The Spirit in the DtrH/Former Prophets

While the Spirit in the Deuteronomistic History (DtrH) may not have the same explicit role as he does in the New Testament book of Acts, the Spirit is nonetheless ever-present in the lives of both Israel and Judah’s leaders and prophets. To be sure, the Spirit moves in a variety of ways and with a very similar modus operandi in the DtrH to that in the NT as he empowers, strengthens for service, and inspires the prophets. We also find that in the DtrH the Spirit convicts of sin, effects miracles through the man or woman of God, and renders discernment to those he has called. Put simply, the Spirit’s role in the DtrH, as in the NT, is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Implications of Acts 1:8 for Ghanaian Neo-Pentecostal Missiology

The book of Acts is often referred to by many scholars and preachers when discussing Christian missions with emphasis on Acts 1:8 as the centrality of the book. Unfortunately, very little exegetical study is done on the text by scholars in relation to missions. It appears that Luke fails to provide a detailed blueprint strategies or approaches to the command for missions (witnessing) in the text. This article therefore considers Acts 1:8 exegetically to establish its missionary importance. In the light of this, the article assesses the mission strategies of the Early Church, Historic Missions and Neo-Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches in Ghana. The article contends that, a reflection on the current trend of Neo-Pentecostal/Charismatic approaches or strategies to missions in Ghana gives a valuable insight of a departure from the early missionary strategies in general. The article acknowledges that, the recent widespread involvement of Pentecostal and Charismatic churches in the use of radio, social media, television, open-air crusades, street evangelism, preaching in buses, prayer and prophetic meetings/conventions, medical outreach work and social welfare are ways to fulfill missions in the light of Acts 1:8. The article also highlights the need to broaden the understanding and task of Christian missions to meet the challenges of the recent changing Ghanaian Christian religious landscape. Keywords: Missions, Missiology, Neo-Pentecostal Churches, Early Church,Strategy, Book of Acts, Historic Churches.

“Yang Turun dari Langit dan Dampaknya” - dalam Kisah Para Rasul 2: Suatu Penelusuran Awal

There has not been a study on the word ὥσπερ or ὡσεὶ (as) in the Book of Acts Chapter 2 by using Cognitive Linguistic Analysis theorem. Employing a method of interpretation based on such a theory, this study explores the meaning of the words. The hypothesis is the word ὥσπερ or ὡσεὶ.signify the complexity of the Holy Spirit’s role and the the Spirit’s agility. The finding shows that the Holy Spirit has multiple roles and agility beyond human word can describe. However, the Spirit’s main role is guide people to the Lordship of Christ, to transform the disciples to become courageous persons, people with the ability to communicate across borders, and to have agility in following God’s guidance to create real impacts in the society. The church that the Spirit dwells in and leads should possess such fluidity and multiple roles as the Holy Spirit.

Peran Roh Kudus dalam Misi Allah

Abstrak Tulisan ini meneliti ajaran yang tersembunyi dalam narasi mengenairespon terhadap penglihatan Paulus dalam Kisah Rasul 16.Pendekatannya adalah interpretasi narasi. Sebagai hasilnya, Kisah Para Rasul 16mengajarkan pertama, kedaulatan Roh Kudus yang mendorongpemimpin-pemimpin yang dipilihnya melintasi batas-batas pandanganmereka dan kedua, mengenai peran-Nya mengajarkan agarkepemimpinan bersama perlu diterapkan di dalam prosesmelaksanakan Misi Allah. Abstract The studi analyses the unrecognized teaching of the narratives in the Book of Acts chapter 16 concerning the response to the vision of Paul. The method used is narrative interpretation. As the results, the Book of Acts 16 teaches about both the role of the Holy Spirit to bring the chosen leaders to cross their boundaries as well as to teach them to practice Shared-Leadership in Missio Dei process.

Review of: Schmid G., Fr. Introduction to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Textbook. St. Petersburg, 2020. 184 с. ISBN 978-5-906627-72-8

В 2017 г. издательство Санкт-Петербургской духовной академии выпустило в свет учебное пособие протоиерея Георгия Шмида «Введение в книгу Деяний апостолов». Уже в 2020 г. вышло второе переработанное и дополненное издание, которое и будет рассмотрено ниже. Протоиерей Георгий является кандидатом богословия и доцентом кафедры библеистики СПбДА. В основу издания положен курс лекций по книге Деяний апостолов, читаемый автором пособия в Духовной академии Северной столицы. Издание посвящено вопросам исагогики книги Деяний апостолов в свете современных научных исследований в этой области. Учебное пособие имеет целью воссоздать историческую и культурную обстановку, в которой появилась книга апостола Луки, и продемонстрировать направления и выводы дискуссий западных академических библеистов по исагогическим вопросам. Для этого привлечены исследования из области библейской текстологии, истории и патристики. In 2017 the publishing house of the St Petersburg Theological Academy published Archpriest Georgy Schmid's textbook Introduction to the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Already in 2020 a second revised and enlarged edition was published, which will be discussed below. Archpriest Georgy is a Candidate of Theology and Associate Professor in the Department of Biblical Studies at St. Petersburg University of Applied Sciences. This book is based on a course of lectures on the Book of Acts of the Apostles which the author delivers at the Spiritual Academy of the Northern Capital. This book deals with the esagogy of the Book of the Acts of the Apostles in the light of current research in this area. The textbook aims to recreate the historical and cultural context in which the Book of Luke appeared and to show the directions and conclusions of the discussions of Western academic biblical scholars on isagogical issues. For this purpose, studies from the fields of biblical textology, history and patristics are drawn upon.

Sikap Pemimpin Gereja Menghadapi Hambatan Pemberitaan Injil di Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali: Studi Deskriptif Kisah Para Rasul Pasal 1-8

This study aims to describe the obstacles in preaching the gospel and the attitudes of church leaders in Klungkung district-Bali in dealing with these obstacles. To achieve the objectives of the study, this research was conducted qualitatively, which intends to understand the phenomenon with respect to what is experienced by the research subject. Therefore, the method used is to search for relevant literature sources (library research) and interviews with research subjects. The data obtained is then collected for processing and then described, analyzed and interpreted in such away. After the research procedure was carried out, it was found that there were obstacles, both internal and external, in preaching the gospel in Klungkung, Bali. For internal barriers, there are seven kinds of obstacles, while external barriers there are ten kinds of obstacles. Leaders of Protestant Churches in Klungkung Regency, Bali 100% understand the attitude of Church leaders in the book of Acts chapters 1-8 in dealing with internal and external obstacles. AbstrakPenelitian bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan hambatan-hambatan dalam pemberitaan Injil dan sikap para pemimpin gereja di kabupaten Klungkung, Bali dalam menghadapi hambatan tersebut. Untuk mencapai tujuan penelitian tersebut maka penelitian ini dilakukan secara kualitatif, yang bermaksud untuk memahami fenomena berkenaan dengan apa yang dialami oleh subjek penelitian. Oleh karena itu, metode yang dipakai adalah menelusuri sumber literatur yang relevan (penelitian pustaka) serta wawancara dengan subjek penelitian. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dikumpulkan untuk diolah dan kemudian dideskripsikan, dianalisis diinterpretasi sedemikian rupa. Setelah prosedur penelitian tersebut dilak-sanakan maka ditemukan bahwa terdapat hambatan-hambatan, baik internal dan eksternal dalam pemberitaan Injil di Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali. Untuk hambatan internal terdapat tujuh macam hambatan, sedangkan hambatan eksternal ada sepuluh macam hambatan. Pemimpin gereja Protestan se-Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali 100% memahami tentang sikap pemimpin gereja di kitab Kisah Para Rasul pasal 1-8 dalam menghadapi hambatan-hambatan internal dan eksternal.

A tanítványok ördögűzési, halottfeltámasztási szolgálata és szenvedése

"The Disciples’ Ministry of Exorcism, Resurrection of the Dead, and Suffering. Service meant exorcism besides preaching and healing. According to Mk 3:15, Jesus calls his disciples so that they would be with him, preach the gospel, and exorcise demons. The authority of the disciples over unclean spirits (Mk 6:7) refers to their sharing in Jesus’s mission (Mk 1:22.23.27). Exorcism promoted the expending of God’s kingdom and the weakening of Satan’s power. In Mk 6:7, Jesus mentions exorcism as a concrete task for his disciples, what was fulfilled by them (6:7). We can learn from Mt 9:8 and 10:1 that the disciples were entrusted with power to cast out demons. Lk 9:1 mentions the same command. According to the report of Luke, the seventy(-two) disciples cast out demons too, although they did not receive explicit command for this in 10:9. Matthew is the only one who mentions that Jesus ordered his disciples to raise the dead (Mt 10:8). Thus, this belonged to the ministry too. The synoptic gospels do not mention anywhere that the disciples would carry out this command. But several reports mention that Jesus raised people from the dead. He answered the question that John the Baptist transmitted by his disciples by saying that the dead are raised up (Mt 11:5), so he truly carried this out as well. Some congregations of the early church had some difficulties with this command. The book of Acts reports in two cases that the disciples used this exceptional gift (Acts 9:36ff and 20:7ff). In order that the possession of this important power would not cause them any harm, when using this gift, the disciples were to ask nothing in return. Service is connected with suffering because mission supposes both. Jesus came to serve and suffer among the people, which is why he prepares his disciples for the future suffering. The disciples do share in Jesus’s mission, in his power and his authority, but in his destiny too. Following includes breaking with the family and profession, giving up the possessions, homelessness, self-denial, bearing the cross, persecution, and suffering. Mark’s congregation was persecuted. Therefore, it was a consolation for them that Jesus had suffered earlier and finished victoriously the battle against death. Jesus did not conceal the reality from his disciples and warned them that they had to flee too, they might be whipped and some of them might be executed because all of these form part of the mission. To follow him did not mean to study the Torah under his direction but to identify with his suffering. Keywords: disciple, exorcism, resurrection, suffering "