O derramamento do espírito, capacitação para testemunhar: um estudo de Atos 1.8 e da obra Lucana

Abstract

This thesis researches the pouring of the Spirit as a way of enabling people with power to testify about Christ and his works in the light of the narrative of Luke in the Acts of the Apostles 1: 6-8. For this we opted to do a bibliographic outline through an exegetical perspective. The goal which guides this research is to get to know how the Holy Spirit enables people with power to testify and what are the results of this enablement. Jesus’ disciples fulfilled their message taking the Christian message throughout the Mediterranean world until arriving at Rome. Now it is up to the universal Christian church to continue this mission conquering the world through the preaching of the good news and through the practice of Jesus arriving at the ends of the earth. For this project of God to be effectively successful He reserved the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity which together with the Father and the Son has already carried out other activities together so as to help them in this difficult mission. The Holy Spirit began its activities at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, enabling and helping him to completely fulfill what had been set for him to carry out. With the help of the power granted by the Spirit, Jesus carried out powerful works: expulsion of demons, healing the sick, resurrecting the dead and carrying out many other miracles and marvels besides teaching with authority in the Jewish community. Having concluded his mission He passed on the responsibility to his disciples who still did not have it quite clear in their minds what was reserved for them to do, but Jesus, some moments before returning to the Father, made them a promise, that they would be clothed from on high with a special force which would enable them for the task which He had set for them, but on one condition – that they remain in Jerusalem. In obedience and submission to Jesus’ order the disciples remained in Jerusalem when on the day of Pentecost the promise made by Jesus was fulfilled, the enabling agent came in a definitive way inhabiting their lives with its fullness. Those men, who were timid and had little experience, went on to carry out the same great works that Jesus had carried out, acting in a courageous and audacious way. They feared nothing, even being accosted and threatened they did not stop announcing the one they knew and the works that he carried out under the powerful influence of the Holy Spirit.