It might also be called "The Acts Of The Holy Spirit", as that Person of the Godhead is very much an active participant throughout the book. No section of the life of John the Baptist would be lived apart from the presence of the Hoy Spirit. Bruce points out that it did not take much time before it was clear that the gift of the Holy Spirit was not to be restricted to the apostles and those who were associated with them37. If you are able and willing, get his complete works (16 volumes). Even to this day, those people who are filled with the Holy Spirit through their honest commitment to carry out the will of God, are able to increasingly experience its wonders and power. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990. Holy Spirit Research Papers Research papers on the Holy Spirit discuss one part of the Christian concept of a triune God. The Holy Spirit was the source of the daily courage and strength. The Pentecost narrative presentation is carried out in such a manner as to remember past biblical themes and to give a suggestion that the Spirit’s coming is “their fulfilment”27. The disciples prayed for wisdom in knowing who Judas' replacement should be (Acts 1:24). 4 Leon Morris, New Testament Theology (New York: Zondervan, 1990), 191. The remainder of Acts is divided into two major sections. Chapter one of Charles Stanley's book begins with a definition of exactly what is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts A research paper submitted to Professor P. L. Brewster In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements For BIBL364 Liberty University Online By Robert Ortiz Jr. Lynchburg, Virginia August 17, 2012 Table of Contents Introduction 2 The Coming / Filling of the Holy Spirit 2 The Holy Spirit Speaks through Believers 4 Web.8 January. In fifty chapters that progress through the book of Acts, Boice issues a challenge to believers to follow the first-century church. January 15, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-holy-spirit-in-acts-term-paper/. with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5), and this is specifically elucidated as “power from on high” to witness (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). Luke described to Theophilus in his first letter about Jesus' life up to the resurrection. All the guidance came from the Holy Spirit. Peter pointed out in Acts chapter two and verse thirty eight to people that they need to engage in repenting their sins and to be baptized in the mighty name of Jesus Christ in order for them to have their sins forgiven and in turn to receive the Holy Spirit”38. The Holy Spirit (Arabic: روح القدس Ruh al-Qudus, "the Spirit of Holiness") is mentioned four times in the Qur'an, where it acts as an agent of divine action or communication. "The Holy Spirit in Acts." The book of Acts is often referred to “The Acts of the Apostles”, however it could also have been referred to as “The Acts of the Holy Spirit”. Here are three lessons we can learn about missions from this inspiring book: 1. I will detail what I feel the book is about. Who was involved a.ii. 1. Loyd, Philip. The work of the Holy Spirit of inner cleansing is assumed instead of being expressed here, but is clearly stated later in the narration when Peter makes a comparison of the acceptance of God of the Gentile believers “with what he himself and his colleagues had experienced of the divine grace on the day of Pentecost”39. Available at Amazon USA / UK. Lastly, the book of Acts chapter five and verse 32 talks of the Spirit “whom God has given to those who obey him”42. January 15, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-holy-spirit-in-acts-term-paper/. In Acts 1:5, Jesus Himself declared, "John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." "[footnoteRef:1] The Book of Acts opens with a frank and narrative passage written self-consciously by Luke and establishing the importance of the Holy Spirit in defining the mission of Christ and His apostles. The Holy Spirit in Acts. (2020, January 15). This paper enquires to what extent Luke can be said to have held such a view. B: Introduction: In the Book of Acts the gift of the Holy Spirit and the powerful effect of this gift is revealed as Jesus promised. In this statement, Jesus was making reference to the experience that would be realized on the day of Pentecost. The Books of Acts is often called the 'Book of the Holy Spirit' or the ' Book of the Apostles.' James Dunn and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit Many miracles were performed during this time by the apostles to validate their message. It's here we encounter the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, see the church become established, watch the disciples grow as leaders, meet the apostle Paul, and see the church spread outside of Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit does not simply appear for the first time at Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus, but is present in the Gospel of Luke (in 1–2) prior to the birth of Jesus. Throughout his ministry, the Holy Spirit was upon Jesus even if Luke does not make reference to this often. Understanding the Holy Spirit The power, Filling, and Work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian By, Jeremy W. Pfeister Originally Written for: Liberty University Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary BIBL 364-B07, Study of Acts Published: 21 April 2015 Understanding the Holy Spirit Abstract For many people, whether Christian or otherwise, the subject matter of this paper is often hard to understand. Before He returned to heaven, Jesus said, “… you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit … But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Acts 1:5-8. 8:9-11); our spiritual life lasts only so long as we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ, while in the human form, was guided by the Holy Spirit given unto him by God the Father. The Spirit was not only passed on to the Jewish believers, but to the Gentile believers as well, in due course, purifying both of these groups inwardly by faith18. 2 (1999): 71–86. The Holy Spirit in Acts: The Power of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, even if we might not have direct proof for this, “the reversal of the curse of Babel was in the mind of the narrator”32. However, by the starting of the Christian age, the cerebration of it had come to serve as an anniversary of the “giving of the law from mount Sinai”29. The question that comes is; what kind of messiah would he be? The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary. The passage taken from Isaiah is of significance, “as it is the way Jesus fulfilled it”13. The book of Acts demonstrates that the Holy Spirit leads and empowers the church for growth and service. The Book of Acts records the mighty works of God for and through His church in its early years, and clearly connects them to unified, corporate prayer. “So completely is the church the organ of his vitality that an attempt to deceive the church is an attempt to deceive the Spirit – in other words, to deceive God himself”22. a.i. New York: Sage, 1973. "In my former, http://www.gotquestions.org/tongues-Holy-Spirit.html. New York: Zondervan, 1990. This term paper on The Holy Spirit in Acts was written and submitted by your fellow student. Written by Luke, the book of Acts has a prominent missionary theme because it details the rapid growth of the early church and the first missionary efforts. Rather, the focus is clearly on some of the acts or deeds of mostly Peter (the key figure in the first half) and Paul (the key figure in the second). Copyright © 2021 - IvyPanda is a trading name of Edustream This paper is going to look at the Holy Spirit and the main focus will be on the “Holy Spirit in Acts”. The courage that Christians have to face the most dangerous situations, their power to put up with life more than sufficiently, the Christian eloquence where there is need to have it, and the Christian joy that does not depend on the prevailing circumstances, are all attributed to the Holy Spirit’s activity. A confirmation of this is made by Peter in using a similar prediction in defending his action in engaging in baptizing Cornelius and those who were with him. "Holy Spirit In The Book Of Acts" (2013, February 11) Retrieved January 8, 2021, from https://www.paperdue.com/essay/holy-spirit-in-the-book-of-acts-104282, "Holy Spirit In The Book Of Acts" 11 February 2013. Jesus Christ had been called by God the Father and given the Holy Spirit. The New Testament is primarily about the life and death of Jesus Christ. “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit …” Ephesians 4:30. With this paper I will address how the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts was about how ordinary men were used by God to bring forth his "Acts" in the Bible. There is need for every individual Christian to understand the importance of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives. We shall first look at the main arguments used to substantiate the usual Pentecostal interpretation of the Spirit in Acts. January 15, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-holy-spirit-in-acts-term-paper/. In the Pentecost narrative, it is the oracle of Joel that Peter quotes in partially explaining the phenomenon. 1 William Barclay, The Acts of the Apostles (London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), 20. 14:18), but when he received the Holy Spirit upon him, the record of the Scriptures says nothing about speaking in tongues. However, the reference to the Spirit in Gnesis also refers to its distance and potential separation from mankind. Morris, Leon. ISBN: 0931464110. pp.109-122. Copyright 2020  . are not separate acts but restatements of the same act. However, this is not actually the case because it is indicated that God is internally the Father, the Son aand the Holy Spirit. The prophets in the Old Testament were able to foretell what could come in the future through the power of the Holy Spirit. He ascended to heaven with the promise of sending the helper, the Holy Spirit, to his disciples. The Holy Spirit was upon Jesus and his entire ministry was the product of the Holy Spirit’s presence. In regeneration, our spirits are made alive, or regenerated, only because they draw life from the Holy Spirit who indwells us (Rom. The Spirit was upon Jesus Christ and it was not possible to engage in the confining of Luke’s meaning to the length of the sermon at Nazareth. What’s your deadline? In A Biblical Theology of the Holy Spirit, Matthias Wenk explores Luke’s theology of the Holy Spirit in Acts, as well as the Gospel of Luke. . References The Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit is seen as the original creative force that creates all life. This implies that there was the involvement of the Holy Spirit in bringing about incarnation. The Holy Spirit in the Acts of the Apostle. For John baptized with [en] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with [en] the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4,5); “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit can scarcely be said to have been dismissed from the book of Acts at any point. Initially, the Pentecost event marked the time of presenting the wheat harvest “first-fruits”. However, the meaning of baptizing with fire is not a direct one and there have been several suggestions6. According to Barclay, the book of Acts has been referred to as the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit”3. Plan ways to identify the doctrine for the children and help them understand it and apply it in their lives.Ask yourself, "What will the children do to learn, and how can I help them feel the Spirit?" The receiving of the Holy Spirit might be seen in speaking in tongues and inspired words that are used in praising God19. The Holy Spirit was foretold by Christ before his ascension. Grace Communion International. Got Questions? '” [3] R. P. C. Hanson, The Acts (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1967), p. 42. It is an important book in understanding how we can be directed by the Holy Spirit and the role of Jesus' lessons in our lives. However, often, we like the disciples lack understanding of his role and how to relate to him. The Holy Spirit is both prevalent and essential in the book of Acts. Roberts, R. L. Jesus’ promise is realized following his ascension at Pentecost, when believers are filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4) in fulfillment of the promise of Joel 2 that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit “on all flesh” (Acts 2:16–21). The book of Acts is an important book for understanding the actions of the apostles, mostly Paul and Peter, after Jesus's ascension into Heaven. We are encouraged to glean the vital principles that enabled the early church to expand, and then apply them to our modern-day church. 2George W. Peters, A Biblical Theology of Missions (Chicago: Moody, 1972), 11. Need a custom Term Paper sample written from scratch by He was guided by the Spirit to be there in the Church when the baby Jesus was brought there by his parents. IvyPanda. Spirit's very presence and ministry could, This could prove a difficult task filling in the blanks existing in what he had acquired by then The Holy Spirit in Acts: A devotional study. The book of Acts is often referred to “The Acts of the Apostles”, however it could be thought of “The Acts of the Holy Spirit”. "The Holy Spirit in Acts." Both the mother and father of John is said to have been filled with the Holy Spirit. John Owen – The Holy Spirit. He was informed by the Holy Spirit that he would not encounter death until he could see the Christ with his eyes.. Morrison, Michael. In the Gospel of Luke, this author starts this theme quite early, by presenting the message of the angel to Zachariah that he will be given a son and this son will be filled with the Holy Spirit right from the time this child will be in the womb of his mother (Luke 1:15). The Holy Spirit was later promised afresh by Jesus in His resurrection. Moreover, those who received the Holy Spirit (Acts 19) did not only speak in tongues but also prophesied. Considering the generalized plan of the book of Acts, there are other underlying plans that are speculated to bring out Saint Luke's special interests, whereby he was out to author the book as the Gospel of the Holy Spirit. He points out that the Holy Spirit came upon them in the same way as it was at the beginning and then, he in turn remembered what Jesus had pointed out: “John indeed baptised with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Luke: 11: 15 – 16)8. the earth” (Acts 1:8). The peaking of the Spirit in the Christian Church is done through the prophets, for instance, prophesying of the great famine in order for the Christians in Antioch to take steps in time so that they can provide for their brothers and sisters living in Jerusalem (Acts 11: 28 – 30)21. Research; The Holy Spirit By Charles Ryrie; The Holy Spirit By Charles Ryrie . The writer of Acts portrayed the Holy Spirit as the Source of spiritual power (1:8). After Jesus engaging in reading a passage from Isaiah which started with “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”, he began his speech with these inspiring words: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled…” (Luke 4:18,21)12. ensure the integrity of our platform while keeping your private information safe. According to Bruce, what was referred to in Acts 2:2 as the ‘tongues as of fire’ and ‘mighty wind’ which went together with Jesus’ coming, is a reminder of the fire and the wind that were to be the “instruments of the Coming One’s purifying work”, according to the teaching of John the Baptist28. Acts of the Apostles, fifth book of the New Testament, a valuable history of the early Christian church. When the Spirit comes on the day of Pente-cost, Peter explains the gift in terms of the promise in Joel 2:28-32—the locus classi-cus of the Old Testament for the expectation of an outpouring of the Spirit as the The book of Acts, written by Luke bridge the gap between the gospel accounts and the letters to the churches with the historical account of the actions of the Holy Spirit, working through a rag-tag band of peasants lead by a man who denied Jesus three times, and later joined by a man previously in the business of hunting down and murdering Christians. Therefore, the philosophy that assumes speaking in tongues as the sign that one has received the Holy Spirit is baseless. In Acts chapter one and verse sixteen, it is pointed out that the Holy Spirit was speaking in David. Our expert writers suggest like this: The Book of Acts begins with the story of the giving of the Holy Spirit and the founding of the Jerusalem Church. The external form of baptism that involved being baptized in water did not change but still remained, but its importance was now greatly enhanced. The book begins with the ascension of Jesus into heaven (Acts 1:10), quickly followed by the empowering of the church through the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Thus Acts 2: 17-39 teaches that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was a promise for all men. People came to believe in Jesus Christ and became his followers. B: Introduction: In the Book of Acts the gift of the Holy Spirit and the powerful effect of this gift is revealed as Jesus promised. Morris points out that “we may fairly deduce that the human Jesus needed the equipment of the Spirit for the work that he would now begin…it was not a work taken in hand in purely human strength and wisdom”9. Hbk. It is quite clear in the last paragraph of the second chapter of the book of Acts that all the people who engaged in sharing the Pentecostal experience were brought in to unity and by this means, into a new community in which they ate, witnessed, worshipped and shared everything else together. The Acts of the Apostles. Excerpt from Term Paper : The reader is told that a leader is chosen who is "fully of the Spirit and wisdom" and "full of faith" (Acts 6:3,5).The first book of Acts shows the disciples looking at external qualities for a good leader and are thus unable to come to a decision; they end up asking God to make the decision for them. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. We utilize security vendors that protect and (Stanley, 11) The Holy Spirit, as God's promise, is for each and every human being, not just hose who are priests, and holders of other, " (Gen. The first book of Acts shows the disciples looking at external qualities for a good leader and are thus unable to come to a decision; they end up asking God to make the decision for them. Laying on of hands: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying” (Acts 19:6). Holy Spirit is the cornerstone of the Acts of the Apostles, attributed to the apostle Luke. Technologies LLC, a company registered in Wyoming, USA. All Rights Reserved. (2013). The Spirit empowers missions. Acts continues from there on starting with Christ's resurrection. Moreover, as on one hand pagans had thoughts that the presence of the divine spirit was to be known by a variety of blissful conduct, Christians had knowledge about his presence by his ‘fruit’ in ethical behaviour34. Leander E. Keck & J. Louis Martyn, Studies in Luke-Acts. Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts Research Paper. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., "The Promise of God and the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Joel 2:28-32 and Acts 2:16-21," Morris Inch & Ronald Youngblood, eds., The Living and Active Word of God. professional specifically for you? It is in faith that all those who believe posses the Holy Spirit that reside in them. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit a. As in the New Testament, salvation in the Old Testament was permanent, requiring the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Most of the references are by the author of the Gospel of Luke; this emphasis is continued by the same author in the Book of Acts. London: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. Criswell Theological Review 5.1 (1990): 15-29. “Luke’s Presentation of the Spirit in Acts”. 1. Research papers on the Holy Spirit illustrate that this Christian concept of a triune God begins to show up in the book of Acts in the Bible.Have the theology writers at Paper Masters help explicate the role of the Holy Spirit in a custom written research paper. It is pointed out in the book of Acts that Barnabas and Stephen are full of the Spirit. (2012). Both reasons are obvious. ...POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ACTS 1:8 A Paper Presented to Professor Gary May Liberty University Lynchburg, VA In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for Acts BIBLE 364-B09 By Donna McCurrie-Bowen 3/8/13 Introduction The purpose of the Book of Acts was to offer a history of the early church with a focus on the Holy Spirit and how it is the “life principle” of the Church (Johnson 1992, 14). There are instances of inconsistency between Paul's journeys regarding his visits in Jerusalem (as recorded in Galatians 1,2) and those recounted by Luke, which point to Luke's inability to comprehend the perfect sequence of events and their importance accurately. The Holy Spirit directed him and moved with him all through the time he was experiencing the temptations. Beginning from the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit turned out to be the paramount reality in the early Church’s life. The work of the Spirit can also be seen in Paul’s conquest of Elymas (Acts 13:9). 37 Frederick Bruce, “Luke’s Presentation of the Spirit in Acts”, Criswell Theological Review 5.1 (1990): 16.