Pastor Ralph Posted August 11, 2021 Report Share Posted August 11, 2021 Q2. (Acts 6:3, ? What list of qualities do you see in Stephen when you combine the apostles’ list of qualifications (verse 3) with the description of Stephen’s character (verse 8)? Why is a ministry that combines the word with miracles so powerful? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francina Posted October 16, 2021 Report Share Posted October 16, 2021 Stephen meets all the requirements of a good leader. He is wise and that is shown in his argument with those who were opposing him. He is very powerful in his preaching and he is also filled with the Holy Spirit The ministry that combines the Word with miracles is powerful because it shows the presence and power of the Holy Spirit that is working in the preachers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krissi Posted October 19, 2021 Report Share Posted October 19, 2021 In the first question of this chapter, Pastor Ralph said that the apostles "were called to serve the word" and the seven "were called to serve tables." Here, he writes that the word is powerful when combined with miracles. In both cases, the word PLUS an action renders it most potent in the church and as a tool for evangelism. Stephen, in agreement with this observation, had the word ("full of faith and the Holy Spirit") and action ("signs and wonders") -- practical theology. I suppose preaching in conjunction with miracles is more effective than" just preaching" or "just miracles" because people use more than one sense -- they hear and see or touch. Also, a miracle validates the word in the eyes of fence-sitters or unbelievers. It's the "wow" factor that gets people's attention. Believers would see miracles, perhaps, as a confirmation that his gift of preaching and words spoken were real, though that should be the role of the Holy Spirit within them. If a Christian did only miracles with no accompanying word, his miracle could be interpreted as magic or even Satan, so an explanatory word is necessary. Most preachers today do not do miracles. If it worked then, why wouldn't it happening now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted October 20, 2021 Report Share Posted October 20, 2021 Q2, Stephen is a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit Acts 6v4. He also has a powerful ministry of signs and wonders. Acts 6v8. He is full of Gods grace and power.v8. So Stephen meets all of the apostles criteria! Ministry which combines preaching the word with miracles will have more of an impact on listeners because they are hearing and seeing things of God. The miracles confirm the teaching of the word. The miracle is the proof of the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kreilly Posted October 21, 2021 Report Share Posted October 21, 2021 Stephen was a man of good repute, full of the Spirit and wisdom. We know this because it says that he was a man full of God's grace and power and did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. This earned him a good reputation among the faithful, but a bad reputation among God's enemies. These men argued with Stephen but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. When Luke describes Stephen, he uses the same words to describe Stephen that are the criteria for a deacon-male, reputable, full of the Holy Spirit, and wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted October 21, 2021 Report Share Posted October 21, 2021 Q2. (Acts 4:31)What does it mean, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit"? Weren't they already filled with the Spirit?http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/topic/2049-q2-filled/ It means they were soaked, totally saturated, empowered and enabled with the power of the Holy Spirit for service and worship of God. They were filled with the Holy Spirit before but there is need for refreshing or refilling with the power of the Holy Spirit over and over again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted October 22, 2021 Report Share Posted October 22, 2021 Q2. (Acts 6:3, ? What list of qualities do you see in Stephen when you combine the apostles' list of qualifications (verse 3) with the description of Stephen's character (verse 8)? Stephen is described in Acts 6:8as a man full of God’s grace, and performed wonders and signs among the people. Elsewhere he is said to be reputable, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Why is a ministry that combines the word with miracles so powerful? A ministry that combines the Word and miracles is powerful because the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit resulting in miracles pulls more and more people to give their lives to Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted November 4, 2021 Report Share Posted November 4, 2021 Q2. (Acts 6:3, ? What list of qualities do you see in Stephen when you combine the apostles' list of qualifications (verse 3) with the description of Stephen's character (verse 8)? Why is a ministry that combines the Word with miracles so powerful? Of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom – indicating that he was both spiritually minded and practically minded. Which is a hard combination to find. These qualifications focused on Stephen’s character as well. The apostles were far more concerned with the internal quality of the men than their outward appearance or image. He is a man full of grace and power who did great wonders and signs among the people. Luke probably links Stephen’s work of mercy, healing, teaching, and preaching to that of the apostles. Because we read in (4:33) that the apostles continued to proclaim Jesus' resurrection “with great power,” and that they experienced “much grace” (Act 4:33). God, then, blesses Stephen's work to the same degree as He has blessed the deeds of the apostles. Jesus and the apostles often combined their message with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit, confirming that their message as being from God (Heb 2:3-4). I read that in the book of Acts, miracles and gifts of the Spirit often authenticated the Good News wherever it was preached (Act 9:31-42; Act 14:1-20). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted March 29, 2022 Report Share Posted March 29, 2022 It seems to me that Stephen filled all the qualities of the list verse 3 as compared to Stephen’s character in verse 8. He probably exceed those qualities. The reason that combining the word with miracles is so powerful because you would know that they had be to in communication with God otherwise the miracles would not happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmela Posted September 9, 2023 Report Share Posted September 9, 2023 Q2. (Acts 6:3, 8) What list of qualities do you see in Stephen when you combine the apostles' list of qualifications (verse 3) with the description of Stephen's character (verse 8)? Why is a ministry that combines the word with miracles so powerful? The apostles' list was : reputable men, full of the Spirit full of wisdom Verse 8 and 10 describe Stephen's character as being: full of grace full of power full of wisdom of the Spirit Then above this all, miracles followed what he was saying. The combination of speech and then actually seeing that what is spoken about is reality is so much more powerful than empty words. Living what one preaches makes things much more real. The saying to practice what you preach makes sense. It doesn't help you do not live what you preach. Not everyone reads words, but everyone reads what you live. I read the following the other day. The Gospel (good news) is written, a chapter a day By the deeds that you do, and the words that you say Men read what you say whether faithless or true Say, what is the Gospel (good news) according to you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crissy464 Posted February 19 Report Share Posted February 19 They were called “deacons” and Stephen had all the qualifications which were to be a male, reputable, full of the Holy Spirit and wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crissy464 Posted February 19 Report Share Posted February 19 Stop, look, and listen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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