The life of the early church continues, shortly after Jesus's has left his small core of followers.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
"Other tongues" could easily be translated "other languages"(NIV footnotes.)
The Holy Spirit is not a significant theme in the Old Testament, although the Spirit of God does descend upon men and women in Old Testament times. But in the New Testament, following the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:33) and Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:26-27), the Spirit of God within people plays a major role, a significant theme.
Acts 2:5-13
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"
I am impressed with the list of attendants at Pentecost. Presumably Luke is quoting someone who was there.
Acts 2:13
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine."
All this babbling might just be drunkeness. (NIV footnote says "wine" is "sweet wine", but I don't know the signifance of the word "sweet." Maybe it was wine easy to drink? Or more alcoholic?)
Acts 2:14-21
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: `In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Regarding verse 15: living in a college town, I'm aware that one could be drunk at nine in the morning!
Peter links the miraculous works of Pentecost to a fulfillment (partial) of the apocalyptic prophesy of Joel. The quote is from Joel 2:28-32.
In the second half of this chapter, we will see one of the first effects of the Holy Spirit's appearance.
I have' been a very faithful follower of your blog, Ken, but checked in on this one to see where you are and I see you're in Acts. Was thinking about this passage just the other day and it dawned on me that Peter's sermon is the interpretation of the message of the event. The polyglot audience heard the apostles speaking, each in his own tongue, about "the great things of God," which Peter then goes on to explain in greater detail in his sermon.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think Peter's message is a summary (in common Greek) of the various messages the others were hearing in their own languages. I think that is consistent with the Holy Spirit's general message about the death and resurrection of Jesus.
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