Introduction The Book of Acts is often referred to as the Acts of the Apostles; however, the goal of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of the acts of the Holy Spirit in this book. Drumwright points out that in the 68 chapters of the Synoptic Gospels there are only 34 references to the Holy Spirit. Compared to the 28 chapters of Acts there are 56 references to the Holy Spirit. The abundance reveals Luke’s desire to reveal the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit. This paper outlines how Luke unfolds the personal and powerful Holy Spirit who presses believers to bring the gospel to the world, thus empowering the fulfillment of the Great Commission (Acts 1:8).
The Holy Spirit in Acts Luke introduces the reader
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Peter states that Jesus received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father. Afterward, Jesus poured the Spirit out onto the believers (Acts 2:33). The Apostle Peter makes the idea clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit is not only for those who are listening to him, but for all who will believe. Peter refers to the Prophet Joel when he says the promise of the Holy Spirit is for their “children and all who are afar off.” (Acts 2:39a) Drumwright points out that “six times in Acts the Spirit’s ministry is described as ‘the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” The gift of the Spirit empowers people for service, witness and mission for God.
Luke also demonstrates that the Spirit instructs, informs and animates the community of believers. God has bestowed the Holy Spirit to allow those in Jesus to see, hear and speak with His supernatural power and insight. All the above characteristics speak to the person of the Holy Spirit.
Scripture uses the effect of filling (Acts 4:8; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9), indwelling (Act 6:5; 10:44) and baptism/immersion, (Acts 1:5; 2:38; 11:16) in the Holy Spirit to express how the Spirit is obtained by believers. The Holy Spirit is not new, “Filling with the Spirit was a phenomenon believers also experienced at various times in the Old Testament economy (Exod. 35:30-34; Num. 11:26-29;1 Sam. 10:6, 10).” When the Spirit makes an appearance in the Old Testament, He usually speaks with or directs the actions
Statement # 1(From The Cradle, The Cross, and The Crown Chapter 8, Loc 10638 of 28382, 1st Paragraph) “There are several significant human agents, but there is one, and only one, major divine agent underlying the entire plot of the book of Acts: the Holy Spirit. For this reason, rather than identifying the book as presenting the “Acts of the Apostles,” it may be more accurate to say that at its heart are the “Acts of the Holy Spirit.” I believe that the book of Acts is a great depiction of how the Holy Spirit can and will move through dedicated people. Without the Holy Spirit, Paul and all the great men in the book of Acts are just great men.
Let me explain, in the book of Acts, there is the history of how Christianity came about. The Apostle Peter preached boldly because of the Holy Spirit. In my opinion, the life application here is to turn to the Holy Spirit to give us courage also insight to accomplish what God wants us to do building His kingdom. However, change will take place as new churches are founded. The book of Acts tells us that by faith in Jesus, along with the Holy Spirit, we can face these new problems, challenges as well as give us significant ways to unravel them. The early church was founded by God’s Holy Spirit and His power with the help of his disciples just as it should be today (Acts 1-2
The various gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in Scripture are conveyed according to the will of the Holy Spirit to every man for the eventual purpose of the edification and building up the church body.
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
In reading Howard I. Marshall, “Acts”, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. He implied, the most significant for studying and interpreting the book of Acts is how a reader gets out of what he is reading and how he approaches it (Marshall, 17). He states that, “an average reader studies the books of Acts as a history book of the early church” (Marshall, 17). Readers should use critical thinking to seek a deeper revelation. For example: recognizing the authorship to the Gospel of Luke. And seek for what the author’s purpose of writing Luke-Acts (Marshall, 19). Accurate information gives better understanding. In fact, if a reader did not know the culture or customs of the first-century Christian writers of the early church. They would not know the first-century Christian writers were only known to write Letters and Gospels, and not large history literature, as the author did in the book of Acts (Marshall, 18). Who was the author addressing with his literature (Marshall, 18)? With these considerations, it is most significant to have accurate information to be able to study and interpret the true of the book of Acts.
Acts of the Apostles chronicles the rapid advancement of the Gospel by way of the gift of the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles: The Charismatic Community in Mission” takes into account the narratives succeeding Pentecost including Spirit Baptisms from Samaria to Ephesus (Acts
Just when there’s no hope for Humanity, The Holy Spirit (the third Godhead in the trinity) sent from the father as a promise to aid humankind to inspire and empower Theophilus (The ones who loves God) to spread the “Good News” on the Salvation of Jesus Christ. The necessity of the Holy Spirit is to increase effectiveness of churches and personal testimony and become witnesses in all the Earth. In addition, it gave the disciples a power to perform miracles and healing.
Baptism in (or with) the Holy Spirit is a very important, distinctive Christian experience in the life of the believer. The basis is found in the book of Acts, specifically the event of Pentecost.
It is also important to see their obedience Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem (acts 1:12) Jesus told them to return to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and that is exactly what they did. They heard what he had sad and responded to what Jesus told them to do, even though He was no longer physically present with them. This was major key in ushering in the power of the holy Spirit.
However, when observed in its context, Ephesians 5: 18 can’t referrer to the gift of the Holy Spirit as promised by Peter on the Day of Pentecost. The context shows that Paul’s companion statements, “be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5: 18), and “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” were written to people who were Christians; therefore, they had already received the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38), and been
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.”
8. Acts 1:8 – The action of reception (receiving) will be when the Holy Spirit comes.
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.
The Holy Spirit is one of the most important concepts in the Christian world and every true Christian needs to have a complex understanding of this idea in order to be able to serve God to his or her full potential. The Holy Spirit is believed to play an important role in the Christian church's missionary approach. Many people consider that the Holy Spirit is one of the best solutions to situations where individuals come across problems in communicating to each-other. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for individuals to refrain from putting across confusing thinking and assists them in expressing ideas that can be easily understood by their interlocutors.
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.