The Holy Spirit: Acts

pneuma (408 Times in the NT)

“pneuma” = The Root and General Word for “Spirit” (Sometimes “Wind” and “Breath” - 379 Times

“pneumatikos” = “Spiritual” - 26 Times

“pneumatikōs” = “Spiritually” - 2 Times

“theopneustos” = “Inspired By God” - 1 Time

John 20:21–22 (NASB95)

So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

After Jesus’ Resurrection, Jesus Gives His Disciples Their Divine Mission

Then He Breathes On Them, Symbolizing the Breath-Like Nature of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit was Often Given to Those Whom God Gives a Divine Mission

They Would Receive the Spirit Not Many Days From When Jesus Breathed On Them

And They Would Begin Their Mission of Being Sent to Spread the Gospel to the World

And as We Read, the Spirit Would Be Their Helper All Along the Way

Acts

pneuma is Found More in the Book of Acts than Any Other Book

The Book of Acts is Commonly Called “The Acts of the Apostles”

But Maybe a Better Title Would Be “The Acts of the Holy Spirit”

The Book of Acts is About the History of the Early Church and the Ministry of the Apostles

But None of it Would Be Possible if Jesus Hadn’t Sent the Holy Spirit to Them

Acts 1:1–8 (NASB95)

The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen.

To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”

Luke Starts Off the History of the Apostles and Early Church…

By Mentioning the Holy Spirit 3 Times

With One of the Primary Points Being that They Would Receive Power…

From the Presence of the Holy Spirit Very Soon

We See this Power at the Beginning of the Next Chapter

Acts 2:1–4 (NASB95)

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

God Through His Spirit had Officially Taken Up Residence in His New Tabernacle/Temple

God’s Presence Would Now Be Personally with His People

Fire Often Represented God’s Holy Presence

He was in the Burning Bush

He was in the Pillar of Fire Which the Israelite’s Followed Through the Wilderness

The Same Pillar of Fire was Found in the Tabernacle After God’s Glory Entered it

Exodus 40:34–38 (NASB95)

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

Throughout all their journeys whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the sons of Israel would set out; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out until the day when it was taken up.

For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.

The Spirit Gave the Apostles the Ability to Speak in Other Languages

Why Would the Spirit Give a Power Like this to the Apostles?

Because Pentecost was Here and They Needed to Proclaim the Gospel…

To a Lot of People Who Speak Different Languages

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues Wasn’t About:

Speaking to God in Some Heavenly Language

Speaking in Some Unknown Language to Prove One’s Salvation

The Gift of Speaking in Tongues/Languages was for the Practical Reason of:

Being Able to Communicate with People of Different Languages…

So They Could Know the Gospel of Jesus

Acts 2:16–18 (NASB95)

but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.

Peter Quotes the Prophet Joel at the Beginning of His Sermon

He Explained to the Crowds that Joel’s Prophecy was Being Fulfilled Before Their Eyes

The New Age Had Begun and the Spirit would Be Working Through All People

Acts 2:38 (NASB95)

Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I’ve Heard Several Different Interpretations of What “the Gift of the Holy Spirit” Means

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Refers to Spiritual Gifts

This Part of this Passage No Longer Applies to Us Today

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Refers to the Gift of Salvation

This Whole Passage Does Apply to Us Today

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Refers to the Indwelling of The Holy Spirit Himself

This Whole Passage Does Apply to Us Today

This is the Interpretation I Hold

But There are Many Christians that Hold to One of Each of These

Not Everyone Who was Baptized into Christ Received Spiritual Gifts

And Verse 39 Seems to Indicate that the Promise is for Everyone

I Believe the Salvation is a Part of the Holy Spirit’s Work in People

But I Think the Scriptures are Abundantly Clear that the Holy Spirit Does Much More Than Save Us

The Scriptures From Both Old and New Testaments Paint a Picture of the Spirit Dwelling Within Believers

Some Believe the Spirit Dwells Within Believers Through the Word/Scriptures Only

That God’s Personal Presence Does Not Dwell Within a Believer

I Think We Can Start Getting into Some Dangerous Territory There

The New Testament is Very Upfront with the Fact that the Holy Spirit Dwells Within Believers

If We Says that Means the Word of God…

We are Equating the Holy Spirit with the Bible

The Bible is Not the Holy Spirit - The Bible is Not Our God

It is the Message Given By God and Produced By the Holy Spirit…

But it is Not the Holy Spirit

If the Holy Spirit Does Indeed Dwell Within Us…

And Our Bodies are Considered the Temple of God…

Then I Believe the Logical Choice is the Personal Indwelling of God in His Spirit in Each Believer

And We’ve Already Seen Much of the Benefits of that

And We Will Continue to See the Benefits Throughout the NT

Acts 4:8 (NASB95)

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people,

As We Saw in the Gospels, Jesus Promised the Holy Spirit Would Help His Apostles…

When They Were Standing Before Kings, Governors, and Authorities

Here is an Instant of That

Acts 4:29–31 (NASB95)

“And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

As We’ve Seen, One Major Aspect of the Holy Spirit’s Work is Helping God’s People Spread the Gospel

One Way the Holy Spirit Does that is By Giving Boldness to the Apostles in this Passage

Can the Holy Spirit Still Grant Boldness to Us When Doing God’s Will?

I See No Reason Why He Couldn’t

But Do We Pray for it?

I Think We Typically Pray for the End of Our Fearful Circumstances and Suffering

Maybe We Should Start Praying for the Boldness to Do What’s Right…

Regardless of Our Circumstances and Suffering

Acts 5:3 (NASB95)

But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?

It’s Possible to Lie to the Holy Spirit

Essentially this is the Same Thing as Lying to God (vs.4)…

And Putting the Holy Spirit to the Test (vs.9)

Ananias and Sapphira Were Claiming to Be Acting in Accordance with the Spirit…

But They Were Lying

Acts 5:32 (NASB95)

“And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

The Apostles Were Defending Jesus and the Gospel Before the Sanhedrin…

And They Claimed that the Holy Spirit was a Witness, Along With Themselves…

To the Truth They Were Speaking About Jesus

That’s Exactly What Jesus Said the Holy Spirit Would Do

He Would Witness/Give His Testimony Alongside the Apostles of the Truth of Jesus

And He Did that Often By Giving Them the Words They Were to Say…

And By Performing Miraculous Signs Through Them

One Important Thing to Notice Here is:

They Said the Holy Spirit is Given to All Who Obey God

This is Further Proof of the Giving and Indwelling of the Spirit Himself