Multiple times, Luke tells about the Holy Spirit than any other biblical writer. He portrays the Holy Spirit as the activity and presence of God, but also as an impersonal force of power (Luke 4:18). Jesus knew that His work on earth could never be done by human efforts, but the power only comes through the Spirit of God (Coleman, p. 101). Clearly the power of witnessing was not in themselves, but in the Eternal Spirit communicating and effecting the will of God (Coleman, p. 101). The Holy Spirit directed Jesus in everything that he said or did during his incarnate life (Luke 4:1, 14). He empowered Jesus to cast out demons, to heal, and to preach (Coleman, p. 102). God’s work, whatever the form, is accomplished only through the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the one that allows those He chooses to operate in a greater capacity. I think the book of Acts should be referred to the “Acts of the Holy Spirit.” Statement # 2 (From The Cradle, The Cross, and The Crown Chapter 8, Loc 10794 of 28382, 1st Paragraph)
To start our research, we need to ask a critical question at the very beginning : Who is the Holy Spirit? The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is a person. Jesus never referred to “it” when He was talking about the Holy Spirit. In John 14,15 and 16, for example, He spoke of the Holy Spirit as “He” because He is not a force or thing but a person. The point is especially important at a time when pantheistic tendencies are
The Book of Acts in the Holy Bible was a documentation of the actions of Jesus’ disciples in the continuation of the salvation ministry began by Jesus. The Book of Acts was written by Luke whose work goes a long way in bringing out the presence of the Holy Spirit manifesting through the Apostles; Luke was both a theologian and a historian as per his writings documented in the holy bible. Through the book of Acts Luke emphasizes about baptism through the Holy Spirit, it is through the Holy Spirit that God fills the people. According to Luke’s documentation of the work of Christ’s apostles in the Roman Empire, the Holy Spirit
The following installment of The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke focuses on Holy Spirit in the Gospel of Luke and the Charismatic nature of Christ. In this chapter Stronstad examines how Luke observes the Spirit in the infancy narrative, inauguration narrative and various texts dispersed throughout his Gospel. A central motif within this section is Jesus fulfillment of Old testament prophetic trajectories. Next, Stronstad addresses the charismatic community and “The Holy Spirit at Pentecost”. He asserts: “The Pentecost narrative is the story of the transfer of the charismatic Spirit from Jesus to the disciples. [...] By this transfer of the Spirit, the disciples become the heirs and successors to the earthly charismatic ministry of Jesus” (Stronstad, 55). Additionally, he stresses the complexity of the gift of the Spirit. The event that transpired at Pentecost can be described as but not limited to a baptizing, clothing, outpouring, filling, and empowering of the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit of God is the active force or power in one’s life, which most certainly includes spiritual formation (Pettit, 2008, p. 46). When Jesus was speaking with his disciples he made it clear – by using the analogy of a vine and branches – that apart from him they could do nothing (John 15:5). Only if one is connected to Christ will they have the ability to bear fruit and the way Jesus empowers those connected to him is through the Holy Spirt that that father will send in his name (John 14:26). The fact is that the triune God dwells in the Christian in and through the Holy Spirit. One sees this when they place multiple passages together to gain a full understanding of this concept. For example, Jesus made it clear that he and the father would come and make their home with the disciple (John 14:23). In 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul reminds the Corinthians that their bodies are the very temple of God because the Holy Spirit dwells in them which is similar to what Jesus said would happen when he sent the Holy Spirit after his resurrection and ascension (John 14:17, 16:7).
During the events of the Pentecost, Luke emphasizes the role of the Holy Spirit in his retelling of the story by expressing that “the Holy Spirit’s descent upon a group of 120 disciples (a multiple of the Twelve) vindicates Jesus’ promise to equip them with supernatural power” (Harris, 2012: 290). In addition, the book goes on to tell us that “it [also] fulfills the prophet Joel’s ancient prediction that God would someday infuse all kinds of people with His Spirit.” When the Holy Spirit was sent down, men and women alike – any who professed the name of Jesus – were filled with the Spirit of the Lord, showing that Christianity is a religion for all peoples. REFERENCE Harris, S.L. (2012). Luke’s Account of the Early Church: The Book of Acts.
In the Gospel of Luke, Luke pronounces “all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles…” (Act 1:1-2 CSB). However, Acts is the account of all that Jesus continued to do and to teach through His apostles by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Luke portrays the role of the Holy Spirit as being given to help accomplish the Great Commission throughout his book. Fernando provides a great outline of Acts when he states, “The first chapter records the promise of the Holy Spirit… the second his descent, and the rest… his work in and through the church.” It could be concluded that Luke’s portrayal of Pentecost demonstrates the larger narrative on how the Church
On Pentecost, there was a loud noise from the sky, the then tongues of fire appeared, and then the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. This enables them to proclaim the good news of Christ. I think that Luke chose to describe the Holy Spirit as wind and fire because the Holy Spirit appeared to Moses in the
One of Luke's major goals was to make it clear to demonstrate a strong connection between what Jesus said and did and what his disciples later accomplish in his name (Harris, 2014). During the Pentecost, Luke emphasize that the holy spirit would come to the disciples and that they would travel and fulfill their duties. Luke's presentation of christainity's effected social customs and he concentrated on only a few figures using them to represent crucial stages in early christainity's swift transition (Harris, 2014). As a result, through the holy spirit's, the disciples accomphlished and fulfilled the ancient hebrew prophecy. "The same holy spirit that had empowered Jesus, empowered his followers to loyally carry on their master's works such
The Holy Spirit plays a very vital role in the lives of each and every believer; He can strengthen us with a strength that we cannot even begin to muster up in ourselves. He can bring us joy that we cannot even begin to find in the things of this world. He can bring peace to our lives more than anything that we can ever find on this earth. “The Holy Spirit which is primarily an energizing process, is also a revealing, refining, consuming, illuminating process, and one by which we are made to glow with love to God, and love to man, and love to souls.”
Then throughout the first two chapters in Luke 1:15 and 2:25-27, people are filled and inspired by the Spirit. This is important because we begin to understand that we do everything through the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and that the Holy Spirit is always with Christians. In Luke 24:49, Jesus promises the disciples to wait in the city until they will be “clothed with power from on high”, which is both the promise of the Father, but also the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps guide Christians in their walk with
The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, and is equal in essence and in power in the Trinity to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit was originally sent by Jesus after his ascension into heaven, Jesus himself saying that he would send a “helper” after he departed from the earth. This spirit is worshipped just as the Father and the Son are, and also participated in the creation of the world, sustaining and giving life continually to all things, and exhibits the uniqueness and characteristics of the third person in the Trinity. This is the same Holy Spirit that divinely inspired the infallible word of God, and although the canon is now closed, the Holy Spirit still works powerfully and constantly in the life of the church and in believers. The Holy Spirit is the giver of spiritual gifts, which are given at conversion and help the believer become more like their creator. The presence of the Holy Spirit is evident in the life of all true believers, and this Spirit turns cowardly men into mighty warriors for Christ who accomplish actions way beyond their natural ability.
In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit is the source of life and creation. The Holy Spirit worked in the lives of men that God placed His Spirit upon such as prophets and kings to perform His service. Therefore, the Holy Spirit was not given universally in the Old Testament but selectively and temporarily for service. However, in the New Testament, the Spirit grants life to God’s people and believers are brought to faith, in Jesus, through the sovereign work of the Spirit.
The Bible talks about several roles that the Holy Spirit plays in the lives of people today. The first thing that the Holy Spirit does is he provides conviction of sin to all people. John 16:8 said, “And when he comes, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”. Also, the Holy Spirit works in several ways for many believers that follow Christ. One of the roles that He works is to serve as a comforter and a helper in our daily life. In John 14:16-17 this means that there is someone that is helping us and guiding us and encouraging us during difficult time of
The power of the Spirit in Jesus should be an example of how believers should interact with the Spirit. As Jesus told His disciples of the helper He would send to them (Jn 15:26), believers today have the privilege to be empowered by the Holy Spirit as well. The disciples witnessed the miracles which Jesus performed and from this example they were able to have powerful ministries as well. Jesus ministry consisted of redeeming humanity from sin, performing miracles full of the Spirit and making available the power of the Spirit. His mission did not stop at establishing the Kingdom on earth, the great commission provides guidance to believers with what He wants for the Kingdom. The work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ ministry did not start at the baptism at the Jordan rather it started much earlier than His three years with the disciples.