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Welcome back! I hope the Holy Spirit has guided you to some amazing treasure here. Let me share what I dug up this past week.
Last Week’s Work
WRITING TYPES
Since our study text is located at the beginning of the first chapter of Acts, I skimmed much of the rest of the book and noticed two overall writing types (I think this is the first time I’ve ever noticed an overlap like this!) and instances of a couple others. They are:
- Narrative (throughout the book). Acts is clearly all about what the apostles did after Jesus died and was resurrected, and
- Letter (throughout the book). In Acts 1:1 it’s directed to one person—Theophilus—whose name means friend of God in Greek.
- Instruction (a few instances). These include Jesus’s response, it is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.
- Prophecy (a few instances). The promises I discovered two weeks ago are considered prophecy: they are statements that are expected to occur any time after the statement was delivered. I know from other studies and reading in Acts that these men did indeed receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and become Jesus’s witnesses throughout the known world after Jesus ascended into heaven.
We know we can interpret narrative, letter, and instruction literally: the author means exactly what he wrote. With prophecy, though, we need to take an additional step to determine if the author might have used symbolism (terms that the author’s audience would realize actually stand for something else). In this case, I verified the literal interpretation of the prophecy has been fulfilled, and the Spirit isn’t urging me to dig deeper there, so I’m comfortable that the author and his audience understood verse 8 to mean what it says.
LITERAL CONTEXT
In the literal context of this story, I discovered the author addressed this writing to someone called Theophilus and mentioned the first book. Which, of course, begs the question, “what first book?”
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
From reviewing the Introduction to Acts from the ESV Global Study Bible, I learned this book is a sequel to the Gospel of Luke (which was also addressed to Theophilus—the first book mentioned above!). Luke was a physician who traveled with Paul. In Luke 1:3-4, the author explains why the book was written: so that Theophilus could be certain about what he’d been taught.
Acts is believed to have been written about AD 62, and it recounts the spread of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, covering about three decades between AD 30 and AD 60.
ORIGINAL LANGUAGE TOOLS
As I looked over verse 8 in the original language, I was drawn to three items:
- Power – in the Greek, dynamis (G1411), which is defined as inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth; the power of Christ invisibly present and operative in Christian church formally assembled. The spelling of this word makes me think of the power of dynamite: how helpful it can be when properly used and controlled.
- Holy Spirit – in the Greek agios (G40) pneuma (G4151): God’s power and agency — distinguishable… from God’s essence in itself considered — manifest in the course of affairs, and by its influence upon souls [producing] in the church all the higher spiritual gifts and blessings.
- Has come upon – in the Greek eperchomai (G1904) epi (G1909): upon arrival of the Holy Spirit, descending and operating in one.
Dig-In Challenges
This week, we’re going to wrap up the second half of our Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.
- Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
- REFINE: Then consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool (for v8, I’ll start at this blb.org page) to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in and note what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: if you’re interested in other verses, follow the above link, then point to the TOOLS button to the left of a verse, and choose Cross-Refs from the menu. - REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations’ version of the same verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT on this biblehub.com page. You can compare your own verses from that link by entering them in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass there.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost through this study, my friend: just two more weeks! I hope the Lord has used it for your good and His glory! See you next week!