Luke and the Holy Spirit

[Mr. M]

Academics often set the Gospel of John in contrast to the other three Gospels, lumping them together by referring to them as Synoptic. What this thread is proposing, if we could keep a laser focus, is to show that Luke actually creates a bridge between Matthew/Mark and John. As a traveling companion of Paul, he was a key witness to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Mark speaks of him four times, Luke twelve times. More importantly, He appears 41 times in the book of Acts. The total testimony of Luke, therefore, creates a backdrop to be an eye witness of what Jesus teaches in the Gospel of John about the Holy Spirit.

[AdHoc]

5 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Academics often set the Gospel of John in contrast to the other three Gospels, lumping them together by referring to them as Synoptic. What this thread is proposing, if we could keep a laser focus, is to show that Luke actually creates a bridge between Matthew/Mark and John. As a traveling companion of Paul, he was a key witness to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Mark speaks of him four times, Luke twelve times. More importantly, He appears 41 times in the book of Acts. The total testimony of Luke, therefore, creates a backdrop to be an eye witness of what Jesus teaches in the Gospel of John about the Holy Spirit.

What you say is true. Here is another slant on the matter.

When God made man He made man for four duties: (1) To express God in a visible practical way, (2) to first subdue elements that oppose God and then rule over them with the same effect and philosophy as is in heaven, (3) to protect and bring order to the Garden where God meets with His creature, so that God's holiness is not infringed upon, and (4) to be a companion for Jesus up to His standard ("meet").

Points 2 and 3 need POWER and AUTHORITY. To subdue an enemy and then rule over him takes both power and authority. So both Matthew and Luke end with Christ having authority and Luke predicting POWER if the disciples would wait and pray in Jerusalem. Mark seems to show a man as servant, and this it does. But a higher revelation is hidden in this philosophy. It is this; In God's Kingdom a king with power and authority must use them for the profit of others 

Points 1 and 4 need need God's LIFE and NATURE. A dog barks because it has a "dog-nature". Men don't normally bark because they have a human nature. Fallen men naturally sin because the have an Adamic nature. And a man who partakes of God's nature and LIFE will display God in his daily living. So JOHN tells us, in John 20:30-31, that the things written in John are so that we might HAVE LIFE. JOHN is a bridge between the Tree of Life in Genesis and the Tree of Life in Revelation.

ACTS, sometimes called the "Fifth Gospel" is the Book about men with the desire and obedience to apply POWER and LIFE to achieve the four goals above. It is a Book about men who have been born of the Father in heaven, and thus have the divine nature, applying the POWER to SERVE God's interests without regard for themselves. The result of this selfless service is that a House of Fellowship full of people with the divine LIFE is built and Church government is applied in love to equipe those men to rule the world one day.

[Michael37]

6 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Academics often set the Gospel of John in contrast to the other three Gospels, lumping them together by referring to them as Synoptic. What this thread is proposing, if we could keep a laser focus, is to show that Luke actually creates a bridge between Matthew/Mark and John. As a traveling companion of Paul, he was a key witness to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Mark speaks of him four times, Luke twelve times. More importantly, He appears 41 times in the book of Acts. The total testimony of Luke, therefore, creates a backdrop to be an eye witness of what Jesus teaches in the Gospel of John about the Holy Spirit.

Let's get into it . . .

Interesting Fact: The word "bridge" does not appear in the Bible.

The nearest reference is in the Latin Vulgate where the etymology  of "pontis" for "bridge" is given as per these quotes from Pontifex maximus - Wikipedia

According to the common interpretation, the term pontifex means "bridge-builder" (pons + facere); "maximus" means "greatest". This was perhaps originally meant in a literal sense: the position of bridge-builder was indeed an important one in Rome, where the major bridges were over the Tiber, the sacred river (and a deity): only prestigious authorities with sacral functions could be allowed to "disturb" it with mechanical additions. However, it was always understood in its symbolic sense as well: the pontifices were the ones who smoothed the "bridge" between gods and men.^[10]

In the Latin Vulgate translation of the New Testament, it is sometimes used to designate the Jewish high priest, as in the Gospel of John and Epistle to the Hebrews (John 11:49; Hebrews 5:1).

[Mr. M]

7 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

The word "bridge" does not appear in the Bible.

 

Yes, that would seem to be the point.

He divided the sea and caused them to pass through;
And He made the waters stand up like a heap.
14 In the daytime also He led them with the cloud,
And all the night with a light of fire.
15 He split the rocks in the wilderness,
And gave them drink in abundance like the depths.
16 He also brought streams out of the rock,
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

[Mr. M]

52 minutes ago, AdHoc said:

ACTS, sometimes called the "Fifth Gospel" is the Book about men with the desire and obedience to apply POWER and LIFE to achieve the four goals above. It is a Book about men who have been born of the Father in heaven, and thus have the divine nature, applying the POWER to SERVE God's interests without regard for themselves. The result of this selfless service is that a House of Fellowship full of people with the divine LIFE is built and Church government is applied in love to equipe those men to rule the world one day.

Some say 'The Book of Acts', others 'The Acts of the Apostles'. I say 'The Acts or Working of the Holy Spirit'; because He is the main character throughout the narrative, which was a primary point being brought out in the OP. "Holy Spirit" appears 41 times in Acts, 12 times in Luke, to only four times in Mark. This is how Luke's Gospel distinguishes himself from Mt/Mr. When you combine the two books of Luke, as the final point of the OP, it provides a dramatic presentation of how the Holy Spirit operates to illustrate the Lord's teaching with regards to the Holy Spirit in John. Luke and Acts are the "illustrated version", of much of the teaching in John 14-17.

[Keturah 123]

Thank you.

As I totally ACCEPT the whole of the KJV & live by it's treasures, I had never thought to correlate the gospel/gospels with the book of Acts and beyond to bridge or tether them together !

My fashion has been more linear rather than parallel. May I am not too old to learn not be taught, after all!

[Mr. M]

1 hour ago, Keturah 123 said:

Thank you.

As I totally ACCEPT the whole of the KJV & live by it's treasures, I had never thought to correlate the gospel/gospels with the book of Acts and beyond to bridge or tether them together !

My fashion has been more linear rather than parallel. May I am not too old to learn not be taught, after all!

 In Christ there is no age limit! Just unrestricted hearts. Here is another "Gospel Correlation Lesson".

https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/284687-the-secret-disciple/#comment-3574579

 

[AdHoc]

18 hours ago, Mr. M said:

Some say 'The Book of Acts', others 'The Acts of the Apostles'. I say 'The Acts or Working of the Holy Spirit'; because He is the main character throughout the narrative, which was a primary point being brought out in the OP. "Holy Spirit" appears 41 times in Acts, 12 times in Luke, to only four times in Mark. This is how Luke's Gospel distinguishes himself from Mt/Mr. When you combine the two books of Luke, as the final point of the OP, it provides a dramatic presentation of how the Holy Spirit operates to illustrate the Lord's teaching with regards to the Holy Spirit in John. Luke and Acts are the "illustrated version", of much of the teaching in John 14-17.

That is a novel view, but one that I can agree with. Acts is known to be called the "Gospel of the Holy Spirit". It is very appropriate that it does not end. The Holy Spirit is working until today.

Go well

[Dennis1209]

19 hours ago, AdHoc said:

ACTS, sometimes called the "Fifth Gospel" is the Book about men with the desire and obedience to apply POWER and LIFE to achieve the four goals above. It is a Book about men who have been born of the Father in heaven, and thus have the divine nature, applying the POWER to SERVE God's interests without regard for themselves. The result of this selfless service is that a House of Fellowship full of people with the divine LIFE is built and Church government is applied in love to equipe those men to rule the world one day.

Likewise, especially in the book of Acts, a continuation or 2 Luke. It appears Luke did not personally witness everything; he was an amanuensis for both Peter and Paul.

[teddyv]

I've heard reference to Luke-Acts in many scholarly works - they are explicitly linked in the text already. Sort of the same with Ezra-Nehemiah, which were originally one narrative.