Luke gives the account of the momentous gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift Jesus had predicted .
Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study Podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is Episode 3 in our Acts Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled Pentecost, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, where we’ll discuss Acts 2:1-13. I’m Wes Treadway and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these incredible verses we’re looking at today?
Andy
Oh, this is one of the great moments in redemptive history. This is the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the church, empowering them for ministry. It’s an incredible day, an incredible moment, and so I’m excited to be able to walk through it with you today.
Wes
Well, let’s read the first 13 verses of Acts 2, to set the stage for our conversation.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
What were the Jews celebrating at Pentecost and what is the spiritual significance of this celebration?
Andy
Okay, so Pentecost means 50 days. So, Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples it says, in Acts 1. So, there’s about a ten-day lapse between when Jesus ascended into heaven and the day of Pentecost. It’s one of the three main Jewish festivals in which Jewish men were required by Jewish law to assemble in one place which God would choose, he said to Moses. Now Moses hadn’t entered the Promised Land yet and it wouldn’t be until many years later, centuries later, that it would be Jerusalem, the city of David, that would be chosen. There were other places where the tabernacle was, et cetera, but eventually became Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship. And so, the men would come, and they’d bring their families too, and they would assemble for these three feasts. Now, the first feast was Passover, so that was the feast of the sacrifice, the atoning sacrifice of the lamb. Going back, of course to the shedding of the Passover lamb’s blood.
And so that’s that forgiveness of sins, and Jesus fulfilled that in his death on the cross. Then 50 days later, it’s the Feast of Ingathering. So that’s the first fruits, basically. It’s the beginning of the Jewish harvest when the crop begins to be brought in. And then the final feast, I believe the Feast of Trumpets, is when the last of the crop has been brought in. So, two of those three have been fulfilled. The last one hasn’t been fulfilled yet. So, the Feast of Trumpets are, I think it is at the end, but it’s definitely the feast of last fruits to some degree. And so, we would imagine that would come right before the second coming of Christ, where the last elect person is converted. So, the idea is it’s the fulfillment of an image, and the harvest being gathered here are human beings, their souls. So that’s what Pentecost was all about.
Wes
Now, verse 1 says, they were all together in one place. Who was together? And why do you think it was important that the Spirit was poured out when they were all together rather than only on a few of them?
Andy
Right, well, you keep in mind from John 20, Thomas wasn’t there in the upper room the first day when Jesus appeared and showed the evidence of his resurrection. So, it wasn’t until a week later that Thomas came, the so-called Doubting Thomas. Well, this time everybody’s there. And everybody is the 120 and especially the … Well, now the 12 apostles now that Matthias has replaced Judas. So, they’re all together in one place and they’re meeting together. So, it all happened at the same time. They all came together.
Now, we should not imagine that this 120 represents every redeemed person. Jesus interacted with a lot of people who then genuinely believed. Think of the man born blind, think about the demoniac of the Gadarenes who wanted to follow Jesus and preach, and he said, “No, go home and tell everyone what God has done for you.” I mean, so there are genuine believers out there. Syrophoenician woman, probably has continued to live there in Tyre where she was. So, these are not all the believers, but this is the core center of the church assembling together, waiting on God, waiting to be clothed with power from on high, Luke 24 says. Waiting for the Holy Spirit to come.
Wes
How does Luke describe the actual coming of the Holy Spirit? And what miracles are associated with this gift in verses 2-4?
Andy
Well, it starts with the word suddenly. So out of nowhere, suddenly as they’re waiting it comes. And the first thing they get is a supernatural sound, the sound of a blowing violent wind. Like a hurricane force, but there’s no actual moving of air. It’s a sound without the actual wind. And this is what gathered the crowd. If you look at it, it says, “those staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing men from every nation under heaven,” verse 6,“when they heard the sound.” So, it’s the sound that gathered everyone. It was this amazing, supernatural sound. Sound of a rushing wind. A violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting, so it was very loud. You get this in Revelation, there’s lots of loud noises. The voice like thunder. God is good at this, so it’s very dramatic.
Wes
God gets the attention of those he’s trying to communicate with.
Andy
And also, we need to keep in mind the analogy Jesus gave to Nicodemus when he said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). And he said, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot crawl into his mother’s womb a second time and be born” (John 3:4). And Jesus likened it to the movement of the wind. He said, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). So, the movement of the Spirit is likened to a wind. And we also get this in the Hebrew word for spirit, ruach, which also can mean wind. And so sometimes you’re not sure whether it’s the Holy Spirit or a wind blowing, and so it’s reasonable for the Spirit to be likened to a wind at this point.
Wes
So, God chooses this noise. It seems, at least in part, to get the attention of those in the city. It comes as a wind, so again, you’ve made those connections for us.
Andy
That’s part one.
Wes
That’s part one. It comes suddenly, so it seems like something that they were anticipating but maybe not expecting right at that moment when it comes. What was the second miracle associated with the Spirit’s coming mentioned in verse 3? And why do you think the Spirit used this display to reveal his coming?
Andy
Yeah, so part two is tongues of fire that came down from heaven and separated and came to rest on each of them. So, the idea of this separated is one Spirit, but going to each of the individuals. And so, it came to rest on them, I think similar to the Holy Spirit coming as a dove and resting on Jesus. And so, the idea is that all of them, and it says this openly, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. So, it’s one Spirit given to all of them. And so, tongues of fire. Now why fire? Boy, there’s a lot of reasons why. We don’t know, I mean it’s just we’re speculating. But I would begin, I guess with the burning bush. The idea of a fire that’s in the midst of God’s people, the bush representing Israel at that point, and the bush is not consumed. And so, there’s a fire burning that doesn’t consume them.
Then you’ve got Elijah and the prophets of Baal and fire descends from heaven and does consume the sacrifice and the altar and everything. And so that fire from heaven represents the movement of God very powerfully. Then you’ve got Luke 24, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they’re just walking with Jesus, but they don’t know it’s Jesus. And he begins to share the word of God with them. And when they get done and Jesus disappears from them, they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us when he spoke the word to us?” (Luke 24:32) So the idea of burning is that of zeal, of heat, also of purity. I think this is interesting that water and fire are both used in the Old Testament as images of purification and also of death. Of judgment.
One match can light a whole forest on fire.
And so, the waters of the flood killed every human being on earth except the ones on the ark, but water is also used as an image of purification, of cleansing. And then a fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, burned them up. And fire is frequently a picture of judgment, like the sons of Aaron that offered unauthorized fire, and fire came out and burned up Nadab and Abihu. So that could be judgment. But also, it says in Malachi that fire of the Lord will purify the Levites. So, there’s a sense of fire being purifying. And so, the idea is of purity, holiness, zeal, light. Also, it spreads fire to fire. One match can light a whole forest on fire. So, the spreading. I don’t know, those are just different thoughts on why God chose to come through the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire.
Wes
Now, you mentioned also this phrase in verse 4, being filled with the Spirit. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? And is there a difference between being filled with the Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit?
Andy
Well, here we get into some long-standing controversy that there is in the Christian church. There are some Christians who have in the past called themselves Pentecostals, or still are called Pentecostals. Or the entire movement of Pentecostalism extends not just to churches that call themselves Pentecostal, but also Assembly of God churches or other churches that are charismatic, et cetera, from the Greek word for spiritual gifts. And so, I think there is a very significant difference, but a relationship between being baptized with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. So, I believe that the baptism of the Spirit is a secret action done by Jesus at the moment of conversion, wherein a person being born again, having the heart of stone removed and the heart of flesh put in, is made alive spiritually and comes to a genuine faith in Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 says they were “baptized by one Spirit into one body.” John the Baptist said of Jesus, “I baptize you with water,” you being the Jewish nation, “I baptize all of you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16, paraphrase). Fire there being, I believe, judgment. “He will clear his threshing floor and gathering the wheat into his barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). So, that’s judgment. So, he’s either going to immerse, that is baptize you, in the Holy Spirit, or he is going to immerse you in the lake of fire. One or the other. But that’s Jesus, that’s how great he is. So, the idea is, I believe, my doctrine, what I think the New Testament teaches, is every single genuine Christian is baptized with the Spirit once for all time.
But then they’re called on to be continually filled with the Spirit, or as Ephesians 5:18 says, “do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead,” passive imperative, “be being filled with the Holy Spirit.” Now, to be filled with the Spirit means to have the Spirit control you, to have him control your mind and your heart. To have him control your mouth, to have him move you to act in certain ways. So, when you’re filled with the Spirit, you’re going to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. You’re going to be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. And then you’re going to do the things the Spirit wants you to do. That’s what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
I think we can and should be filled again and again and again and again with the Holy Spirit of God. So, I would go with John Stott, he wrote a book called Baptism and Fullness, and he made that distinction. They’re related. No one, I think, can be filled … Well, I’m going to go too far. I think you can be filled with the Spirit and not be a Christian. I think that that could happen, like in the Old Testament, like when the Spirit came on Balaam’s donkey, and he spoke. So that could happen. And I think it’s important that we acknowledge the Holy Spirit didn’t begin working on human beings on the day of Pentecost. He had been working throughout all of the 39 books of the Old Testament.
The prophets spoke only by the Spirit of Christ working in them. The Spirit was active in David’s life. He said, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). But this is a universal outpouring on all the people of God, not just on key individuals like kings and prophets, but on everybody. That’s what’s going on. So, I don’t want to go so far as to say the Spirit cannot take over somebody and make them say something or do something. But when we speak of this filling of the Spirit, I think we generally would say those are only Christians. And if you are a Christian, you’ve already been baptized with the Spirit.
Wes
Now, before we move on from verse 4, along similar lines, there’s immense controversy over the issue of speaking in tongues. So, sticking strictly with Acts 2:4, what can we learn about what happened at that moment? And how should these tongues or languages inform our understanding of this gift?
Andy
Well, first of all, the word tongues is a bit of an archaic word in the English language. In the KJV, King James version, tongues are languages. And so, by languages we mean something intelligible, something with grammar, with vocabulary, with logic, with repeatable patterns. Not gibberish, but something that is an actual language that can be understood. It communicates from person A to person B. That’s what language is for, to get the ideas from one mind to another mind. And so, the gift of language, I think, is essential to us being created in the image of God. The ability that we have to understand abstract reasoning and to have things described for us that are not physically present, but we can see them.
Like I could describe Mount Everest to you, and I could say, “Picture this lofty mountain, windswept with snow and with ice. And this ridge that hikers are climbing along, and they’ve got crampons, and you can hear the crunching of the snow.” Well, I’m creating images, all of it with words. Animals can’t do this. Animals don’t have that ability. So, it’s essential to our being in the image of God. So, I think that the best way to understand this is that they were speaking languages as the Spirit move them, and they’re about to go communicate. Now, Peter’s going to preach in one language, probably Aramaic, maybe Greek, but I don’t know. But they’re all going to hear in their own native languages. So definitely that, later in the same chapter, is languages that they understood. Latin or Greek or some other thing.
So here, I think that’s the best way to understand. Now, if you get to 1 Corinthians 12-14, those chapters are dealing with tongues and prophecy. And I had to deal with this as I preached through 1 Corinthians and trying to understand what that is. So, I think there can be something like a secret prayer language, but again, it’s not gibberish. It’s got to be a recognizable pattern that can be studied and understood. So, at any rate, these were filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak in languages as the Spirit enabled them.
Wes
Verses 5-13 capture the astonishment and the response of the crowd. In verse 5, why were these Jews from so many remote places staying in Jerusalem at this time? How does this providential occurrence fit in with God’s purposes here? And were there any Gentiles there mentioned in Acts 2?
Andy
Yeah, so God-fearing Jews from every nation came under heaven. Now why were they in so many nations? They were there because of the so-called diaspora, the spreading of the Jews after the two exiles. The first exile of the northern kingdom happened under the Assyrians. And the second exile, and the final exile, happened under the Babylonians. Then a very small number of Jews, 42,000, came back in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. And they rebuilt Jerusalem and then they continue the history. And that’s what Jesus came into. And so, by the time of Jesus, Josephus says a quarter of a million Jews went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. But how many lived in Palestine, I don’t really know. So, a small number went back, but many of them just stayed where they were, and they never came back.
And so, Cyrus the Great issued an edict saying, “As many of you who would like to, let him go up to Jerusalem and may God be with you.” But many did not go. And so, they stayed in Babylon, or they stayed wherever they were, and they were spread all over the Greco-Roman world. But they still would travel back, using those fine Roman roads and using the sea lanes of the Mediterranean Sea. In obedience to the law of Moses they would go back for these feasts, Passover and Pentecost. And so, these were God-fearing Jews, and it says God-fearing because they took their religion very seriously. I would guess many of the Jews just said, “Look, we can’t make it back. I mean, I don’t think God really expects us to go, does he?” And they just didn’t come. But others were like, “No, it’s in the Law. We’re going to go.”
And so, they came together. Secondly, you asked about Gentiles. There were, in all of those localities, some Gentiles who became enthralled and fascinated by monotheism. By the monotheism and the heritage of the Jewish people, and they wanted to become Jews, they were proselytes. And so, they were Gentiles, and the men would be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses. And maybe they even were baptized in water. I think John the Baptist picked up on that, an intertestamental practice of Jewish converts. But they’re mentioned right here, these proselytes were there, these converts, these Gentile converts to Judaism were there as well. These are first fruits. These are people from all over the world who are believing in Jesus. Jesus is the light for the Gentiles and so that’s what’s happening.
Wes
Verse 6 says, “At this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered.” Is this the rushing wind? Is this the speaking? This is the rushing wind.
Andy
I think it’s the rushing wind at first, but then as the church spills out from the upper room into the streets, there’s a second mystery. A second miracle. And that is that all of the people there are hearing the apostles speaking in their own native language. So, you can imagine, there is the lingua franca, the language that binds them together. Probably Greek at that point more than Latin. And so, they would all speak Greek. They’re coming from all over the world, so that would be their common language. But then they’re Arabs, Arabians, Cretans, residents of Mesopotamia, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, they all had their own languages.
They did not expect to hear Elamitish when they’re there in Jerusalem, but they come there and that’s what they’re hearing. The mother tongue, spoken perfectly. And they’re like, what in the world? It’s a miracle. It’s an absolute miracle. Now again, I don’t know what’s going on. It just shows the ability God has to get inside our literal, physical brains and the neural paths from the eardrum to the brain, and make it do stuff. I don’t know what else to say, but something’s going on. One sound’s going out into the world, airwaves and pressure waves and the eardrums are vibrating, but what they’re hearing is their mother tongue. Now, that’s a miracle.
Wes
And it is interesting. I think the precise nature of why it’s so astonishing to them is it wasn’t like these were people from their country speaking this language. They asked the question, “Aren’t these all Galileans and we’re hearing this language?” So, it was clearly something that was otherworldly, not just the result of some either natural learning or coincidence that there were people from their country that were already there ahead of them.
Andy
I also think it’s significant for us to see in this a gracious, merciful reversal of the judgment of the Tower of Babel. Because the Tower of Babel, they’re all getting together in a rebellious, wicked sort of way to make a name for themselves by building a tower that reaches to heaven. What an arrogant thing to do. So, God comes down, confuses the language, and scatters them. Now what is he doing? Bringing them together. And when we get to heaven, we are not going to have a language problem in heaven. We will understand each other. Now, my Hebrew professor said because we’re all going to study Hebrew, and we’ll all know Hebrew. So, I don’t know that that’s true. And I don’t know that we will learn a new language, but it could be a continual miracle in our resurrected brains where we will understand each other, but still be speaking our own native language. I don’t really know, but it’s definitely a miracle here what’s going on?
Wes
Yeah, interesting to try to harmonize that with that picture of people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You’re thinking, well, language. Are they still speaking that? It’s just amazing. God’s incredible grace to us in that.
Andy
So many things we don’t know.
Wes
So, I guess a question that might flow from this for our listeners, and for us as well, is if God has this kind of power over language, why doesn’t he do this every time? In other words, why does God not put, let’s say, Wycliffe Bible Translators permanently out of business and forever end the need for years of training in language for our missionaries?
Andy
Well, God apparently wants that process. That’s part of his purpose. And so, I think God is not in as much of a rush as we might think he should be or as that we are. Now we should, all of us, have a sense of urgency. But we’re not going to get to a village or a city or a place a day too late concerning one of the elect chosen in Christ before the creation of the world. We just didn’t quite make it. The connecting flight didn’t work. We were delayed and we didn’t get there in time and now he’s in hell. That just isn’t going to happen. So, we shouldn’t relax, but we should understand God wants the process. And so, it takes years to learn these languages. I mean we’re talking, I don’t know, how many Greek words did we learn in studying Greek? I think like four or 5,000 Greek words.
Then you got all the grammar. And that would get you. I remember the word list got us down to the words that were used 10 times or more in the New Testament. So, the real rare ones, the words that were used less than 10 times, down to five or three or one, you took those one at a time. When you’re studying a specific passage, here’s what they call the hotbox, it’s a one-off word. Anyway, it takes a long, long, long, long, long, long time to learn a language. And sometimes you never really, really get it. You ever hear somebody who speaks really accurate English but with an accent. Chinese accent, German accent, French accent, and they never lose it. And I just think it’s interesting. So, God, I think, wants the long hard work and the process. And in that, relationships are built, you can lead your language tutor to Christ, you’re humbled for a while.
Takes you a while, you’re like a baby in that culture for a while, and you immerse yourself. I remember when I was learning Japanese, when I was a missionary in Japan, I began to realize the process and to understand what kind of people did really well in language learning. So, I thought that there were three attributes you needed to be quickly proficient in the language. Number one, you needed a good ear, like a musician’s ear. The ability to hear the difference between tones, especially in certain languages. Number two, you needed a good memory. You had to remember vocabulary and grammar and all that. And number three, you needed an outgoing personality. The ability to immerse yourself, throw yourself into the midst of a crowd, and they’ll catch you.
And you’re out there using your language freely and making stupid mistakes and everyone’s laughing at you. And those people learn faster. And the people like me that were more perfectionist and introverts and had to get it just right, we were slower. But at any rate, that whole process is part of the missionary endeavor. It’s going on, and we just have to thank God in his wisdom knew what he was doing.
Wes
In verses 9-11, Luke lists out the various places that these folks came from. How does that relate to Acts 1:8, which we’ve said is really a linchpin for this whole book as we study? And how might these converts have gone back and affected their home countries?
Andy
Well, this is the spread of the gospel along the lines of every tribe, language, people, and nation. And along political lines, we have to understand the Roman Empire now has been dominant since about 150 BC, something like that. I think Pompey won a battle. And so, you got Palestine. And so, the Greek days are just about over at this point. Greek has been defeated by Rome. This is a Roman world now and the Roman world is united with roads and commerce and culture and Roman law. And that is beneficial for the spread of the gospel.
But we’ve got all of these people, and look at the lists here: Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Rome … Near Cyrene, sorry. Visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism. So, from Rome. Cretans, and Arabs, just that every tribe, language, people, and nation. So that’s what we got there. So, you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you’ll be my witnesses to all those people.
Wes
What did the people say that the apostles were declaring? And why is that significant?
Andy
Well, they were declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues, so the wonders of God. So, I don’t know, that’s a broad term. It’s like, for me as a preacher, it’s like, let’s do that. Wes, you’re a worship leader. The two of us, we can get together. Tell you what, let’s declare the wonders of God. So, I don’t know what that is.
Wes
Every week, let’s do it.
Andy
I think that’s a great way to look at evangelism. We should just say, our job is to go out and declare the wonders of God, especially in Christ.
Obviously, the greatest wonder of God is Jesus. And so, the centerpiece, I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. So, the miracles of Jesus, the person of Jesus, the incarnation, that would be center of what they were proclaiming. But they probably were proclaiming natural theology as well. Like in the Book of Job, God was declaring the wonders of God in creation. So, who knows? That’s just generally what they were proclaiming, the wonders of God. And by the way, I think that’s a great way to look at evangelism. We should just say, our job is to go out and declare the wonders of God, especially in Christ.
Wes
What question does the crowd ask at this point?
Andy
Amazed and perplexed they ask one another, “What does this mean?” Okay, so what is going on here?
Wes
What’s happening?
Andy
Yeah. And God is shaking things up. We have to believe that the status quo is Satan’s. It belongs to the devil and demons. And so, God comes in, in Christ and in the Holy Spirit, and shakes things up and changes things. They’re on the road to destruction, now they’re on the road to life. And so, to me, that’s awesome. So, they’re saying, “What does this mean?” What this means is God is breaking into history and saving sinners.
Wes
Why do you think those in the crowd who mocked them related their speech to the effect of wine? And as we wrap up, what final thoughts do you have on this?
Andy
Well, it’s interesting. I already quoted Ephesians 5:18, which says, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery or dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” So, what wine does, which is makes people happy, loosens things up, makes people social with each other, makes people outgoing and friendly and comfortable with each other. The Holy Spirit does all of that and much, much more. And so, I think the idea is, they’re acting crazy, they must be drunk. And so, we’ll get into Peter’s clever response to that next time. But the fact is, the Holy Spirit’s effect on people is similar to wine or alcohol, which are frequently called spirits. So, some people thought that there’s a connection, like alcohol, fermented beverage, was a bridge into the spiritual world.
The real bridge is the action of the Holy Spirit. And what is my final thought here? My final thought is going to go back to Acts 1:8, “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you’ll be my witnesses.” And so, they’re in the upper room; they’re not doing anything. Remember, after the resurrection, one week later, they’re still in the upper room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. So, seven/fiftieths of the Pentecost span, basically one/seventh of that time, they’re still in terror of death. They’re in terror of the Jews. What does that tell you? The Holy Spirit’s everything. Jesus’s finished work would not have made it out of Jerusalem, would not have been applied, his blood would not have been painted spiritually on anybody, if it weren’t for the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit moves people out of the upper room, out of the security of behind locked doors, and courageously spilling out into the streets come what may. In downtown Jerusalem, in the very city where their Lord was crucified. Boldly, without fear, testifying to the resurrection of Christ. The Holy Spirit does that. So, what does that say to me? If I’m going to be a witness, I need to be in the presence of God and ask him to fill me with the Spirit. I don’t think I need a new Pentecost, but what I do need is I need the Holy Spirit to be poured out on me so that I can be his witness.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 3 in our Acts Bible Study podcast. We’ll invite you to join us next time for Episode 4 entitled, The Prophet Joel Fulfilled, where we’ll discuss Acts 2:14-21. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys Podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
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Wes
Welcome to the Two Journeys Bible Study Podcast. This podcast is just one of the many resources available to you for free from Two Journeys ministry. If you’re interested in learning more, just head over to twojourneys.org. Now on to today’s episode. This is Episode 3 in our Acts Bible Study podcast. This episode is entitled Pentecost, the Gift of the Holy Spirit, where we’ll discuss Acts 2:1-13. I’m Wes Treadway and I’m here with Pastor Andy Davis. Andy, what are we going to see in these incredible verses we’re looking at today?
Andy
Oh, this is one of the great moments in redemptive history. This is the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the church, empowering them for ministry. It’s an incredible day, an incredible moment, and so I’m excited to be able to walk through it with you today.
Wes
Well, let’s read the first 13 verses of Acts 2, to set the stage for our conversation.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians – we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
What were the Jews celebrating at Pentecost and what is the spiritual significance of this celebration?
Andy
Okay, so Pentecost means 50 days. So, Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples it says, in Acts 1. So, there’s about a ten-day lapse between when Jesus ascended into heaven and the day of Pentecost. It’s one of the three main Jewish festivals in which Jewish men were required by Jewish law to assemble in one place which God would choose, he said to Moses. Now Moses hadn’t entered the Promised Land yet and it wouldn’t be until many years later, centuries later, that it would be Jerusalem, the city of David, that would be chosen. There were other places where the tabernacle was, et cetera, but eventually became Jerusalem, the center of Jewish worship. And so, the men would come, and they’d bring their families too, and they would assemble for these three feasts. Now, the first feast was Passover, so that was the feast of the sacrifice, the atoning sacrifice of the lamb. Going back, of course to the shedding of the Passover lamb’s blood.
And so that’s that forgiveness of sins, and Jesus fulfilled that in his death on the cross. Then 50 days later, it’s the Feast of Ingathering. So that’s the first fruits, basically. It’s the beginning of the Jewish harvest when the crop begins to be brought in. And then the final feast, I believe the Feast of Trumpets, is when the last of the crop has been brought in. So, two of those three have been fulfilled. The last one hasn’t been fulfilled yet. So, the Feast of Trumpets are, I think it is at the end, but it’s definitely the feast of last fruits to some degree. And so, we would imagine that would come right before the second coming of Christ, where the last elect person is converted. So, the idea is it’s the fulfillment of an image, and the harvest being gathered here are human beings, their souls. So that’s what Pentecost was all about.
Wes
Now, verse 1 says, they were all together in one place. Who was together? And why do you think it was important that the Spirit was poured out when they were all together rather than only on a few of them?
Andy
Right, well, you keep in mind from John 20, Thomas wasn’t there in the upper room the first day when Jesus appeared and showed the evidence of his resurrection. So, it wasn’t until a week later that Thomas came, the so-called Doubting Thomas. Well, this time everybody’s there. And everybody is the 120 and especially the … Well, now the 12 apostles now that Matthias has replaced Judas. So, they’re all together in one place and they’re meeting together. So, it all happened at the same time. They all came together.
Now, we should not imagine that this 120 represents every redeemed person. Jesus interacted with a lot of people who then genuinely believed. Think of the man born blind, think about the demoniac of the Gadarenes who wanted to follow Jesus and preach, and he said, “No, go home and tell everyone what God has done for you.” I mean, so there are genuine believers out there. Syrophoenician woman, probably has continued to live there in Tyre where she was. So, these are not all the believers, but this is the core center of the church assembling together, waiting on God, waiting to be clothed with power from on high, Luke 24 says. Waiting for the Holy Spirit to come.
Wes
How does Luke describe the actual coming of the Holy Spirit? And what miracles are associated with this gift in verses 2-4?
Andy
Well, it starts with the word suddenly. So out of nowhere, suddenly as they’re waiting it comes. And the first thing they get is a supernatural sound, the sound of a blowing violent wind. Like a hurricane force, but there’s no actual moving of air. It’s a sound without the actual wind. And this is what gathered the crowd. If you look at it, it says, “those staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing men from every nation under heaven,” verse 6,“when they heard the sound.” So, it’s the sound that gathered everyone. It was this amazing, supernatural sound. Sound of a rushing wind. A violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting, so it was very loud. You get this in Revelation, there’s lots of loud noises. The voice like thunder. God is good at this, so it’s very dramatic.
Wes
God gets the attention of those he’s trying to communicate with.
Andy
And also, we need to keep in mind the analogy Jesus gave to Nicodemus when he said, “You must be born again” (John 3:7). And he said, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot crawl into his mother’s womb a second time and be born” (John 3:4). And Jesus likened it to the movement of the wind. He said, “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). So, the movement of the Spirit is likened to a wind. And we also get this in the Hebrew word for spirit, ruach, which also can mean wind. And so sometimes you’re not sure whether it’s the Holy Spirit or a wind blowing, and so it’s reasonable for the Spirit to be likened to a wind at this point.
Wes
So, God chooses this noise. It seems, at least in part, to get the attention of those in the city. It comes as a wind, so again, you’ve made those connections for us.
Andy
That’s part one.
Wes
That’s part one. It comes suddenly, so it seems like something that they were anticipating but maybe not expecting right at that moment when it comes. What was the second miracle associated with the Spirit’s coming mentioned in verse 3? And why do you think the Spirit used this display to reveal his coming?
Andy
Yeah, so part two is tongues of fire that came down from heaven and separated and came to rest on each of them. So, the idea of this separated is one Spirit, but going to each of the individuals. And so, it came to rest on them, I think similar to the Holy Spirit coming as a dove and resting on Jesus. And so, the idea is that all of them, and it says this openly, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. So, it’s one Spirit given to all of them. And so, tongues of fire. Now why fire? Boy, there’s a lot of reasons why. We don’t know, I mean it’s just we’re speculating. But I would begin, I guess with the burning bush. The idea of a fire that’s in the midst of God’s people, the bush representing Israel at that point, and the bush is not consumed. And so, there’s a fire burning that doesn’t consume them.
Then you’ve got Elijah and the prophets of Baal and fire descends from heaven and does consume the sacrifice and the altar and everything. And so that fire from heaven represents the movement of God very powerfully. Then you’ve got Luke 24, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they’re just walking with Jesus, but they don’t know it’s Jesus. And he begins to share the word of God with them. And when they get done and Jesus disappears from them, they said, “Were not our hearts burning within us when he spoke the word to us?” (Luke 24:32) So the idea of burning is that of zeal, of heat, also of purity. I think this is interesting that water and fire are both used in the Old Testament as images of purification and also of death. Of judgment.
One match can light a whole forest on fire.
And so, the waters of the flood killed every human being on earth except the ones on the ark, but water is also used as an image of purification, of cleansing. And then a fire destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, burned them up. And fire is frequently a picture of judgment, like the sons of Aaron that offered unauthorized fire, and fire came out and burned up Nadab and Abihu. So that could be judgment. But also, it says in Malachi that fire of the Lord will purify the Levites. So, there’s a sense of fire being purifying. And so, the idea is of purity, holiness, zeal, light. Also, it spreads fire to fire. One match can light a whole forest on fire. So, the spreading. I don’t know, those are just different thoughts on why God chose to come through the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire.
Wes
Now, you mentioned also this phrase in verse 4, being filled with the Spirit. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? And is there a difference between being filled with the Spirit and being baptized with the Spirit?
Andy
Well, here we get into some long-standing controversy that there is in the Christian church. There are some Christians who have in the past called themselves Pentecostals, or still are called Pentecostals. Or the entire movement of Pentecostalism extends not just to churches that call themselves Pentecostal, but also Assembly of God churches or other churches that are charismatic, et cetera, from the Greek word for spiritual gifts. And so, I think there is a very significant difference, but a relationship between being baptized with the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit. So, I believe that the baptism of the Spirit is a secret action done by Jesus at the moment of conversion, wherein a person being born again, having the heart of stone removed and the heart of flesh put in, is made alive spiritually and comes to a genuine faith in Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:13 says they were “baptized by one Spirit into one body.” John the Baptist said of Jesus, “I baptize you with water,” you being the Jewish nation, “I baptize all of you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Luke 3:16, paraphrase). Fire there being, I believe, judgment. “He will clear his threshing floor and gathering the wheat into his barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). So, that’s judgment. So, he’s either going to immerse, that is baptize you, in the Holy Spirit, or he is going to immerse you in the lake of fire. One or the other. But that’s Jesus, that’s how great he is. So, the idea is, I believe, my doctrine, what I think the New Testament teaches, is every single genuine Christian is baptized with the Spirit once for all time.
But then they’re called on to be continually filled with the Spirit, or as Ephesians 5:18 says, “do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead,” passive imperative, “be being filled with the Holy Spirit.” Now, to be filled with the Spirit means to have the Spirit control you, to have him control your mind and your heart. To have him control your mouth, to have him move you to act in certain ways. So, when you’re filled with the Spirit, you’re going to speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, and sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. You’re going to be characterized by the fruit of the Spirit. And then you’re going to do the things the Spirit wants you to do. That’s what it means to be filled with the Spirit.
I think we can and should be filled again and again and again and again with the Holy Spirit of God. So, I would go with John Stott, he wrote a book called Baptism and Fullness, and he made that distinction. They’re related. No one, I think, can be filled … Well, I’m going to go too far. I think you can be filled with the Spirit and not be a Christian. I think that that could happen, like in the Old Testament, like when the Spirit came on Balaam’s donkey, and he spoke. So that could happen. And I think it’s important that we acknowledge the Holy Spirit didn’t begin working on human beings on the day of Pentecost. He had been working throughout all of the 39 books of the Old Testament.
The prophets spoke only by the Spirit of Christ working in them. The Spirit was active in David’s life. He said, “Take not your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11). But this is a universal outpouring on all the people of God, not just on key individuals like kings and prophets, but on everybody. That’s what’s going on. So, I don’t want to go so far as to say the Spirit cannot take over somebody and make them say something or do something. But when we speak of this filling of the Spirit, I think we generally would say those are only Christians. And if you are a Christian, you’ve already been baptized with the Spirit.
Wes
Now, before we move on from verse 4, along similar lines, there’s immense controversy over the issue of speaking in tongues. So, sticking strictly with Acts 2:4, what can we learn about what happened at that moment? And how should these tongues or languages inform our understanding of this gift?
Andy
Well, first of all, the word tongues is a bit of an archaic word in the English language. In the KJV, King James version, tongues are languages. And so, by languages we mean something intelligible, something with grammar, with vocabulary, with logic, with repeatable patterns. Not gibberish, but something that is an actual language that can be understood. It communicates from person A to person B. That’s what language is for, to get the ideas from one mind to another mind. And so, the gift of language, I think, is essential to us being created in the image of God. The ability that we have to understand abstract reasoning and to have things described for us that are not physically present, but we can see them.
Like I could describe Mount Everest to you, and I could say, “Picture this lofty mountain, windswept with snow and with ice. And this ridge that hikers are climbing along, and they’ve got crampons, and you can hear the crunching of the snow.” Well, I’m creating images, all of it with words. Animals can’t do this. Animals don’t have that ability. So, it’s essential to our being in the image of God. So, I think that the best way to understand this is that they were speaking languages as the Spirit move them, and they’re about to go communicate. Now, Peter’s going to preach in one language, probably Aramaic, maybe Greek, but I don’t know. But they’re all going to hear in their own native languages. So definitely that, later in the same chapter, is languages that they understood. Latin or Greek or some other thing.
So here, I think that’s the best way to understand. Now, if you get to 1 Corinthians 12-14, those chapters are dealing with tongues and prophecy. And I had to deal with this as I preached through 1 Corinthians and trying to understand what that is. So, I think there can be something like a secret prayer language, but again, it’s not gibberish. It’s got to be a recognizable pattern that can be studied and understood. So, at any rate, these were filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak in languages as the Spirit enabled them.
Wes
Verses 5-13 capture the astonishment and the response of the crowd. In verse 5, why were these Jews from so many remote places staying in Jerusalem at this time? How does this providential occurrence fit in with God’s purposes here? And were there any Gentiles there mentioned in Acts 2?
Andy
Yeah, so God-fearing Jews from every nation came under heaven. Now why were they in so many nations? They were there because of the so-called diaspora, the spreading of the Jews after the two exiles. The first exile of the northern kingdom happened under the Assyrians. And the second exile, and the final exile, happened under the Babylonians. Then a very small number of Jews, 42,000, came back in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. And they rebuilt Jerusalem and then they continue the history. And that’s what Jesus came into. And so, by the time of Jesus, Josephus says a quarter of a million Jews went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. But how many lived in Palestine, I don’t really know. So, a small number went back, but many of them just stayed where they were, and they never came back.
And so, Cyrus the Great issued an edict saying, “As many of you who would like to, let him go up to Jerusalem and may God be with you.” But many did not go. And so, they stayed in Babylon, or they stayed wherever they were, and they were spread all over the Greco-Roman world. But they still would travel back, using those fine Roman roads and using the sea lanes of the Mediterranean Sea. In obedience to the law of Moses they would go back for these feasts, Passover and Pentecost. And so, these were God-fearing Jews, and it says God-fearing because they took their religion very seriously. I would guess many of the Jews just said, “Look, we can’t make it back. I mean, I don’t think God really expects us to go, does he?” And they just didn’t come. But others were like, “No, it’s in the Law. We’re going to go.”
And so, they came together. Secondly, you asked about Gentiles. There were, in all of those localities, some Gentiles who became enthralled and fascinated by monotheism. By the monotheism and the heritage of the Jewish people, and they wanted to become Jews, they were proselytes. And so, they were Gentiles, and the men would be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses. And maybe they even were baptized in water. I think John the Baptist picked up on that, an intertestamental practice of Jewish converts. But they’re mentioned right here, these proselytes were there, these converts, these Gentile converts to Judaism were there as well. These are first fruits. These are people from all over the world who are believing in Jesus. Jesus is the light for the Gentiles and so that’s what’s happening.
Wes
Verse 6 says, “At this sound, the multitude came together, and they were bewildered.” Is this the rushing wind? Is this the speaking? This is the rushing wind.
Andy
I think it’s the rushing wind at first, but then as the church spills out from the upper room into the streets, there’s a second mystery. A second miracle. And that is that all of the people there are hearing the apostles speaking in their own native language. So, you can imagine, there is the lingua franca, the language that binds them together. Probably Greek at that point more than Latin. And so, they would all speak Greek. They’re coming from all over the world, so that would be their common language. But then they’re Arabs, Arabians, Cretans, residents of Mesopotamia, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, they all had their own languages.
They did not expect to hear Elamitish when they’re there in Jerusalem, but they come there and that’s what they’re hearing. The mother tongue, spoken perfectly. And they’re like, what in the world? It’s a miracle. It’s an absolute miracle. Now again, I don’t know what’s going on. It just shows the ability God has to get inside our literal, physical brains and the neural paths from the eardrum to the brain, and make it do stuff. I don’t know what else to say, but something’s going on. One sound’s going out into the world, airwaves and pressure waves and the eardrums are vibrating, but what they’re hearing is their mother tongue. Now, that’s a miracle.
Wes
And it is interesting. I think the precise nature of why it’s so astonishing to them is it wasn’t like these were people from their country speaking this language. They asked the question, “Aren’t these all Galileans and we’re hearing this language?” So, it was clearly something that was otherworldly, not just the result of some either natural learning or coincidence that there were people from their country that were already there ahead of them.
Andy
I also think it’s significant for us to see in this a gracious, merciful reversal of the judgment of the Tower of Babel. Because the Tower of Babel, they’re all getting together in a rebellious, wicked sort of way to make a name for themselves by building a tower that reaches to heaven. What an arrogant thing to do. So, God comes down, confuses the language, and scatters them. Now what is he doing? Bringing them together. And when we get to heaven, we are not going to have a language problem in heaven. We will understand each other. Now, my Hebrew professor said because we’re all going to study Hebrew, and we’ll all know Hebrew. So, I don’t know that that’s true. And I don’t know that we will learn a new language, but it could be a continual miracle in our resurrected brains where we will understand each other, but still be speaking our own native language. I don’t really know, but it’s definitely a miracle here what’s going on?
Wes
Yeah, interesting to try to harmonize that with that picture of people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. You’re thinking, well, language. Are they still speaking that? It’s just amazing. God’s incredible grace to us in that.
Andy
So many things we don’t know.
Wes
So, I guess a question that might flow from this for our listeners, and for us as well, is if God has this kind of power over language, why doesn’t he do this every time? In other words, why does God not put, let’s say, Wycliffe Bible Translators permanently out of business and forever end the need for years of training in language for our missionaries?
Andy
Well, God apparently wants that process. That’s part of his purpose. And so, I think God is not in as much of a rush as we might think he should be or as that we are. Now we should, all of us, have a sense of urgency. But we’re not going to get to a village or a city or a place a day too late concerning one of the elect chosen in Christ before the creation of the world. We just didn’t quite make it. The connecting flight didn’t work. We were delayed and we didn’t get there in time and now he’s in hell. That just isn’t going to happen. So, we shouldn’t relax, but we should understand God wants the process. And so, it takes years to learn these languages. I mean we’re talking, I don’t know, how many Greek words did we learn in studying Greek? I think like four or 5,000 Greek words.
Then you got all the grammar. And that would get you. I remember the word list got us down to the words that were used 10 times or more in the New Testament. So, the real rare ones, the words that were used less than 10 times, down to five or three or one, you took those one at a time. When you’re studying a specific passage, here’s what they call the hotbox, it’s a one-off word. Anyway, it takes a long, long, long, long, long, long time to learn a language. And sometimes you never really, really get it. You ever hear somebody who speaks really accurate English but with an accent. Chinese accent, German accent, French accent, and they never lose it. And I just think it’s interesting. So, God, I think, wants the long hard work and the process. And in that, relationships are built, you can lead your language tutor to Christ, you’re humbled for a while.
Takes you a while, you’re like a baby in that culture for a while, and you immerse yourself. I remember when I was learning Japanese, when I was a missionary in Japan, I began to realize the process and to understand what kind of people did really well in language learning. So, I thought that there were three attributes you needed to be quickly proficient in the language. Number one, you needed a good ear, like a musician’s ear. The ability to hear the difference between tones, especially in certain languages. Number two, you needed a good memory. You had to remember vocabulary and grammar and all that. And number three, you needed an outgoing personality. The ability to immerse yourself, throw yourself into the midst of a crowd, and they’ll catch you.
And you’re out there using your language freely and making stupid mistakes and everyone’s laughing at you. And those people learn faster. And the people like me that were more perfectionist and introverts and had to get it just right, we were slower. But at any rate, that whole process is part of the missionary endeavor. It’s going on, and we just have to thank God in his wisdom knew what he was doing.
Wes
In verses 9-11, Luke lists out the various places that these folks came from. How does that relate to Acts 1:8, which we’ve said is really a linchpin for this whole book as we study? And how might these converts have gone back and affected their home countries?
Andy
Well, this is the spread of the gospel along the lines of every tribe, language, people, and nation. And along political lines, we have to understand the Roman Empire now has been dominant since about 150 BC, something like that. I think Pompey won a battle. And so, you got Palestine. And so, the Greek days are just about over at this point. Greek has been defeated by Rome. This is a Roman world now and the Roman world is united with roads and commerce and culture and Roman law. And that is beneficial for the spread of the gospel.
But we’ve got all of these people, and look at the lists here: Parthians, Medes and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Rome … Near Cyrene, sorry. Visitors from Rome, both Jews and converts to Judaism. So, from Rome. Cretans, and Arabs, just that every tribe, language, people, and nation. So that’s what we got there. So, you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you’ll be my witnesses to all those people.
Wes
What did the people say that the apostles were declaring? And why is that significant?
Andy
Well, they were declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues, so the wonders of God. So, I don’t know, that’s a broad term. It’s like, for me as a preacher, it’s like, let’s do that. Wes, you’re a worship leader. The two of us, we can get together. Tell you what, let’s declare the wonders of God. So, I don’t know what that is.
Wes
Every week, let’s do it.
Andy
I think that’s a great way to look at evangelism. We should just say, our job is to go out and declare the wonders of God, especially in Christ.
Obviously, the greatest wonder of God is Jesus. And so, the centerpiece, I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. So, the miracles of Jesus, the person of Jesus, the incarnation, that would be center of what they were proclaiming. But they probably were proclaiming natural theology as well. Like in the Book of Job, God was declaring the wonders of God in creation. So, who knows? That’s just generally what they were proclaiming, the wonders of God. And by the way, I think that’s a great way to look at evangelism. We should just say, our job is to go out and declare the wonders of God, especially in Christ.
Wes
What question does the crowd ask at this point?
Andy
Amazed and perplexed they ask one another, “What does this mean?” Okay, so what is going on here?
Wes
What’s happening?
Andy
Yeah. And God is shaking things up. We have to believe that the status quo is Satan’s. It belongs to the devil and demons. And so, God comes in, in Christ and in the Holy Spirit, and shakes things up and changes things. They’re on the road to destruction, now they’re on the road to life. And so, to me, that’s awesome. So, they’re saying, “What does this mean?” What this means is God is breaking into history and saving sinners.
Wes
Why do you think those in the crowd who mocked them related their speech to the effect of wine? And as we wrap up, what final thoughts do you have on this?
Andy
Well, it’s interesting. I already quoted Ephesians 5:18, which says, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery or dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.” So, what wine does, which is makes people happy, loosens things up, makes people social with each other, makes people outgoing and friendly and comfortable with each other. The Holy Spirit does all of that and much, much more. And so, I think the idea is, they’re acting crazy, they must be drunk. And so, we’ll get into Peter’s clever response to that next time. But the fact is, the Holy Spirit’s effect on people is similar to wine or alcohol, which are frequently called spirits. So, some people thought that there’s a connection, like alcohol, fermented beverage, was a bridge into the spiritual world.
The real bridge is the action of the Holy Spirit. And what is my final thought here? My final thought is going to go back to Acts 1:8, “You’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you’ll be my witnesses.” And so, they’re in the upper room; they’re not doing anything. Remember, after the resurrection, one week later, they’re still in the upper room with the doors locked for fear of the Jews. So, seven/fiftieths of the Pentecost span, basically one/seventh of that time, they’re still in terror of death. They’re in terror of the Jews. What does that tell you? The Holy Spirit’s everything. Jesus’s finished work would not have made it out of Jerusalem, would not have been applied, his blood would not have been painted spiritually on anybody, if it weren’t for the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit moves people out of the upper room, out of the security of behind locked doors, and courageously spilling out into the streets come what may. In downtown Jerusalem, in the very city where their Lord was crucified. Boldly, without fear, testifying to the resurrection of Christ. The Holy Spirit does that. So, what does that say to me? If I’m going to be a witness, I need to be in the presence of God and ask him to fill me with the Spirit. I don’t think I need a new Pentecost, but what I do need is I need the Holy Spirit to be poured out on me so that I can be his witness.
Wes
Well, this has been Episode 3 in our Acts Bible Study podcast. We’ll invite you to join us next time for Episode 4 entitled, The Prophet Joel Fulfilled, where we’ll discuss Acts 2:14-21. Thank you for listening to the Two Journeys Podcast and may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
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