At its beginning, the human family is divided into jews and gentiles only, at its end there are three divisions jews, gentiles, and the church the latter being formed of both jews and gentiles. Chapter thirtythree transitional passages from john, luke, acts, and hebrews written by jeff reintgen. The book of acts, by a succession of forward steps, with long periods of time intervening between the successive steps, covers the transition period. One is reminded of the lords word to moses when he commanded him to build the tabernacle. This video explains the transitional book that is the book of acts, and how it starts with jews to jews, and slowly changes to gentiles, as the jewish nation as a whole rejects jesus christ, and the gospel is taken to the heathen. Pauls writings and the epistles of others are connected with the church dispensation, but the book of acts covers a crucial and unique transitional period linking the two. As such it answers the question many firstcentury observers would have.
The transitional nature of the acts period richard c. The book of acts is the story of early christianity. The emphasis of the book is the fulfillment of the great commission. Acts was written in greek, presumably by the evangelist luke, whose gospel concludes where acts begins, namely, with christs ascension into heaven. What are the transitional chapters in acts answers. We start the book with just an extension of the jewish program right after the crucifixion, and resurrection of jesus. The book of acts represents a transitional time during which the old testament age was ending and the new testament church age was beginning. Acts, a book of transition the more i study the book of acts, the more i realize that a person needs to understand the things in the book of acts, particularly in order to understand anything in gods word. The kingdom has been inaugurated and the church has been birthed. The age of readiness will be presented in detail in chapter 16. In part 1 of this study, the gospel transition from jews to gentiles part 1 explanation we spoke about using hermeneutics and the difference between pulling the meaning out of scripture or attempting to force our views into scripture.
The gospel of luke, as well as the book of acts, is addressed to a certain theophilus cf luke 1. Chapter thirtythree transitional passages from john. Pentecost helps us understand the important questions that arise as we read the book of acts. Clearly the apostles faith in the death and resurrection of jesus produced a noticeable change in their hearts through the power of the holy spirit. This argument is closely related to my first, but takes it a step farther. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading new wine. There is a world of difference between the two and so over the years many socalled dispensationalists have devised a theory that the book of acts is a transitional book meaning to them that one program and dispensation was phased out and a new program and dispensation ushered in. The counsels of his grace towards them, no doubt, abide forever sure. Acts tells us how the christian movement came into beginning. This book covers the actions of the apostles historically and is known as a transitional book because it takes us from one time period into the. The jews, we see, are now set aside, or rather they have set themselves aside by their rejection of that which god was setting up. The transitional era of the book of acts and its unique. The book of acts covers the transitional time between the ascension of christ and the completion of the new testament canon, and the apostolic miracles were gods means of authenticating his message through the men who penned the bible. We got an example of using scripture for our denominations purposes, but in doing so.
In the latter portion of acts, luke recorded three rejections of the jews to pauls overtures of salvation. The book of acts is a unique book because it is transitional. Explain the meaning of acts is a transitional book a bridge from the ot to the nt also transitioning from the gospels to the epistles which changes from law to grace name ways acts transitions between the gospels and epistles. Nowhere is the transitional nature of acts more evident than in the four different means of the giving of the holy spirit recorded in its pages.
In acts we see, the ascension of christ and the beginning of the great commission where the gospel leaves jerusalem and heads to the uttermost parts of the earth and eventually. It is the historical link that joins the life of christ with the growth of the christian church. It records the transition from the program which was in effect in the four gospels to the new program of grace revealed in pauls epistles. Therefore one would conclude that the book of acts also originates from the pen of luke. The new testament without the book of acts leaves a great yawning gap. Luke is again writing to theophilus to tell him what happened concerning the lord jesus christs earthly ministry and his apostles ministry.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Why did the holy spirit work differently with four. The title as we know it comes from the second century and only partially discloses the theme of. Part 2 acts is a transitional book grace bible church. The book focuses primarily on the acts of two apostles, peter and paul. Rightly dividing the transitional bible books of matthew. Acts is a transitional book moving from the old testament economy into that of the church age, the body of christ. It transitions us from the time of christ in the gospels to the time of the church, in the epistles. When we begin to read it, the lord jesus christ is still here.
There are three major passages that should be understood in order to properly grasp what this transition is about. Perhaps we should say that acts is a transitional book, transitioning from the old covenant to the new, and from the gospels to the epistles. Actus apostolorum, often referred to simply as acts, or formally the book of acts, is the fifth book of the new testament. Excellent short book explaining the transition period between o. Transitions in the book of acts bible prophecy blog. Writing acts off as merely transitional may appear to solve our problems, but i doubt that it does. On this episode of rightly dividing, we take an indepth look at the transitional books of matthew, acts and hebrews, and how knowing how to rightly divide them can be the difference between pass or fail as we study the scriptures. But one book has been left out of the three divisions above the book of acts. Every student of the word of god should read this book. Charismatics base doctrine on the experiences in acts.
Transitional activities in the book of acts pilgrim ministry. From the standpoint of the dispensations or the various economies by which god governs the world, the old testament economy actually continued through the gospels. Church to clearly understand what the bible teaches about spiritual gifts and their applicability to the believer in the dispensation of grace, it is extremely important to realize the transitional nature of the period of time covered by the book of acts. The gospel transition from jews to gentiles part 2 the. Acts records the apostles being christs witnesses in jerusalem, judea, samaria, and the surrounding world. It contains the acts jesus carried out after his ascension, through the holy spirit, in establishing the church. Matthew is the transition from the old testament to the new testament, hebrews is the transition from the.
A study of transition in the book of acts kindle edition by pentecost, j. The transition as revealed in the book of acts go to transition chart the book of acts, by a succession of forward steps, with long periods of time intervening between the successive steps, covers the transition period. In the last program, we had just finished one of the turning points in the book of acts and that was the conversion of saul in chapter 9. The author, pentecost, is a dispensationalist, and his theological understanding of the word is easily seen in his writings. It alone presents an extensive picture of early church life and history. Transitional nature of the book of acts the book of acts is an historical record of the first thirty years of the church, from pentecost c. The transitional books of acts les feldick ministries store.
Does the new testament begin with the book of acts. In chapter 3 of this study i pointed out that acts is a transitional book. Most of the doctrinal teachings within the four gospels relate to precross israel. Secondly, were acts omitted from the canon, the new testament would lose its historical continuity. To miss the historical nature of the book of acts is to miss its transitional character. The book of acts is best described as a transitional book. The main issues revolve around whether he is a man perhaps a greek official for whom lukeacts is an apologetic for the gospel or a kind of generic everyman since the name means lover of god. This video explains the transitional book that is the book of acts, and how it starts with jews to jews, and slowly changes to gentiles, as the jewish nation as a whole rejects jesus christ, and. The book of the acts is transitional in its character. Miracles and revelations in acts were transitional. The acts of the apostles is a unique and therefore crucial book of the new testament.
Brother aaron explains in this message preached at rehrersburg in 1993 that there were transitional activities, elements that helped the people who lived in that day identify where they were in gods unfolding plan of time. He explains why the need of a transition and how the transitional period in acts apply to the mission of the church today. What i am trying to illustrate here is the temporary and transitional nature of the miraculous phenomena recorded in acts. The transitional nature of acts grace bible studies. Dwight pentecost pours out his many years of indepth study on the book of acts in this new study.
And it proposes to show the continuation of all that jesus began both to do and teach 1. It describes certain events that happened but does not explain their significance. It is primarily a description of what took place in the. The characters we come across are people who knew jesus, those who in many cases had traveled with him during the days of his ministry. Virtually all students of the bible would acknowledge that the book of acts is a transition from israel to the church, as gods instrument through whom he uses to spread his message. The acts of the apostles, abbreviation acts, fifth book of the new testament, a valuable history of the early christian church. This book gives us a great many principles that should guide us in christian effort at the present time.
The book of acts sheds light on the gift of the holy spirit, who empowers, guides, teaches, and serves as. The purpose of the book of acts is governed by the jews response to peter and paul. Book of acts bible survey who was theophilus at the beginning of luke and acts. The transitional era of the book of acts and its unique spiritual gifts. It is a bridge between the gospels and the epistles.