Acts (A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition)

by Philip Bence

Publisher:

WPH

, 1998

Overview

When we want to know about the life of Christ, we can look to four different inspired records: the Gospels. But Luke alone gives us the biblical history of the next thirty years: the book of Acts. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection offer the finished work of Christ. Yet, Jesus was just beginning his ministry of reaching the world. In Acts 1:8, Jesus told his followers, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Author Philip Bence brings his Bible teaching and missionary experience to bear as he unfolds the record of the early church’s missionary expansion. We see God’s progressive action, from the birth and establishment of the Christian church in Jerusalem, to the ongoing life of that church, its preparation for mission to “the ends of the earth,” and finally its movement out into the distant lands of the Roman Empire and specifically Rome, the Empire’s capital.

In the lives of people today, God continually wants to do that which is new. But he rarely works in individual lives or in great movements of people in a way that does not build on their previous history. The initial core of that history is explained clearly here in this volume on Acts. As these pages reveal God’s plan for the early church, let us listen for his plan for today and the future.

Contents

Top Highlights

“How did God empower His people for their mission? How did this empowerment transform the small group of believers? How did outsiders become part of God’s mission? How did the enlarged group relate to itself and to others around it? Consider the answers to these questions as you study Acts 2.” (Page 38)

“The first Christian Pentecost¹ finished what we see as the ‘Jesus event’ by which God came to live with His people forever. In our minds and on our calendars we can separate Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost. But we should also try to see them as one divine plan which transformed interaction between God and His people. Pentecost is the final episode in the Jesus event.” (Page 37)

“Everything in the Gospels moves toward that holy weekend. Everything in Acts builds on Calvary and the empty tomb. In the Gospels, everything Jesus did helped to move Him toward Jerusalem. In Acts, Jesus, through the church, moved out from Jerusalem.” (Page 30)

“On Pentecost, however, the supernatural gift of tongues enabled the 120 believers to speak in languages readily understood by pilgrims present in Jerusalem for the festival.” (Page 40)

“During their time of waiting, they demonstrated this desire to seek God and His plan, not only by prayer, but by reflection on Scripture.” (Page 34)

Product Details

• Title: Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition
• Author: Philip Bence
• Series: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition
• Publisher: WPH
• Print Publication Date: 1998
• Logos Release Date: 2009
• Pages: 252
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. N.T. Acts › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780898271959, 0898271959
• Resource ID: LLS:WESCOM65AC
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-10-04T17:44:45Z

About Philip Bence

Considered by many to be an expert in Distance Learning, Rick has been interviewed by and quoted in various major magazines including Charisma, Christianity Today, and World. His books include, Walston’s Guide to Christian Distance Learning; Something Happened on the Way to Happily Ever After: A Biblical View of Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage; The Speaking in Tongues Controversy: The Initial, Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit Debate; Unraveling the Mystery of The Motivational Gifts: Your Gifts Discovery Manual; and Divorce and Remarriage: An Amplification of the Assemblies of God Position Paper on Divorce and Remarriage. Dr. Walston pastored in Assemblies of God and independent churches for two decades. He was selected as an Outstanding Young Men of America, and he appears in Marquis Who’s Who in America. He is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and is a charter member of the International Society of Christian Apologetics (ISCA). He holds a B.A. and Master of Relion from Warner Pacific College, Portland, OR., he is ABT for the M.A. in humanities/philosophy with California State University, Dominguez Hills, CA., and he is an M.A. student in Apologetics with Luther Rice University. He also holds a D.Min. from Bakke Graduate University, Seattle, WA., and a Ph.D. from North-West University, South Africa. Theological persuasion: Conservative Evangelical Pentecostal.