The Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts free essay sample

The Holy Spirit is both prevalent and essential in the book of Acts. Written by Luke around AD 70, Acts is an account of the works of the apostles, the early church, and the conversion of the Gentiles through the workings of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts is the sequel to the Gospel of Luke, and gives great detail regarding salvation and the effects of Jesus’ ministry, death, and resurrection through direct accounts of the early church. The purpose of this book is to show the workings of the Holy Spirit in the early church and to exemplify how Jesus’ ministry continued after His death. It is also a continuum of the Old Testament’s promises and prophesies, and links the two covenants through the manifestation of the Holy Spirit (Bock, 2007). As the Holy Spirit is considered throughout this writing, the aspects of the Holy Spirit’s person, the Holy Spirit’s appearance, and the Holy Spirit’s impact will be discussed in depth. Who is the Holy Spirit? In order to discuss the person of the Holy Spirit, one must evaluate its promise. Jesus first mentioned the Holy Spirit in Acts 1:4-8 when He advised the apostles to stay in Jerusalem after His ascension. Jesus promised that the apostles would receive power through the Holy Spirit, and be His witnesses throughout the world. When the Holy Spirit finally arrived in Acts 2, there was undoubtedly the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that subdued the atmosphere and the people who were present (Towns, 2008). The Holy Spirit certainly displayed person-like characteristics and personality within the book of Acts, which are specific and parallel to that of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit commanded Peter to visit Cornelius’ home despite His religious thinking that only Jews were able to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then showed Peter a vision and later spoke openly to him about what constitutes cleanliness. Despite Peter’s reluctance, the vision was revealed to him three times. Peter’s eventual adherence resulted in the conversion of the Gentiles. This displays the role of the Holy Spirit as being a revealer of God’s truth. If the Holy Spirit had not given Peter the progressive vision on how the body of believers would be expanded, Christianity would have only been offered to Jews throughout the New Testament (Ashley, 1). Also, Acts gives account to the Holy Spirit’s role as an enabler for preaching and ministering wisdom to others. According to chapter 8:29-30 and 16:7-10, Phillip, Silas, and Paul were all specifically led by the Holy Spirit in their ministries. This same guidance allowed Stephen to address the Sanhedrin and give an account of Israel’s sins before God. Stephen was soon stoned for his speech, but nonetheless, empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak truth and wisdom with boldness before the stiff-necked crowd (Fritz, 1). These are clear indications that the Holy Spirit is a revealer of God’s truth, and enabler for preaching and teaching, as well as a divine guide. For these reasons, the Holy Spirit is necessary and vital in the life of every believer because He is God manifested. Without the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to heal, to practice obedience, or to lead others to salvation. God’s Spirit is the gift that Jesus promised would reside in each person who received Him as Lord and Savior. The First Appearance of the Holy Spirit The coming of the Holy Spirit is introduced in Acts, chapter 2. During that time, the people had been in constant prayer, after which Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. The scripture provides a clear account that all the people were on one accord in obedience, thus unity provided a foundation and the invitation of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit had come, certain signs signified his presence. Acts 2:2-4 states that there was a sound from heaven like a â€Å"rushing mighty wind† that filled the house where the people were. There were also â€Å"tongues of fire† that â€Å"sat upon each of them. † As these signs manifested, they were clear indications that the Holy Spirit had filled the atmosphere and the people as they began to speak in other tongues as enabled by the Holy Spirit (Wallace 1). As the people spoke in various languages, recognized by foreigners, but not understood by natives, the bystanders could see that a Higher Power had overtaken the people. Some witnesses doubted that the occurrence was authentically spiritual, suggesting that the believers were drunk. However, Peter, through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, professed that the prophecy of Joel had been fulfilled, and that this was the day that had been promised by God in the Old testament prophesies and by Jesus himself in the New Testament (Wallace, 1). How Did the Holy Spirit Impact Believers and Non Believers? The Holy Spirit had an immeasurable impact on believers and nonbelievers in the book of Acts. He brought about significant conversions of nonbelievers throughout the text, including the conversions of Saul of Tarsus and the 3000 that heard Peter preach. The Holy Spirit used conviction, repentance, and baptism for conversion in the lives of many non-believers. In the case of Saul the prosecutor, Acts 9:1-30, the Holy Spirit spoke to him while in the midst of his Christian prosecution with instructions to follow His command. Saul was eventually converted, preaching the Gospel with boldness through the Holy Spirit (Woods, 1). Likewise, the 3000 who gave ear to Peter’s speech in Acts 2:22-41 were convicted, led to repentance, and baptized. Immediately following their conviction, their hearts sought repentance and right standing with God. Afterwards, they were fully adopted in to the faith and devoted to the ministry according to verses 42-44 (Woods, 1). Unity was also another area of impact influenced by Holy Spirit. Within the body of believers, the Spirit enabled them to share all things and submit to the authority of leadership, and ultimately the authority of God. Chapter 2:44 says that all believers had sold all of their possessions and distributed them to others as they had need. The Holy Spirit clearly provides humility and unity in the hearts of believers for the purpose of effective prayer. In chapter 4:23-31, the saints prayed for boldness to speak God’s word, and for signs and wonders to be performed through Jesus’ name. Soon after, the place where the prayed was shaken, and the Holy Spirit filled each of them (Towns, 2001). Another account of effective prayer resulting from unity occurs in chapter 12:5-17 when Peter was miraculously freed from prison. Verse 5 says that the church constantly went before God in prayer on behalf of Peter’s freedom, and in verses 7-10, Peter was escorted out of the prison by an angel of the Lord. It is clear that whenever the church unified in prayer, their power was immeasurable. Lastly, the Holy Spirit brought about power for ministry through miracles and new converts. Even in times of rejection and persecution, the apostles were equipped to speak God’s Word in spiritual boldness, being vessels through which miracles were performed causing the church to grow in number. One example of miraculous power exercised through the Holy Spirit is the healing of the lame man in Acts 3:1-9. Peter used the power of the spirit to heal the man who had been crippled from birth. This was a sign to all who witnessed the miracle, especially to those who had rejected Christ prior to the healing. This very miracle set the stage for Peter to declare Jesus’ deity and God power of salvation. Although Peter and John were imprisoned after sharing the Word, thousands more believed and came under the Christian faith because of their boldness (Towns, 2001). Another miracle performed was by Paul in Acts 20:7-12. Paul had been speaking in Troas to the gathered believers all day until midnight. It happened that a young man named Eutychus fell into a deep sleep while listening to Paul’s message. Sitting in a window at his time of rest, the young man fell to his death from the third story of the building. Paul followed after him and ultimately revived the man back to life through an embrace. Only through the Holy Spirit were such miracles made manifest, and many were illuminated, comforted, and convinced of Jesus’ deity and resurrection (Elwell, 2008). Conclusion In conclusion, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God and a manifestation of Jesus in the world. Not only is He a person with characteristics and roles, He is a friend who resides in each believer. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would come as a Comforter, an Intercessor, and a Counselor after His ascension, and He kept His promise. From a historical and theological point of view, the acts of the Holy Spirit is one of the overall themes in the book of Acts. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was undoubtedly the power by which every believer lived and functioned within Christianity. Acts teaches that the Holy Spirit gave revelation of truth and convicted of sin for the purpose of effective, progressive ministry. Even as the acts of the apostles are evaluated, it is unquestionable that miracles were performed through a Higher Power because of the impact of each miracle on both believers and nonbelievers. Today’s culture of Christians continues to carry out similar works to that of the early church. Just as the Holy Spirit lead the early believers into all truths, He continues to govern modern day Christians the same way, without being bound by culture or tradition. The Holy Spirit is the key element in a successful church system and must be obeyed in all spiritual matters with the understanding that He is Jesus manifested.