THE FIFTH BOOK OF THE NEW TESTAMENT HAS BEEN KNOWN FROM ANCIENT TIMES AS THEACTS OF THE APOSTLES; BUT THIS TITLE CANNOT BE FOUND IN THE BOOK ITSELF.ONEOF THE EARLIEST MANUSCRIPTS, THE CODEX SINAITICUS, GIVES AS THE TITLE THESIMPLE WORD ACTS, WITH NO MENTION OF THE APOSTLES.THERE IS A REASON FORTHIS.ACTS WAS INTENDED TO BE MORE THAN A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SERVICERENDERED BY THE TWELVE DISCIPLES, MUCH MORE THAN THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN THELIFEWORK OF ITS FOUR LEADING CHARACTERS, PETER, JAMES, JOHN, AND PAUL.
THE BOOK OF THE ACTS WAS WRITTEN BY "THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN," LUKE, A GENTILECONVERT, FOR THE WHOLE CHURCH, JEWS AND GENTILES ALIKE.WHILE IT COVERS APERIOD OF A LITTLE MORE THAN THREE DECADES, IT IS FILLED WITH IMPORTANTLESSONS FOR THE CHURCH IN EVERY AGE.IN THE BOOK OF THE ACTS GOD CLEARLYINDICATES THAT THE CHRISTIAN TODAY SHALL EXPERIENCE THE PRESENCE OF THE SAMESPIRIT WHO CAME WITH POWER AT PENTECOST AND FANNED THE GOSPEL MESSAGE INTO AFLAME.THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THROUGH PETER AND PAUL, JOHN AND JAMES, AND OTHERS, CAN BE REPEATED IN THE MODERN DISCIPLE.
THE ABRUPTNESS WITH WHICH THE BOOK OF ACTS CLOSES IS NOT ACCIDENTAL; ITDELIBERATELY SUGGESTS THAT THE THRILLING NARRATIVE IS UNFINISHED, AND THATTHE ACTS OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT ARE TO HAVE THEIR SEQUEL THROUGHOUT THECHRISTIAN DISPENSATION--EACH SUCCESSIVE GENERATION ADDING A CHAPTER FULL OFBEAUTY AND POWER TO THE ONE THAT PRECEDED IT.THE ACTS RECORDED IN THISREMARKABLE BOOK ARE IN THE TRUEST.
vi SENSE THE ACTS OF THE SPIRIT, FOR IN APOSTOLIC TIMES IT WAS THE HOLY GHOSTWHO APPEARED AS THE COUNSELOR AND HELPER OF THE CHRISTIAN LEADERS.ATPENTECOST THE PRAYING DISCIPLES WERE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT AND PREACHED THEGOSPEL WITH POWER.THE SEVEN MEN CHOSEN AS DEACONS WERE "FULL OF THE HOLYGHOST AND WISDOM." ACTS 6:3.IT WAS THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO LED IN THEORDINATION OF SAUL (9:17); IN THE ACCEPTANCE OF GENTILES INTO CHURCHFELLOWSHIP (10:44-47); IN THE SEPARATION OF BARNABAS AND SAUL FOR MISSIONARYWORK (13:2-4); IN THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM (15:28); AND IN PAUL'S MISSIONARYJOURNEYS (16:6, 7).ANOTHER TIME WHEN THE CHURCH SUFFERED INTENSELY AT THEHANDS OF ROMAN AND JEWISH PERSECUTORS, IT WAS THE SPIRIT WHO SUSTAINED THEBELIEVERS AND KEPT THEM FROM ERROR.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES WAS ONE OF THE LAST BOOKS WRITTEN BY ELLEN G.
WHITE.IT WAS PUBLISHED A FEW YEARS BEFORE HER DEATH.IT IS ONE OF THE MOSTILLUMINATING VOLUMES THAT CAME FROM HER PROLIFIC PEN.THE AVERAGE READERWILL FIND IN IT LIGHT FOR CHRISTIAN WITNESSING.THE MESSAGE OF THE BOOK ISUP TO DATE, AND ITS RELEVANCY IS REFLECTED IN THE EFFORT OF THE AUTHOR TOSHOW THAT THE TWENTIETH CENTURY WILL WITNESS A BESTOWAL OF SPIRITUAL POWEREXCEEDING THAT OF PENTECOST.THE WORK OF THE GOSPEL IS NOT TO CLOSE WITH ALESSER DISPLAY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT'S POWER THAN MARKED ITS BEGINNING.
THAT THE READER MIGHT PARTICIPATE IN THIS RE-ENACTMENT OF THE GLORIOUSSCENES OF THE EARLY CHURCH AND AT THE SAME TIME BE PRESERVED FROM THE SUBTLECOUNTERFEITS OF THE ENEMY OF SOULS IS THE PRAYER AND EARNEST WISH OF--THE PUBLISHERS.
