Dr Paul Allen

ACADEMIC VIEWPOINT Luke 2:27 – “Simeon was moved by the Spirit”  An Academic Summary of Major Scholarship   1. Greek Expression • ἐν τῷ πνεύματι ἦλθεν = “he came in the Spirit,” often rendered “moved by the Spirit” or “directed by the Spirit.” • Echoes OT prophetic movement (e.g., Ezek 2:2; 3:12,14; 2 Chr 20:14).   2. Major Scholarly Views Fitzmyer (AYB Luke) • Spirit’s action is prophetic guidance, not emotional ecstasy. • Simeon represents the righteous remnant of Israel. • The Spirit brings revelation (v.26) and directs his steps (v.27). Nolland (WBC) • The movement is a specific Spirit-given impulse. • It positions Simeon at the temple at God’s precise timing. • Focus on Spirit as orchestrator of salvation events. Green (NICNT) • Spirit acts as a narrative agent, arranging encounters. • Simeon is guided into a divine appointment with Jesus. • Emphasises Spirit as the director of salvation history. Marshall (NIGTC) • Spirit’s leading is propheti...

The Holy Spirit Enlightening the Mind BY JAMES BUCHANAN Having considered the general design of the gift of the Spirit, in reference both to the world and the Church, and described the course or process by which a soul is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, I propose to illustrate separately the various parts of the Spirit’s work, or his successive operations on the soul, from the time when it is first taken under his teaching, till it is made ‘meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.’ One of his most necessary operations is that by which he conveys spiritual light into the understanding; and to this part of his work, which is indeed so important, that it is often put for the whole, the apostle refers, when, speaking of the Holy Ghost as ‘the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,’ he prays that by the Spirit ‘the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened’ (Eph. i. 17, 18), and when he describes true converts as having had their eyes opened,...

  Acts 5:1-2 Let us never forget that we have a subtle enemy to contend with. This chapter contains the first reference in Acts to Satan, v. 3, for wherever God is working, the devil plants seeds of hatred, division, and antagonism to the truth. In chapter 4, he unsuccessfully attempted to discourage the apostles through official intimidation (4:18-20). Now, he tries two new tactics: corruption from within the Church (Acts 5:1-16) and persecution from outside (vvv. 17–42). Luke occasionally breaks his narrative with a challenging summary of early Church practices, as in 2:41–47 and 4:32–37. In the latter, we learn that fellowship in the Jerusalem assembly was taken so seriously that some believers sold property and gave the proceeds to a common fund to aid poorer saints. This unconstrained exhibition of Christian love becomes the devil’s target. Barnabas’s selfless action, 4:36-37, provokes a Satanically-inspired imitation by Ananias and Sapphira. Their sin is calculated deception:...

  Who is Luke and why is he important? Luke was acquainted with and traveled with the apostle  Paul . Not only did Luke travel with Paul outside the land of Israel, he also visited Israel and may have become personally acquainted with members of Jesus’s family, including his mother Mary and his brother James. Between them, Luke and Paul wrote more than half of the New Testament. This makes Luke hugely important for Christianity. Where does the Bible refer to Luke? Luke’s name appears three times in the Bible. All three occur in the New Testament, and all three are found in letters written by Paul ( Col 4:14 ;  2 Tim 4:11 ; Phil 24). In  Colossians 4:14 , Paul refers to Luke as “the beloved physician.” In  Philemon 24 , Luke is listed along with Mark, Aristarchus, and Demas among the apostle’s “fellow workers.” Both of these references occur in what we know as Paul’s Prison Letters, for they were written while the apostle was detained either in Caesarea Maritima,...