Various Ways of Looking at Acts (Continued)
This is Blog #5 in my Introduction to the Book of Acts. Through whatever lens we are looking, it is important to remember Acts continues the action and teachings of Jesus Christ. Consider some more of these lenses.
Spiritual Value of Acts
The church is shown as a spiritual entity. At their best, the Christians in Acts were indwelt, empowered, and guided by the Holy Spirit.
Acts shows us the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of promise (chapter 1), the Spirit of power (chapter 2), the Spirit of healing (chapter 3), the Spirit of boldness (chapter 4), the Spirit of judgment (chapter 5), the Spirit that guides church administration (chapter 6), the Spirit of persistence (chapter 7), the Spirit of evangelism (chapter 8), the Spirit of comfort (chapter 9), the spirit providing guidance (chapter 10), the Spirit of prophecy (chapter 11), the Spirit that delivers (chapter 12), the Spirit that directs to missions (chapter 13), the Spirit that provides protection (chapter 14), the Spirit that gives guidance to church councils (chapter 15), the Spirit that restricts and constrains (chapter 16), the Spirit that brings one to opportunity (chapter 17), and so on until the last chapter of Acts.[1]
The Holy Spirit is the main character in the book of Acts. Shouldn’t the Holy Spirit also be at the center of today’s church? Using Paul’s question prompted by the Judaizers wanting the Galatians to follow the law; slightly out of context: “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)
Do We Limit the Spirit Work?
Man’s activity, plans, and strategy can limit the room in which the Spirit can work. Can we become so carefully scripted that God cannot break-in? In Jesus’ home region, “…He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.” (Matthew 13:58) Could it be that there is little action from the Holy Ghost because we are uncomfortable with that which we cannot control?
The next blog in my Introduction to the Book of Acts will post Monday. I’ll discuss the book of Acts as a Missions Manual.
Click here if you missed Blog #1, Blog #2, Blog #3, or Blog #4 in my Introduction to the Book of Acts.
Recommended books for additional study:
Acts of the Apostles by G. Campbell Morgan
Exploring Acts by John Phillips
Acts: The Amazing History of the Early Church by Jet Witherspoon
Other books for helps:
**If you purchase any book via clicking a link, the author of the blog receives a small affiliate marketing fee from Amazon.
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[1] Scroggie, p. 18
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