Dummelow’s One Volume Bible Commentary says of Acts: “Acts represents
the exact religious standpoint of St. Paul. Its theme, the expansion of
Christianity from a Jewish sect into a world-wide religion, is in fact St. Paul’s
own ideal, in pursuit of which he broke every hindering tie, and strained every
faculty of mind and body for upwards of thirty years.” Dummelow also says that
“A more adequate title would be ‘The Acts of Peter and Paul,’ the Acts of Peter
extending from c.1 to c.12, and the Acts of Paul from c.13 to c.28” p. 817.
And Eugene Peterson points out
that we need the action of Acts to be complete Christians.
For without that activity we may become “enthusiastic spectators” rather than doers
of the work that Jesus set for us. (See The Message
INTRODUCTIONACTS.) “Go and do thou likewise,” Jesus demanded. (Luke 10:37
in part)
In this regard, I feel that we
can liken Mary Baker Eddy’s Miscellaneous Writings to Acts; a
matter of putting the word into action and how to do it.
How stunning that Jesus was among
the disciples for forty days after his resurrection and before his
ascension. What lessons they must have gained in that time! Jesus
promised that the Holy Ghost would come upon them. Now, Science &Health with Key to the
Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy classifies Holy Ghost in the Glossary as, “Divine Science; the development of
eternal Life, Truth, and Love.” So, the disciples were to use divine
Science in witnessing to the Christ by healing and teaching; this was the exact
same Science which Mary Baker Eddy has revealed to this age, and which we are
free to practise by healing in Christ’s name – Christian Science.
Joyce Voysey
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