Lesson ▪ 2000 Tags: Holy Spirit; Acts; Power; Christian life; Church; Ministry Excerpted from The Holy Spirit in the New TestamentRelated Resources: The Filling of the Spirit ▪ Speaking for the Lord: The Prerequisite of Spiritual Fullness
Introduction
There is a lot of
controversy concerning the role of the Holy Spirit in Christian life--both
personal and corporate. This lesson will summarize the teaching of Acts on the
Holy Spirit, emphasizing the Spirit’s baptism, the Spirit’s filling, and the
Spirit’s power.
The Holy Spirit in
Acts: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The book of Acts
establishes the pattern that the Holy Spirit is imparted to genuine believers
at the time of their conversion. This pattern is reinforced in several ways.
- The imparting of the
Holy Spirit to believers was foretold by Jesus before His ascension, a fact
that Luke was careful to note (Acts 1:4-5: “ye shall be baptized with the Holy
Ghost not many days hence”). This promise was obviously fulfilled on the Day of
Pentecost (2:1-4). Through the power of the Spirit the disciples spoke “with
other tongues” (2:4). Peter interpreted this phenomenon as the fulfillment of
Joel 2:28-32 (2:16-21).
- From Pentecost
forward it became the norm that believers receive the Holy Spirit at the time
of their conversion. At Pentecost Peter identified the receipt of the Holy
Spirit as a consequence of salvation (2:37-39; note the language of conversion:
“repent,” “remission of sins,” “call”). The apostles subsequently referred to
the Holy Spirit as God’s gift to those who obey Him--presumably, by trusting
Christ for salvation (5:32). Peter’s confrontation with Simon the sorcerer
establishes without ambiguity the fact that the Holy Spirit is a gift given
freely to believers (8:18-24).
- The conversion of
the first Gentiles in Cornelius’s home was accompanied by the falling of the
Holy Spirit (10:44-48). Peter later reflected on this event, equating it with
what occurred to the Jewish believers on the Day of Pentecost (11:15-18;
15:7-9).
- A few variations
from the norm are recounted in Acts, but these serve merely to reinforce the
norm. Those who came to faith in the Samaritan revival did not experience the
baptism of the Spirit immediately. Rather, the Spirit was imparted to them
through the laying on of Peter and John’s hands (8:12, 14-17). Saul received
the Spirit through the mediation of Ananias three days after his conversion
(9:17). Perhaps the most puzzling impartation of the Spirit concerned a dozen
or so disciples of John the Baptist (19:1-6). These men professed to have
believed and had been baptized, but had no knowledge of the Spirit. Craig
Blomberg suggests that they were not truly converted until their encounter with
Paul (346). After trusting in Christ and being baptized, they received the Holy
Spirit through the imposition of Paul’s hands. The fact that Luke described
these incidents in some detail suggests that they were exceptional.
- In summary, most
converts in Acts were baptized with the Spirit at the moment they came to faith
in Christ. The instances when water baptism and/or the laying on of hands
preceded the impartation of the Spirit were extraordinary.
The Holy Spirit in
Acts: The Filling of the Holy Spirit
The book of Acts
illustrates that the Holy Spirit works his will by filling believers with His
presence and power. Christians should therefore seek to be filled with the
Spirit on a continual basis.
- When Peter was
filled with the Holy Spirit he boldly proclaimed Jesus as Christ to the Jewish
leaders (4:8ff). When Paul was filled with the Spirit he confronted a sorcerer
who was hindering the cause of evangelism (13:9ff).
- The early church
recognized the importance of designating faithful, Spirit-filled men to carry
out the Lord’s work. The Jerusalem church refused to delegate food distribution
to men who were less than Spirit-filled and wise (6:2-6). In addition, it
selected Barnabas as its representative to Antioch because of his spirituality
(11:22-24).
- The filling of the
Holy Spirit is associated with joy. The disciples experienced it even in the
face of persecution (13:50-52).
- The early church
prayed for the filling of the Holy Spirit, seeking to represent the Lord boldly
before the world (4:29-31). Paul made tentative plans in the Spirit; in other
words, he sought the Spirit’s direction for his life (19:21).
The Holy Spirit in
Acts: The Power of the Holy Spirit
The book of Acts
demonstrates that the Holy Spirit leads and empowers the church for growth and
service. The church’s success is vitally tied to its relationship with the
Spirit.
- The writer of Acts
portrayed the Holy Spirit as the Source of spiritual power (1:8). He attributed
Jesus’s success in ministry--particularly in training the apostles and
performing healings--to the work of the Spirit (1:2; 10:38). Thus the earthly
work of Christ serves as a model of ministry led and empowered by the Holy
Spirit.
- The Holy Spirit led
and enabled the early Christians to witness boldly on behalf of Jesus (4:8ff;
5:30-32). Driven by the Spirit, Paul witnessed to the Corinthian Jews
concerning the identity of Jesus as Messiah (18:5). The Spirit empowered
Stephen’s message to his fellow Jews, forcing them to decide for or against
Christ (6:8-10). Through the Spirit Paul confronted Elymas the sorcerer’s
deceitful ways (13:9ff).
- The Holy Spirit
oversaw every aspect of the church’s advance in the first century. Acts specifically
names Him as the Agent behind the church’s growth (9:31). The Spirit directed
Philip to witness to the Ethiopian eunuch (8:29ff). He transported Philip from
the desert to Azotus so he could engage in a preaching mission (8:39-40). He
directed Peter to accompany men to Cornelius’s house, leading to the inclusion
of Gentiles in the church (10:19-20; 11:12). He revealed to a prophet named
Agabus that a famine was imminent, enabling the Antioch church to send relief
to Jerusalem (11:27-30). He prevented Paul and his companions from pursuing
their plans to minister in particular regions (16:6-7). And He warned Paul of
the dangers of going to Jerusalem (20:22-23; 21:4, 10-11).
- The church’s
relationship with the Spirit is of paramount importance. This is perhaps
nowhere more clearly portrayed than in the story of Ananias and Sapphira, who
died because of their irreverence toward the Spirit (5:1-11). For the most
part, however, the early church leaned heavily on the Spirit’s direction and
empowerment. The Jerusalem church considered Spirit-filling to be so important
that it required it of leaders who would perform seemingly insignificant tasks
(6:2-6). It designated Barnabas, a Spirit-filled man, to journey to Antioch on
its behalf (11:22-24). Its leaders sought the Spirit’s wisdom in making
resolutions that would affect the Christian world of their day (15:28-29). The
church at Antioch responded to the Spirit’s instruction to commission Barnabas
and Saul for missionary service (13:1-4). And Paul recognized the Spirit’s role
in appointing church leaders in Ephesus (20:28).
Learning Objectives
- To survey the core teachings of the book of Acts concerning the Holy Spirit.
- To clarify the
distinction between the baptism and filling of the Spirit.
- To persuade
participants of the vital role the Spirit plays in the life of the church.
- To encourage
participants to seek the filling of the Spirit.
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