As his series on the Biblical book of The Acts of the Apostles comes to an end, BRUCE C WEARNE looks back at what he calls a “priceless record” of the beginnings of the Christian church…
Luke’s second book, which our Bibles call The Acts of the Apostles, is a truly wonderful story. It is a priceless record of the earliest beginnings of the Christian church. It explains in clear and forthright historical terms how the work of God with His People began to bring forth harvest after harvest. As we read and come to understand something of what was going on, we realise that sowing and that growing and that harvesting continues to this day. The sower in the parable of Jesus sowed the seed indiscriminately in all directions. Luke tells us how the seed of the Good News first began to find its way into all the world.
SOWING, GROWING AND HARVESTING: The process we see unfolding in Acts continues to this very as the seed of Jesus Christ continues to take root. PICTURE: Francesco Gallarotti /Unsplash
“It is a priceless record of the earliest beginnings of the Christian church. It explains in clear and forthright historical terms how the work of God with His People began to bring forth harvest after harvest. As we read and come to understand something of what was going on, we realise that sowing and that growing and that harvesting continues to this day.”
An initial apostolic synagogue met in the temple in Jerusalem in the weeks and months after the initial outpouring of God’s Spirit. The apostles were overseers as the seed was sown. First, Jews from all over, who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost were caught up in an initial harvest. They heard the Gospel proclaimed in their local tongues from back home. The Holy Spirit was irresistibly poured out upon them and many joined the company of those believing in Jesus.
In time, seven competent servants, deacons, were appointed to administer the distribution of food and ensure that Greek widows would not miss out in that time of severe shortages. Poverty relief and food distribution, as well as medical aid, has always been a part of the work of the community of faith. The Holy Spirit distributed gifts to enable all kinds of people to pitch in and join in the chorus: “The Messiah has come; He was dead but God raised Him. Repent, believe and discover the new life with the promise of sins forgiven!”
This indeed was a world-shattering, Jewish miracle. But after Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria, and Peter and John experienced Samaritan hospitality, Luke tells us that the miracle expanded and the entire region – Samaria, Galilee and Judaea – experienced a unity it had not known since before the division of the kingdom hundreds of years before. What Jesus predicted had indeed come to pass – His disciples were doing greater things than He had done. And the Gospel was being proclaimed to Gentiles; Peter witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the household of Cornelius the centurion in Caesarea. When Peter recalled how Jesus had eaten with them, even while they disbelieved, any and all resistance to wholeheartedly embracing Gentile believers just fell away.
Some time after Stephen’s execution, and the flight of so many from persecution from Jerusalem, Saul of Tarsus – a prime architect of the terror campaign, was converted. He had the faith explained to him by Ananias of Damascus and then a Levite from Cyprus took him under his care. This priest’s name was Barnabas (the uncle of Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark). It was not easy for Paul and there were many hurdles and problems that had to be overcome.
In time, Paul would tirelessly proclaimed the message of Jesus Christ. Luke recounts his various journeys to get the message out. Luke experienced first-hand the coming together of Jew and Gentile in a new way of life as they confessed faith in Israel’s crucified, risen and ascended Messiah-King. Office bearers of the Roman Empire were given a taste of the kind of justice that became possible as a result of the coming this Jesus, this Messiah who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
But something strange confronts us at the end of Luke’s story. It is as if it concludes without an ending. The first three Gospels, including that of Luke, have a somewhat climactic ending, in a literary sense. Jesus was raised from the tomb. After some weeks with them He imparted the great commission to His disciples – “take the Gospel with you everywhere you go and make it the basis of each and every relationship you have as you go into all the world knowing that God had accomplished a great and glorious work.”
But at the conclusion of his second book, Luke gives no such “battle plan” and it seems quite unfinished. Why? This, I believe, may be one of the most significant “hints” that God’s Spirit gives us from Luke’s second book. Luke’s story ends on an unfinished note because indeed the work Jesus began is still going on. The work of salvation may indeed be complete – Jesus died, was raised and has ascended for a complete forgiveness of sins. But He continues to work in our lives by His Spirit. Luke’s ending to his second book invites us to “join in the chorus”, to become part of the ongoing story.
OPEN BOOK – HINTS FROM THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS: TAKING A HINT FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT
As his series on the Biblical book of The Acts of the Apostles comes to an end, BRUCE C WEARNE looks back at what he calls a “priceless record” of the beginnings of the Christian church…
Luke’s second book, which our Bibles call The Acts of the Apostles, is a truly wonderful story. It is a priceless record of the earliest beginnings of the Christian church. It explains in clear and forthright historical terms how the work of God with His People began to bring forth harvest after harvest. As we read and come to understand something of what was going on, we realise that sowing and that growing and that harvesting continues to this day. The sower in the parable of Jesus sowed the seed indiscriminately in all directions. Luke tells us how the seed of the Good News first began to find its way into all the world.
SOWING, GROWING AND HARVESTING: The process we see unfolding in Acts continues to this very as the seed of Jesus Christ continues to take root. PICTURE: Francesco Gallarotti /Unsplash
“It is a priceless record of the earliest beginnings of the Christian church. It explains in clear and forthright historical terms how the work of God with His People began to bring forth harvest after harvest. As we read and come to understand something of what was going on, we realise that sowing and that growing and that harvesting continues to this day.”
An initial apostolic synagogue met in the temple in Jerusalem in the weeks and months after the initial outpouring of God’s Spirit. The apostles were overseers as the seed was sown. First, Jews from all over, who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost were caught up in an initial harvest. They heard the Gospel proclaimed in their local tongues from back home. The Holy Spirit was irresistibly poured out upon them and many joined the company of those believing in Jesus.
In time, seven competent servants, deacons, were appointed to administer the distribution of food and ensure that Greek widows would not miss out in that time of severe shortages. Poverty relief and food distribution, as well as medical aid, has always been a part of the work of the community of faith. The Holy Spirit distributed gifts to enable all kinds of people to pitch in and join in the chorus: “The Messiah has come; He was dead but God raised Him. Repent, believe and discover the new life with the promise of sins forgiven!”
This indeed was a world-shattering, Jewish miracle. But after Philip preached the Gospel in Samaria, and Peter and John experienced Samaritan hospitality, Luke tells us that the miracle expanded and the entire region – Samaria, Galilee and Judaea – experienced a unity it had not known since before the division of the kingdom hundreds of years before. What Jesus predicted had indeed come to pass – His disciples were doing greater things than He had done. And the Gospel was being proclaimed to Gentiles; Peter witnessed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the household of Cornelius the centurion in Caesarea. When Peter recalled how Jesus had eaten with them, even while they disbelieved, any and all resistance to wholeheartedly embracing Gentile believers just fell away.
Some time after Stephen’s execution, and the flight of so many from persecution from Jerusalem, Saul of Tarsus – a prime architect of the terror campaign, was converted. He had the faith explained to him by Ananias of Damascus and then a Levite from Cyprus took him under his care. This priest’s name was Barnabas (the uncle of Mark, the writer of the Gospel of Mark). It was not easy for Paul and there were many hurdles and problems that had to be overcome.
In time, Paul would tirelessly proclaimed the message of Jesus Christ. Luke recounts his various journeys to get the message out. Luke experienced first-hand the coming together of Jew and Gentile in a new way of life as they confessed faith in Israel’s crucified, risen and ascended Messiah-King. Office bearers of the Roman Empire were given a taste of the kind of justice that became possible as a result of the coming this Jesus, this Messiah who rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
But something strange confronts us at the end of Luke’s story. It is as if it concludes without an ending. The first three Gospels, including that of Luke, have a somewhat climactic ending, in a literary sense. Jesus was raised from the tomb. After some weeks with them He imparted the great commission to His disciples – “take the Gospel with you everywhere you go and make it the basis of each and every relationship you have as you go into all the world knowing that God had accomplished a great and glorious work.”
But at the conclusion of his second book, Luke gives no such “battle plan” and it seems quite unfinished. Why? This, I believe, may be one of the most significant “hints” that God’s Spirit gives us from Luke’s second book. Luke’s story ends on an unfinished note because indeed the work Jesus began is still going on. The work of salvation may indeed be complete – Jesus died, was raised and has ascended for a complete forgiveness of sins. But He continues to work in our lives by His Spirit. Luke’s ending to his second book invites us to “join in the chorus”, to become part of the ongoing story.
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