In the first five books of the New Testament we see a bridge.
Imagine that Jesus is standing in the middle of a bridge between the Gospel books (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in the Bible and the Acts of the Apostles book in the Bible. The significance of the scene becomes apparent, because while Jesus is in the middle of the bridge, the Apostles see Him lifted up into a cloud and He ascends to heaven.
In addition, the scene depicts the first Day of Pentecost in which “all of them [the believers] were filled with the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 2:4).
The spokesperson standing on the stage communicates loudly and with authority that each person baptized in the name of Jesus Christ will receive forgiveness for their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When comparing the church in Acts to the church in Laodicea, they are as apples to oranges, oil to water, black to white, religiousness to true faith, living beautifully to living ugly.
The people in the Acts Two church, who chose to listen and believe, were living beautifully in a broken world.
NEXT WEEK: Buying Food for the Soul and Not Eating It