standard Version. La Habra, California: THE LOCKMAN FOUNDATION. 1984. Luke 10:17, Acts 4:32-35. , Acts 5:1-8, Acts 11:24, Romans 15:7
Our comforter, teacher, and guide, the Holy Spirit is all these things and more. The Spirit convicts men of their sin and brings them new life. Before examining His ministry, we must first learn to view the Spirit as a person rather than a power. He has a mind, will, and emotions. In I Corinthians 2:10, the Bible states that the Spirit "…searches all things, yes, the deep things of God." For someone to search and explore another's thoughts, he must himself possess a mind. Jesus says that the Spirit will come to convict mankind of sin (John 16:8). This demonstrates His will. Acts 15:28 says, "…for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit…" Therefore He has the capability to determine between good and bad. He has a will and emotions.
For Christians it is impossible to comprehend all of God’s mysteries, all of God’s plans, all of God’s desires, abilities, mercies, and blessings. It’s impossible to comprehend all of God. This is the price they pay for serving a divine God of infinitive complexity. Even when he spells it out for them, as he did with creating the bible, the human mind is incapable of understanding how God works. Since people are simple minded and selfish beings, debates over what God is trying to tell them in scripture can be formed, and can get to the point where these debates spilt the Christian churches. The question of whether or not the gifts of the holy spirit still has an active role in the modern day churches is one that has been greatly argued among the believers. Although many ideas have been presented on the matter, three major viewpoints have been formed; Cessationism, Continuationism, and an open but cautious view. Whether or not the gifts of the spirit are still part of the Christian chu...
In order for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the hearts of Christians to be a reality, however, Christians must not be outside of Christ. This means that they must have faith before they can receive the Holy Spirit. One could consider this appropriate because Christ and the Holy Spirit, aside from the fact that they are of the same substance, share many of the same roles. Both are mediators, teachers, and intercessors. The Holy Spirit alone has many other names, including: fire, water, spirit of adoption, and others. In addition to this, the main work of the Spirit is faith, in that the Spirit serves as the Christian’s teacher and reminder of God’s
In the Bible’s New Testaments the book of Acts is of Narrative genre and is also called the Acts of the Apostles. It is written by Luke who happens to be the author of Gospel of Luke. This book tells a story of first Christians. After the death of Jesus (as mention in “Matthew”) as he went to heaven the Christians waited in Jerusalem. After Holy Spirits were sent by God, the first Christians were given the power by them. And they end up telling the people about Jesus. It was the Christians who explained t...
Matthew writes his gospel account to give us the view of Jesus as the King:
The Book of Acts was written to provide a history of the early church. Acts emphasis the importance of the day of Pentecost and being empowered to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. Acts sheds light on the ministry gift of the Holy Spirit, which empowers, guides, teaches, and serves as our Counselor. When reading the Book of Acts many of the readers will be enlightened and encouraged by the many miracles that were being performed during this time by the disciples Peter, John, and Paul. The Book of Acts emphasizes the importance of obedience to God’s Word and the transformation that occurs as a result of knowing Christ. There are also many references to those that rejected the truth that the disciples preached about in Jesus Christ. Power, greed, and many other vices of the devil or evidenced in the book of Acts. Acts 1:8 serves as a good summary of the Book of Acts. Acts records the apostles being Christ's witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the rest of the surrounding world.
The doctrine of the Holy Spirit begins with examining biblical witness to the work of the Holy Spirit in the history of Israel, as well as the ministry of Jesus, and in the life of the church. During the creation account it was the breath of God that grave life to all creation. The Holy Spirit has been a primate actor sin the beginning of time. While the Spirit was present prior to the ministry of Christ, the New Testament speaks in greater detail of the Spirit because it empowered Jesus. From his conception to the day of Pentecost the Sprit was present and active in the life of Christ and the believers. We see in ...
The biblical book of Acts is an interpretation of the early discoursing regarding Jesus Christ, the development of the ancient Christian people, and sharing the good news of the Christian message. When Jesus was raise from the dead he went to see his disciples to my understanding, respiring on the disciples and stating, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (John 20:22, NKJV). On the contrary even though the disciples had obtained the Holy Ghost after Jesus respired on them, my studies revealed that Jesus expressed to the disciples to pause for the satisfying or fulfillment of the Holy Ghost that was in Jerusalem.