The Upper Room Discourse ( John 13-17 )

The disciples are witnesses to the decent and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Then by their witness the are to proclaim the gospel to Jerusalem, Judea, Samar and to the all the ends of

Over the centuries, Christianity has organised its beliefs into a systematic theology that draws from its sacred writing and tradition. While the main beliefs of Christianity are shared by all Christian variants, there are degrees of different in the interpretation of these beliefs and how they are lived out in everyday life. This can be seen in the important of sacred text, principle belief of the concept of salvation in John 3:16, principle belief of divine and humanity in ‘John 1:14’, principle belief of resurrection in ‘Mark 16:1-8’, principle belief of revelation in ‘1 corinthians14:6’, and beliefs through the Trinity in ‘2 Corinthians 13:14’. This essay will explain the important of the sacred text and the principal beliefs of Christianity.

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

In these brief three pages, there is a bold calling for spiritual authority, and ways friends of Jesus can authentically experience and acquire that authority. In the beginning, Anderson explained that spiritual authority is manifested from personal experiences and not “secondhand authorities” (pages 50-51). Next, he addressed certain characteristics that “make one fit to be a minister of the gospel” (pg. 51). Finally, he provided a glimpse on what it takes to be an Authentic Child of Light by walking well in the Light. In these three pages, I felt like Margaret Fall in which these words cut to my heart and I wept.

Throughout the New Testament Gospels, an abundance of enriching, soulful narratives thrive and live on through their cultivated messages of hope, compassion, miracles, and redemption. Recalling in detail the heroic life and journey of Jesus Christ, expounding his teachings and philosophy, and revealing hidden components of God’s divine nature, the Gospels are rife with symbolism and potent imagery which are accessible to people of every faith. The timeline of Jesus Christ’s life, miracle healings, administered sermons, and selfless service to the people he met and interacted with is encapsulated in the storyline of four texts within the Christian Bible which have been juxtaposed with one another. When these are read together, one can observe many fascinating parallels and similarities that make it difficult to dispute the information or messages about the life of Jesus Christ which the Gospels disseminate. There are specific passages in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John which reveal the fundamental aspects of what it means to be a disciple, and furthermore, what it means to be a human being. This essay will address discipleship and human nature as they appear in three passages, Mark 5: 1-20, Mark 5: 35-43, and Matthew… By way of thorough examination and formal analysis of the scriptural text, definitions of what it means to be a true disciple and a true human being will be discussed.

The final eight epistles of the New Testament canon exert an influence out of proportion to their length. They complement the thirteen Pauline Epistles by offering varying perspectives on the richness of Christian truth. Each of the five authors – James, Peter, John, Jude, and the author of Hebrews – made a distinctive contribution from his own point of view. Like the four harmonizing approaches to the life of Christ portrayed in the Gospels, these writers provide a sweeping portrait of the Christian life as a whole and how it should be lived out. Although Paul’s epistles are excellent, the New Testament revelation after Acts would be severely limited by one apostle’s perspective had the writing of these five men been neglected. The

Secondly, McKnight determines that the story of Jesus is the resolution of problems emanating from Israel’s story, which is also applicable in our day to day preaching. Thirdly, the author further discusses the plan of salvation. The church leaders create a clear explanation of the themes of atoning

These accounts also had similarities and differences in how Jesus presented himself to them. In Matthew, Jesus presented himself in Galilee while in John 20:1-29, the location of where Jesus presented himself was not specific, he just appeared to them. In Luke, two of the apostles were walking to Jerusalem when they encountered Jesus. Jesus started talking to them to ask them what was wrong and they had told them about the men who claimed that Jesus rose.

The branch between the Old Covenant (OC) and the New Covenant (NC) is, for many, a debatable issue. The main topics for these debates are on salvation coming from the OC Law (Mosaic Law/ Torah) that one must “work” to accomplish, or salvation coming from faith in the NC alone. Many theological genres have sprouted up throughout the year’s arguing the relevance of the OC Laws (Jewish Torah), and the “Law of the Spirit” as Paul states in Romans 8:2. Because of these different views, various doctrine have become scattered throughout the world. In this essay, the main theme will be to uncover the connection between the OC Law and the Gospel as spoken by Paul. “The Law of the Spirit” that Paul teaches, is ultimately the same as the OC Law throughout the Torah, but the NC demonstrates Christ’s fulfillment of that Law and the New Commandment to Love, which is the completion of the Law.

Seeing their Master on the verge of leaving, the Apostles were concerned regarding the restoration of the kingdom. By answering that the timing of the restoration is unknown, Jesus had the disciples once again focus on the Holy Spirit. His ascension shocked the disciples still. Again, their focus had to center in the Holy Spirit; thus, angels comforted

When Devastated Thomas returns to knock on the door of the locked room, he expects the angry arguments and anguished weeping of the grieving disciples. Instead, when the door flings open, he is surprised by loud, excited conversation and …. laughter!. The disciples are quick to share the good news of what they had seen and experienced. “Oh, Thomas! Thomas! We have seen the Lord! He was right here! You just missed him.” In a tumble of words, they describe a Jesus who is wounded but alive! These people, who had been burdened by guilt and grief only hours before, were themselves alive again! They too were resurrected, changed by their encounter with the risen Lord. They repeat Jesus’

In chapters 15 and 16 of John, Jesus prepared his disciples for his departure. Part of that preparation was disclosure of the coming of the Holy Spirit and his work (John 15:26). Immediately preceding this He referred to the rejection of the Jews in spite of the testimony of the miraculous signs he had performed (15:24-25). He then made reference to the testimony of the coming Holy Spirit whom he described as the “Advocate” (15:26) and instructed the apostles that they too must testify. It was the Spirit that fueled their later fulfillment of Jesus’ instructions and accredited their testimony with miracles. The Spirit of Truth bore witness to the truth of their words with his power. In this way, he was, indeed, their advocate as well as their companion in ministry and in their walk with God.

In the opening scene of the book Acts, Luke records Jesus, who has recently risen, addressing the Apostles. Before He ascended into heaven, He left His disciples with a commission: to be witnesses. In Acts 1:8, Jesus stated, “[Y]ou will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Contextually, these last words of Jesus were remarkable to the immediate audience, and His last words are remarkable to those who properly interpret Acts 1:8. The context of Acts 1:8, the interpretation, and the practically of Acts 1:8 reveal effective principles for Christians who desire to spread the Gospel throughout the ends of the earth.

INTRODUCTION Oh how awesome it must have been, the opportunity to spend countless hours with Jesus! The disciples were truly blessed. However, the despairing reality of it all was that the disciples did not perceive the intent of Jesus’ teachings until He was later resurrected. Most of us grew up learning the same lessons that Jesus taught his disciples, and because of that Jesus’ Word still stands true in our lives today.

Yet, it is Matthew’s Gospel that most profoundly shapes our Christianity. Proclaiming himself the fulfillment of the Old Testament law and prophecies ( In response to John’s question Jesus affirms that He is the Messiah (11:1-6)) , he moves us forward into the New Testament with his teachings. This is the Gospel that gives us Jesus the teacher. It is here that he presents us with the truth, the way and the life expected of his disciples. The Beatitudes, The Lord’s Prayer, the parables and so much of what we hold central to the practice of our faith would be