¶ … Holy Spirit is the cornerstone of the Acts of the Apostles, attributed to the apostle Luke. According to Lee, the Book of Acts refers to " the formative history of the Early Church," while establishing Luke as a "charismatic theologian who demonstrates that baptism in the Holy Spirit is an experience of empowering to facilitate the mission of the Church."[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. "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen."[footnoteRef:2] The phrase "through the Holy Spirit" insinuates the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Christ. Christ is moved by the Holy Spirit, which empowers and literally gives life. There is a kind of symbiotic relationship between Jesus and the Holy Spirit, which is understood best in light of the Holy Trinity. [1: Lee, Edgar R. "Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the Book of Acts." Enrichment Journal. (2013).] [2: Acts 1:1-3]
Baptism in the Holy Spirit is a central theme of Acts, revealing one of the core functions of the Holy Spirit as it manifests in the lives of human beings. In Acts, the difference between baptism with water and baptism with Spirit are differentiated as follows: "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."[footnoteRef:3] The promised baptism by the Holy Spirit occurs on Pentecost, which is explained thoroughly by Luke in Acts. Moreover, the Holy Spirit manifests in other ways too such as in the speaking of tongues. The Holy Spirit is integral to the Book of Acts, which is important because of the way Luke "explains how the messenger became the center of the message."[footnoteRef:4] The messenger (Jesus Christ) became the center of the message via the power of the Holy Spirit. As Luke puts it, "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."[footnoteRef:5] [3: Luke 1:5] [4: Morrison, Michael. "Exploring the Book of Acts: Introduction." Grace Communion International. (2012).] [5: Luke 1:8]
What is the Holy Spirit?
The Holy Spirit is a divine force that inspires, enlightens, and empowers. It has symbolic substance, as it can "fill" or "move through" a person. One of the first instances in which the Holy Spirit is mentioned in Acts is as the power of prophecy or premonition as the force that moves through a person. In the book of Acts, Luke describes how the Holy Spirit has moved through the prophets of the Old Testament to define how the Holy Spirit works. For example, Luke describes the ministry of Peter in Acts 1, noting that Peter discovered that the Holy Spirit "spoke long ago through David concerning Judas," who betrayed Jesus.[footnoteRef:6] Similarly, when Jesus states, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you," He also establishes the method by which the Holy Spirit operates.[footnoteRef:7] The Holy Spirit is wholly unlike Christ or the Father; it is impersonal and metaphysical in nature. [6: Luke 1:16] [7: Luke 1:8]
Therefore, understanding the Holy Spirit is critical to understanding Christian theology and metaphysics. The Holy Spirit is also integral to creating the foundation rites of the early Church, and transforming the methods by which believers in Christ establish their modes of worship and spiritual practice. The Pentecost and the Baptism are the two most significant practical and symbolic displays of the Holy Spirit in the lifetime of a Christian.
The Holy Spirit in Baptism
Acts defines two different types of baptism and distinguishes between them: the baptism with the Holy Spirit and the baptism with water. Baptism with water is known as "baptismis fluminis," and is the "normal baptism" by water.[footnoteRef:8] This is the baptism given by John, which is most explicitly given for the forgiveness of sin via faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit is "certainly given" by the water baptism, but the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a qualitatively different act or experience.[footnoteRef:9] [8: Wolfmueller, Bryan. "Baptism and the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts." (2007). Retrieved online: http://www.hope-aurora.org/docs/ActsBaptismandtheHolySpirit.pdf] [9: Wolfmueller, Bryan. "Baptism and the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts." (2007). Retrieved online: http://www.hope-aurora.org/docs/ActsBaptismandtheHolySpirit.pdf]
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. It is only after the disciples are filled with the
Holy Spirit in Acts The book of Acts in the Holy Bible refers to the Acts of the Apostles and how these acts contributed to the formation of the early church. The importance of the Holy Spirit in the early days of the church cannot be underestimated. Paul told the Ephesians it was necessary to believe in the "one coming after him, this is, in Jesus" (New International Version Acts 19:4).
Living in the Power of the Holy Spirit The Promise of God the Father Chapter one of Charles Stanley's book begins with a definition of exactly what is the Holy Spirit. Stanley states that it is the "Promise of our heavenly Father to each one of us." (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
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Spiritual Transformation The topic of spiritual transformation will be grounded upon the ethics presented within the Holy Bible and the teachings of the Apostle Paul. There must be a solid foundation to build ethical principles on for a true transformation to occur. When the training up is unrecognized, the transformation process will ultimately fail in its attempt. With this in mind, there will be a question to be answered in delivery
This could prove a difficult task filling in the blanks existing in what he had acquired by then 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. However, the most important thing to note is that the latter chapters of
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