The Church: Spirit-filled Witness
We all know that the church in the first century was very faithful in laboring in its mission. Also, the early church’s lifestyle was very attractive to outsiders as they followed Jesus’ mandate, and the church also tried to spread its witness to the ends of the earth, sending Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and Timothy to build new witnessing communities in distant lands. The reason for their steadfastness in their mission is that they served as witnesses of Jesus Christ.[i] Therefore, as we are serving the same mission, we need to explore how the early church became witnesses of Jesus Christ because it achieved the humanly impossible.
Amos Yong says that “the spirit’s empowering witness (Acts 1:8)”[ii] is the key to understanding the strength, power, and mission of the early church, as well as its origins. Jesus explained that the power from the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Heavenly Father to His disciples (Luke 24:49). Jesus also knew that the disciples could not accomplish the mission of God without power from the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus told the disciples to wait for empowerment from the Holy Spirit to obey and follow His command (Acts 1:4-5).[iii]
When the disciples of Jesus Christ became witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), they boldly preached “the first missionary sermon (Acts 2:14-41),” and the first church was born. As the early church in Jerusalem emerged through the spirit-filled witnesses, no one could prevent them from speaking “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:1-22) even though they confronted opposition. Moreover, in the midst of the healing and preaching of the apostles, the members of the early church prayed together for God to grant them boldness to share the word of God. Then, the whole church was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and they “continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:23-31). Therefore, the author of the book of Acts expressed the characteristics of the early church in Jerusalem, saying, “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).[iv]
Therefore, the witnesses of Jesus Christ in the early church help us to understand that God provides the strength, motivation, power, and ability through His Spirit to carry out His mission. Conversely, we should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than other impressive matters for doing the mission. Otherwise, our labour will surely be futile if we are apart from the Holy Spirit, just as branches are apart from the vine. Therefore, we must know where the power to fulfill His mission originates if we are willing to be His witnesses. Further, Goheen and Mullins strongly state that “All missional engagement must be empowered by the risen Christ through the Spirit.”[v] Moreover, we learn that the church must pray together for the opportunity from God to spread His word under any conditions and situations so that the church will be filled with the Holy Spirit to spread the good news.
According to early church history exposed in the book of Acts, the early churches emerged from witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, the church must continue to be a witnessing community empowered by the Holy Spirit for building more witnessing communities in the community and around the world. If the church fails to be a Holy Spirit-filled witness locally and globally, the true witnesses of Jesus Christ and the word of God will be ceased first in the community, even if the church can establish its building.
[i] Michael W. Goheen and Jim Mullins, The Symphony of Mission: Playing Your Part in God’s Work in the World (Baker Academic, 2019), 38.
[ii] Amos Yong, Mission after Pentecost (Mission in Global Community): The Witness of the Spirit from Genesis to Revelation (Baker Academic, 2019), 176.
[iii] Yong, Mission after Pentecost (Mission in Global Community), 177.
[iv] D.A. Carson et al., An Introduction to the New Testament (Zondervan, 1992), 226–27.
[v] Goheen and Mullins, The Symphony of Mission, 45–46.
Amos Yong says that “the spirit’s empowering witness (Acts 1:8)”[ii] is the key to understanding the strength, power, and mission of the early church, as well as its origins. Jesus explained that the power from the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Heavenly Father to His disciples (Luke 24:49). Jesus also knew that the disciples could not accomplish the mission of God without power from the Holy Spirit. Thus, Jesus told the disciples to wait for empowerment from the Holy Spirit to obey and follow His command (Acts 1:4-5).[iii]
When the disciples of Jesus Christ became witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4), they boldly preached “the first missionary sermon (Acts 2:14-41),” and the first church was born. As the early church in Jerusalem emerged through the spirit-filled witnesses, no one could prevent them from speaking “in the name of Jesus” (Acts 4:1-22) even though they confronted opposition. Moreover, in the midst of the healing and preaching of the apostles, the members of the early church prayed together for God to grant them boldness to share the word of God. Then, the whole church was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and they “continued to speak the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:23-31). Therefore, the author of the book of Acts expressed the characteristics of the early church in Jerusalem, saying, “the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).[iv]
Therefore, the witnesses of Jesus Christ in the early church help us to understand that God provides the strength, motivation, power, and ability through His Spirit to carry out His mission. Conversely, we should rely on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than other impressive matters for doing the mission. Otherwise, our labour will surely be futile if we are apart from the Holy Spirit, just as branches are apart from the vine. Therefore, we must know where the power to fulfill His mission originates if we are willing to be His witnesses. Further, Goheen and Mullins strongly state that “All missional engagement must be empowered by the risen Christ through the Spirit.”[v] Moreover, we learn that the church must pray together for the opportunity from God to spread His word under any conditions and situations so that the church will be filled with the Holy Spirit to spread the good news.
According to early church history exposed in the book of Acts, the early churches emerged from witnesses empowered by the Holy Spirit. Because of this, the church must continue to be a witnessing community empowered by the Holy Spirit for building more witnessing communities in the community and around the world. If the church fails to be a Holy Spirit-filled witness locally and globally, the true witnesses of Jesus Christ and the word of God will be ceased first in the community, even if the church can establish its building.
[i] Michael W. Goheen and Jim Mullins, The Symphony of Mission: Playing Your Part in God’s Work in the World (Baker Academic, 2019), 38.
[ii] Amos Yong, Mission after Pentecost (Mission in Global Community): The Witness of the Spirit from Genesis to Revelation (Baker Academic, 2019), 176.
[iii] Yong, Mission after Pentecost (Mission in Global Community), 177.
[iv] D.A. Carson et al., An Introduction to the New Testament (Zondervan, 1992), 226–27.
[v] Goheen and Mullins, The Symphony of Mission, 45–46.
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Thank you for this encouraging word to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and remember the importance of prayer.