Miller, Denzil R. Empowered for Global Mission: A Missionary Look at the Book of Acts. Springfield, MO: Life Publishers International, 2005. 413 pp

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Refreshingly, however, the approach that Miller takes in articulating this perspective is slightly different from that taken by most classical Pentecostal polemics in that the book builds its argument around the purpose of Spirit baptism rather than the mode or initial manifestation. This is not to say that those issues are not addressed-they are, but Miller seeks to answer the question first of all; “why spirit baptism” and articulate the “how” only in the course of answering the “why”.

Miller’s overall thesis is that according to the book of Acts (and the Pauline epistles), the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an empowering experience that is an essential requisite for optimum evangelistic and missionary ministry (52). In seeking to demonstrate this he seeks to first of all address the hermeneutical issues surrounding the use of the book of Acts to establish normative doctrine. In this regard the overriding concern is the question of authorial intent. An issue which those on both sides of the debate agree is key for the interpretation of historical narrative of which Acts is one type (Fee and Stuart 1993, 106).

Miller therefore guides the reader through a series of principles through which authorial intent can be derived from biblical literature; issues such as repetition, inclusion-exclusion and reduction are discussed. By apparent use of these and other principles Miller concludes that Luke wrote with multiple intent, among which were: historical intent, theological intent, evangelistic intent, pastoral intent and apologetic intent (in the context of opposition to the gospel from Roman authorities). Amongst this multiplicity of intent Miller concludes that Luke’s primary intent was “prophetic and missiological” in that he writes as a prophet calling the church of his day back to its Pentecostal and missionary roots (49-51).

Miller agrees with most bible scholars in that he then proceeds to identify Acts 1:8 as an “interpretive key” or programmatic introduction to the book (78). He however correctly observes that most theologians have emphasized the latter part of the verse and have done injustice to the element of empowerment for witness as articulated in the earlier part of the verse. Acts 1:8 becomes a recurrent pattern throughout the book that may be called an “empowerment-witness motif” (81). Beginning with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as narrated in Acts 2:1-4, Miller articulates seven events that he contends all portray the empowerment-witness motif in the book of Acts.

The last of these outpourings in Acts 19:1-7, begins a discussion of the Pauline perspective of empowerment for mission which is extended to a discussion of the subject in the Pauline epistles. From this episode, Miller also derives a repeatable “strategy of the Spirit” (236) which he believes is the New Testament standard for all missionary endeavor.

The book concludes with three application chapters that discuss the role of spiritual gifts in mission, how to receive and minister spirit baptism and how to minister spiritual gifts before finally looking at the issue of evidential tongues. The chapter on Spiritual gifts in mission takes issue with a rigid “gateway-theology” that has historically been a feature of classical Pentecostalism and Miller calls for, and briefly attempts to provide a more nuanced articulation of the benefits of Spirit baptism vis a vis operation in the spiritual gifts.

Empowered for Global Mission starts off on slightly shaky ground in that while the reader is told what principles are used to derive authorial intent from Acts, Miller does not clearly demonstrate how he uses these principles to draw his conclusions. His assertions that there was waning missionary vision in the church, while plausible is not adequately supported with evidence and is only one among several plausible explanation for Luke’s obvious missionary emphasis. The coining of the term “empowerment-witness motif”, and his stress on the significance of Acts1:8 as an interpretive key, is demonstrated to be justified by his discussion of the biblical texts.

Importantly, a solid argument for theological independence is made, supported by Miller’s argument along with Fee (1994) and others that Paul’s pneumatology is broad in scope (896) while agreeing with John Michael Penny (1997) that Lukan pneumatology is thoroughly oriented towards mission (122). Complementariness and not competition is the way that Pauline and Lukan literature should be viewed.

In conclusion, it must be noted that Miller himself writes with the authorial intent that he ascribes to Luke, i.e. to call the Church back to a pneumatological and missiological revival. It is precisely his desire to do this, however, based on detailed discussions of specific episodes in Acts, that makes Empowered for Global Mission a clear and much needed reminder on why God continues to pour out His Spirit on all flesh today and whatever the ecclesiastical persuasion of the reader, the book will probably be judged as successful in that regard.

Reviewed by Andrew Mkwaila

References

Fee, Gordon D. 1994. God’s Empowering Presence: The Holy Spirit in the Letters of Paul. Peabody: MA: Hendrickson Publishers

Fee, Gordon D, and Douglas Stuart. 1993. How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

Penny, J.M. 1997. The Missionary Emphasis of Lukan Pneumatology. Sheffield, Eng: Sheffield Academic Press.