Literary Analysis Essay on The Book of Acts

Introduction

The book of Acts is a book that captures among other things, the power of the church. Some have commented that were it to be taken out of the New Testament; it would be difficult to understand the message of the new covenant. For instance, the book systematically presents how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to Rome (the capital of the Roman Empire). Elsewhere, it has been suggested that the book should be called the "acts of the Holy Spirit." This view precipitates from the fact that the book illustrates in various capacities the mighty working of the Holy Spirit within and without the church. Using four selected events, this paper discusses their effect and relevance on the church today.

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To begin with, the central event in the book of acts is the promise and eventual outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Before his ascension into heaven, Jesus instructed his disciples to wait for the promise of the Father in Jerusalem. He said, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (Acts 1:8, The New King James Version). The eventual fulfillment of the promise in the second chapter marked the beginning of the church.

The release of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples has great significance to the church today. First, it is the foundation upon which the doctrine of the infilling of the Holy Spirit lays. Throughout the book of acts, there are various instances of believers receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. A notable example is the household of Cornelius under the ministration of the apostle Peter. This lays the pattern for the church today and shows that the Holy Spirit is indispensable in the walk of faith. Another importance truth that is relevant for the church today is that witnessing or the great commission is directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Therefore anytime the church feels low in power and ineffective in witnessing, it is a time to study and get inspiration from the book of acts (Taylor, 2011).

The second important event in the book of acts is the foundation and the growth of the church. Speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Peter presented the gospel that led to the conversion of approximately three thousand people. This massive repentance and baptism were vital to the establishment of the church. Specifically, the church was founded on the teachings of the apostles, fellowship, and prayers. The Bible records, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayers...and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42-47, The New King James Version).

The initial activities of the early church have had a significant impact on the church today. First, apostolic doctrines have remained to be a framework that guides the church. Different Pentecostal denominations have apostolic councils that give directions on issues regarding doctrine. Besides, prayer and the breaking of bread are still practiced in the church today following the pattern of the early church (Taylor, 2011).

A vital truth concerning church growth that is relevant to the church today is that it is the Lord that added numbers to the church. The modern church has been accused of using non-biblical advertising strategies to attract people to their congregations. But as shown in the scripture above, this ought not to be so. The sole responsibility of the church is to preach the gospel under the leading of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately it is the lord that adds numbers to the church. This was the pattern in the early church and the body of Christ today can learn important lessons from the strategy.

The thirty-ninth verse of Acts chapter two reveals an important truth regarding the dispersal of the church. The dispersal started in earnest in chapter eight after the martyr of Stephen. In the above verse, however, Peter reveals that there are people in different places that God will call and give the gift of the Holy Spirit. This sets the stage for the dispersal because God had to engineer a strategy for the spread of the gospel. The Bible records, "Therefore those who scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Phillip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them" (Acts 8:4-5, The New King James Version). The scripture reveals that the persecution that broke out in Jerusalem worked for the furtherance of the gospel to other regions.

The persecution of the early church and the subsequent dispersal of the gospel have contributed significantly in shaping how the church today views persecution today. The events are a reminder to the church today that the challenges they face are not unique to the current generation but that others underwent similar issues and overcame. The testimony of the early church serves to inspire boldness among modern-day believers (Taylor, 2011). The event is relevant because today the church is still undergoing persecution in various forms. For instance, Russia recently outlawed evangelism activities within its borders

The significant part of the book of acts consists of the activities of Peter and Paul under the influence of the Holy Spirit. To begin with, Peter preaches a sermon in Acts chapter two that leads to the conversion of approximately three thousand believers. Secondly and in the company of John he prays for the healing of a lame man (Acts 3:1-8, The New King James Version). In chapter four, Peter stands before the Sanhedrin after their arrest and boldly declares their allegiance to the gospel of Jesus Christ. All the deeds resulted from the power of the Holy Spirit, and through Peter, a significant Jewish population came to Christ. It is evident from the life of Peter that with the Holy Spirit everything is possible. This is a vital lesson for any believer today. Peter was an ordinary man, but after the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he preached the gospel fearlessly.

Nearly half of the book of Acts documents the missionary work of the apostle Paul. He by the help of the Holy Spirit was responsible for the preaching of the gospel to the gentile nations and the establishment of churches. The significance of Paul's ministry both to the early church and the church today cannot be overstated. His letters to the different churches he established during his missionary trips account for a significant portion of the New Testament books (Taylor, 2011). His teachings form the foundation of nearly all Christian doctrines. It should be noted that just like his counterpart Peter, Paul was taught and led by the Holy Spirit after his conversion.

Conclusion

In sum, the book of acts marks the beginning of the dispensation of the Holy Spirit after the ascension of Jesus. Looking at all the events in the book of Acts, one cannot fail to notice that everything happens by the leading of the Holy Spirit. To fulfill its purpose for this generation, the church must, therefore, depend entirely on the power of the Holy Spirit.

References

Taylor, G. (2011, November 28). The book of Acts: A history of the early church. Retrieved November 28, 2018, from Padfield: https://www.padfield.com/acrobat/taylor/acts.pdf