John The Baptist's Prediction Regarding The Holy Spirit

Their understanding of the Old Testament prophets, up until now, was that God’s promise of good fortune through the Messiah were connected to the Jews b. They believed that Gentiles had to become proselytes, be circumcised, and adopt the Jewish religion before they could receive the blessings of the Messiah c. This made sense to the Jews because the prophets had said the Gentiles would come to the Jews to learn about their God and the law would go forth from Jerusalem d. And Jesus did tell the woman at the well that, “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22) e. This situation did not convince Peter that these Gentiles were saved apart from being baptized (Acts 10:47-48) f. Instead, this event caused Peter to argue that these Gentiles should be allowed to be baptized into Christ without being circumcised g. It convinced them that these Gentiles could be saved apart from being circumcised, apart from becoming proselytes, and apart from observing the law of Moses h. The Jews who were with Peter agreed, and Peter commanded Cornelius and those Gentiles with him to be baptized (Acts 10:48) i. It had been about 10 years since the Spirit was given on the day of Pentecost and this was the first recorded case of an apostle preaching the gospel to an uncircumcised

The book of Acts was written by Luke and was written "no later than the 60's” (Elwell and Yarbrough). Luke wrote Acts after he finished his Gospel. There are two very important key themes within this book. One is the beginning of the Church/the beginning of the Christian movement and the power of the Holy Spirit within the followers of Christ. In the beginning of Acts we see that Jesus is preparing his people for when He returns to heaven. In Acts 1:8 Jesus says, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem...” Jesus is leaving the Holy Spirit with His people so they will be witnesses to those around them

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 all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’’ (Acts 1:8). “I have told you this while I am still with you. The helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you” (John 14:26). “I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to bear. When however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God.

He was on his way to Damascus, when he saw a light from heaven and heard a voice that claimed to be “Jesus, whom [he] was persecuting” (Acts 9:5). This light caused him to lose his sight. Later in Acts 9:15, YHWH tells Ananias that “he [Paul] is an instrument whom I [YHWH] chosen to bring my name before Gentiles [ethne or “nations”] and kings and before the people of Israel”. Ananias went to Paul and stated, “The Lord [YHWH] Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 9:17). Paul received a “prophetic calling” from the Lord [YHWH] Jesus and was now a missionary for God to all people, including the Ioudaioi.

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

3 yrs later, shortly before Pentecost, Jesus talked with the apostles about a gift promised by the father and commanded, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4)

Answering God’s call to proclaim Christ, Paul and Barnabas left the church at Antioch in Syria. At first, their method of evangelism was to preach in the town synagogues. But when many of the Jews rejected Christ, the missionaries recognized God’s call of witnessing to the Gentiles.

In just the first chapter we find this promise and the words of Jesus: "But, ye shall 'receive power', after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Acts 1:8

The giving of the Spirit is described briefly in verses 1- 4, and the momentous event that Jesus had promised in chapter 1 is over. The Spirit comes with the marks of God’s own revealing presence: fire, wind, and noise (compare this scene with Exodus 19:16-19 and 1 Kings 19:11-12). But the focus of attention, both in the reaction of the crowd and in Peter’s sermon, is not on the wind and fire, and even on the Spirit as such, but on the words that the believers are

Acts 2:1-13 tells the story of Jesus’ ascension and the Pentecost. After Christ left, the disciples felt afraid and gathered to pray inside a room. In the middle of their prayers, a loud blowing sound was heard and tongues of fire were seen on each of the disciples’ heads. The experience empowered the disciples to

Some of the most significant events that took place during the 1st and 2nd century AD, was pentecost and St Paul's conversion. Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover. Pentecost occurred when the 12 Apostles gathered in a house, when they saw a violent wind come from heaven. It filled the area, and they saw tongues that looked like fire that separated and was above each of them. This was the first time the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit, which allowed them to speak different tongues. One of the Apostles filled with the Spirit preached to everyone that they should be baptised and they too would be filled with the Holy Spirit. 3000 were baptised, which increased the growth of the Catholic Church as it moved many to believe and become

In the Gospel of John 4:5-42 Jesus was walking through Samaria and when he became tired he stopped at a well. A woman came to the well and Jesus asked her for a drink. She responded how can a Jew ask a Samaritan for a drink. Jesus then begins telling the woman of living water and tells her to go get her husband and to return but the woman says she does not have a husband. Jesus says to her the she has five and the woman recognized him as a prophet because Jesus knew everything about her.. Then came the disciples and were shocked to see that Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman. When the woman left the well she left her jar behind and began to tell of her encounter. When people heard her story they

The book of Acts describes how Paul was ministering in Antioch with Barnabas, when he was directed by the Holy Spirit to be released from his Church duties. The Holy Spirit had another assignment for Paul, and that was to go and take the Gospel more widely. Some believe that this notion came from the Holy Spirit through fasting and prayer. Paul began his first missionary in the town of Antioch. Throughout Paul’s first missionary journey he was accompanied by Barnabas and Barnabas cousin John Mark.

Paul writes in Acts 22:6 that he experienced a vision, ‘I fell to the ground and heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me... I am Jesus of Nazareth.”’ Paul was blinded but continued on to Damascus where he became certain that his vision of Jesus symbolised his calling to spread the Gospel. When he arrived his sight was restored by a disciple named Ananias and Paul was baptised as he became a Christian, a follower of Jesus. This conversion to Christianity enabled Paul to believe that he had been given a mission to go preach the word of God. Paul embarked on journeys to towns where he would seek employment and gradually get to know people. Paul wanted to influence these people by speaking of his experiences he had with God and what they had taught him about Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. In these towns, Paul also established local churches and invited elders to run them whilst he was out of town spreading the word of God, ‘Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust’ (Acts 14:23).