Word Central - Pt. 1

“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Acts 6:7 (ESV)

I was once told by a pastor how he avoids the controversy of the book of Acts. His solution to the problem presented by Acts was to keep from preaching Acts if at all possible. His position is understandable. It is easy to grasp why he might choose this tactic, but in the end it is tacitly flawed. Even is Acts tends to stir controversy, as people grossly misunderstand and twist it to fit particular religious ends; there is still a responsibility to preach the whole counsel of God’s Word, including the Acts of the Apostles.

The importance of God’s Word on the whole cannot be overstated, and preaching the entirety of God’s Word is equally as significant. By God’s grace we are given His Word as a light and a lamp. Because Acts is God’s gift to light the way it would serve the body of Christ to explore it regularly. 

Acts is a book that describes an important time in the life of God’s people. Within the descriptive work of the author of Acts it is clear the importance of God’s Word in the very formation of the church. God’s Word increased, and the number of disciples increased as a result. This is telling of what should be important to the church today. 

It is amazing that so many will take from the book of Acts and form some sort of prescription about performing miracles, or seeking to produce some supernatural happening. When reading Acts it is clear that supernatural things happened, but what is even more clear is that God’s Word was at the center of the formation of the church and not the miracles. 

Because the Word of God was esteemed so highly, shouldn’t we esteem it the same  today? Because the Word of God increased amongst them, shouldn’t we seek for the same? Let the lessons and descriptive prose of Acts serve its purpose of exalting Christ and displaying the work of God’s Word amongst His people.