What are the three categories of people God dealt with in the Book of Acts?
The Book of Acts shows three categories God dealt with: Israel in chapter 2, Gentiles in Cornelius’s house in chapter 10, and transitional Jews in chapter 19—those saved under John’s baptism but ignorant of Paul’s gospel, the Body of Christ, and further revelations. These were the only groups receiving the Holy Spirit’s manifestation of speaking in other languages.
Les explains that the Holy Spirit’s manifestation in Acts was not emotional upheaval or a need for interpreters, but simply the Spirit’s working to the third category of people God would deal with. The three categories are: Israel in chapter 2; Gentiles in Cornelius’s house in chapter 10; and the transition group in chapter 19—Jews saved under John’s baptism who knew nothing of Paul’s Gospel, the Body of Christ, and further revelations. Les says these were the only categories that came under the manifestation of the Spirit’s power to speak in languages other than their normal ones. Whenever the Holy Spirit was manifested in Acts, it was for a divine purpose: to prove something, to show Israel that God was now moving in the work of the Holy Spirit, to prove to the Jews in the house of the Gentiles that God was now saving Gentiles, and to show through these twelve Jews that the overall program had changed. It was no longer based on John’s baptism and Christ’s earthly ministry; it was now based on what followed the work of the cross—His death, burial, and resurrection.
More Questions
What are the three groups in Acts where people spoke in tongues?
The Book of Acts records three categories of people that God dealt with regarding the manifestation of speaking in tongues: Israel in Acts 2, Gentiles in the house of Cornelius in Acts 10, and the transitional group in Acts 19.