Acts 1-12

[Jim Watt]

"*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

*2008 <http://www.2rbetter.org/>*



   *ACTS 1-12 - OVERVIEW - T1501R*

*"THE BEGINNINGS OF THE** ek-kl**eSIa - CHURCH*


 *1. 1:8 (1) CHURCH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. "But you shall receive power, when
the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be my witnesses both in
Jerusalem, and in all :Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost of the
earth. *It is through Your indwelling Spirit Father, that we the church were
birthed. He has written Your laws on our hearts! This is the New Covenant
fulfilled. *Hallowed be your :name.*


 *2. 2:1-2 (2) CHURCH: THEOLOGY OF PENTECOST. "And when the day of
:Pentecost was being fulfilled, all were together in the one place. 2 And
suddenly a sound came from :heaven as of a mighty wind rushing, and it
filled the whole house where they were sitting." *We must be *filled* and *
controlled* by Your Holy Spirit, Father. *This* is Your Kingdom in Your
Church. Forgive us for so often missing it. *Your :kingdom come.*


 *3. 4:19-20 (3-5) CHURCH: MIRACLES AND PERSECUTION. "But :Peter and John
answered and said unto them, Whether it is right in the sight of :God to
hearken to you rather than :God, judge you: 20 for WE cannot but speak what
things we saw and heard. *The disciples almost *asked* for the persecution
they received, so great was their boldness and lack of fear of man! Father,
we rejoice in Your grace upon them. *Your :will be done, As in heaven, so on
earth.*


 *4. 8:39 (6-8) CHURCH GROWTH: DEACONS AND STEPHEN. "And when they came up
out of the water, the Lord's Spirit caught away :Philip; and the eunuch saw
him no more, for he went on his :way rejoicing." *Father, *Forgive us* for
not having that fresh expectancy of the early church at all times. It will
be this way at the end again, and as Solomon said, The *end* of a matter is
better than the beginning! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.*


 *5. 9:15-16 (9) CHURCH: PAUL AND PETER. "But the Lord said unto him, Go:
for HE is a chosen vessel to me, to bear my :name both before the Gentiles
and kings, and the sons of Israel: 16 for I will show him how many things he
must suffer for my :name. And forgive us our :debts As we also have forgiven
our :debtors.*


 *6. 10:28 (10:1-11:18*) *CHURCH AND GENTILES. "And he said unto them, YOU
know how unlawful it is for [a man] a Jew to join himself or come unto one
of another nation; and **yet** to me has :God shown to call no man common or
unclean." *For a Jew, this is a remarkable revelation. But in Your grace You
gave this to Peter, Father. It is the beginning of the removal of the middle
wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. *And bring us not into
temptation.*


 *7. 12:11 (11:19-12:25) CHURCH AND INTENSIFIED TROUBLE. "And when :Peter
was come to himself, he said, Now I know truly, that the Lord has sent forth
his :angel and delivered me out of Herod's hand and from all the expectation
of the people of the Jews." *In the midst of trouble, *You* are able to
deliver us, Father. We bless Your Name! *But deliver us from the evil one.*


 *NOTE:* The Book of Acts is really the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the
Apostles, especially Peter - apostle to the Jews; and Paul - apostle to the
Gentiles. And - it is really an account of Jesus through the Holy Spirit
through the apostles - continuing the ministry He started as recorded in the
Gospel of Luke.


 Luke as a Greek convert to the beginning church through Messianic Jews, is
the only non-Jewish NT writer. As a historian his Gospel and The Book of
Acts - show his touch in the accuracy of his usage of the Greek. The Holy
Spirit is well able to use all the natural faculties of the Bible writers,
and yet ensure through Bible Numerics that God's thinking comes through
these Spirit-yielded vessels.


 The first 12 chapters of Acts major on the church's beginning primarily
through Messianic Jewish Congregations. We see God using Peter however to
bring non-Jewish Romans into the church as a first. The latter half of this
history majors on the apostle Paul primarily, and his role in bringing in 14
City Churches, primarily with Gentile converts, each composed of many local
churches in the home. It is interesting to note that Paul wrote over half
the books of the NT - 14 - one for each of these City Churches.


 It wasn't till a few centuries later until believers started building local
church structures with baptistries.


 Note too the 4 significant references in the book of Acts to the gift (do-reA)
of the Holy Spirit. 11 times this word is used in the Greek NT. Its
definition is established in John 4:10 - an inner artesian well. In Acts
2:38 we have the "Peter package" of the 2 conditions of repentance and
baptism followed by the promise of this *gift*. Acts 8:20 reveals how
valuable this *gift* is in the eyes of God, and how Simon the Sorcerer was
severely rebuked for reducing it to monetary value. Acts 10:45 and 11:17
show how Gentiles received this *gift* on the same basis as Jews - by grace
through faith - yet apart from circumcision and OT law regulations.


 These 12 chapters are indeed *rich* in revealed truth, and provide the
beginning of an overview for the succeeding 21 epistles.


 Jim Watt



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