Acts and The Holy Spirit

1 ACTS & The Holy Spirit 1) What words does the Old Testament use to describe God's spirit?

God’s spirit is referred to as ‘ruakh,’ which is the Hebrew term that means God’s presence. This Hebrew word could also mean that God's spirit is present in every one of His creations.

2) What do the Old Testament prophets see as the fundamental problem with the world?

According to the prophets, the fundamental problem with the world was that even though God had imbued human beings with the spirit, they still gave in to evil and, through this evil, unleashed chaos into the world. The prophets said that a new spirit would come who would empower people to live the right way.

3) How will God solve this terrible problem?

God would solve this problem by introducing a new spirit who would guide human beings in their actions.

Buy this excellently written paper or order a fresh one from ace-myhomework.com

2

4) Where in the New Testament does the Holy Spirit show up?

The Holy Spirit shows up during Jesus’ baptism in the form of a bird. The baptism was occurring at River Jordan. This spirit would empower Jesus to begin the new creation. He embodies the spirit by healing people and bringing them closer to God. 5) What is the Holy Spirit doing today in the lives of God's people?

The Holy Spirit helps people to live under the energy and influence of God. It points them to Jesus and His teachings so that human beings will be able to discern the truth in their daily lives and live according to God's word. The Holy Spirit also helps God's people navigate difficult circumstances and influence other people to come to God.

6) Summarize the book of ACTS in 3 movements using no more than 100 words to explain each section: a) The opening of the book until Pentecost The book begins with the risen Jesus reassuring Christians that there will be salvation for his disciples. Jesus also assures his disciples that they would be His witnesses when the said salvation comes. After this, Jesus is taken to heaven on a cloud and enthroned as the son of God. In Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit comes into the form of a wind and a fire. The apostles then begin speaking in tongues. All these events had been prophesied in the Old Testament. b) Pentecost, through the conversion of Cornelius the Centurion After Pentecost, the apostles continue to spread the word of God. They also donate their possessions so that these possessions can go into helping the needy. The followers continue to multiply as a result of the actions of the apostles. After speaking out, Stephen is murdered by enraged people when he tries to speak out in support of

3 Christianity and Jesus’ work. These activities culminate in the conversion of the first Gentile into Christianity. His name was Cornelius the Centurion. c) Paul's ministry around the Roman Empire During his ministry in the Roman empire, Paul was frequently accosted by the authorities and questioned. However, his only crime was that he did not conform to the status quo. He would constantly get attacked by different groups of people who did not understand his ideas. To the Jewish, Paul was betraying the Israelites. On the other hand, representatives of the Roman Empire feared that he was a terrorist who wanted to cause mass unrest. He was constantly tried, and, ultimately, he ended up in prison for years.

7) What was the strange paradox of Christianity that confounded the Roman Empire and its rulers?

Even though it was a Jewish phenomenon, it consisted of various ethnicities.

Furthermore, there was equality of treatment among the followers of Christianity. It did not matter whether one was male or female, Jewish or Gentile, poor or rich, free or slave. To the Roman empire, the fact that anyone who wanted could join the messianic movement went against their understanding of social hierarchies and traditions.

4 References BibleProject. (2017, April 5). Holy Spirit. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNNZO9i1Gjc BibleProject. (2016, Oct 11). Overview: Acts 13-28. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-17KxpjL0Q