The book of Acts reveals that the Spirit gives direction to the believers. For example, Philip’s activity in preaching the gospel was under the direction, leading, and guidance of the Holy Spirit. In 8:29 “the Spirit said to Philip, Approach and join this chariot.” Later, “the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip” (v. 39). This indicates that the Lord’s move in spreading His kingdom through the preaching of the gospel in Acts was by the Spirit’s leading and direction, not by man’s device and schedule. Hence, it was not the act of man but of the Spirit. We should learn from this pattern to pray and keep ourselves in fellowship with the Lord that we may sense His leading at any time. Then our move and our preaching of the gospel will be according to the Spirit’s direction. We need to follow the Spirit’s direction, not our own opinion, plan, and schedule. All our activity in preaching the gospel should be under the direction and guidance of the Spirit.
In Acts 10 Peter was directed by the Spirit in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. “While Peter was pondering concerning the vision, the Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are seeking you. But rise up and go down and go with them, doubting nothing, because I have sent them” (vv. 19-20). This indicates that Cornelius’ sending of the three men (vv. 7-8) was the Spirit’s move and act through him. In 8:29 the Spirit spoke to Philip, and in 10:19 the Spirit spoke to Peter.
In 13:2 the prophets and teachers in Antioch experienced the direction of the Spirit in separating Barnabas and Saul for the work: “As they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for Me now Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” These prophets and teachers were not conferring and organizing; rather, they were ministering to the Lord and fasting. As they were ministering in this way, He as the Spirit came in and spoke to them, saying, “Set apart for Me now Barnabas and Saul.” This indicates that here the Holy Spirit is the Lord.
However, we may think that the Spirit is separate from the Lord. Some even say that the Spirit is the agent or representative of the Lord. If the Spirit is merely the Lord’s representative, then in 13:2 the Holy Spirit should not have said, “Set apart for Me.” Instead, the Spirit should have said, “I, the Spirit, am an agent of the Lord. I represent the Lord and work for Him. Therefore, I tell you to separate Barnabas and Saul not unto Me but for the Lord, for whom I am working.”
In 13:2 we have the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and “Me.” Surely the Me in this verse is the Lord. Hence, the Spirit could tell them to separate Barnabas and Saul “for Me.” This Me is both the Lord and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we should not think that the Holy Spirit is separate from the Lord. No, the Holy Spirit is the Lord to whom we minister. When we minister, we minister to the Lord. But when the Lord responds to us, He responds as the Holy Spirit. Because He is the Lord, He could say as the Holy Spirit, “Set apart for Me now Barnabas and Saul.”
In 13:2 the Holy Spirit as the pneumatic Christ, the Head of the Body, told the five to set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which He had called them. This was a giant step taken by the Lord for the spread of the gospel of His kingdom to the Gentile world. It was initiated by five faithful and seeking members of the Body who provided an opportunity, through their ministering and fasting, to the Head of the Body that He, as the Spirit, might set some apart to carry out His great commission to spread His kingdom for the establishment of His church in the Gentile world through the preaching of His gospel. This major step was absolutely a move by the Spirit, in the Spirit, and with the Spirit through the coordination of the faithful and seeking members of the Body on earth with the Head in the heavens.
In 21:4 the disciples in Tyre “told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.” This was a direct guidance of the Spirit given to Paul through certain disciples. Here the Spirit told Paul, through some members of the Body, not to go to Jerusalem. In practicing the Body life, Paul should have taken this word and obeyed it as a word from the Head.
All these cases show that in Acts the believers were living, moving, working, traveling, and doing everything by the direction of the Spirit. Outwardly they were filled with the Spirit of power economically for them to carry out the work of God’s New Testament economy, and inwardly they were filled with the Spirit of life essentially for them to live a life of the processed Triune God. As a result, they moved, walked, worked, acted, traveled, and did everything by the Spirit as men of the Spirit. These are the members of the Body of Christ living and moving on earth for the testimony of the resurrected and exalted Christ and the fulfillment of God’s plan according to His eternal economy.
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