The Holy Spirit and the Early Church
(Acts 1: 1 - 14)
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day He was taken up,
after giving instructions through the holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented
himself alive to them by many proofs after He had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and
speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with them, He enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for "the promise
of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptised with water, but in a few days
you will be baptised with the holy Spirit."
When they had gathered together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the
kingdom to Israel?"
He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by
His own authority. But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be
my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When He had
said this, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as He was going, suddenly two men dressed in white
garments stood beside them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the
sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have
seen Him going into heaven." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is
near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away.
When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying, Peter and John and
James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, Simon the
Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with
some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
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(Acts 2: 1 - 47)
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came
from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. Then
there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. And
they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled
them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his
own language. They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, "Are not all these people who are
speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? We are
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God." They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, "What
does this mean?" But others said, scoffing, "They have had too much new wine."
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them,
"You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my
words. These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is
what was spoken through the prophet Joel:
'It will come to pass in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy. And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord, and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.'
You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God
with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you
yourselves know. This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using
lawless men to crucify him. But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it
was impossible for him to be held by it. For David says of him:
'I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope, because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'
My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried,
and his tomb is in our midst to this day. But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an
oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, he foresaw and spoke of the
resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see
corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses. Exalted at the right hand of God, he
received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you (both) see and hear.
For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:
'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool."'
Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah,
this Jesus whom you crucified."
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
"What are we to do, my brothers?" Peter (said) to them, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our
God will call."
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt
generation." Those who accepted his message were baptised, and about three thousand persons were
added that day. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to
the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.
Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who
believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions
and divide them among all according to each one's need. Every day they devoted themselves to
meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with
exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day
the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
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The Apostles Are Led By the Spirit
(Acts 8: 26 - 40)
[T]he angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, "Get up and head south on the road that goes down from
Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route." So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a
court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who
had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the
prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, "Go and join up with that chariot." Philip ran up and heard
him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied,
"How can I, unless someone instructs me?" So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the
scripture passage he was reading: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb before its
shearer is silent, so he opened not his mouth. In (his) humiliation justice was denied him. Who will tell
of his posterity? For his life is taken from the earth." Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, "I beg you,
about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?" Then Philip opened his
mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along
the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water. What is to prevent my
being baptised?" Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into
the water, and he baptised him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched
Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to
Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
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(Acts 8: 9 - 25)
A man named Simon used to practice magic in the city and astounded the people of Samaria, claiming
to be someone great. All of them, from the least to the greatest, paid attention to him, saying, "This man
is the 'Power of God' that is called 'Great.'" They paid attention to him because he had astounded them
by his magic for a long time, but once they began to believe Philip as he preached the good news about
the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike were baptised. Even Simon
himself believed and, after being baptised, became devoted to Philip; and when he saw the signs and
mighty deeds that were occurring, he was astounded.
Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent
them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for
it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then
they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was conferred by the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered
them money and said, "Give me this power too, so that anyone upon whom I lay my hands may
receive the holy Spirit." But Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, because you thought
that you could buy the gift of God with money. You have no share or lot in this matter, for your heart
is not upright before God. Repent of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that, if possible,
your intention may be forgiven. For I see that you are filled with bitter gall and are in the bonds of
iniquity." Simon said in reply, "Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come
upon me." So when they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem
and preached the good news to many Samaritan villages.
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The Command of the Spirit (I): To Peter
(Acts 10: 1 - 49)
Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of the Cohort called the Italica, devout
and God-fearing along with his whole household, who used to give alms generously to the Jewish
people and pray to God constantly.
One afternoon about three o'clock, he saw plainly in a vision an angel of God come in to him and
say to him, "Cornelius." He looked intently at him and, seized with fear, said, "What is it, sir?"
He said to him, "Your prayers and almsgiving have ascended as a memorial offering before God. Now
send some men to Joppa and summon one Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with another
Simon, a tanner, who has a house by the sea."
When the angel who spoke to him had left, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from
his staff, explained everything to them, and sent them to Joppa.
The next day, while they were on their way and nearing the city, Peter went up to the roof terrace to
pray at about noontime. He was hungry and wished to eat, and while they were making preparations
he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something resembling a large sheet coming down,
lowered to the ground by its four corners. In it were all the earth's four-legged animals and reptiles and
the birds of the sky. A voice said to him, "Get up, Peter. Slaughter and eat."
But Peter said, "Certainly not, sir. For never have I eaten anything profane and unclean."
The voice spoke to him again, a second time, "What God has made clean, you are not to call profane."
This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into the sky.
While Peter was in doubt about the meaning of the vision he had seen, the men sent by Cornelius
asked for Simon's house and arrived at the entrance. They called out inquiring whether Simon, who is
called Peter, was staying there. As Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said (to him), "There are
three men here looking for you. So get up, go downstairs, and accompany them without hesitation,
because I have sent them." Then Peter went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking
for. What is the reason for your being here?"
They answered, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, respected by the whole
Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear what you have to
say." So he invited them in and showed them hospitality.
The next day he got up and went with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.
On the following day he entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his
relatives and close friends. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and, falling at his feet, paid him
homage. Peter, however, raised him up, saying, "Get up. I myself am also a human being." While he
conversed with him, he went in and found many people gathered together and said to them, "You
know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile, but God has shown me
that I should not call any person profane or unclean. And that is why I came without objection when
sent for. May I ask, then, why you summoned me?" Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this hour,
three o'clock in the afternoon, I was at prayer in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling robes
stood before me and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your almsgiving remembered
before God. Send therefore to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. He is a guest in the house
of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.' So I sent for you immediately, and you were kind enough to come.
Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to listen to all that you have been commanded by
the Lord."
Then Peter proceeded to speak and said, "In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in
every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word (that) he
sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened
all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed
by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews
and (in) Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised (on) the
third day and granted that he be visible, not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in
advance, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commissioned us to preach to
the people and testify that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. To him
all the prophets bear witness, that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins through
his name."
While Peter was still speaking these things, the holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the
word. The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astounded that the gift of the holy
Spirit should have been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they could hear them speaking in tongues
and glorifying God. Then Peter responded, "Can anyone withhold the water for baptising these people,
who have received the holy Spirit even as we have?" He ordered them to be baptised in the name of
Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for a few days.
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The Command of the Spirit (II): To Paul
(Acts 13: 1 - 5)
Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Symeon who was called
Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who was a close friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they
were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the
work to which I have called them." Then, completing their fasting and prayer, they laid hands on them
and sent them off. So they, sent forth by the holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and from there sailed to
Cyprus. When they arrived in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.
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The Holy Spirit Guides The First Church Council
(Acts 15: 1 - 31)
Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised
according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved." Because there arose no little dissension and
debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others
should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question. They were sent on their
journey by the church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the
Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, as well as by the apostles and
the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. But some from the party of the
Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and direct
them to observe the Mosaic law."
The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. After much debate had taken
place, Peter got up and said to them, "My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made
His choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and
believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as He did
us. He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith He purified their hearts. Why, then, are
you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our
ancestors nor we have been able to bear? On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the
grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they." The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened
while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles
through them. After they had fallen silent, James responded, "My brothers, listen to me. Symeon has
described how God first concerned Himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for His
name. The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:
'After this I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David; from its ruins I shall rebuild it and raise it up again, so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked. Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things, known from of old.'
It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, but tell
them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and
blood. For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been
read in the synagogues every sabbath."
Then the apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose
representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who
was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. This is the letter delivered by them:
"The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number (who went out) without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 'It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.'"
And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together
and delivered the letter. When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation.
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