The story of the Acts details the growth of the Christian movement from a small group of dedicated followers into a multi-ethnic, international movement. As quoted by The Bible Project, “[Acts] is a story about Jesus leading his people by the spirit to go out into the world and invite all nations to live under his reign” (Mackie "Acts Ch. 1-12."). Traditionally this book has been called the Acts of the Apostles because it describes the apostles’ deeds in spreading Jesus’ message. As Paul and Peter journey through the ancient world they bring with them the word of God. Sinners, gentiles, and persecutors alike are invited to join the movement and seek salvation. In Acts, Luke details the growth of the Christian movement and attributes that growth to the power of Jesus and his message of welcome which invites an ethnically and geographically diverse followership.
The story begins in Jerusalem where the risen Jesus Christ describes God’s kingdom to his disciples and instructs them to carry the message of His kingdom to the ends of the earth. The disciples begin during the Festival of the Pentacost at which Jewish pilgrims from all over the ancient world have gathered. Thousands of these pilgrims receive God’s message and accept his calling to create communities of generosity and worship. Before the disciples leave Jerusalem, they are preaching to a mostly Jewish crowd. As such, their persuasive methods are generally geared to the Jewish tradition. First, the disciples claim
The book of Acts deals with the development of the Christian church following the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. What occurred in Acts chapter two was the manifestation of God, the Holy Spirit on those gather in the upper room. Acts 1:8 (KJV) says, “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”. Jensen (1981) says the purpose of the book of Acts can be summed up in three words; registration, vindication, and edification. What God did, when God poured out God’s self on those assembled in the upper room in Acts chapter two, was for the continuation of the work Jesus Christ started in the four gospels.
One Nation under God. In God we Trust. These are phrases that have been engraved in the minds of a young American. These are the phrases taught in our schools, and the phrases found in our currency. These are the phrases that have dictated the development of the United States.
The Protestant Reformation was a major 16th century European movement aimed initially at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformation in western and central Europe officially began in 1517 with Martin Luther and his 95 Theses. This was a debate over the Christian religion. At the time there was a difference in power. Roman Catholicism stands with the Pope as central and appointed by God. Luther’s arguments referred to a direct relationship with God and using the local vernacular to speak to the people. Luther’s arguments remove the absolute power from the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church in general. The revenue from the taxes paid to the Church would be reduced with Luther’s ideas, in part because of
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
The book of Acts is known as 'the birth of the church'. Acts recounts the story of
The Christian religion finds its foundation on the Word of God and the work of Jesus Christ. Christianity finds its beginnings with Jesus Christ about 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came down to earth to teach, heal, and die for the sins of humanity. When God created man, he openly rebelled against God, causing a rift in their relationship. Since humans cannot save themselves, a perfect and completely innocent sacrifice was necessary in order to purify and restore mankind. Christianity is all about Jesus’ death and resurrection, as well as denying oneself and following Christ.
Over the past years of my life I have seen many changes, some for the good and others not as good. Change can be demanding and also crucial. The early believers would encounter this. One can see that significant change happened, when reading through the gospels and the book of acts it is obvious to the reader that the believers who followed Jesus would never be the same again.
Of the many Christians at work during the 20th century, the three most influential people that I believe will be remembered the most throughout the history of Christianity are Pope John Paul II, Karl Rahner, and Karl Barth. During Pope John Paul II’s pontificate, he had to deal with issues that connected the church to views in the outside world. His first challenge was communism in the Soviet Empire. The communist government of Poland had begun to cause tension between the Catholic Church during an election which led to Poland independence from the Soviet Empire (pg. 448). Several other countries followed this victory in Poland and they eventually overthrew the communism government of the Soviet Empire (pg. 448). John Paul II also had to deal
The intent of this paper is to evaluate the distinct character and quality of the expressions of the Protestant Reformation. This paper will discuss Lutheran Reformation, The Anabaptist, and The English Puritans as well as the Catholic Reformation also known as the Counter Reformation. It is the hope that after the reader has had the opportunity to view each of the characteristics and the expressions of each of the reformation the reader will have a better understanding of each and will be able to articulate the differences of each.
The Chinese Christian church in the United States often has ethnic characteristics, but different Chinese churches often have special concentration in the composition of the congregation, which reflects the tide of Chinese immigrants in different stages. For example, descendants of early immigrants from southern China usually have their fixed church. International students from the mainland of China have the church which they set up together. And other "informal immigrants" also formed Christian organizations. According to Aihui Lee, she divides American Chinese Christianity into four categories.
The renaissance period marked radical changes in many fields, this includes religion. The so-called Protestant Reformation was the split within western Christian Church initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin, and other early Protestants. Calls for reform came form all sectors of the European society and it is this dissatisfaction that explains why the ideas of Martin Luther evoked such extreme responses, there was already a ready audience. Although there had been significant attempts at reform before Luther, the date usually given for the start of the Protestant Reformation is 1517, when Luther published The Ninety-Five Theses. As he developed his ideas, Luther gathered followers, who came to be called Protestants. The word protestant
It would be easy to say that the book of Acts was written to tell the story of the Holy Spirit. While this is important, it is not the book's only purpose. Luke had a mission in mind to make sure future generations would have a model of how the church was supposed to look. Acts also documents the spread of Christianity to from Jerusalem to Rome. Written approximately in the early AD 60's, Acts has both historical importance ad theological insight into the coming of the Holy Spirit and the spreading of the modern church.
Martyrs tells us that the earliest persecution came under the rule of Nero in the year 67
One influential cult was based upon a mystical interpretation of Plato. Neo-Platonism was like a rational science that attempted to break down and describe every aspect of the divine essence and its relationship with the human soul. An Alexandrian Jew named Philo tried using Greek philosophy to interpret the Jewish scriptures. He wanted to unite the two traditions by suggesting that the Greek philosophers had been inspired by the same God who had revealed himself to the Jews.
In our modern society, religion can either promote positive, optimistic actions or negative, destructive ones. From Christianity to Daoism, each different religion shapes the lives of its followers. Christianity and Hinduism can propel their followers to achieve moral greatness, while Islam and _____ can cause people to do heinous, damaging acts of violence and self-destruction.