Read: Acts 2
Key Text: And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)
Reflection: The second chapter of Acts crackles with energy. Over its forty-seven verses we read of the miraculous birth of the Church. Even though Luke is narrating history, his prose articulates some fundamental characteristics of the church which are further developed in the rest of the New Testament.
The Church is birthed by the Spirit (vv. 1-13)
The Church comes into existence only after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on the believers with power. The Holy Spirit animated the believers gathered in the upper room in a similar way to how the breath of God animated the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 37:1-14). The presence and power of the Holy Spirit is the Church’s life-force.
The Church is defined by its mission (vv.14-41)
Jesus told the disciples they would be his witnesses in ways and places they could barely dream of (Acts 1:8). The first thing that the early church did after it received the Holy Spirit was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Emil Brunner has said that ‘the Church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.’ This is to say the Church exists not for itself, but for the ongoing mission of God in the world. And so in the power of the Holy Spirit Peter preached, the gospel went forth and a harvest was returned: ‘Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.’ (Acts 2:41)
The Church is characterized by its unity (vv.42-47)
In Luke’s beautiful summary of the Church’s life in these verses we see the remarkable unity that exists within the Church’s unity. This unity is celebrated around key rituals and activities like communion, prayer, sharing of resources, regular corporate worship. It was the unifying head of the Church, Jesus, who sustained their unity and empowered their mission. ‘And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.’ (Acts 2:47)
Question: What gift which you receive through the Church are you most thankful for?
Read and View: Fascinating and up to date information on the global reach of Christianity:
http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-worlds-christian-population.aspx
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