However, Acts should not be a descriptive guideline for churches of today. The normative aspects of the book are significant and should still b followed by modern churches because these guidelines keep the body in line with what the act of "church" should be. The responsibility of the church depends upon the believers within it and the world in which they live.
One thing we should keep in mind is that the book of Acts refers to the Acts of the Apostles and what followed those acts that contributed to the development of the early church. One example of how Acts should not be followed in modern culture is the topic of speaking in tongues and performing miracles. Thee acts should be kept in context and readers should understand that the acts that take place in Acts are specific to a generation and an event most commonly referred to as Pentecost. What some refer to as a gift of speaking in tongues should actually be viewed as part of an event that occurred in history that is not normative for today's modern churches. The bible should be seen as a teaching tool for the Christian but it should also be given room to breathe. Believers should also be given...
The book of Acts was not penned for future believers as much as it was the followers of the early church. When we consider this, we can see how important the book was when the church was still in its early stages. It describes for us what the early church looked like and it paints a picture of believers longing to learn and grow. From this perspective, it is easy to see why the book should be viewed as a descriptive narrative with significant details. To view the book as something more would be to put limits on the church today, which is now certainly at a different stage of growth. The ways set forth in Acts are not the only ways in which to do certain things for a continuously growing body of people that believe Jesus is the Messiah. In other words, the church is completely different today and should be expected to differ somewhat from the methods and practices described in Acts. It should also b noted that this perspective does not diminish the importance or accuracy of Acts; it merely allows room for the "church," as an organic entity, to grow and adapt to the changes it encounters as society changes.
