After the Jews were released from exile in Babylon in 537 B.C.E., many settled far from the land of Israel but continued to practice Judaism. He talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit for the church and for disciples’ life and witness. The Holy Spirit was working in the situation. PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1102009044/univ/art/1102009044_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, “Bearing Thorough Witness” About God’s Kingdom, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/bt/E/wpub/bt_E_lg.jpg, Share The Spirit is called holy. (b) Why could thousands who heard the good news at Pentecost qualify to be baptized on the same day? When the disciples leave the house, those visitors they encounter on the streets of Jerusalem are astonished, for the disciples are able to speak to them! | 2 The “tongues” were, not of literal fire, but “as if of fire,” evidently indicating that the observable manifestation upon each disciple had the appearance and radiance of fire. Documentary evidence exists of a Jewish presence in Egypt at least as early as the sixth century B.C.E. May I always keep my heart open to His will. So Ill start with my conclusions and then give the biblical support. Peter’s goal was to move his listeners to repentance, not to condemn them. Only our obedience to God’s commands allows the Spirit freedom to work within us. 1 See the box “ Jerusalem—The Center of Judaism.”, ^ par. At the time that. They were praising God for the miracles He had done. What amazing events occur at Pentecost 33 C.E.? It is the state that follows the process. There they met people from India, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and the Philippines. By the first century C.E., well over a million people lived in Rome. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! Most of those present likely spoke a common language, perhaps Greek or Hebrew. Uneeknitter4God on Living Outsi Paul again was filled with the Spirit according to … He told them: “Make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you.”—Matt. And, how can we be filled with the Spirit? Trouble and Happiness; Digging into Leadership as a Christian; Recent Comments . Often, they have found that their listeners are quite impressed by their efforts. If we establish common ground with our listener, we can then tactfully reason from God’s Word. After accepting the vital truths concerning Jesus Christ’s role in the outworking of God’s purpose, they were ready to continue serving God—but now as baptized followers of Christ. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. You have at the beginning of Acts 4 Peter "being filled" with the Holy Spirit. * Then, the disciples become “filled with holy spirit” and begin speaking in foreign languages! According to verses 19 & 23 of the same chapter he was part of that company of believers that were also filled with the Spirit. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the. Rome was a melting pot of cultures, races, languages, and superstitions. 17 Christian dedication and baptism involve several necessary Scriptural steps. 11. Answer, bid, bring word, command. (Acts 2:1) By the end of that day, baptized members of that congregation numbered into the thousands. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. It was to Jehovah’s temple that all devout Jews regularly gathered from all over the inhabited earth to sacrifice, worship, and observe seasonal festivals. Once they are combined, it is no small task to remove the tea from the water. Why are the apostles “filled with the Holy Spirit” when they pray for boldness after Peter and John are released from prison, when they have just recently received the Spirit on Pentecost? Everyone knows that if you place a tea bag in a cup of hot water, that water will be transformed. • A delightful result of the Spirit-filled life is an enhanced ability to sense and hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:9) Evidently, some of them took the good news back to their homeland, for those to whom Peter addressed his first letter included believers who were “scattered about” in such places as Pontus. This took place in 537 B.C.E. As you engage these prayer, pray them with faith and receive a fresh baptism of fire in jesus name. 10:24, 25) The Christian congregation is a provision from Jehovah so that you can encourage others and also be encouraged yourself. In this place, each word you say is full of divine wisdom and power, and every step you take carries a touch of the Spirit. (John 17:3) He needs to exercise faith and must repent over his past course, demonstrating true sorrow over it. Nunnally: You also have it in the book of Acts, the Apostles being filled in Acts 2. 18 Are you a dedicated, baptized disciple of Jesus Christ? Consider one experience in which this publication was put to good use. Perhaps half of the population were slaves—condemned criminals, children sold or abandoned by their parents, and prisoners captured during campaigns by the Roman legions. Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural. From ho and hote; the when, i.e. 3. 1. The emperors, however, adorned their capital with some of the most magnificent public buildings ever seen. Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. I am grateful that the Father and Jesus take care of global matters, but it is the Holy Spirit who brings heaven’s care to me personally. Josephus says that Jews were among the first settlers of Alexandria. 16. Father, i thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit. This edifice came to be the focal point of Jewish public life and worship. The apostle Paul commands in Ephesians 5:18 that we be filled with the Spirit. Picture the scene: Peter and John had been released from prison and had immediately joined the believers in Jerusalem. (Matt. The Bible speaks of something that the disciples of Jesus had experienced in the book of Acts. 13, 14. * (1 Pet. Acts 7:55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. (Rev. Rather, we would do well to build on points on which we can agree. The Holy Spirit transformed Peter from a coward into a powerful evangelist and the fearless leader of the newborn Church. In the third to the fifth centuries C.E., these communities produced the work known as the Babylonian Talmud. We ought to be more holy today than we were yesterday. 16:16) Jerusalem was also the seat of the Great Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court and national administrative council. Many, however, have made themselves available to spread the Kingdom message to people of all national groups. Stay close to your spiritual brothers and sisters. . Being Strong Symbols of the Holy Spirit holy Boldness Boldness Baptism Of The Holy Spirit Sanctification, Means And Results The Holy Spirit In The Church Knowing God, Nature Of Words Being Filled With The Spirit Examples Of Life In The Spirit Worship, Results Of. Home; About Me; Tag Peter Do You Really Know Me? Sinful actions can hinder the work of God's Spirit in his or her life. Does this account serve as a precedent for Bible students and for children of Christian parents to rush into baptism before they are ready? If you are actively associated with the Christian congregation and are sharing in the Kingdom-preaching and disciple-making work, you have reason to rejoice. Never forsake gathering together at Christian meetings! 8 To help you endure with joy during these critical times, Jehovah God has provided a worldwide association of brothers. Most of the free population were paupers, who lived in crowded multistory housing and depended on government subsidies. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! Instead, the people were “stabbed to the heart.” They asked: “What shall we do?” Peter’s positive approach likely played a role in his reaching the hearts of many, so that they were moved to repent.—Acts 2:37. Filled with the Holy Spirit Worshiping Jesus Christ, the lamb who died to cleanse my sin. How is the Christian congregation today fulfilling Jesus’ commission to preach to all nations? . Prayer To Be Filled With The Holy Spirit: Below, we are going to be looking at some prayers to be filled with the holy spirit. (b) Why had a first-century fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy been expected? Among the qualified men appointed to care for the “necessary business” of the daily distribution of food was Nicolaus, who is identified as “a proselyte of Antioch.” (Acts 6:3-5) Proselytes were Gentiles, that is, non-Jews, who had converted to Judaism. * Was this an impulsive act? Describe the atmosphere of the Festival of Pentecost. A network of well-maintained roads brought travelers and merchandise from every corner of the empire. Visitors crowd the streets. The Sanhedrin could not hurt Peter and John because the people would not let them. Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, Acts 4:31 . A primary verb; to speak or say. By this means, people throughout the ancient Near East and beyond became acquainted with the Jewish religion. From hagos; sacred. The entire baptism took two hours and fifteen minutes to complete. Pliny gave those accused of being Christians opportunity to deny it, and those who would not, he executed. In Acts 9:17 shortly after his conversion, Paul was said to be filled with the Spirit. It is a joyous day. Sin is what hinders the filling of the Holy Spirit, and obedience to God is how the filling of the Spirit is maintained. * They would thus become part of spiritual Israel, and as such, they would have the hope of ruling as kings and priests in the Messianic Kingdom. Comparative of presbus; older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist or Christian 'presbyter'. 1:6) Likely, this included opposition and persecution. 67 The phrase rendered “scattered about” comes from a Greek word that means “of the Diaspora.” The term has Jewish overtones, indicating that many of the first converts were from Jewish communities. Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. 13 Peter’s concluding words to the crowd were firm: “Let all the house of Israel know for a certainty that God made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you impaled.” (Acts 2:36) Of course, most of Peter’s listeners were not personally present when Jesus was put to death on the torture stake. Moreover, they were already demonstrating their zeal—in some cases, by traveling great distances to be present at this annual festival. Often, when Bible truths are presented in such a positive fashion, righthearted ones are more likely to respond favorably. And … But now “each one heard [the disciples] speaking in his own language.” (Acts 2:6) Surely those listeners must have been touched to hear the good news in their mother tongue. (Matt. Isn’t the receiving of the Holy Spirit a one-time thing as opposed to how it was in the Old Testament times? Paul wrote to the Hebrew Christians: “Let us consider one another to incite to love and fine works, not forsaking the gathering of ourselves together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you behold the day drawing near.” (Heb. It is a state in which the Spirit of God has total CONTROL over us. This city stands among the hills of Judea’s central mountain range, about 34 miles (55 km) east of the Mediterranean Sea. . (b) How did Peter’s speech tie in with the use of “the keys of the kingdom”? 10 Consider Christine, who took a Gujarati course along with seven other Witnesses. 14 We can imitate Peter’s manner of appealing to hearts. We don't have to wait for the Father and Son to pour out the Spirit on us. 16:18, 19) This first key made it possible for Jews and Jewish proselytes to accept the good news and to be anointed with God’s holy spirit. be called a milestone in the history of true worship? 6 Today, the Christian congregation has the same objectives that it had in the first century. The woman was impressed and wanted to know why Christine was making the effort to learn Gujarati. Yes, a community of God-fearing men and women—the modern-day Christian congregation—is the means by which the “good news of the kingdom” is being “preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations” before the end of this system of things.—Matt. 3:21. Peter, a Greek name meaning rock. 135) states: “In Mesopotamia, Media and Babylonia lived the descendants of members of the kingdom of the ten tribes [of Israel], and of the kingdom of Judah, once deported there by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.” According to Ezra 2:64, only 42,360 Israelite men, along with their wives and children, returned to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile. Dr Peter Roennfeldt holding his new book. 6, 7. 4:23, 24) These steps are followed by his making a dedication to God in prayer and then getting baptized.—Matt. Read verse in New International Version During the period of time covered by the book of Acts, Rome was the largest and politically the most important city in the then-known world. In what way are congregation members individually blessed? Of course, it is a challenge to reach people of different languages. Learn from a beloved apostle who just plain loved Christ. 11 Of course, not all of us can learn another language. THE streets of Jerusalem are bustling with excitement. At the nearby port of Ostia, ships that plied busy trade routes unloaded foodstuffs and luxury goods destined for the city. In this verse we are told that Peter experienced a new filling with the Holy Spirit. Of course, Christians today are not gifted with a miraculous ability to speak foreign tongues. •• Explanatory note: it is important to notice that to be baptized with the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:5) and to be filled with the Holy Spirit … Dr Peter Roennfeldt recently released If You Are Thirsty, You Can Be Spirit-filled, a book that returns to a key biblical theme touched on in his four previous books. This was a voluntary sharing and is not to be confused with some form of communism.—Acts 5:1-4. Yet, Jehovah’s Witnesses have produced Bible literature in more than 400 languages. He desires to fill us with his Holy Spirit. Much of the action of the first chapters of Acts takes place in Jerusalem. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The book of Acts gives us a clue in its account of what happened when Peter and John gathered with their fellow believers after being released by the Jewish council: And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness. 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! The worldwide nature of our work as well as our unity became clear to them.”. 5. 17. Without a doubt, the Holy Spirit is my best friend. How? (a) Why can Pentecost 33 C.E. 5 The Christian congregation would also be a source of spiritual strength to its members, both those of the anointed and, later on, those of the “other sheep.” (John 10:16) Paul showed his appreciation for the mutual support that members of the congregation provide when he wrote to the Christians in Rome: “I am longing to see you, that I may impart some spiritual gift to you in order for you to be made firm; or, rather, that there may be an interchange of encouragement among you, by each one through the other’s faith, both yours and mine.”—Rom. Suddenly, there occurs from heaven “a noise just like that of a rushing stiff breeze,” or “like the roaring of a mighty windstorm.” (Acts 2:2; International Standard Version) The loud sound fills the house where about 120 disciples of Jesus are gathered. “Both Jews and proselytes” heard Peter’s preaching at Pentecost 33 C.E.—Acts 2:10. Note, though, that Peter addressed his fellow Jews respectfully and appealed to their hearts. They did so in obedience to God’s command: “Three times in the year every male of yours should appear before Jehovah your God in the place that he will choose.” (Deut. . 32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. “Filled With Holy Spirit”, “You Have Filled Jerusalem With Your Teaching”, “Great Persecution Arose Against the Congregation”, “People of the Nations . (a) How had the prophet Joel alluded to the miraculous event that took place at Pentecost 33 C.E.? Acts 4:1-12: Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit… Acts 3:17-26: Jesus, the fulfillment of the promises; Acts 3:11-16: Giving entrance for the Gospel; Acts 3:1-10: The purpose of miracles; Acts 2:37-47: Essentials of the early church; Acts 2:22-36: Men of Israel, hear these words; Acts 2:1-21: The coming of the Holy Spirit When it says “Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,” it is not describing the process of being filled. You must really have something important to say.”. * Smoke ascends from the temple altar as the Levites sing the Hallel (Psalms 113 to 118), likely in antiphonal, or call-and-response, style. Received the Word of God”, “The Apostles and the Older Men Gathered Together”, “Teaching . 28:26) This annual festival marks the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest. The effects of the outpouring of holy spirit at Pentecost. We should always be conforming more to the image of Jesus Christ, and it is the Holy Spirit who helps us in this growing process. Tongues as if of fire become visible, and one sits upon each of the disciples. ^ par. One way is by using the publication Good News for People of All Nations. 9 Imagine the excitement that must have surged through the mixed company of Jews and proselytes at Pentecost 33 C.E. 5:9, 10) In time, that privilege would be extended to Samaritans and then to Gentiles. To baptize is to fill, also according to New Testament usage. (Jer. Any who cursed Christ or recited a prayer to the gods or to Trajan’s statue were released. 16 Jehovah’s blessing was certainly on that group. Then Shimeon Kaypha was filled by The Spirit of Holiness, and he said to them, “Rulers of the people and Elders of the house of Israel, listen.”. 3 This stirring account describes a milestone in true worship—the founding of the nation of spiritual Israel, the anointed Christian congregation. 1. What steps are necessary for a person to qualify for baptism? were keen students of God’s Word, and they were part of a nation that had been dedicated to Jehovah. The account relates: “All those who became believers were together in having all things in common, and they went selling their possessions and properties and distributing the proceeds to all, just as anyone would have the need.” * (Acts 2:44, 45) Surely all true Christians want to imitate that loving, self-sacrificing spirit. 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More likely to respond favorably Consider Christine, who took a Gujarati course along seven. To, i.e —Acts 2:1-6 took two hours and fifteen minutes to.... Would take a chemist a complex series of steps to separate the.! Congregation is a challenge to reach people of other language groups combined, it a! Gujarati course along with seven other Witnesses exercise faith and receive a filling! His conversion, Paul was said to them, you have reason to rejoice century C.E. the. Jewish public life and worship Peter Roennfeldt holding his New book Tag Peter do you really Know me Paul... Learn such a positive fashion, righthearted ones are more likely to respond favorably of pro ; preposition. To build on points on which we can then tactfully reason from God ’ s words 2:1 by! For Jesus ' death to set us free and his resurrection to empower,...
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