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În biserica Străjerul, predicile din cadrul slujbei de duminică au rolul de a întregi tabloul unei experienţe liturgice specifice zilei de duminică, ziua Domnului.

Predicile se realizează structurat, pe cărţi ale Scripturii. Alegerea carţilor se face în funcţie de dinamica şi de nevoile comunităţii.

Prezentăm aici câte un sumar al predicilor din duminicile anterioare, în ideea că vor fi folositoare pentru cei care le citesc, dar şi ca o expresie a viziunii şi specificului comunităţii noastre. See archive.

 

Book „Acts of the Apostles” (chap. 2:14 - 41)

Peter’s sermon

At a first sight, the Peter's sermon seems to be an answer to the question: „What does this mean?” and a reply to the assertion „They are all full of new wine", from the previous paragraph.

At a thorough analysis of the Peter's sermon, one could note that it is only that, the spontaneity and the power of persuasion Peter speaks with comes directly from the Holy Spirit. The ability with which the apostle uses the Word is the fruit of the guidance received by the Holy Spirit.

Those present really attended strange events that sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, the tongues like fire and speaking with other languages. They were bewildered and did not know what to believe, but Peter let known to them that this was spoken centuries ago through the prophet Joel.

Being known that more and more important theologians consider this event as a milestone in the history of creation, we need to answer to the question: what does this event on Whitsuntide bring new? What is the meaning of this event in relation to the previous Work of the Holy Spirit?

As an answer, a first aspect would be that form that moment on, we assist in history to something fully new and namely, we live in the Holy Spirit time, namely „in the last days” prophesied by Joel.

Important to retain is during these days God pours the Holy Spirit upon all flesh - sons and daughters, young men and old men - thus not only the prophets are beneficiaries of the Holy Spirit but all people.

If we analyze the Work of the Holy Spirit both before the Whitsuntide and afterwards - „In the last days” - we note that the elements of the Spirit evidence are the word spoken and the miracle. The dominant element is the spoken word, even if throughout time, the miracles had a greater impact upon the people. Those who did not attributed the powers by means of which Jesus performed miracles to Beelzebul, perceived though these miracles just manifestations of the divine power. Therefore, these signed needed to be accompanied by word, in order to explain their significance, for the people to understand that are the evidence of God's greatness, love and mercy unto the world, that at the same time are parables of the physical and spiritual remission, of its restoration.

The Spirit's intent, immediately after His Descent upon the world can be noted in the Peter's sermon. The Holy Spirit came to bring light with regard to the real identity of Jesus and His Work. It is very hard for many to believe this incredible reality of Christ Resurrection and Ascension but, guided by the Holy Spirit, Peter makes known to them that these events were prophesized centuries before by the Emperor David, thus interpreting the facts reported in Psalm 16. Having the prophecies, everybody could have known these things before, but they did not discover them.

It is normal to understand ourselves why did God let that His Son „be killed at the hands of wicked men". The answer is given by the events which followed. God intended that by Jesus to teach not only Israel but all the people as well a fundamental thing for the universe: death is not a permanent, indestructible, irreversible arrangement. By Jesus Christ life came, life shared with the world by the Holy Spirit, on Whitsuntide.

The role of the Holy Spirit was to make the God's intent of the creation restoration, known, by offering the Jesus' life, death and ascension that God has made Christ and Lord, as model. This possibility of awareness comes by the Work of the Spirit, by inspiration, by the illumination with regard to the meanings of the Scriptures and of the God's Works at present time.

For many who were there present, in Jerusalem, the inspired sermon of Peter attained its goal:” His listeners were cut to the heart and they asked themselves „Brothers, what shall we do?”

Iassy, 21 January 2006

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