Holy Spirit Essays (Examples)

Introduction
The safe group of participants who joined with me in the commitments of the course included four others, all of whom were interested in exploring the realm of pneumatology as a group rather than as a unique individualized experience. Thus, from the outside there was a shared sense of expanding the bandwidth of what counts as a story of the Holy Spirit. First, we discussed what the Holy Spirit is—which was important for us to connect on because by defining what we are experiencing we can erase any misconceptions and give clarity to what might otherwise be opaque. As Leonard points out, the Holy Spirit is not a junior member of the Holy Trinity and is not shy about coming to others. We wanted to discuss what we believed the Holy Spirit to be before beginning so that we could ensure that we were united on the same page.…

Works Cited
Leonard, Allen C. Poured Out: The Spirit of God Empowering the Mission of God. ACU Press, 2018.
Love, Mark. It Seemed Good to the Holy Spirit and to Us. Digital file.
Sheen, Fulton. Life of Christ. Martino Fine Books, 2016.
Smith, Christian. \\\\"Why Christianity works: An emotions-focused phenomenological account.\\\\" Sociology of Religion 68, no. 2 (2007): 165-178.
“St Patrick’s Breastplate.” https://www.ourcatholicprayers.com/st-patricks-breastplate.html
Tolle, Eckhart. “Eckhart on the Dark Night of the Soul.” https://www.eckharttolle.com/eckhart-on-the-dark-night-of-the-soul/

Development of the Christian Doctrine of Holy Trinity
The word trinity traces its origin from the Latin trinitas which literally translates to ‘triad’. In Latin trinus means threefold. This therefore implies that God is one but in that oneness exists three coeternal consubstantial persons- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Trinitarian doctrine can be inferred from the New Testament teaching about God. Many falsely believe that Trinity Doctrine was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325 C.E. (Tuggy, 2016). This is not true because at the Council of Nicaea it was pronounced that Christ was the same substance as God. This became the foundation for Trinitarian Theology. It should be remembered that at the Council of Nicaea there was no mention of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the triad. This essay seeks to illuminate how the christian doctrine of Holy Trinity has developed over…

References List
Holland, J. (2004). Modern Catholic Social Teaching: the Popes Confront the Industrial Age 1750-1958. New Jersey: Pauli Press.
Ngon, D. (2016). Lumen Gentium Icon of the Trinity.
Retrieved May 18, 2018 from www.academia.edu/15882414/Lumen_Gentium_ICON_0F_THE_TRINITY
Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (2001). Mystery of our Recollection: Reading from Letters of Pope Saint Leo the Great (Letter 28, 3-4) Retrieved May 18, 2018 from ww.vatican.va/spirit/documents/spirit_20010325_leon-mago_en.html
Tuggy, D. (2016). History of Trinitarian Doctrines Retrieved May 18, 2018 from www.plato.stanford.edu/entries/trinity/trinity-history.html

Understanding Israel and Palestine
Part 1
“A denial of life is a rejection of the God of life” (Keum 4). This gets to the heart of what I felt as I experienced Palestine for myself. Seeing the West Bank in person allowed me to witness a whole new level of marginalization and oppression that I had never seen before—even though I had been to South Africa and India. Here the marginalization was so deliberate, so offensive, so hypocritical and unchristian that I was shocked to find Christians here in Bethlehem who still found joy in life and calmly expressed their faith in God. To see the Israelis treating the people on the West Bank with such contempt, illegally building settlements, bulldozing their acreage and fruit trees and homes, erecting barriers of humiliation, treating these people like animals and criminals—it was to understand exactly the affirmation of the WCC publication that…

The Holy Trinity is composed out of three divine individuals that work together in creating one essence. Many people think about this theory as being a paradox, but it is important to understand that one should not necessarily think about logics when considering religion. Science is not powerful enough to explain every unknown idea and religion thus intervenes at times and provides initiatives that are controversial (to say the least). Trying to understand the Holy Trinity by using conventional values is likely to make an individual even more confused about the concept.

Another divisive topic regarding the Trinity regards the idea that Christianity is a monotheistic religious ideology and yet promotes the idea that there are three distinct bodies governing over the world. hat people fail to understand is that the Church is not confused as a result of encountering mysterious ideas. It actually concentrates on trying to find a…

Works cited:

Blastares, Matthew, and Viscuso, Patrick, "Sexuality, marriage, and celibacy in Byzantine law: selections from a fourteenth-century encyclopedia of canon law and theology: the alphabetical collection of Matthew Blastares," (Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 18.12.2008)

Lossky, Vladimir, "Orthodox Theology: An Introduction," (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1978)

2 Lossky Vladimir, "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church," (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1976)

Saliba, Philip, "Orthodox Synthesis: The Unity of Theological Thought: an Anthology Published in Commemoration of the Fifteenth Anniversary of Metropolitan Philip as Primate of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America," (St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1981)

God's taking sides can be pushed to saying that the rich cannot be saved, or that God does not love everyone.

The Holy Spirit and iberation Theology

As Boff and Boff ( 1987) state: "Every true theology springs from a spirituality -- that is, from a true meeting with God in history. iberation theology was born when faith confronted the injustice done to the poor."

In this sense the Spirit is essentially perceived in terms of the interconnection between humanity and God. Put less blatantly, the Holy Spirit is the conduit of the absolute or divine to the domain of human existential experience. This view of the Spirit resonates with the focus on experiential suffering in the world. In other words, the Holy Spirit is not abstract but is rather perceived as a spiritual source of intervention in the world, which coincides with the focus of liberation theology.

The issue…

Leonardo Boff, and Clodovis Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology /, trans. Paul Burns [book online] (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1987, accessed 4 May 2012), 91; available from Questia,  http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=102085764 ; Internet.

Leonardo Boff, and Clodovis Boff, Introducing Liberation Theology /, trans. Paul Burns [book online] (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1987, accessed 4 May 2012), 91; available from Questia,

The popularization of the idea, though was somewhat linguistic in that when speaking of God and the Holy Spirit, different words were used that could mean "person," "nature," "essence," or "substance," -- words that were part of a longer, and far older tradition, but not adopted by the new Church .

Later, to echo this interpretation, the French Dominican Yves Conger, wrote that the Spirit of God was equal to the Spirit of Wisdom -- intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle

However, we must realize, too, that there was a long and rich tradition within the Ancient Near East. Whether one subscribes to the idea that essential mythos was something common arising out of civilization and being passed forward, or that each individual religion of the Ancient World was divinely inspired by its own set of beings, the concept of the Trinity is neither new, nor linked inexorably to the New…

REFERENCES

Carraway, B. Spiritual Gifts: Their Purpose and Power. WinePress Publishing, 2005.

Chadwell, D. Jesus' Two Great Commissions: Balancing Evangelism and Edification.

Christian Education Video and Publishing.

Clark, N. Interpreting the Resurrection. SCM Books, 1967.

Pneumatologists and theologians have long sought to define the role of the Holy Spirit within the Christian faith. These scholars' understanding of the Spirit differs greatly, not only in terms of the role of the Holy Spirit, but also in terms of whether those roles are central to the Christian church (yrie, 1997). Even the base concept of the perception of the Spirit differs among scholars and religious leaders.

This paper discusses the various notions of the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Church, as expressed by modern theologians and pneumatologists. Additionally, this paper will discuss the differing views of whether those roles are central to the Church, or if they are to be applied on a more diverse level. Finally, this paper will discuss ways in which the Spirit is celebrated and displayed in the lives of those who believe.

To understand the role of the Holy…

References

Barres, C. 2004, 'Wonder working power', Heartlight magazine, [Online]. Available at  http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200402/20040210_wonderpower.html .

Bednar, D. 2003, Mother's weekend welcome (transcript of March 21, 2003 Brigham Young University presentation for Women's Week). Brigham Young University, Rexburg, Idaho. Available at  http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/WomensWeek/2003_03_21_Bednar.htm .

D'Ambrosio, M. 2003, 'The charisms of The Holy Spirit for service', Charisms of the Holy Spirit and the sacrament of confirmation, Crossroads Productions, Flower Mound, Texas.

Fanning, W. 1990, 'Baptism', in R. Broderick (ed.), The Catholic encyclopedia, revised and updated, Nelson Reference, New York.

Doctrine of the Holy Trinity

The Doctrine of the Trinity and Anti-Trinitarian Theologies:

Servetus, Milton, Newton

The Doctrine of the Trinity

The Arian Heresy

Anti-Trinitarianism Part I: Michael Servetus

Anti-Trinitarianism Part II: John Milton

Sir Isaac Newton

The Arian heresy -- or rejection of the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity -- is actually relatively uncommon among contemporary Christian denominations; to pick one particular national example, Post-Reformation England would tolerate a broad array of theological stances -- from the dour Calvinism of the early Puritans to the sunnier Arminianism of the esleyan Methodists -- but more or less drew the line at anti-Trinitarianism. Yet it is remarkable that some of England's greatest intellectuals -- including the epic poet John Milton and the father of modern physics Sir Isaac Newton -- would secretly author theological works reviving the old heresy of Arius in order to disprove the Christian doctrine of the…

Works Cited

Bouwsma, William J. John Calvin: A Sixteenth Century Portrait. New York and London: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Catholic Encyclopedia, "Nicene Creed."  http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11049a.htm  (accessed 21 March 2011).

Grudem, Wayne. Sytematic Theology. Grand Rapids; Zondervan, 1994.

Hill, Christopher. Milton and the English Revolution. New York: Viking, 1978.

Holy Trinity

Doctrine

Basil's Argumentation on the Holy Trinity

Basil's argumentation defending the divinity of the Holy Spirit addresses the unity of the Godhead and the eternal associations of the Holy Spirit to the Father and the Son within the Holy Trinity (Basil 60). Not only does this augment his defense of the Holy Spirit, it completes St. Basils' trinitarian theology thereby laying the foundations of Orthodox Christian Trinitarian theology.

The Holy Trinity

The unity of the Godhead is reflected in the works of the Holy Trinity. hether regarding creation or human redemption, the works of the Holy Trinity are always one, revealing the communion of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A good example of this unity of action is in the creation of the angels. These pure, spiritual and transcendent powers are called holy because they receive their holiness from the Holy Spirit. In considering the angels, or any…

Works Cited

Basil. St. Basil the Great: On the Holy Spirit (Trans. David Anderson). New York St. Vladimir's Seminary Press,, 1997. Print.

Pneumatology: Spiritual Gifts

Pneumatology is often defined as the study of the spirit, or the spiritual relationship between humanity and God. It is often one of the most difficult and ephemeral concepts for believers to understand, especially the concept of spiritual gifts. Spiritual gifts are defined as gifts specifically given to the Christian to enable him or her to perform a holy service. [footnoteRef:1] Spiritual gifts are special gifts bestowed for an unusual service and figure prominently in the life and writings of Paul, who was given the spiritual gift of ministry. Paul was dramatically called to the ministry on the road to Damascus and experienced a profound conversion to Christianity that changed his life and also the history of Christianity. Paul became an apostle to the gentiles, educating the entire world about what the sacrifice of Christ meant for humanity. It is said that there are five gifts of…

Bibliography

Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary Theology. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001

Fruit of the Spirit by Trask and Goodall

This book examines how one can foster elements like true fulfillment in one's life, health in one's relationships and triumph over things like anxiety and conflict by simply allowing God's spirit to develop in one's heart by growing his fruit. The fruit described is of course just a metaphor and is one which invited an examination of the joy, peace, patience, kindness and other elements of the spirit which can help one examine what happens when one lives each day intimately connected with God. The writers of this book push one to foster an intimate relationship with Jesus so that loftier qualities like joy, peace, patience, kindness and other elements will be able to flourish and thrive within one. There needs to be a more passionate and revelatory examination at what happens to one's mental and emotional health when such a change…

Works Cited

Createdgay.com. Christianity and Homophobia. 2013. web. 2014.

Culp-Ressler, T. Denying Women Abortion Access Increases Their Risk Of Falling Into Poverty. 13 November 2012. website. 2014.

Finer, L.B. Reasons U.S. Women Have Abortions: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives. 3 September 2005.

T.E., Trask. And W.I. Goodall. Fruit of the Spirit. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000. book.

Holy Trinity

One of the most fundamental beliefs of the entire system of Christianity is the belief in the Holy Trinity, something which is known as the union of three people: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This belief has caused much controversy and disagreement among the various churches of Christianity, particularly because the concept does not appear in the Bible, but was a development of some of the earlier church councils. One way of explaining the Holy Trinity is to compare it to water and the various forms that water can take -- be it ice, steam or liquid: many religious scholars have used this analogy as a means of explaining the various forms and energy that God can take and still exist in harmony.

The development of the Holy Trinity was a notion that evolved slowly over time and one can trace its…

References

Bible, The NIV (2014). The NIV Bible. Retrieved from Biblica.com:  http://www.biblica.com/en-us/the-niv-bible/ 

Farrelly, J. (2005). The Trinity: Rediscovering the Central Christian Mystery. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Letham, R. (2004). The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology And Worship. New York: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company.

Despite the general strength of this book there are some weaknesses. Since the focus of this book is personal evangelism, he lacks the cohesive discussion of how organized evangelism should occur and how it fits within the holistic paradigm. By only talking about the personal evangelizing efforts, we do not have enough insight into what Metzger believes we should act as a body. By ignoring this aspect of evangelism, Metzger fails to give the significance of having a solid congregation of believers to support the newly converted and lend their strengths to the development of the Whole Person.

There are many other books that deal with the theme of evangelism. One such book is John Blanchard entitled "Is Anybody Out There?" This book differs from "Tell the Truth" in that it is less a directional book rather than a book that seeks to answer questions related to the scripture. This…

Self-Discipline:

The other importance of Temple worship and sacrifice is that it enables a person to practice self-discipline and restraint. When people offer sacrifices and worship at the Temple, they learn to connect with God which in turn helps them to be disciplined. By and large, Temple worship and sacrifice is the means through which people exercise godly virtues and morals. Therefore, Temple worship and sacrifice affects the way people interact with each other within the society.

elief:

Considering the fact that the Temple is a place where people pray for relief from their pains and sufferings, Temple worship and sacrifice enables them to have peace of mind. Worship and sacrifice strengthens a person's ways while relieving them from the burden of guilt. When one commits a wrong deed, they get an opportunity to ask for forgiveness through Temple worship and sacrifice. As a result of forgiveness, these people experience…

References:

Croucher et al. (2009, August 25). Leadership: Worship. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from  http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/22852.htm 

Dolphin, L. (1996, October 12). The Importance of the Temple Mount to Christians. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from  http://www.templemount.org/TMXNS.html

Personal Theodicy Apologetics
The problem of evil is something everyone has to face sooner or later. As Schlesinger points out, philosophers want to understand “why there is any suffering in the world at all.”[footnoteRef:2] The problem with a philosophical approach to suffering is that it does not reveal the whole story or the whole picture of why suffering (evil) exists. Religion, on the other hand, does provide that whole story—and depending on the religion, the story will be a little different. Christianity teaches that evil is a result of sin—that it is not something that came of its own into the world or that God created but rather something that His creatures chose of their own free will. The choice to pursue evil (defined as an absence of the good) altered God’s world—or at least man’s perception of it. Prior to man’s fall, he lived in happiness in the Garden…

It is this selfsame Holy Spirit that will serve to convict within the unbeliever and to work within that individual until that person comes to the point of opening the inner door for the Christ and then urging the same individual forth into fulfilling the 'Great Commission' of spreading Christ to the world. In the fulfillment of this commitment inclusive of "baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit" the three faces of God's person are revealed and authenticated. Just as when Jesus entered the waters to be baptized and entered into communion with God the Father and God the Son was baptized of the God the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John is clearly characterized in the evidence provided by John of the words Jesus spoke.

This one book of the ible explains clearly to believers and followers of Christ that the…

Bibliography

Wintz, Jack (2003) the Work of Pentecost Continues. Friar Jack's E-spirations. American Catholic 26 June 2003. Online available at  http://www.americancatholic.org/e-News/FriarJack/fj062603.asp 

Piper, John (1981) That Which is Born of the Spirit is Spirit. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Conversion. 22 Feb 1981 Resource Library - desiring God. Online available at  http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/Sermons/ByDate/1981/284_That_Which_Is_Born_of_the_Spirit_Is_Spirit/ 

Step-by-Step with the Bible (Nd) Online available at  http://www.mbay.net/~jmejia/chapt32.htm .

Pentecost Sunday Gospel St. John 14: 23-31 (nd) Laselle.org Online available at  http://www.lasalle.org/English/Resources/Publications/PDF/WritingsJBDLS/Med43.pdf .

For four long months God appeared to be just presenting himself. He found that he was motivated; he was not sermonizing for Christ; he was sermonizing for hope. He discovered the whole thing in his heart that should not be there. For four months a struggle went on inside him, and he was a dejected man. But after four months the delight came. It came over him as he was on foot in the streets of New York. (Dwilight Lyman Moody: 1837-1899: (www.higherpraise.com)

Several times he had thought of it since he has been here. Eventually, he went back to God again, and he was no more dejected. He virtually prayed in his delight, 'O stay Thy hand!' He said he felt this earthen vessel would collapse. God occupied him with complete Spirit. If he had not been a different man since, he did not know himself. He believed that…

References

Chapters 1-3 D.L. Moody 1837-1899. Retrieved at  http://www.whatsaiththescripture.com/Voice/Moody.The.Way.to.GOD.html . Accessed on 22 November, 2004

Gilchrist, J; Lawson, Anderson D.L. Moody. Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians... Ind.: Warner Press, 1911. Retrieved at  http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/biomoody4.html . Accessed on 22 November,

Dwight Lyman Moody) 1837-1899. Retrieved at http://www.christiansintouch.com/greatMen_DLM.cfmAccessed on 22 November, 2004

Dwilight Lyman Moody: 1837-1899. Retrieved at  http://www.higherpraise.com/preachers/moody.htm . Accessed on 22 November, 2004

Overall we are the vessels by which God does his work in this world, and this is ultimately the most important thing that we can do, therefore to interfere in his overall plan by asserting that our physical demands and ambitions are greater than God's grand plan is representative of false worship.

The goal of the author is obvious to write about how we have veered away from Christ through our pursuit of daily ambitions and to remind us that as faithful worshippers we have to understand and respect the message of God to the fullest. Furthermore, he wants us to understand that the Power of the Holy Spirit is eminent in all of us and that we can use this as a conduit to advance ourselves in both our spiritual and physical selves.

I think that overall the primary strength of this book is the conviction in which Lovett…

Therefore, we may conclude that the speaker has some cognitive function from the structure of the speech, even if it is based on a very basic set of language rules (Samarin 1972 120).

Three major linguistic traits emerged from other research into the subjec. Regardless of the geographic area, educational level, or age of the individual, glossolalia consists of:

Verbal behavior that has a certain number of consanants and vowels.

There seem to be a limited number of syllables that are reorganized into larger units.

These units are then rearranged using variations in pitch, volume, speed and intensity (e.g. A "word" group spoken with different inflections).

The "words" put together seem haphazard but emerge as word and sentence like because of the use of realistic timbre, rhythm, and melody (Samarin 1972).

Other research confims that glossolalia shows an oddly definitive syballant commonality with the particular spoken language of the speaker.…

Bibliography

Aquinas, T. "Summa Theologica Question 176." New Advent. March 2008.  http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3176.htm  (accessed September 2010).

Bock, D. Acts: Baker Exegetical Commentary. Ada, MI: Baker Academic, 2007.

Chavda, M. The Hidden Power of Speaking in Tongues. Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 2003.

Coffman, J. "Commentary on Mark 16." Abeline Christian University Press. 1999.  http://www.searchgodsword.org/com/bcc/view.cgi?book=mr&chapter=016  (accessed September 2010).

Rather, in Orthodox Gnosiology, the words within the Scriptures become the essential facilitator for an individual and personal journey of their interpretation. It becomes a very personal process to interpret the Scriptures, and thus there is more emphasis placed on the power of our nous, or our intellect. As such, Lossky states that Orthodox Gnosiology is "anchored in the experience of all to the degree of each one's spiritual faculties" (Lossky in the Image and Likeness of God 64). e come to these conclusions, rather than having a person of Papal or religious authority guides us there without room for our own personal interpretations. Here, Lossky writes that it is our "analysis [that] leads us finally towards the Truth and the Spirit, the ord and the Holy Spirit" (Lossky in the Image and Likeness of God 153). It is important in Orthodox Gnosiology to unite tradition and Scripture in order…

Works Cited

Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines. Continuum International Publishing Group. 2000.

Lossky, Vladimir & Erickson, John H. In the Image and Likeness of God. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. 1974.

Lossky, Vladimir. The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press. 1976.

Montanism / Theology

Like many early heresies, Montanism has not left behind much in the way of written testimony: only one Montanist writer, Tertullian, has works that survive, and it is primarily in his work that the statements of the Montanist movement (Montanus, Prisca and Maximilia) survive in quotation. Gonzales notes that, among many differing interpretations of Montanism, one view sees them as something like "an early Pentecostal group." [footnoteRef:0] It is clear from accounts of Montanism that it included the emphasis on the Holy Spirit, including manifestations of glossolalia, that are seen in contemporary Pentecostals. ut overall, Montanus seems to have combined several contradictory impulses into his schismatic movement. The first hinged upon greater involvement of women in ministry: the heresy of Montanus is seldom mentioned without reference to "those demented women Prisca and Maximilia," as Saint Jerome calls them in his letter to Marcella refuting the Montanist heresy.[footnoteRef:1]…

Bibliography

Gonzales, Justo L. And Gonzales, Catherine Gunsalus. Heretics for Armchair Theologians. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008.

Saint Jerome, Letter XLI. Accessed online at:  http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf206.v.XLI.html 

Saint Justin Martyr, First Apology XXVI. Accessed online at:  http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/269/first_apology_of_st._justin_martyr.html 

Swift, Jonathan. A Tale of a Tub. Accessed online at:  http://www.online-literature.com/swift/tale-of-a-tub/8/

Apostles chronicles the events that transpired after Jesus' death and resurrection. It describes the creation of the ministry of the apostles to spread the word of Jesus to the gentiles as well as the Jews and introduces the 'character' of the Apostle Paul in the history of Christianity.

and 2 Thessalonians

Paul, raised Jewish and a former persecutor of Christians, sets out the mission of his ministry to the gentiles and defines the word of God to the new Christian community.

Corinthians

Paul is concerned about the reversion to pagan ways in Corinth and the immorality of its residents. He sets forth the doctrine of Christian love, as opposed to physical love.

Romans

Paul describes Jesus as a vehicle of salvation in this letter to the mixed community of Jews and gentiles of Rome. Jesus' sacrifice has enabled the redemption of sinful humanity, as distinct from Mosaic Law in the…

Work Cited

Bible Gateway.  http://www.biblegateway.com/

" It caused missionaries to deal with peoples of other cultures and even Christian traditions -- including the Orthodox -- as inferior. God's mission was understood to have depended upon human efforts, and this is why we came to hold unrealistic universalistic assumptions. Christians became so optimistic that they believed to be able to correct all the ills of the world." (Vassiliadis, 2010)

Missiology has been undergoing changes in recent years and after much serious consideration Christians in the ecumenical era "are not only questioning all the above assumptions of the Enlightenment; they have also started developing a more profound theology of mission. One can count the following significant transitions:

(a) From the missio christianorum to the missio ecclesiae;

(b) the recognition later that subject of mission is not even the Church, either as an institution or through its members, but God, thus moving further from the missio ecclesiae to…

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bosch, David Jacobus (1991) Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission, American Society of Missiology Series; No. 16. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis Books, 1991.

Gelder, Craig Van (2007) the Missional Church in Context: Helping Congregations Develop Contextual Ministry. Volume 1 of Missional Church Series. Missional Church Network Series. Wm B. Eerdmans Publishing 2007.

Guder, Darrell L. (2000) the Continuing Conversion of the Church. Grand Rapids, NI: Eerdmans, 2000.

Hesselgrave, David J> (2007) Will We Correct the Edinburgh Error? Future Mission in Historical Perspective. Southwestern Journal of Theology.Vol. 49 No. 2 Spring 2007.

" Therefore, the Second Coming and the Rapture are coincidental events, both of which have to do with Christ returning to Earth. The Rapture specifically refers to what happens to human beings. Once Christ returns, the "thousand-year reign" on Earth begins. According to the FFM website, "Jesus Christ will one day return to bring believers home to Heaven and will reign with them over the Earth for 1,000 years." The thousand-year reign has scriptural origin, and is also called the Millennial Reign of Jesus. A "new heaven and earth," ostensibly a holier and happier one, will result from the Second Coming.

Speaking in tongues is a phenomenon that occasionally accompanies the baptism rite. Many Protestant and evangelical groups encourage speaking in tongues as proof of one's salvation during baptism (Robinson 2005). More formally known as "glossolalia," speaking in tongues is considered to be a supernatural manifestation of the glory of…

Works Cited

'History." Faith Fellowship Ministries.org.< http://www.faithfellowshipministries.org/history.html>.

Interview material.

"Our Beliefs." < http://www.ffmwoc.org/FFM3/Beliefs.html>.

Robinson, B.A. (2005). "Comparing the Beliefs of Roman Catholics and Conservative Protestants." Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance: Religious Tolerance.org.<  http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_capr.htm >.

Pentacostal Movement

History of the Pentecostal Movement

The Pentecostal Movement, also known as Classical Pentecostalism, is a Christian-based faith that emphasizes a direct personal experience with God through Baptism, Prayer, and evangelism. There is not one version of Pentecostalism, but all are based on the name derived from the Jewish Feasts of Weeks, commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit onto the followers of Christ, described in Acts II: "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place… all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them" (Acts 2).

Pentecostalism is an evangelical sect, which focuses on the belief that the scriptures are 100% true, accurate and vital in contemporary life. Pentecostals accept Christ as a personal lord and savior and also that baptism with the Holy Spirit is separate from conversion. It is…

REFERENCES

Anderson, A. (2009). Evangelism and the Growth of Pentecostalism in Africa. Centre for Missiology and World Christianity -- University of Birmingham. Retrieved from: http://artsweb.bham.ac.uk/aanderson/Publications/evangelism_and_the_growth_of_pen.htm

Cox, H. (1995). Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality. New York: DaCapo Press.

Kalu, O. (2008). African Pentecostalism: An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.

Pentecostal World Fellowship. (2013). Leadership and Ministries. Retrieved from: http://www.pentecostalworldfellowship.org/

" (omans 12.6 and 1 Cor. 12) This includes the gift of spiritual direction. Therefore, it can be garnered that the Holy Spirit provides the contemporary Church "with forms other than those used by the ancient elder to achieve this same purpose." (2000) Allen writes that it would be erroneous to claim that the Holy Spirit "could not again, in any age, raise up the pater penumatikos (the spiritual father) for the continuing ministry of the Church." (2000) in fact, since the Holy Spirit abides in the Church, then according to Allen, it "follows that there will be an ever-renewing form of pneumatophoroi, or 'bearers' or 'carriers' of that Spirit.

II. The Central Task of Spiritual Direction

Allen writes that the central task of spiritual direction in terms of its goal and historical goals is the leading of individuals "deeper and deeper into the struggle for the Christian life, that…

References

Allen, J.J. (2000) Inner Way: Toward a Rebirth of Easter Christian Spiritual Direction. Holy Cross Orthodox Press.

Empereur, J. (1990) Ennagram and Spiritual Culture: Nine Paths to Spiritual Guidance. Continuum. 6 Jan. Retrieved from:  http://books.google.com/books?id=cW02lGhChlgC&dq=Allen:+Inner+Way:+Toward+a+Rebirth+of+Eastern+Christian+Spiritual+Direction&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Can you provide any testimony of having received illumination?

One of the areas of discord in modern Christian discussion is God's view of homosexuals and homosexuality. Many Christians believe that God has labeled homosexuality a sin and considers that sin to be so grievous that it would warrant damnation. Other Christians believe that God, specifically through Jesus, had a message of love and that such condemnation of homosexuals would go against his message. I spent considerable time thinking about this issue, and was specifically pondering the issue while reading the Bible one day. I found myself drawn to certain passages that day, and, reading them, I felt as if I received a message that day, which was that Christianity was never intended to be a theocracy. It did not resolve my uncertainty about the seemingly conflicting messages about how one should treat homosexuals, but it did make me certain that…

A great deal of this is accomplished by serving others and thinking of others first, before oneself. Exerting responsible self-control by engaging in personal habits conducive to bodily health refers to an act that is partly commonsense and partly the act of treating one's body like a temple of the Holy Spirit. By being made in God's image, one truly needs to honor that belief and treat one's body as the sacred thing it is. Exhibiting mental and emotional maturity means treating oneself and others with respect and sensitivity and establishing clear boundaries in social and personal interactions. Exhibiting integrity in all of one's relationships refers not only to treating people with respect, but also being honest in word and deed.

Engaging in fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness are two rock bottom foundations for following the doctrines of the church and honoring oneself and one's relationship. Social responsibility…

References

Nyac.com. (n.d.). The Ministry of the Ordained. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from New York

Annual Conference:  http://www.nyac.com/pages/detail/1755 

Umc.org. (2011). Mission and Ministry. Retrieved May 18, 2012, from United Methodist

Church:

Luther's concept of the "liberated Christian" allows for both an almost existential responsibility and an odd passivity on the other hand. Humans are responsible for creating faith within themselves, but having once accomplished the achievement of faith, they can simply allow themselves to exist in the cocoon of divine love. Christ has done the work for others through his life and death. (Countering this is the idea of Luther's that all Christians serve as a communal priesthood, although it is not entirely clear to what extent he means this to be literal and to what extent he may be allowing for the metaphorical.) This tension between the active and the passive (or perhaps "accepting" might be a better translation of Luther's ideas than "passive") brings us back to the seeming contradiction posed in Luther's opening statements. It allows us to see another level of complexity in Luther's understanding of the…

"Barth specifically rejected both human spiritual experience and self-consciousness as a guide to God, and regarded both Christian and non-Christian religion as failed attempts to abide at the point of tangency. The job of Christian community is a negative job only - to seek to be a "void" in which the Gospel reveals itself"

Revelation and Scripture

The Bible formed the core of Barth's theological understanding. The Bible was the record of God's disclosure of His truth on earth through Jesus, and the revelation of the Bible was eternal, and stood apart from all temporal concerns. "Barth acknowledges the existence of a whole host of non-Christian teachings and assertions. He does not deny that many of these have very important things to say. Nonetheless, he concludes that "we must say of these revelations that they are lacking in a final, simply binding authority." However, he did feel that churches and…

Works Cited

Cassel, Paul. "Karl Barth on Revelation and God's Relationship to the World," Boston

Collaborative Encyclopedia of Western Theology, 2005, 16 Nov 2007.  http://people.bu.edu/wwildman/WeirdWildWeb/courses/mwt/dictionary/mwt_themes_750_barth.htm 

Karl Barth." The Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2007. 16 Nov 2007. http://www.bookrags.com/biography/karl-barth/

Karl Barth's Dogmatics in Outline: A Review." Walking Together. 29 Aug 2007.

..no longer worthy to be called your son," the father rejected that statement, and instead ordered "the best robe" be brought, placed a ring on the son's finger and "sandals on his feet." The father then ordered a "fattened calf" be butchered, for a "feast" honoring his wayward son's return.

This son of mine," the father told his younger son, "was dead and is alive again..."

Meanwhile, the oldest son "became angry" and bitterly protested against his father's celebration in honor of the youngest son: "You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends," he said, adding, "...when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"

And this is where the kindness enters into the story. The father shows that he has the compassion to truly forgive his prodigal son, which is…

Reference

Bernstein, Sharon. (2005, January 1). Donations Large and Small Climb by the Hour.

Los Angeles Times, front page. Retrieved January 2, 2005, at  http://www.latimes.com .

Kinniry, Bernadette (2000). At the Water's Edge. The Other Side, 36, 22.

Penny, Amber (2002). What's Kindness Look Like? (Devotions on the Fruit of the Spirit).

At the same time, Jesus offered human beings hope for salvation. It was not just through his miracles and his teachings that Jesus proved he was the true son of God. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus illustrated that mankind is in dire need of divine assistance in overcoming evil. I look to Jesus as both role model and as symbol of hope, especially in times of darkness and despair. Jesus is all that is good in humanity: unconditional love, compassion, and kindness.

I have found that if I look to Jesus and take Him into my heart, I can overcome temptation and ill will and experience a taste of salvation. Salvation involves as much grace as it does hard work. Salvation always entails faith and unwavering belief. I believe that some suffering is essential for all human beings and that if we are willing to endure our suffering and…

' At that moment, I came to realize that I have to set a good example for him by being strong and facing up to my circumstances. Remembering the special times that my mother and I shared as a little girl in our worship, I started going to church again and prayed to Him for help and guidance. Even today, I remember very clearly how I cried out to Him for help and asked Him what I should do in order to be saved. This was a turning point in my life because I felt so empty and lost but I knew in my heart that things were going to be okay.

One day not too long after this turning point in my life, I met a man who completely blew me away. At the time, I was with my friends visiting Las Vegas (I was not drinking anymore). We…

book of Matthew is theology. The book, written by an unknown evangelist, is dedicated to the truth of Jesus Christ as the son of the living God. It is without a doubt that the author believed the truth of the conception of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Matthew 1:16, 18-25 is clear about this conception. However, there are numerous views negating this belief. Brown, claims that it is unrealistic to believe in the virgin birth because it is not mentioned anywhere in the New Testament other than in Matthew and Luke. This, according to him, is an indication that it was a late invention or one proposed by the early church, because such a remarkable and relevant issue could have been mentioned by other New Testament writters. In addition, Campenhausen performed a survey of the theology of the virgin birth of Jesus Christ in the early church. He observes that the virgin…

Counseling Model

A Practical Pastoral Counseling Model

Counseling Setting

Where Will Counseling Take Place?

oundaries for Safety and Security

Relational Style

Relational/Communication Style

Structure/Strategy

Sessions

Summation

Supportive Feedback

God's Riches at Christ's Expense

Annotated ibliography

A Practical Pastoral Counseling Model

This is an overview of the counseling position that I will take when working with clients/parishioners. I realize that this cannot encompass every eventuality that may occur during a counseling session, but it should be comprehensive enough to account for most of the possibilities that present themselves. I acknowledge that this is also the treatise of someone who is going to be practicing as a pastor first and a counselor second, therefore the relationship of a shepherd to his assigned sheep is the most important consideration in all of this. Also, the counseling relationship that a pastor enjoys with a parishioner is not as extensive as that between a patient…

Bibliography

Anger

Carlson, Dwight L. 2000. Overcoming hurts and anger. Eugene: Harvest House. ISBN: 0736901965

This book is a real help when dealing with anger. The author gives you steps on how to prevent your anger and deal with past anger in a Christian manner. He gives examples of mishandled anger, biblical principles about anger, and how to handle anger in a Christ-like way.

LaHaye, Tim and Bob Phillips. 2002. Anger is a choice. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. ISBN: 0310242835

Global Missions

Samuel Escobar is a well-known theologian within the Latin American community and viewed as one of the main participants in the International Congress on World Evangelism at Lausanne, Switzerland in 1974 over the years. He is also the president of the United Bible societies and of the International Fellowship of Evangelic Students and contributed immensely to the subject of global mission both in theory and practically. The contemporary Christian missions are compelled to comply with the global trends and the forces of globalization in order to remain relevant as opposed to the trends that were predominant in the third millennium of the Christian era. Escobar makes significant contribution and consequently influence on the aspect of contemporary global mission by exploring the new realities and forces of a globalized world as well as critically assessing the context of a vastly dynamic mission which hold to the earlier pedagogical teachings…

References

Escobar, S. (2003). The new global mission: The Gospel from Everywhere to Everyone. Downers Grove, IL:InterVarsity Press.

Escobar, S.E. (2003). A time for mission: the challenge for global Christianity. London: Inter-Varsity Press.

Greenman, J.P. (2012). Global theology in evangelical perspective: exploring the contextual nature of theology and mission. London: IVP Academic.

Taylor, W.D. (2000). Global missiology for the 21st century: the Iguassu dialogue. London: Baker Academic.

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. This invocation, accompanying the sign of the cross, marks the beginning and end of every Roman Catholic prayer. It has become synonymous with Catholicism -- a celebration of the crucifix as representative of the lessed Trinity. While, every good Catholic takes this Triumvirate for granted, it is left to theological scholars like Jurgen Moltmann to dissect and analyze the salient features of the Trinity. Is the Trinity a Pneumatological or Christological entity? Is it a combination of the two? Where is God in the scheme of Moltmann's thesis? The theoditic question challenged the omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience of God in his relationship with man. Is this question revisited in relation to Jesus Christ as the carrier of the Holy Spirit during his life on earth? Moltmann presents a clear interpretation of the relationship between Christ and the Holy Spirit…

Bibliography

Dabney, D. Lyle. "The Advent of the Spirit: The Turn to Pneumatology in the Theology of Jurgen Moltmann." Asbury Theological Journal 48 (1993): 81-107.

Hume, David. The Theodice Problem. 2002 n.d. God And Science. org. Available. December 7, 2002.  http://godandscience.org/apologetics/nogod.html#01 

Macchia, Frank. "the Spirit and Life: A Further Response to Jurgen Moltmann." Journal of Pentecostal Theology 5 (1994): 122.

McWilliams, Warren. "Why All the Fuss About Filioque? Karl Barth and Jurgen Moltmann on the Procession of the Spirit." Perspectives in Religious Studies 22 (1995): 176.

Persona Christi

An Analysis of the Priesthood "in persona Christi" and "in nominee ecclesiae"

The questions that surround the functions of the priesthood and the diaconate today appear to be part and parcel of the greater uncertainty that surrounds ancient Church customs. This paper will attempt to analyze the meanings of the phrases "in persona Christi" and "in nomine ecclesiae" as they have reflected the functions of the ministers of the Church both in the past and in today. The conclusion of this research is that while the traditional Church maintained a clear definition (and reverent propriety regarding the mystery of the priestly aspect), today's Church is less sure of the role and function of the minister in relation to Church hierarchy and Church laity.

In Persona Christi

Historical Background: the Vestments

Pius XII's (1947) encyclical Mediator Dei describes for us the aspect of the priest in relation to Jesus…

Staley, V. (1894). The Catholic Religion. London, UK: Mowbray.

Tanner, N.P., ed. (1990). Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils. London: Sheed

and Ward.

Christian Church acknowledges its missionary function as truly the core of Christianity, the heart of the Church. Through Christ's teachings, mission is the foreground of His legacy to the Church, the instrument for redemption. The guiding principles at the basis of the Church's mission exist as transparently related by the ible which in itself transcends all worldly knowledge and phenomena. God, as the Holy Trinity, reveals Himself through the biblical record in order to communicate with man candidly and openly, sends His only son into the world in order to claim Him back to the offspring of wholeness, and puts forth a missionary pattern for His followers: "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34, 15:17 King James ible) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the…

Bibliography

Abraham, William, James. The Logic of Evangelism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1989.

Blauw, Johannes. The Missionary Nature of the Church. New York, Toronto, London: McGraw-Hill Company Inc., 1974.

Bosch, David, C. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission. New York: Orbis Books, 1991.

Flett, John, G. The Witness of God: The Trinity, Missio Dei, Karl Barth, and the Nature of Christian Community. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2000.

Gnostics believed that they belonged to the "true church" of an elect few who were worthy; the orthodox Christians would not be saved because they were blind to the truth.

Part E -- Content - if we then combine the historical outline of the "reason" for John's writings with the overall message, we can conclude that there are at least five major paradigms present that are important in a contextual analysis of John.

John 5:13 - I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This seems to point that John saw a clear difference between those who believed in Jesus as the Son of God, but were unsure about eternal life. However, if we look back at other parts of his Gospel, we do find repetition of this theme. In John 1:5-7,…

REFERENCES

Raymond Brown, "Does the New Testament Call Jesus God?" Theological Studies.26: 1,

545-73.

Clark, N. Interpreting the Resurrection. (London: SCM Press, 1967).

Hamilton, James. God's Indwelling Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Old and New Testaments.

Calvin also taught that another way God begins to deal with a person to make him/her restless is knowledge.

Under the influence of the Spirit of God, a person is borne upward; traveling upward toward the knowledge of God. Conscience, as far as human understanding reaches, is a source which constitutes the unconditional starting point for the beginning of knowledge of God; for the revelation of Jesus Christ.

For Calvin, "revelation is not immediately revelation of Jesus Christ. But revelation of the harsh judgment of God, although this is certainly finally oriented to Christ."

Basically, Calvin did not have any revelation problem as the center of his theology. He began with the reality that a person is alienated from God, but that God seeks the individual out and entices him/her to a way in which community with God may be discovered again. Calvin argued sin has damaged human reason; that…

This is the same in our lives, because if we remain steadfast in out faith, our suffering can only serve to further God's work in our lives. Paul's example also highlights our responsibilities to each other, because through our own example we can help other Christians that might be facing the same kind of difficulty as us.

In the next few passages, Paul goes on to discuss something that has undoubtedly crossed the mind of any Christian facing extreme difficult, which is the idea that it might just be better to be done with the world and live eternally in heaven. Paul says that "for to me, living is Christ and dying is gain," to the point that "I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better, but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you"…

Works Cited

Fowl, Stephen. Philippians. Grand Rapids: Wm. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005. Print.

Gorman, Michael J. Inhabiting the Cruciform God: Kenosis, Justification, and Theosis in Paul's

Narrative Soteriology. Wm. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, 2009. Print.

Hays, Richard. The Moral Vision of the New Testament. T&T Clark: London, 1996. Print.

The Jews, of course, were as antagonistic to hearing Stephen preach the life of Christ as they were to Christ Himself -- ho is the way of salvation, and hom they have rejected. Stephen's speech is fiery and full of love and fury -- love for Christ, fury for the Jews who rejected Him: "You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised." (Here Stephen as much as says, "You are not real Jews. Real Jews would have recognized their Redeemer.) "You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!" The reaction of the Jews is to stone Stephen to death. Stephen accepts his martyrdom and dies as Christ died, with a prayer for his persecutors -- and out of that prayer comes (through the mercy of God) the conversion of St. Paul.

In conclusion, "we may say that perseverance as a Christian is the only…

Works Cited

Fitzmyer, Joseph. The Gospel According to Luke (I-IX), vol. 28. Garden City, NY:

Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1981. Print.

Hamm, Dennis. "Are the Gospel Passion Accounts Anti-Jewish?" Journal of Religion

and Film vol. 8, no. 1 (Feb, 2004). Print.

The interpretation of "spiritual truths" can largely influence how a disseminator selects a particular message, and can also be a particular lesson taught to disciples -- to aid them in their own ability to interpret spiritual understanding. This intrinsic sense of what is necessary to be communicated to an audience (Mitchell, 2010) should also be taught to an audience itself, so that it can understand and become closer to the spirit of God -- which is one of the main goals of virtually any disciple-maker's message.

y utilizing the aforementioned sources to impart this particular message -- to help further the understanding of the voice and spirit of God for disciples, so that they may heed and live a life in accordance to it -- it then becomes necessary to utilize the proper form to communicate this message. Of the four most widely used forms of communicating a message (the…

Bibliography

Barna, George. Growing True Disciples: New Strategies for Producing Genuine Followers of Chris.t Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press. 2001.

Bloomberg, Craig, 1st Corinthians NIV Application Commentary. Michigan: Zondervan. 1995.

ESV Bible. "1 Corinthians 1-2, 2 Peter 1, and Romans 15-18." Crossway.  http://www.esvbible.org  / (accessed November 10, 2011).

Mitchell, Dr. Michael. Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples. (Kindle Locations 6432-6459). Bloomington: CrossBooks. 2010. Kindle Edition. Chapter 9

260). This cosmological discussion is one reason Origen is said to have "created, indeed embodied, the first model of a scientific theology;" his approach to the notion of metempsychosis, like nearly all of his theological work, is rooted in a steadfast determination to distinguish "between the dogmata of the church tradition and the problemata which were to be discussed" according to reason, logic, and a prototype of the scientific method (Kung 1994, pp. 48-49). As will be seen, Origen's focus on not-yet-determined points of Christianity would ultimately contribute to his condemnation as a heretic, because could be considered genuine, innocent investigation in the third century would rapidly become dangerous propaganda to the Church's ruling powers.

Origen's description of an ultimate, total reunification should not be taken to mean that he is arguing that the actions one takes within the temporal world is meaningless, since everything will ultimately be united once…

Reference List

Bovon, F. 2010, "The Souls Comeback: Immortality and Resurrection in Early Christianity,"

Harvard Theological Review, vol. 103, no. 4, pp. 387-406.

Bowen, F. 1881. "Christian Metempsychosis." Princeton Review, May, pp. 316-341.

Clergymen of the Church of England. 2010. Reincarnation and Christianity. Kila: Kessinger

(God and Money)

The spiritual and materialistic facets of Church life are not only linked but in reality are fully united. All the conferences like All American Council, diocesan workshops, church publications, and guidance in our parishes makes us aware that we are required to share God's gift of time, talent and material resources. All the facets of life initiate to belong to God and we have the liability of utilizing them as judiciously as possible. Good stewardship is essential to fulfill the objective of Church that flows from all the facets of Church. It is required to understand the casual temptations in dealing with parish financial matters and handling the funds and records of the Church. Irrespective of the fact that proper records are kept, often it leads to confusion due to lack of improper and incomplete routine book keeping. (Parish Finances)

In order to maintain the financial propriety…

References

Financial Generosity. Retrieved at  http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/11529.htm . Accessed on 18 May, 2005

God and Money. Retrieved at  http://www.fbclubbock.com/templates/cusfbclubbock/details.asp?id=26890&PID=172078&mast=Accessed  on 18 May, 2005

Money Matters. March 11, 2001. Retrieved at http://sermons.redlandbaptist.org/ser_010311.php. Accessed on 18 May, 2005

52. Satan Uses Money. The School of Kingdom Economics. Retrieved at http://www.worldchristians.org/ske/ske-52.htm. Accessed on 18 May, 2005

6).

For the early Christians, the Holy Spirit was experienced as a real power in their lives

. The Holy Spirit empowered them to continue the work of Jesus. When a person received the Holy Spirit, they experienced a difference in their lives -- and others noticed it. That is still true today.Although all Christians receive the Holy Spirit through Baptism, God's Spirit works in many

ways in the world, in both Christians and non-Christians. Yet the experience of being 'baptised in the Spirit' is a time of entering a deeper spiritual dimension.Those who experience this deeper infilling, or new outpouring, of God's Spirit usually begin to discover new spiritual gifts

. The gift of prophesy or that of speaking tongues given to the reborn disciples imparts them with the ability to sense what God is saying to a group or an individual, and to pass on that message. This…

1980.

Bruce, F.F. Commentary on the Book of Acts. NICNT. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids, MI:

Eerdmans, 1988.