The Acts of the Apostles

604 Pages·2010·1.35 MB·English

by  Ellen G. White

The Acts of the
Apostles
Ellen G. White
1911
Information about this Book
Overview
ThisePubpublicationisprovidedasaserviceoftheEllen
G. White Estate. It is part of a larger collection. Please
visit the Ellen G. White Estate website for a complete list
ofavailablepublications.
AbouttheAuthor
Ellen G. White (1827-1915) is considered the most
widely translated American author, her works having been
publishedinmorethan160languages. Shewrotemorethan
100,000 pages on a wide variety of spiritual and practical
topics. Guided by the Holy Spirit, she exalted Jesus and
pointedtotheScripturesasthebasisofone’sfaith.
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Preface
The fifth book of the New Testament has been known
from ancient times as The Acts of the Apostles; but this
title cannot be found in the book itself. One of the earliest
manuscripts, the Codex Sinaiticus, gives as the title the
simple word Acts, with no mention of the apostles. There
is a reason for this. Acts was intended to be more than a
briefhistoryoftheservicerenderedbythetwelvedisciples,
much more than the principal events in the lifework of its
fourleadingcharacters,Peter,James,John,andPaul.
The book of the Acts was written by “the beloved
physician,” Luke, a Gentile convert, for the whole church,
Jews and Gentiles alike. While it covers a period of a little
more than three decades, it is filled with important lessons
for the church in every age. In the book of the Acts God
clearly indicates that the Christian today shall experience
the presence of the same Spirit who came with power at
Pentecost and fanned the gospel message into a flame. The
acts of the Holy Spirit through Peter and Paul, John and
James,andothers,canberepeatedinthemoderndisciple.
The abruptness with which the book of Acts closes
is not accidental; it deliberately suggests that the thrilling
narrative is unfinished, and that the acts of God through
the Spirit are to have their sequel throughout the Christian
dispensation—each successive generation adding a chapter
fullofbeautyandpowertotheonethatprecededit. Theacts
recordedinthisremarkablebookareinthetruest
sense the acts of the Spirit, for in apostolic times it was the
HolyGhostwhoappearedasthecounselorandhelperofthe
Christian leaders. At Pentecost the praying disciples were
filled with the Spirit and preached the gospel with power.
The seven men chosen as deacons were “full of the holy
ghost and wisdom.” Acts 6:3. It was the Holy Spirit who
led in the ordination of Saul (Acts 9:17); in the acceptance
of Gentiles into church fellowship (Acts 10:44-47); in the
separation of Barnabas and Saul for missionary work (Acts
13:2-4); in the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:28); and in
Paul’s missionary journeys (Acts 16:6, 7). Another time
when the church suffered intensely at the hands of Roman
and Jewish persecutors, it was the Spirit who sustained the
believersandkeptthemfromerror.
TheActsoftheApostleswasoneofthelastbookswritten
by Ellen G. White. It was published a few years before her
death. Itis oneof themost illuminating volumesthat came
fromherprolificpen. Theaveragereaderwillfindinitlight
for Christian witnessing. The message of the book is up to
date,anditsrelevancyisreflectedintheeffortoftheauthor
toshowthatthetwentiethcenturywillwitnessabestowalof
spiritualpowerexceedingthatofPentecost. Theworkofthe
gospelisnottoclosewithalesserdisplayoftheHolySpirit’s
powerthanmarkeditsbeginning.
Thatthereadermightparticipateinthisre-enactmentof
thegloriousscenesoftheearlychurchandatthesametime
be preserved from the subtle counterfeits of the enemy of
soulsistheprayerandearnestwishof—
ThePublishers.
Contents
InformationaboutthisBook . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
AbouttheAuthor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
FurtherLinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
EndUserLicenseAgreement . . . . . . . . . 1
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Chap. 1-God’sPurposeforHisChurch . . . . . . 9
Chap. 2-TheTrainingoftheTwelve . . . . . . . . 17
Chap. 3-TheGreatCommission . . . . . . . . . . 25
Chap. 4-Pentecost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Chap. 5-TheGiftoftheSpirit . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chap. 6-AttheTempleGate . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Chap. 7-AWarningAgainstHypocrisy . . . . . . 70
Chap. 8-BeforetheSanhedrin . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Chap. 9-TheSevenDeacons . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Chap. 10-TheFirstChristianMartyr . . . . . . . 97
Chap. 11-TheGospelinSamaria . . . . . . . . . 103
Chap. 12-FromPersecutortoDisciple . . . . . . 112
Chap. 13-DaysofPreparation . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Chap. 14-ASeekerforTruth . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Chap. 15-DeliveredFromPrison . . . . . . . . . 143
Chap. 16-TheGospelMessageinAntioch . . . . 155
Chap. 17-HeraldsoftheGospel . . . . . . . . . . 166
Chap. 18-PreachingAmongtheHeathen . . . . . 177
Chap. 19-JewandGentile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Chap. 20-ExaltingtheCross . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Chap. 21-IntheRegionsBeyond . . . . . . . . . 211
Chap. 22-Thessalonica. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
Chap. 23-BereaandAthens . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Chap. 24-Corinth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Chap. 25-TheThessalonianLetters . . . . . . . . 255
Chap. 26-ApollosatCorinth. . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Chap. 27-Ephesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Chap. 28-DaysofToilandTrial . . . . . . . . . . 291
Chap. 29-AMessageofWarningandEntreaty . . 298
Chap. 30-CalledtoReachaHigherStandard . . . 309
Chap. 31-TheMessageHeeded . . . . . . . . . . 323
Chap. 32-ALiberalChurch . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Chap. 33-LaboringUnderDifficulties . . . . . . . 346
Chap. 34-AConsecratedMinistry . . . . . . . . . 359
Chap. 35-SalvationtotheJews . . . . . . . . . . 372
Chap. 36-ApostasyinGalatia . . . . . . . . . . . 383
Chap. 37-Paul’sLastJourneytoJerusalem . . . . 389
Chap. 38-PaulaPrisoner . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399
Chap. 39-TheTrialatCaesarea . . . . . . . . . . 419
Chap. 40-PaulAppealstoCaesar . . . . . . . . . 428
Chap. 41-“AlmostThouPersuadestMe” . . . . . 433
Chap. 42-TheVoyageandShipwreck . . . . . . . 439
Chap. 43-InRome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447
Chap. 44-Caesar’sHousehold . . . . . . . . . . . 461
Chap. 45-WrittenFromRome . . . . . . . . . . . 469
Chap. 46-AtLiberty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485
Chap. 47-TheFinalArrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . 489
Chap. 48-PaulBeforeNero . . . . . . . . . . . . 492
Chap. 49-Paul’sLastLetter . . . . . . . . . . . . 498
Chap. 50-CondemnedtoDie . . . . . . . . . . . 509
Chap. 51-AFaithfulUnder-Shepherd . . . . . . . 514
Chap. 52-SteadfastUntotheEnd . . . . . . . . . 529
Chap. 53-JohntheBeloved . . . . . . . . . . . . 539
Chap. 54-AFaithfulWitness . . . . . . . . . . . 546
Chap. 55-TransformedbyGrace . . . . . . . . . 557
Chap. 56-Patmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 568
Chap. 57-TheRevelation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 578
Chap. 58-TheChurchTriumphant . . . . . . . . . 593