AA - The Acts of the Apostles (1911) - Connecting With Jesus

1 AA - The acts of the Apostles (1911) PREFACE THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT HAS BEEN KNOWN FROM ANCIENT TIMES AS THE acts OF THE Apostles ; BUT THIS TITLE CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE BOOK ITSELF. ONE OF THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS, THE CODEX SINAITICUS, GIVES AS THE TITLE THE SIMPLE WORD acts , WITH NO MENTION OF THE Apostles . THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS. acts WAS INTENDED TO BE MORE THAN A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE TWELVE DISCIPLES, MUCH MORE THAN THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THE LIFEWORK OF ITS FOUR LEADING CHARACTERS, PETER, JAMES, JOHN, AND PAUL. THE BOOK OF THE acts WAS WRITTEN BY "THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN," LUKE, A GENTILE CONVERT, FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH, JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE. WHILE IT COVERS A PERIOD OF A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE DECADES, IT IS FILLED WITH IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR THE CHURCH IN EVERY AGE.

2 IN THE BOOK OF THE acts GOD CLEARLY INDICATES THAT THE CHRISTIAN TODAY SHALL EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF THE SAME SPIRIT WHO CAME WITH POWER AT PENTECOST AND FANNED THE GOSPEL MESSAGE INTO A FLAME. THE acts OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH PETER AND PAUL, JOHN AND JAMES, AND OTHERS, CAN BE REPEATED IN THE MODERN DISCIPLE. THE ABRUPTNESS WITH WHICH THE BOOK OF acts CLOSES IS NOT ACCIDENTAL; IT DELIBERATELY SUGGESTS THAT THE THRILLING NARRATIVE IS UNFINISHED, AND THAT THE acts OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT ARE TO HAVE THEIR SEQUEL THROUGHOUT THE CHRISTIAN DISPENSATION--EACH SUCCESSIVE GENERATION ADDING A CHAPTER FULL OF BEAUTY AND POWER TO THE ONE THAT PRECEDED IT. THE acts RECORDED IN THIS REMARKABLE BOOK ARE IN THE TRUEST vi SENSE THE acts OF THE SPIRIT, FOR IN APOSTOLIC TIMES IT WAS THE HOLY GHOST WHO APPEARED AS THE COUNSELOR AND HELPER OF THE CHRISTIAN LEADERS.

3 AT PENTECOST THE PRAYING DISCIPLES WERE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND PREACHED THE GOSPEL WITH POWER. THE SEVEN MEN CHOSEN AS DEACONS WERE "FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST AND WISDOM." acts 6:3. IT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO LED IN THE ORDINATION OF SAUL (9:17); IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF GENTILES INTO CHURCH FELLOWSHIP (10:44-47); IN THE SEPARATION OF BARNABAS AND SAUL FOR MISSIONARY WORK (13:2-4); IN THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM (15:28); AND IN PAUL'S MISSIONARY JOURNEYS (16:6, 7). ANOTHER TIME WHEN THE CHURCH SUFFERED INTENSELY AT THE HANDS OF ROMAN AND JEWISH PERSECUTORS, IT WAS THE SPIRIT WHO SUSTAINED THE BELIEVERS AND KEPT THEM FROM ERROR. THE acts OF THE Apostles WAS ONE OF THE LAST BOOKS WRITTEN BY ELLEN G. WHITE. IT WAS PUBLISHED A FEW YEARS BEFORE HER DEATH. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST ILLUMINATING VOLUMES THAT CAME FROM HER PROLIFIC PEN.

4 THE AVERAGE READER WILL FIND IN IT LIGHT FOR CHRISTIAN WITNESSING. THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK IS UP TO DATE, AND ITS RELEVANCY IS REFLECTED IN THE EFFORT OF THE AUTHOR TO SHOW THAT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY WILL WITNESS A BESTOWAL OF SPIRITUAL POWER EXCEEDING THAT OF PENTECOST. THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL IS NOT TO CLOSE WITH A LESSER DISPLAY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER THAN MARKED ITS BEGINNING. THAT THE READER MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN THIS RE-ENACTMENT OF THE GLORIOUS SCENES OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND AT THE SAME TIME BE PRESERVED FROM THE SUBTLE COUNTERFEITS OF THE ENEMY OF SOULS IS THE PRAYER AND EARNEST WISH OF-- THE PUBLISHERS. Table of Contents 1. God's Purpose for His Church .. 9 2. The Training of the Twelve .. 17 3. The Great Commission .. 25 4. Pentecost .. 35 5. The Gift of the Spirit.

5 47 6. At the Temple Gate .. 57 7. A Warning Against Hypocrisy .. 70 8. Before the Sanhedrin .. 77 9. The Seven Deacons .. 87 10. The First Christian Martyr .. 97 11. The Gospel in Samaria .. 103 12. From Persecutor to 112 13. Days of Preparation .. 123 14. A Seeker for Truth .. 131 15. Delivered From Prison .. 143 16. The Gospel Message in Antioch .. 155 17. Heralds of the Gospel .. 166 18. Preaching Among the Heathen .. 177 19. Jew and Gentile .. 188 20. Exalting the Cross .. 201 21. In the Regions Beyond .. 211 22. Thessalonica .. 221 23. Berea and Athens .. 231 24. Corinth .. 243 25. The Thessalonian Letters .. 255 26. Apollos at Corinth .. 269 27. Ephesus .. 281 28. Days of Toil and Trial .. 291 29. A Message of Warning and Entreaty .. 298 30. Called to Reach a Higher Standard .. 309 viii 31.

6 The Message Heeded .. 323 32. A Liberal Church .. 335 33. Laboring Under Difficulties .. 346 34. A Consecrated Ministry .. 359 35. Salvation to the Jews .. 372 36. Apostasy in Galatia .. 383 37. Paul's Last Journey to Jerusalem .. 389 38. Paul a Prisoner .. 399 39. The Trial at Caesarea .. 419 40. Paul Appeals to Caesar .. 428 41. "Almost Thou Persuadest Me" .. 433 42. The Voyage and Shipwreck .. 439 43. In Rome .. 447 44. Caesar's Household .. 461 45. Written From Rome .. 469 46. At Liberty .. 485 47. The Final Arrest .. 489 48. Paul Before Nero .. 492 49. Paul's Last Letter .. 498 50. Condemned to Die .. 509 51. A Faithful Under-Shepherd .. 514 52. Steadfast Unto the End .. 529 53. John the Beloved .. 539 54. A Faithful Witness .. 546 55. Transformed by Grace .. 557 56. Patmos .. 568 57. The Revelation .. 578 58. The Church Triumphant.

7 593 Chap. 1 - God's Purpose for His Church The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. It was organized for service, and its mission is to carry the gospel to the world. From the beginning it has been God's plan that through His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness and His sufficiency. The members of the church, those whom He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light, are to show forth His glory. The church is the repository of the riches of the grace of Christ; and through the church will eventually be made manifest, even to "the principalities and powers in heavenly places," the final and full display of the love of God. Ephesians 3:10. Many and wonderful are the promises recorded in the Scriptures regarding the church. "Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

8 " Isaiah 56:7. "I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; 10 there shall be showers of blessing." "And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord God. And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God." Ezekiel 34:26, 29-31. "Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.

9 I, even I, am the Lord; and beside Me there is no Saviour. I have declared, and have saved, and I have showed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are My witnesses." "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." Isaiah 43:10-12; 42:6, 7. "In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; that thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for 11 He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them. And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted.. "Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted. But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.