June 2009 Newsletter


“Acts”

By: Craig Rippy


Acts is the “Genesis” of the New Testament. In Acts, we find the beginning of the Church. Chapter one, we find that Christ gives His final face-to-face instructions to His Apostles and then ascends to His throne. By the next chapter, we find the Apostles carrying out the commission they received from Christ. The Apostles were accomplishing many firsts throughout their ministry.

The Holy Spirit descends upon these men. This is a first. The Spirit had empowered folks in the past, but never had He come upon twelve men by sign of tongues of fire and a mighty rushing wind. The Spirit empowered the men to speak in other languages- a message that corresponded with Old Testament prophesies. Chapter two records Peter’s message about the coming of the Spirit and the death and resurrection of God’s Messiah.

Another first is what Peter told the believing crowd who ask, “What shall we do?” Peter told them to repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus, and each would receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37-39). Not only was this promise good for them, but for their children and all who are far off.

Then, we find the church having begun. Those who were baptized were added... Added to what may be your question? It seems they were added “to their number.” The number of those having preached the message possibly. Or more precise, added to God’s Kingdom that Jesus told them about (Acts 1:3).

The beginning of the church meant the beginning of church organization and management. Acts 2:42 reveals the devotion of these first Christians and some of the initial things they did to assist their large number. Later, the group began to bring money to the Apostles for benevolence distribution (Acts4: 32-37). Eventually, the Apostles instructed the Grecian Jewish Christian community to choose qualified men to manage the distribution of food to their widows (Acts 6). These may have been the first Deacons. Later, in Chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas establish Elderships in three congregations (Vs. 21-23). The church in Jerusalem had established their own leadership, of which James - possibly the brother of Jesus (Gal. 1:19)- was one of the Elders.

Before this time, the Jews had Elders, Priests, and Levites. Elders would do supervisory and judicial work, the Priests would do Religious work, and the Levites would take care of the Temple and would usually administrate the benevolence. But, the book of Acts shows us that everyone is to be involved in religious training and propagation, benevolence work, and the Apostles introduced leadership structure to the congregations.

We also find another servant in Acts that had never been seen before-Evangelist Philip, who had been one of the men selected to serve food to the Grecian- Jewish Christians (6:5), fled the persecution in Jerusalem and began preaching in Samaria. Many were baptized through his efforts. Afterward, an Angel of the Lord told him to go to the desert road leading to Gaza (Acts 8). There, he was told of the Spirit to make contact with a man in a chariot. The man was converted and baptized. After this, Philip was taken away by the power of God to find himself in Azotus and eventually he traveled to Caesarea. He apparently stayed there for about twenty years before the Apostle Paul met him as recorded in Acts, Chapter 21. Verse 8 tells us that he was now called Philip, the Evangelist. He had been in the located ministry for about twenty years and seemed to be a leader of the Church there.

Of course, Timothy and Titus were Evangelists, as well. Letters from Paul to them can be read. These letters are between 2nd Thessalonians and Philemon, in the New Testament. These reveal the work of an Evangelist. Timothy is a traveling companion of Paul beginning in Acts 16. Titus isn’t mentioned in Acts, but is mentioned fourteen times elsewhere in the New Testament, ten of these in 2nd Corinthians (8:23).

Acts records the first 25 or 30 years of the church. We don’t find precise instructions about selection of Elders, Deacons or other Ministry Positions, nor do we find exact policy concerning benevolence. Yet, we see these operating in the early years.

That which seems most important to the writer of Acts (Luke) is that the gospel was preached, conversions were happening, benevolence needs were met, Christians were being trained in New Testament Christianity, and persecution followed and opposed the spread of Kingdom preaching.

Even though many aspects of the early church weren’t spelled out in detail one seems to be. They “Boldly and without hindrance preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 28:31 - NIV) This statement was about Paul, but we find it true concerning the church in general. The message of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection was preached, people were called to place their faith in that message, repent and be baptized.

We are in a study of the book of Acts on Sunday mornings. Please come and learn how God was working with the first Christians and the message they were preaching.