Introduction: how Jesus teaches in the Gospels
The Four Gospels represent fulfillment of Jesus’ promise of the Spirit’s role in imparting Jesus’ teaching to us (John 14:16, 25-26). Through this role, the Spirit uses the Gospel accounts to instruct us in different teachings of Jesus, via recollection of Jesus’ earthly life.
Focus of Jesus’ teaching in Luke-Acts: The anointing which comes through the Baptism in the Spirit
How Jesus’ teaches the anointing through Spirit-baptism in Luke-Acts: The Gospel of Luke and Acts actually belong together as one two-volume work: Luke-Acts (Note Acts 1:1). The genre (literary form) of Luke-Acts is called, ancient “discipleship” biography. Such ancient biographies would emphasis certain events and teachings of a spiritual teacher, and then demonstrate how these key events and teachings were manifest in some of the teacher’s first disciples. The purpose was to show that such parallel events and teachings, were normative for anyone who desires to follow the spiritual teacher. This method of instruction is precisely what Luke used to teach his message of the Spirit’s vocational-prophetic anointing (Acts 1:1). The purpose of Luke-Acts is therefore to present Jesus’ life through the Spirit’s anointing, as a paradigm for disciples to imitate (as disciples are to imitate the life of their teacher). Therefore, the instruction on how God anoints believers with the Spirit- presented in Acts 1:8, 2:1-18, actually begins with the example of Jesus’ anointing by the Spirit in Luke 3:21-23; 4:18-19 (3:21 – 4:19f).
The book (books) of Luke-Acts is a teaching on seeking the vocational-prophetic anointing of the Spirit.
Scripture presents us three kinds of anointing: Within, upon, and the corporately manifested anointing.
1. The anointing within (which all believers have; 1 John 1:20-27);
2. The anointing upon (a renewable anointing for the vocational purpose of ministry (Acts 1:8; Eph 5:18); and
3. The anointing corporately manifested (When the Spirit of God is tangibly manifest (ie, “the power of the Lord to heal is present”) in a setting “ripe” for the ministry of the Spirit (Luke 5:17; 8:46; Acts 2:4-7f; 10:44-46; 5:13-16; 1 Cor 14:24-25).
In Luke-Acts, Jesus is teaching about the “anointing upon,” which is the vocational-prophetic anointing that comes upon us via the Baptism in the Spirit.· The anointing upon Jesus via Spirit-baptism (Luke 3:21-22; 4:1, 14, 18; Acts 10:37-38)· The anointing upon believers via Spirit-baptism (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:4, 17-18). The Spirit’s teaching in Luke-Acts is: Imitate Jesus that He may anoint you with the Spirit of Prophesy, for the prophetic experience of ministering inspired words and actions birthed by the Holy Spirit. The anointing of the Spirit is therefore vocational in purpose, and charismatically prophetic in expression.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit, is the point of a believer’s initiation into the vocational-prophetic anointing of the Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-18).
For this reason, the varied terms used to describe the experience of Spirit-baptism in Luke-Acts, all reflect the Old Testament experience of the vocational-prophetic anointing:
· “Fill” / “full” (Luke 1:15, 44. 67; 2:40; 4:1, 14; Acts 2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:3, 8; 7:55; 9:17; 11:24; 13:9, 52).
· “Upon” / “on” (Luke 3:22; 4:18; 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:17; 19:6).
· “Power”(Luke 1:35; 4:14; 24:49; Acts 1:8; 6:8; 10:38).
The Baptism in the Spirit initiates the believer’s coming into the anointing, wherein the Spirit comes upon the believer for the divinely given vocation of prophetic witness and ministry, as a charismatic measure of the Spirit.
Monte Lee Rice (© copyright March 2007)
Bibliographical references
O’Toole, Robert. The Unity of Luke’s Theology: An Analysis of Luke-Acts. Wilmington, DL: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1984; Talbert, Charles. H. Literary Patterns, Theological Themes, and the Genre of Luke-Acts. Missoula: Scholars Press, 1974; Talbert, Reading Luke: A Literary and Theological Commentary on the Third Gospel. New York, NY: Crossroad, 1982; Stronstad, Roger. The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 1984.
wow.im so bless with those topics you have posted in this website……..
DEAR SIR/MADAM.
HOW DOES ONE DRAW VERY CLOSE TO JESUS.
HOW DO I KNOW THE WILL OF GOD FOR MY LIFE.
HOW DO I KNOW TO MAKE RIGHT DESCISSIONS.
NEED MORE INFORMATION IN TRUSTING GOD
THANKS
VENITA
Dear Venita
Greetings in the Lord!
Please bear with my late reply to your inquiry. I have reflected on your desire and questions and have provided a brief counsel for you to reflect and act on at this juncture of your walk with the Lord. This will not answer on your questions; I cannot do that. But I believe what I briefly share here may provide some helpful light for the path before you.
Seek the Lord with all your heart
First, here are two verses for you to reflect on:
“When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me.” (Jeremiah 29:13-14)
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
The Lord invites us to seek Him with all our heart. This is the beginning.
Offer your life on the Lord’s altar
As you seek the Lord, make it a habit to offer your life wholly to Him, without reserve. Here is another verse:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God,
Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds,
so that you may discern what is the will of God— what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)
What the Scripture is showing us, is that often times as we seek the Lord, we will want to place our life upon His altar. That “altar” is a spiritual place we our selves build, when we come to the Lord and pray before Him. We will be moved to pray on that altar, “My life is yours. Make me whatever you desire. Be the Lord of my life.”
You can also see that the verse pretty much speaks to all your questions. Surrender to the Lord is the key to knowing God and His will.
Keep asking the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit
Even as you seek the Lord and even as you offer your life up to Him, you may that the Lord is silent. Well, keep pressing in until you have found from Him what you seek. Jesus Himself said,
“Search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone . . . who searches finds.” (Luke 11:9-10)
We must be like the woman who pressed through the crowd until we finally touch the robe of Jesus and receive His touch upon us (Luke 8:43-48). As you seek Him, ask Him to fill you; ask the Holy Spirit to come upon you. Never stop asking the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit. For the Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus.
Read the Bible as God’s Word for you
As often as possible read the Bible, all the way through. Most important are the Gospels. As you read the Gospel, seek to pattern your life according to how Jesus lived His life. As you do this, and as you also ask the Lord to make you more like Christ, so will He do so. Then also, daily read the Psalms.
Then seek to read through the rest of the Bible also. Read it as the story of God reaching and finding us. See yourself however within that story. As God delivered the children of Israel out of Egypt- if you are a believer in Christ, so also has He delivered you out of Egypt. As they marched towards the promise land, so also are you now marching towards the promised this land. Our present life is a “wilderness,” but the Lord is with us, and promises us “streams of water in the desert:”
“For I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself.
so that they might declare my praise. (Isaiah 43:20-21)
I hope these thoughts are helpful for you. Do also visit Jee Fong’s Corner. I believe you will find her entries edifying.
Finally, I want to leave you a poem from Amy Carmichael. I have often found her writings most nurturing towards things of the Spirit.
I am the God of the stars.
They do not lose their way,
not one do I lead astray.
Their times are in my hand,
they move at my command.
I am the God of the stars,
lift up your eyes and see
as far as mortal may
into eternity;
and stay your heart on me.
The Lord bless you
Monte