Selwyn continues to discuss the point that it is essential for the Holy Spirit to empower Christians – if Pentecost never happened, we would be reading about the Church, in history books – do you agree?
His conclusion is good: “The disciples left everything and followed Him, but after the crucifixion (even though they knew Christ had risen from the dead) they became deeply disillusioned. The new life within them was functioning feebly and intermittently. They were half-souls trying to produce a whole service.
Then something happened – the same thing that must happen to each one of us: a divine reinforcement took place. The Holy Spirit filled them and took up residence within them. Overnight they became new men doing a new work.” We read about the work of the Holy Spirit in Acts; the main verse, out of the text set for reading and meditation (Acts 5:12), highlights the Holy Spirit’s empowerment: “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.”
On a slightly different issue, I think today’s study is interesting because although the disciples knew a lot about Jesus (before Pentecost); this knowledge did not help them in telling others, the ‘good news’ about Jesus. They could only do this after they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Many people study theology, and the New and Old Testaments – they can become experts in the various languages used (Hebrew, Greek and Latin) and their detailed knowledge of the times and customs when Jesus lived can be impressive. Yet, their relationship with Jesus can be feeble or non-existent; it is only through the Holy Spirit taking up residence within them, can they actually experience a relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth; therefore those ‘experts’ who distort the message of the Gospel – are in effect, antiChrists – they do not know God – what do you think of this view?
New men – overnight
Selwyn continues to discuss the point that it is essential for the Holy Spirit to empower Christians – if Pentecost never happened, we would be reading about the Church, in history books – do you agree?
His conclusion is good: “The disciples left everything and followed Him, but after the crucifixion (even though they knew Christ had risen from the dead) they became deeply disillusioned. The new life within them was functioning feebly and intermittently. They were half-souls trying to produce a whole service.
Then something happened – the same thing that must happen to each one of us: a divine reinforcement took place. The Holy Spirit filled them and took up residence within them. Overnight they became new men doing a new work.” We read about the work of the Holy Spirit in Acts; the main verse, out of the text set for reading and meditation (Acts 5:12), highlights the Holy Spirit’s empowerment: “The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.”
On a slightly different issue, I think today’s study is interesting because although the disciples knew a lot about Jesus (before Pentecost); this knowledge did not help them in telling others, the ‘good news’ about Jesus. They could only do this after they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Many people study theology, and the New and Old Testaments – they can become experts in the various languages used (Hebrew, Greek and Latin) and their detailed knowledge of the times and customs when Jesus lived can be impressive. Yet, their relationship with Jesus can be feeble or non-existent; it is only through the Holy Spirit taking up residence within them, can they actually experience a relationship with God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth; therefore those ‘experts’ who distort the message of the Gospel – are in effect, antiChrists – they do not know God – what do you think of this view?