The Samaritan Challenge

The following paper was one of our assignments for school. It was really awesome reading about the first outpourings of the Holy Spirit. How Jesus predicted what would happen when He was on this earth in human form. I am very thankful I got the opportunity to study this subject a little more. Enjoy!

The First Apostles faced many challenges spreading The Gospel to different people. They were told to go out and spread The Gospel to many different people who spoke many different languages. This first challenge of spreading The Gospel to so many different people was resolved when the Holy Spirit fell on the Apostles during Pentecost. The Holy Spirit gave them utterance in different languages that they didn't speak otherwise. In Acts 2:4 it says, "And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words]."(The Everyday Life Bible, Acts 2:4) To me the verses that follow this one are really amazing! It says, "Now there were then residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout and God-fearing men from every country under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them [the apostles] speaking in his own [particular] dialect. And they were beside themselves with amazement, saying, Are not all these who are talking Galileans? Then how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own (particular) dialect to which we were born?" (The Everyday Life Bible, Acts 2:5-8) The Holy Spirit got all of these men so excited about what was happening. The Holy Spirit started a great thing in the Apostles in this first outpouring. He gave them the ability to preach to many nations. Just as Jesus said in Mark 16:15, "And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race]." (Mark 16:15) Not only did Jesus tell of the spreading of the word He also told of this very outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the things to come. "And these attesting signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages." (Mark 16:17) The Holy Spirit was what gave them the languages to spread the Good News to all Nations.

            The next big outpouring of the Holy Spirit was on the Samaritans. The Samaritans were half gentile by descent and still practiced heathen worship. Philip went to Samaria and shared The Gospel with the Samaritans. The Samaritans believed the Gospel of Jesus that Philip preached and men and women were baptized. Now when the Apostles in Jerusalem found out that the Samaritans were accepting the Gospel of Jesus I believe they were shocked. It says in Acts that they sent Peter and John right away. The Apostles laid their hands on the Samaritans and they received the Holy Spirit. This was a huge moment! This was the first time the Spirit was poured out onto just regular (Non-Apostle) People. This to me shows us today that if we believe we too can receive the Holy Spirit. This particular story of the Samaritans is an add on to what Jesus said in Samaria to the woman at the well. It is like He planted the seed through this woman and now the Samaritans are more willing to listen to the Gospel about Jesus. Jesus told the woman at the well, "A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality)." (John 4:23-24) Jesus foretold what would happen on this day when the Samaritans would worship Him in Spirit and Truth.

            The third outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened in Corinth when Peter was telling the Gentiles about the importance of believing in Jesus. The Spirit fell on the Gentiles while Peter was still speaking. Certain Jewish Christians became angry with the Apostles and this gave them an opportunity to show how the Holy Spirit works and how they should not discriminate against people. Jesus came for all men no matter what their background. This is so important for all of us to remember because we can judge people before we even now their situation. We could be the only Jesus they ever see.

            Paul spoke to many people in Ephesus that had only received the Baptism that that John the Baptist had taught them. They received the Baptism of Jesus and the Holy Spirit that day. Later many of them became hostile and spoke evil of the Lord before the congregation. This forced Paul to take the disciples and move to a different place where he could teach. Even though some were lost; Paul still managed, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to preach The Word to all of the people of Asia, Jews as well as Greeks. Even though we may try again and again to share the love of Jesus with people sometimes we will have to move on and just continue to pray for that person. We can pray that someone else will be able to get through to them in a way that we were not able. This passage gives us hope that we can still keep trying to reach people because we are planting seeds that can one day come into fruition.

            I have mentioned the four main times the Spirit was poured out onto the people and how the Apostles overcame the challenges they faced. So what does this all mean for the church today? The Holy spirit helped grow the Church. Without Him it would never have been possible to spread the Gospel to all of the nations. If you have received the Holy Spirit, then you know that you just want to tell everyone when He shows you something new. This is how the Word of God is spread. The Holy Spirit sets us on fire for God and we want to go out and share this love and joy we have with everyone. God gave the church, which is the people, this amazing gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us through life. He gives us boldness to share the word. From the very first time the Holy Spirit was poured out, people's lives were changed! Today we are able to share the good news of The Gospel because we have Him inside us. We can go out and change the world today just as the they did on the very first day because we have the same Holy Spirit within us.