认识初期教会
使徒行传一章1至5节
1提阿非罗阿，我已经作了前书，论到耶稣开头一切所行所教训的，
2直到他借着圣灵吩咐所拣选的使徒，以后被接上升的日子为止。
3他受害之后，用许多的凭据将自己活活地显给使徒看，四十天之久向他们显现，讲说神国的事。
4耶稣和他们聚集的时候，嘱咐他们说：不要离开耶路撒冷，要等候父所应许的，就是你们听见我说过的。
5约翰是用水施洗，但不多几日，你们要受圣灵的洗。
信息分享
我们在使徒行传看见了令人惊讶的神迹。初期教会至今已经历了漫长的二千多年，所以，我们此刻较难体察到初期教会是在多么不可思议的情况下诞生。
初期教会得以成立，完全是一个出人意表的神迹。首先，门徒所追随的那位领袖虽然被钉十架而死，可是祂却神迹地从死里复活过来。书中便记录祂的跟从者如何在逼迫下开展了一个崭新的传福音运动。
我们在使徒行传看见初期教会大约30至35年的发展历史；当中的紧凑内容，令人觉得圣灵仿佛要借着这书，显示一整代的信徒如何在祂的带领和加力下，做出何等重大的工作。
因此，使徒行传有时又被称为「圣灵行传」。旧约的圣徒是从不知道圣灵是这样工作的。正如福音书向我们讲述基督在世的工作，同样地，使徒行传便是向我们讲述圣灵的工作。
这卷书也向我们每个人发出挑战。我们透过本书看见，当教会愿意切实以基督为首，而信徒又愿意顺服圣灵的带领，圣灵的工作就能无远弗届。
使徒行传还谈论到作见证、作管家和祷告的大能。它让我们对家庭布道和教会行政有初步认识。它让我们知道初期教会得力的秘诀、美好的相交生活、如何处理问题和将福音传开等。
愿神透过我们一起研读本书，祝福我们，并向我们发出挑战。
祷告：
主啊，愿我们的教会学像初期教会那样具有生命力，更能满足基督的期望。
WHAT WAS THE FIRST CHURCH LIKE?
Acts 1:1-5
1The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.
4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Message
One of the most amazing books in the Bible is the book of Acts. It is hard for us to realise how remarkable the early church was because we have 2000 years of church history behind us.
The establishment of the early church was a wonderful miracle. Its leader had been publicly executed but then had risen from the dead. Now his followers were starting a new movement in the face of great opposition.
In the book of Acts we have the story of what happened. The book only covers about 30 to 35 years but there is so much packed into it. It seems as though the Holy Spirit was wanting to show what one generation could do through his power.
The book therefore has sometimes been called the 'Acts of the Holy Spirit'. It is an introduction to his work in ways unknown to Old Testament saints. As the gospels tell of Christ's earthly ministry, so the book of Acts tells of the work of the Holy Spirit.
It is also a book of personal challenge. Here we discover what happens when Christ is allowed to be the absolute head of the church and when members are open to his direction.
This book speaks about witnessing, about stewardship and about prayer. It gives us glimpses of house to house evangelism and of church administration. Here we are shown the secret of the power of that early church, the wonder of its fellowship, the solution of its problems and the spread of its message.
May God bless and challenge us as we study it together.
A PRAYER:
Lord make our church like that early church and more like what Christ wants it to be.