The First Edition From Jerusalem To Rome

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2 The First Edition From Jerusalem To Rome What does the first and original edition of Acts actually say about the nature of The Church? Acts: The First Edition, by the leading writer of the New Testament, Luke! Author: Luke s Books Words Percent 37,933 27% of the NT Gospel of Luke Acts Author: Paul s Books Words Percent 32,407 23% of the NT Romans 1 & 2 Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians 1 & 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2 Timothy Titus Philemon Acts is the first book written on Church History. The Study In Acts Will Cover Such Areas As.... The Mystery Called The Church The Sermons Of..... Peter, Paul, Stephen, Philip, James, & Ananias The Salvation Experiences Of.... An Ethiopian Treasurer, Saul Of Tarsus, Cornelius, Lydia, A Philippian Jailer, & Crispus. The Supernatural Gifts Of Tongues & Healing Notable Personalities Such As.... Peter, Barnabas, James, John Mark, Titus Justice, Timothy, Demetrius, & Felix Events Such As.... the coming of the Holy Spirit, the explosion of the church, the creation of the office of deacon, the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles, trials, visions, the refusal to use John Mark, a church council, & a shipwreck

3 A Modern-Day Parable Christ s Return To Heaven After His Resurrection All the angels gathered for the gala celebration of Christ s return. During the festivities, the angels gathered around God s Son to hear about His many experiences on earth. Christ told the angels how He.... healed the sick, raised the dead, and performed miracles among the multitudes. Then, He told them the story of.... how He died on the cross and how He rose again from the dead on the third day. As Jesus finished His account all of heaven was silent. Suddenly one of the angels declared... Let us go to earth and tell the masses of all you ve done for them. The Lord quietly shook His head and answered... No, that is not the plan. All the angels were puzzled, and another inquired.... How, then, are you going to deliver this message to everyone on earth? The Master answered.... I have left this responsibility in the hands of 11 men. With a questioning look, another angel quickly responded.... But, Lord, what if they fail? Jesus answered... I have no other plan. Dick Eastman founder of Every Home For Christ

4 The Importance & Place Of The Book Of Acts 33 #1) It Bridges The Gospels & The Epistles. If it were not for the book of Acts, we would not know about.... The Ascension: When & how did Christ leave this world? Whatever became of Peter? no less the writing two epistles? When did the Gentiles become part of the church? The origins of various N.T. churches referred to in the epistles Who is this man Paul.... Saul? How has this man Paul become an apostle? - though not found or named in the Gospels How come one did not need to become a Jewish proselyte? The beginnings, cause, and nature of persecution against the church How do both Jews and Gentiles form the church? What exploded the Gospel from a meretwelve men, all the way to the palace of Rome? Luke If we put the clues together, we discover that Luke was a medical doctor who first met Paul in the thriving seaport town of Troas. Troas was the gateway between the civilizations of West and East. Ships were constantly arriving from all over the world at Troas, which was the major hub of the trade routes to Asia. There could hardly have been a more promising place for a young man to begin his medical career than in this thriving city. We are never told the circumstances that brought Paul and Luke together, but we do know that Paul suffered from more than one physical ailment. When Paul and Timothy came to Troas at the end of a long journey, he evidently needed a doctor s care. Perhaps, as F. B. Meyer suggests, Paul sent Timothy to find an available doctor and, according to the providence of God, Timothy found a young Greek doctor by the name of Luke. At some point, in the course of Luke s visit, Paul shared the story of the risen Christ and Luke eventually believed. That, however, was not all. Luke was eventually confronted with the challenge to take his medical skills on the road and accompany Paul himself. Luke would reach the point where he had to decide between a lucrative practice in Troas and a dangerous, difficult ministry with Paul. Well, we know the answer to that. Luke became a man that Paul would later refer to in Colossians, chapter 4, verse 14a, as, Luke, the beloved physician Stephen Davey

5 33 #2) The Practices & Events In The Book Of Acts Establish Some Vital Principles. An Example Of Practices & Principles The establishment of the office-ministry of DEACON was built on, as well as confirmed a biblical principle which also accounts for such things as.... Mid-week & Mixed Bible Studies Benevolence Ministries Sunday School / VBS / Youth Ministry etc. Biblical Principles From The Book Of Acts There are many principles which stand behind the various events and practices found in the book of Acts. This is not just a study of the many events, individuals, and progress of the Gospel, as recorded by Dr. Luke, but aims to point out the biblical principles which stand behind these events and activities. One example of that is seen in the establishment of the office of deacon. The decision to establish that church office was founded on a principle and confirmed that principle already stated in biblical history. That same principle is what provides the rationale for other additions and changes in the local church over the ages and even today. We will not only be examining the historical events which are well-known to most of us today, but we will be aiming to highlight some of the principles which the book of Acts teaches when it comes to the local church, evangelism, outreach, money, pastoral ministry, trials, persecution, etc.

6 33 #3) It speaks to one of the major controversies in today s Christian world. It is very likely that you have already, or you will face this issue in our generation.... What is the church? If you want to answer that question, do not grab one of the many books published on this issue. If you want to answer that question, do not ask many of the church leaders and pastors conducting church ministries today especially those involved in the music ministry! Go Back To The First Edition! If you visited a church from 1960 to 1980, you would have noticed little change in what you experienced. However, there have been radical changes which have taken place in the past approximate twenty years -- from ! Choirs have disappeared and are disappearing. Organs are dusty, if they haven t been removed or sold. Clothing has become casual. Screens appear in most all church auditoriums. Multi-sites have sprung up -- multi-sites, multi venues, multi-campuses. The genre and span of church music has changed Sunday evening services are disappearing More and more staff members are paid-professional staff. A seminary education does not mark pastors and church leaders. The content and subject of sermons have changed. Greater division exists among and between Bible-believing churches. Sunday School/Mid-week services are becoming less typical. Believers are less knowledgable of basic Christian truths and doctrine. Church statements of faiths are becoming less defined. Churches are changing their names to a nondescript designation. Personal Separation is more and more a non-issue -- i.e. alcohol consumption. An attractional church model is held out as the valued ministry approach. Church services include secular music.

7 W. E. Vine s book -- New Testament Word Pictures -- is a great classical resource book for biblical studies which covers Matthew through Acts. Study the meaning of biblical words in the original languages without spending years learning Greek. W. E. Vine s New Testament Word Pictures places every key word from Vine s classic Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words in Bible book and verse-by-verse order. The text of the King James Version of the Bible is included for context, but W. E. Vine s New Testament Word Pictures is keyed to the Strong s numbering system and can be used with any Bible translation. Features include: Every key word from Vine s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words explained Verse-by-verse order for ease of use King James Version text with keys to Strong s numbers W.E. Vine s original comments on alternative readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible Inspirational quotes to add a fresh edge to teaching A great tool for students, pastors, teachers, and anyone who enjoys biblical word studies, this unique resource explains the meaning behind the key words and contains elements of a dictionary, concordance, and commentary. Edited by Martin Manser, W. E. Vine s New Testament Word Pictures is available in two companion volumes: Matthew to Acts and Romans to Revelation. It is yours free of charge, one per family unit. Only Requirement: That You Read It As You Study The Book Of Acts or even As You Study Matthew, Mark, Luke, and/or John

8 One Solitary Life Here is a man who was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in another village. He worked in a carpenter shop until He was thirty. Then for three years He was an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never went to college. He never put His foot inside a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place He was born. He never did one of the things that usually accompany greatness. He had no credentials but Himself... While still a young man, the tide of popular opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. One of them denied Him. He was turned over to His enemies. He went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed upon a cross between two thieves. While He was dying His executioners gambled for the only piece of property He had on earth His coat. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend. Nineteen long centuries have come and gone, and today He is a centerpiece of the human race and leader of the column of progress. I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built; all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon this earth as powerfully as has that one solitary life. This essay was adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in The Real Jesus and Other Sermons 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp titled Arise Sir Knight! ).