Quote of the week
24. Mar, 2010 
3 Comments
“The story of Acts is the story of stupendous missionary achievement of a community inspired to make a series of creative experiments by the Pentecostal Spirit. Against a static church, unwilling to obey the guidance of the Holy Spirit, no ‘gates’ of any sort are needed to oppose its movement, for it does not move. But against a church that is on the move, inspired by the Pentecostal spirit, neither ‘the gates of hell’ nor any other gates can prevail” (Bishop J.E.Fison, Fire upon Earth, 1958, p.79).
I rather like this viewpoint from Don Richardson (from “Eternity in their Hearts”):
“Hundreds of millions of Christians think that Luke’s Acts of the Apostles records the 12 apostles’ obedience to the Great Commission. Actually it records their reluctance to obey it.”
Would recommend ‘The Antioch Factor’ by Ross Paterson – he looks at how after Acts chapt 11 we hear very little more about the church in Jerusalem, despite a flourishing start after Pentecost. All the real action takes place from a little known church in Antioch – from where the real missionary movement began.
Here’s another quote.
Ross Paterson – “The Antioch Factor – The Hidden Message of The Book of Acts” – “The marginalisation of Jerusalem’s role was not random or accidental It was for a specific reason. Its logic states that the ultimate purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ is to reach out to a dying world with
the good news of salvation. Jerusalem did that with real excellence & success locally…but it did not desire to do it in all the world.”
I rather like this viewpoint from Don Richardson (from “Eternity in their Hearts”):
“Hundreds of millions of Christians think that Luke’s Acts of the Apostles records the 12 apostles’ obedience to the Great Commission. Actually it records their reluctance to obey it.”
Would recommend ‘The Antioch Factor’ by Ross Paterson – he looks at how after Acts chapt 11 we hear very little more about the church in Jerusalem, despite a flourishing start after Pentecost. All the real action takes place from a little known church in Antioch – from where the real missionary movement began.