Sunday, May 2, 2021
Acts 2:1-13
“Unleashed Power”
Service Orientation: Pentecost served as a pivotal moment in history as God was now taking up residence in people’s hearts and lives. And this unleashed power would forever change everything.
Memory Verse for the Week: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
Background Information:
- There were three great Jewish festivals to which every male Jew living within twenty miles of Jerusalem was legally bound to come—the Passover, Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. Pentecost means ‘The Fiftieth,” and another name for Pentecost was “The Feast of Weeks.” It was so called because it fell on the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. The Passover fell in the middle of April; therefore Pentecost fell at the beginning of June. By that time travelling conditions were at their best. At least as many came to the Feast of Pentecost as came to the Passover. That explains the roll of countries mentioned in this chapter; never was there a more international crowd in Jerusalem than at the time of Pentecost. (William Barclay, Acts, 21)
- This passage focuses on the fulfillment of the promise of empowerment to speak God’s message. Although 1:8 explicitly associates the empowerment for proclaiming God’s message only with the apostles, this passage demonstrates that the empowerment is provided for all Jesus’s followers. This empowerment is to speak God’s own message (like prophets of old, 2:17–18) across cultural boundaries (2:4–11) and hence ultimately to form the church across such boundaries (as the struggle to embrace the Gentile mission in the rest of Acts emphasizes and as 2:5–11 foreshadows). (Craig S. Keener, Acts, Vol. 1, 780)
- The wind had been an emblem of the Spirit for the Hebrew people through the generations. When the Lord spoke to Ezekiel in the valley of the dry bones. He told the prophet to “prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath. Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live” (Ezek. 37:9). The dry bones symbolized the defeated, dejected people of Israel in exile in Ezekiel’s day. They needed the Spirit for life to come into them again. Jesus used the image of the wind for the Spirit when He said to Nicodemus, “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again. The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:7-8). (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 58)
- The Greek word pneuma not only means “spirit,” but it also means “wind” and “breath.” We find the same meanings in the Hebrew word ruah. At creation God breathed into man His own ruah, His breath, and man became a living spirit, a living ruah. From the beginning of the Scriptures in the Old Testament, the breath of God is associated with His life-giving Spirit. (Sproul, Acts, 21)
- As the international, multilingual crowd gathered, they were astonished to hear their own native languages spoken by these Galileans. The term for “their own languages” is dialekto, from which we get our English word “dialect.” These were spoken, living languages. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 26)
The question to be answered is…
Indeed, we might join the witnesses at this particular Pentecost and ask, “What does this mean?”
Answer…
This Pentecost marked a pivot-point in history. No longer would God’s Spirit be confined to specific people, places, or circumstances, but God’s Spirit would be poured out to all who would turn to, trust, and follow, Jesus.
The word of the day is… pneuma
What were some of the implications of this unleashed power for the early church?
- Rebirth; as God’s pneuma would breathe new life into dead and dry bones.
(Gen. 2:7; Ezekiel 36:26; 37:1-14; John 3:8; 5:24; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 5:1)
The One through whom all things were created, the eternal Logos, had come to recreate humankind. (Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 56)
The Scripture treats us all as dead, being separated from God, unless we are united to Him by faith in Jesus Christ. According to the saying of the Evangelist, ‘They which believe on Him receive’ the Spirit, and thereby receive the life which He gives, or, as our Lord Himself speaks, are ‘born of the Spirit.’ The highest and most characteristic office of the Spirit of God is to enkindle this new life, and hence His noblest name, among the many by which He is called, is the Spirit of life. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 34)
- Refinement; as God’s pneuma would work to sanctify all who would trust in Jesus.
(Romans 6:6; Philippians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 10:16; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 1:9)
Fire is a twofold symbol in the Old Testament. First, it represents that which purifies, because fire consumes impurities. Second, fire represents enthusiasm, passion, and an intense sense of purpose. A church that is on fire has been seized by a purifying, holy passion. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 28)
- Empowerment; as God’s pneuma would empower people to serve as Christ’s witnesses.
(Acts 1:8, 2:11; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:13)
Pentecost marks the arrival of the Church as the body of Christ, and as God’s instrument of saving mission to the world. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 29)
There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of Truth, no fellowship without the unity of the Spirit, no Christlikeness of character apart from his fruit, and no effective witness without his power. (John Stott, Seeing the Spirit at Work, 15)
Conclusion… What are some of the implications of this unleashed power for the church today?
A. Illumination; an awakening and empowerment to see all of life differently.
(John 3:1-21; 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:13-14; Ephesians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 8:10)
Our spirit is the port of entry for the divine Spirit. When He enters a human being, the mind is transformed, the computer of the brain is given new data, the will is released from bondage, and the nervous system becomes the channel of supernatural energy. That’s what happened at Pentecost, beginning a new age of spiritual renaissance. (Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 56-57)
When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night and inquired about salvation, Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). In other words, a necessary condition for becoming a Christian is being born of the Spirit. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 21)
B. Transformation; as God’s Spirit empowers us to become more and more like Jesus.
(1 Cor. 6:11; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:6; Colossians 3:10; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23)
The Spirit is the essential player in the believers’ experiencing and living out the salvation that God has brought about in Christ; the Spirit both forms the church into God’s new people and conforms them into Christ’s image through his fruit in their lives; and the Spirit gifts them in worship to edify and encourage one another in their ongoing life in the world. (Gordon D. Fee, Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God, 7)
He does not want lukewarm Christians. He wants Christians who are on fire, burning with a passion for the things of God. When the Spirit comes upon a person, He kindles that spark. He starts a flame that consumes the heart and soul so that the affection born that hour will increase in intensity as we grow in Christ, and the fuel for that fire is the Word, prayer, and the sacraments. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 23)
C. Unification; as the bane of Babel is reversed.
(1 Corinthians 1:2; 12:13; Galatians 3:28; Philippians 2:2; Colossians 3:14; 1 John 3:14)
Pentecost was a reversal of the judgment at the Tower of Babel when God confused man’s language (Gen. 11:1–9). God’s judgment at Babel scattered the people, but God’s blessing at Pentecost united the believers in the Spirit. At Babel, the people were unable to understand each other, but at Pentecost, men heard God’s praises and understood what was said. The Tower of Babel was a scheme designed to praise men and make a name for men, but Pentecost brought praise to God. The building of Babel was an act of rebellion, but Pentecost was a ministry of humble submission to God. What a contrast! (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 327)
Pentecost reversed Babel, not by bringing about a featureless monopoly, but by consecrating diversity, and showing that each language could be hallowed, and that each lent some new strain of music to the chorus. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 33)
D. Multiplication; as Jesus’ people are empowered to continue to live as his witnesses.
(Psalm 66:16; Matthew 5:16; 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:10)
Like the wind, the Spirit is irresistible, invincible, and invisible. When the church operates according to the power of the Spirit, it accomplishes great things. When the Spirit moves through God’s people, the church transforms individuals and societies. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 28)
Gospel Application…
The Holy pneuma, present during creation, is still at work in re-creation; breathing new life in anyone who will turn to, trust in, and follow, Jesus.
(John 1:12; 3:1-21; 6:47; Romans 6:23; 10:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5)
It is impossible for an unspiritual person to discern spiritual things. We are not by nature spiritual persons. A person cannot discern spiritual things until that person is first made alive to spiritual things by the Spirit of God. (R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, 11)
To be “born again” is to experience a second genesis. It is a new beginning, a fresh start in life. When something is started, we say that it is generated. If it is started again, it is regenerated. The Greek verb geniauo that is translated as “generate” means “to be,” “to become,” or “to happen.” Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is a change. It is a radical change into a new kind of being. (R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit, 56)
Spiritual Challenge Questions…
Reflect on these questions in your time with the Lord this week, or discuss with a Christian family member or Life Group.
- How do you think the disciples would have felt in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost? How do you think you would have felt if you were in their situation?
- When has God enabled you to do something that you didn’t think you could do?
- How does knowing God’s Spirit is within you change the way you view and navigate life?
- How would your life be different if the Holy Spirit were withdrawn from your life and/or your Christian community?
- What words, phrases, images, or descriptions about Pentecost raise question for you, encourage you, or confuse you?
- Do you sense God leading you to respond to anything specific after reflecting on today’s message?
Quotes to note…
Before Pentecost, God had interacted with people. After Pentecost, God lived in them. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
The Spirit marks the beginning of the Christian experience. No one belongs to Christ without his Spirit (Romans 8:9); no one is united to Christ without his Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17); no one is adopted as God’s child without his Spirit (Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:6-7); no one is in the body of Christ except by baptism in the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 24)
The natural result of being filled with God’s Spirit is utterance of the great truths of Christ’s Gospel. As surely as light radiates, as surely as any deep emotion demands expression, so certainly will a soul filled with the Spirit be forced to break into speech. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 33)
The God of power and purity is the same God who wishes to communicate himself to people. He wishes that they not only recognize His power and purity, but also experience these within themselves. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Significant is Luke’s statement that these tokens of the Spirit’s presence “separated and came to rest on each of them.” This seems to suggest that, though under the old covenant the divine presence rested on Israel as a corporate entity and upon many of its leaders for special purposes, under the new covenant, as established by Jesus and inaugurated at Pentecost, the Spirit now rests upon each believer individually. In other words, though the corporate and individual aspects of redemption cannot actually be separated, the emphasis in the proclamation of redemption from Pentecost onward is on the personal relationship of God to the believer through the Spirit, with all corporate relationships resulting from this. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 270)
As the sound of the 120 speaking in tongues rose and became heard, a crowd came together from all directions. All were bewildered because each one kept hearing them speak “in his own language.” “Own” is emphatic: his very own language that he used as a child. The tongues here were distinct languages. They were not speaking merely in a variety of Galilean or Aramaic dialects but in a variety of entirely different languages. (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 1346-1347)
We all need the fire of the Spirit to convince us of the fact that we are loved unqualifiedly and released to love unreservedly. The undeniable test that we have been baptized with the fire of the Holy Spirit is a new and deeper capacity to love. Love is both thought and felt. The quality of love given by the Holy Spirit is first conceived in the mind, then formulated into transformed thought in the cerebral cortex of the brain and then triggered in the part of the nervous system that controls the emotional responses. Love is not something we feel only; the feeling is the result of, an ordered process in our inner mind and brain. The reaction may take place in less than a split second, but the process of receiving, perception, and willing precedes the feeling of being loved or feeling love. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 60)
The day of Pentecost on the Jewish calendar was the day of an annual feast called the Feast of Harvests, the Feast of Ingathering, or sometimes the Feast of Weeks. A week has seven days, so a week of weeks is seven times seven, which is forty-nine days. After those forty-nine days are accomplished, the fiftieth day is Pentecost, so fifty days after the great celebration of Passover is this feast. It was the Jewish Thanksgiving of the Old Testament. It was also called the Feast of Firstfruits because, since the arid climate of Palestine has two rainy seasons, they had two growing seasons, a former season and a latter season. They would celebrate at the former rains and again at the later rains. People gathered for the Thanksgiving event of Pentecost at the central sanctuary in Jerusalem to thank God for the harvest. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 20)
In the Greek New Testament, another word used to describe the work of God’s Spirit is dunamis, from which we get “dynamite,” an explosive power. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 21)
The most common visible manifestation of God in the Old Testament was through fire. (R.C. Sproul, Acts, 22)
Without the coming of the Holy Spirit, you would not be reading this book. No commentaries on the New Testament would have been written, for there would have been no New Testament without the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s coming does not overshadow the history-changing coming of Jesus Christ. But it is the last and essential link in the chain of events we can see merging into one. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Since the first Pentecost, God has freely offered His Spirit to all people for all time. The first Pentecost forever changed the history of the world. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
During Jesus’ ministry, His disciples served Him. After the coming of the Spirit, Jesus’ servants became the means by which Jesus served the world. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
They didn’t know it at the time, but God had a reason to keep them waiting. At Pentecost, another significant Jewish festival, thousands of Jews from around the world would be visiting their holy city. At that time, with crowds there to observe, God set off fireworks that caught everyone’s attention. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
In both Hebrew and Greek, the original languages behind the Old and New Testaments (respectively), a single word translates the concepts of “breath,” “wind,” and “spirit.” At times, scholars are uncertain as to which English word they should use to translate this Hebrew or Greek word. We read in Genesis that at the creation of Adam, “… God … breathed into his nostrils the breath [or spirit] of life …” (Gen. 2:7). Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones uses the Hebrew word several times in a manner that demonstrates how wind, breath, and God’s Spirit are related concepts (see Ezekiel 37:1-14). Thus, the wind often served as a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Jesus, for example, used this pun to help Nicodemus understand the new birth: “The wind blows wherever it pleases…. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
Reflecting back on the experience, the apostles might have remembered God’s other uses of fire to represent His presence. God used “a smoking firepot” to seal the covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:17).4 God appeared to Moses in a burning bush (see Exodus 3:2). And because of the association between Pentecost and the giving of the Law, the apostles certainly would have remembered God’s descending on Mount Sinai “in fire” (Exod. 19:18). (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
The apostles, who six weeks before had hidden behind the locked doors of the Upper Room, found they could not restrain themselves from bursting out of that room in praise to God. (Phillip A. Bence, Acts: A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition, Kindle Edition)
In Old Testament times, the Spirit of God came upon isolated individuals or smaller groups only on special occasions and only in a temporary way to help them accomplish God’s purposes (Exodus 31:3; Judges 14:6; 1 Samuel 16:13). As the apostles were gathered together in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost, the time had come for the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to send his Spirit completely and permanently upon all believers (Luke 24:49; John 14:16-17, 26; 16:5-15). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 21)
The day of Pentecost was an annual feast celebrated on “the day after the seventh Sabbath” after Passover (Leviticus 23:15-16). Since the date was determined by the passing of a “week” of weeks (seven weeks), it was often called the Feast of Weeks. The word “Pentecost” means “fifty,” so named because this feast was celebrated fifty days after Passover. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 21)
The identification of Pentecost with “firstfruits” likely has a real significance here, since the three thousand who came to faith in Christ this day were the “firstfruits” of many thousands who would follow.(Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 21)
The word for “wind” (pnoes) is similar in sound and spelling to the word for “spirit” (pneuma). The wind is a good analogy for the Spirit: it is not seen, though its effects are, and it can be found everywhere in never-ending supply. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 22)
O Thou who camest from above
The pure celestial fire to impart,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
On the mean altar of my heart!
Jesus, confirm my heart’s desire To work,
and speak, and think for Thee;
Still let me guard the holy fire,
And still stir up Thy gift in me. John Wesley
At Pentecost God confirmed the validity of the Holy Spirit’s ministry by sending fire. And while at Mount Sinai fire had come down on one place, at Pentecost fire came down on many believers, symbolizing that God’s presence is available to all who believe in him. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 23)
The Spirit is the power for the new life. He begins a lifelong process of change as believers become more like Christ (Galatians 3:3; Philippians 1:6). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 24)
The Spirit unites the Christian community in Christ (Ephesians 2:19-22). The Holy Spirit can be experienced by all, and he works through all (1 Corinthians 12:11; Ephesians 4:4). (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 24)
These people literally spoke in “other languages” (see comments on the following verse)—a miraculous attention getter for the international crowd gathered in town for the feast. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 25)
This gathering of the nations was a perfect platform for launching the worldwide mission of the church. This event told the Jerusalem church that God intended the gospel for all the nations in their own languages. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 26)
The important fact to remember about this first occurrence of “tongues” is its purpose: to get the message of Christ out to the world. It was a sign for unbelieving Israel that the Messiah had come. The promised Spirit had been poured out as foretold in Joel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others. It was also an effective sign for the propagation of the gospel message—an instant, Spirit-given gift of a foreign language with which to spread the glorious news of God’s work in the world. And that is exactly the point of Pentecost. The faithful believers were waiting and praying. Then came the prophesied signal that something big was about to happen. When it occurred, God delivered his message to the world. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 27)
There will always be those who misunderstand the working of God, who mock it and call into question its integrity. Christians can either wring their hands and worry or, like Peter, seize the opportunity to tell the watching world about the work of God in their midst. (Grant R. Osborne, Life application Bible Commentary: Acts, 27-28)
“Suddenly,” surprisingly and without warning, a sound came from heaven like “the blowing of a violent wind,” or tornado. But it was not an actual wind; it was only its sound that filled the house where they were sitting, overwhelming them. That the sound came “suddenly” and “from heaven” highlights “divine, not human, control of the Spirit’s action.” (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 1245-1249)
Rather than cleansing or judgment, the fire here signified God’s acceptance of the Church body as the new temple, or sanctuary, of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3: 16; Eph. 2: 21– 22). (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 1269-1271)
Others in the crowd took it all as the ravings of people who were drunk. Because they did not understand the purpose, they jumped to the conclusion that it had no purpose. Therefore they proceeded to make fun of them in a mocking, scornful way, saying that the 120 had “had too much wine.” (Stanley M. Horton, Acts, Kindle Locations 1386-1390)
Only ten days elapsed between the Ascension and Pentecost. The attitude of the Church during that time should be carefully noted. They obeyed implicitly Christ’s command to wait for the ‘power from on high.’ The only act recorded is the election of Matthias to fill Judas’s place, and it is at least questionable whether that was not a mistake, and shown to be such by Christ’s subsequent choice of Paul as an Apostle. But, with the exception of that one flash of doubtful activity, prayer, supplication, patient waiting, and clinging together in harmonious expectancy, characterised the hundred and twenty brethren. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 30)
if we look carefully at Luke’s words, we see that what filled the house was not agitated air, or wind, but ‘a sound as of wind.’ The language implies that there was no rush of atmosphere that lifted a hair on any cheek, or blew on any face, but only such a sound as is made by tempest. It suggested wind, but it was not wind. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 31)
By that first symbolic preparation for the communication of the promised gift, the old symbolism which lies in the very word ‘Spirit,’ and had been brought anew to the disciples’ remembrance by Christ’s words to Nicodemus, and by His breathing on them when He gave them an anticipatory and partial bestowment of the Spirit, is brought to view, with its associations of life-giving power and liberty. ‘Thou hearest the sound thereof,’ could scarcely fail to be remembered by some in that chamber. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 31)
There was an actual impartation to men of a divine life, to dwell in them and actuate them; to bring all good to victory in them; to illuminate, sustain, direct, and elevate; to cleanse and quicken. The gift was complete. They were ‘filled.’ No doubt they had much more to receive, and they received it, as their natures became, by faithful obedience to the indwelling Spirit, capable of more. But up to the measure of their then capacities they were filled; and, since their spirits were expansible, and the gift was infinite, they were in a position to grow steadily in possession of it, till they were ‘filled with all the fulness of God.’ (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 32)
‘they were all filled,’—not the Apostles only, but the whole hundred and twenty. Peter’s quotation from Joel distinctly implies the universality of the gift, which the ‘servants and handmaidens,’ the brethren and the women, now received. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 32)
We are all icebergs compared with what we ought to be. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 37)
Where among us are to be found lives blazing with enthusiastic devotion and earnest love? (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 37)
The metaphor of fire suggests also—purifying. ‘The Spirit of burning’ will burn the filth out of us. That is the only way by which a man can ever be made clean. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 37)
Two powers conquer my sin: the one is the blood of Jesus Christ, which washes me from all the guilt of the past; the other is the fiery influence of that Divine Spirit which makes me pure and clean for all the time to come. Pray to be kindled with the fire of God. (Alexander MacLaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts, 37)
There is a true sense in which all the gracious dealings of God with mankind before this day were leading toward this climactic hour. A new day was dawning in human history. With the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, new privileges, blessings, and opportunities, hitherto only yearned after, were opened wide for all believers to receive. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 28)
It was not that the Spirit had not been, already and always very much present and at work in the world and in human hearts; it was that on the Day of Pentecost there began a human-divine relationship through the Spirit in which the very truth, power, love, and life of Christ are now imparted to His followers, and this experience has been ever since the personal, collective, and universal birthright of the Church. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 28)
symbolically, the day itself signified three great truths related to the Spirit: the Spirit’s coming signals the gathering of the great spiritual harvest which Calvary purchased; it relates the gift of the Spirit to the Cross and the empty tomb; and it suggests the truth that the law of God is now to be written by the Spirit, not externally upon stone, but very personally within our hearts. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 29)
wind is one of the biblical symbols of the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Breath of God. (See Ezek. 37:9-14 and Jesus’ words in John 3:8.) Here the symbol denotes supernatural, heaven-sent power. The Spirit was bringing to their human weakness, in fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (1:8), the gracious ability and the divine energizing which would make them adequate to be what they ought to be, and to do what they were called to do. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 30)
They were not immune to either suffering or loss. Nevertheless the Spirit’s deep work in them would produce inspired, Christ-centered lives, and would provide a constant dynamic sufficient for their daily needs and for their victorious witness. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 32)
In addition to the many Jews who had moved to Jerusalem from other countries, there were large numbers of both Jews and Gentile proselytes who were there for the Feast of Pentecost. Proselytes were Gentiles who had turned to the Jewish faith and had been received into full fellowship. With foreigners, Pentecost was the most popular of the annual religious festivals because at that season the weather for sailing was safest. Thus the number of visitors in Jerusalem was at its peak. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 33)
The witnessing in many languages at Pentecost pointed men of diverse nations to their oneness in Christ. It was the reversal of the divisiveness of the confused tongues at Babel. (Arnold E. Airhart, Beacon Bible Expositions: Acts, 34)
When Ezekiel, by divine command, prophesied to the wind and called it to blow on the dead bodies in the valley of his vision, it was the breath of God that breathed into them and filled them with new life (Ezek. 37:9-14). And, probably with an allusion to Ezekiel’s vision, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Whatever else may be said about the disciples’ experience, this at least is clear: the Spirit of God came on them in power. (F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, 72)
Speaking with tongues, or glossolalia (as it is commonly called), is not an unparalleled phenomenon. Not only are the speakers’ words partially or completely beyond their conscious control, but they are uttered in languages of which they have no command in normal circumstances. Within the New Testament there is ample attestation of another form of glossolalia—it was a “spiritual gift” highly valued in the Corinthian church. Paul acknowledges that the Corinthian glossolalia is a genuine gift of the Holy Spirit, but deprecates the undue importance which some members of the church of Corinth attach to it (1 Cor. 12:10, 28-30; 1422- 19). (F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, 74)
As cultivated in the church of Corinth, glossolalia was uttered in a speech which no bearer could understand until someone present received the correlative spiritual gift of interpretation. But in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost the words spoken by the disciples in their divine ecstasy were immediately recognized by the visitors from many lands who heard them. (F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts, 74)
The name “Pentecost,” of Greek derivation, means 50 because it was the 50th day after the Firstfruits feast (Lev. 23:16). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 357)
Where the followers of Christ were gathered at this time is not definitely known. Luke simply wrote, They were all together in one place.Perhaps they were in the temple precincts. However, the place is called a “house” (Acts 2:2), an unlikely designation for the temple, though it may be referred to as a house (cf. 7:47). If they were not assembled at the temple, they must have been near it (cf. 2:6). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 357)
The tongues of fire portray the presence of God. Several times in the Old Testament God displayed Himself in the form of flames (Gen. 15:17; Ex. 3:2-6; 13:21-22; 19:18; 40:38; cf. Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 357)
2:4 The filling with the Holy Spirit is separate from the baptism of the Spirit. The Spirit’s baptism occurs once for each believer at the moment of salvation (cf. 11:15-16; Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 2:12), but the Spirit’s filling may occur not only at salvation but also on a number of occasions after salvation (Acts 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9, 52). (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 357)
Unable to explain this miracle away, the Jewish unbelievers were puzzled, and some resorted to scoffing and asserted, They have had too much wine. The word “wine” (gleukous) means new sweet wine. (John F. Walvoord, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, 358)
By the time of the first Christian century, however, it was considered the anniversary of the giving of the law at Mount Sinai (as deduced from the chronological note at Exod 19:1) and as a time for the annual renewal of the Mosaic covenant (Gub 6:17; b Peshaim 68b; M Tanchuma 26c); and it was therefore looked upon as one of the three great pilgrim festivals of Judaism (along with Passover preceding it and Tabernacles some four months later). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 269)
So for Luke the coming of the Spirit upon the early Christians at Pentecost is not only a parallel to the Spirit’s coming upon Jesus at his baptism, it is also both in continuity with and in contrast to the law. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 269)
As to just where the believers were when they experienced the coming of the Spirit, Luke is somewhat vague. His emphasis is on the “when” and not at all on the “where” of the event. So all he tells us is that “they were all together in one place,” which he refers to in the following verse as “the house” (ton oikon). (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 269)
Wind as a sign of God’s Spirit is rooted linguistically in the fact that both the Hebrew word ruach and the Greek word pneuma mean either wind or spirit, depending on the context, and this allows a rather free association of the two ideas (cf. John 3:8). Ezekiel had prophesied of the wind as the breath of God blowing over the dry bones in the valley of his vision and filling them with new life (Ezek 37:9-14), and it was this wind of God’s Spirit that Judaism looked forward to as ushering in the final Messianic Age. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 270)
7-8 Galileans had difficulty pronouncing gutturals and had the habit of swallowing syllables when speaking; so they were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem as being provincial (cf. Mark 14:70). Therefore, since the disciples who were speaking were Galileans, it bewildered those who heard because the disciples could not by themselves have learned so many different languages. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 272)
12-13 The miraculous is not self-authenticating, nor does it inevitably and uniformly convince. There must also be the preparation of the heart and the proclamation of the message if miracles are to accomplish their full purpose. This was true even for the miracle of the Spirit’s coming at Pentecost. The Greek of v.12 indicates that “all” of the “God-fearing Jews” (v.5), whose attention had been arrested by the signs at Pentecost and whose own religious heritage gave them at least some appreciation of them, were amazed and asked, “What does this mean?” Others, however, being spiritually insensitive only mocked, attributing such phenomena to drunkenness. All this prepares the reader for Peter’s sermon, which is the initial proclamation of the gospel message to a prepared people. (Richard N. Longenecker, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, John and Acts, 273)
It is perhaps pointless to ask explicit questions about this wind, for there is no likelihood of their being satisfactorily answered. Was it only the disciples who heard it, or was it audible to others? There is no way of knowing. What is certain is that the wind was held to symbolize the Spirit of God. When Ezekiel, by divine command, prophesied to the wind and called it to blow on the dead bodies in the valley of his vision, it was the breath of God that breathed into them and filled them with new life (Ezek. 37:9–14). And, probably with an allusion to Ezekiel’s vision, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8). Whatever else may be said about the disciples’ experience, this at least is clear: the Spirit of God came on them in power. (F.F. Bruce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Acts, 71)
Christians assemble and worship on Sunday, the first day of the week, because on that day our Lord arose from the dead, but it was also the day on which the Holy Spirit was given to the church. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 326)
As we study the events of Pentecost, it is important that we separate the accidentals from the essentials. The Spirit came and the people heard the sound of rushing wind and saw tongues of fire. The Spirit baptized and filled the believers, and then spoke as they praised God in various languages. The Spirit empowered Peter to preach, and then He convicted the listeners so that three thousand of them trusted Christ and were saved. Let’s consider these ministries one by one. (Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary, 326)
And they began to speak with other tongues – The miracle was not in the ears of the hearers, (as some have unaccountably supposed,) but in the mouth of the speakers. And this family praising God together, with the tongues of all the world, was an earnest that the whole world should in due time praise God in their various tongues. (John Wesley, Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, 271)
The greatest longing in the church today, stated both directly and indirectly, is the quest for something more than dull religion. People are in need of the intimacy, inspiration, and impelling power of the Holy Spirit. Answering that cry is the key to church renewal and prophetic preaching and teaching. It is impossible to live the Christian life without the indwelling Spirit. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 55)
The visual evidence of the fire above the heads of the people was another outward sign that became an inner reality. The Spirit never bypasses our humanity; He transforms it and then flows through it. The miracle of Pentecost was that the followers of Jesus became capable of warm, inclusive love. Each in his or her own uniqueness became free of the limits of the categories of personality. I believe the extrovert was deepened and the introvert released. They were free to love each other, and, as we shall see, they were given an unquenchable love for people in the world. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 60)
The third manifestation of the Holy Spirit was for the 120 and the crowds that had gathered in Jerusalem for the celebration of Pentecost. The followers of Jesus were filled with the Holy Spirit for praise and proclamation. The two go together. The Spirit releases us to praise, and that praise becomes very effective proclamation. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 62)
To be filled to the full, as the Greek implies, means that the Spirit invaded every facet, function, and facility of their nature. The entry was through their spirits, the conscious self. Then the tissues of their brains were engendered with the Spirit, which made possible an emotional response, and their bodies were energized, producing a physical radiance and energetic movements. Their minds were captured by the truth of the Spirit, their brains thought it out, and their nervous system channeled it, with every part of the body responding in unity and oneness. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 63)
It is important to distinguish between “other” tongues and the gift of tongues. On Pentecost, for the 120 to speak in the languages of the different nationalities was a miracle for the communication of what was happening to them. Later in the development of the fellowship of the church, the Holy Spirit gave a gift of utterance which was not a specific language. Rather, words and sounds were given by the Spirit to release the believers for praise beyond the capacity of expression in the words of their own languages, and for prophesies to the church. When the gift was used in the assembly of believers, the Spirit also gave the gift of interpretation so that the words spoken could be interpreted for the edification of the church. This is extranatural, in that a person cannot produce the gift, but can be a cooperative agent for it to happen. This is a legitimate New Testament gift which is given by the Spirit to a believer for praise in his own prayers, as well as in the church when instruction of its proper use is given and the gift of interpretation is also utilized. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 64)
Praising the Lord for what He has done frees us to receive what He will do. But also, praise is the ultimate level of human relinquishment to the Spirit of the Lord. When we praise Him for problems or unresolved tensions, we release them to Him in an unreserved way that frees us from the grip of anxiety. I have learned that the turning point in excruciating difficulties came when I praised the Lord for them. He has something to show me and wants to do for me that I would not be able to receive if life were smooth and easy. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 65-66)
The disciples were not a jolly, carefree band of believers before Pentecost. They had personal problems, relational difficulties, and a hostile world to face without much confidence that they would have the courage to grapple with them. We are not told that praise was a part of their prayers before Pentecost, but are told repeatedly that it was a never-ceasing note of their prayers afterward. And we live today as recipients of the secret they discovered. The same Holy Spirit who produced unfettered praise in them is the source of our ability to praise in difficult times. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 66)
Praising is also an irresistible, magnetic attraction for communicating our faith to others. A praising Christian will have no limit of opportunities to talk to others about Christ. Robert Louis Stevenson said, “Show me your praises and I will think more of your prayers.” (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 66)
The praise of the newly filled believers was what caused the crowd to gather that day in Jerusalem. It was not just that they heard in their own language, but what they heard that was so astonishing. (Lloyd J. Ogilvie, The Communicator’s Commentary: Acts, 66)
In Other words, they said, “These Christians must be drunk!” This explanation explained nothing. After all, how could drunkenness enable anyone to speak a foreign language? The accusation was absurd, but it set the stage for Peters explanation of this phenomenon. (Ray C. Stedman, God’s Unfinished Book: Acts, 30)
Acts tells what the Holy Spirit did to glorify Jesus Christ in the church through the early preachers of the gospel. Acts 1 leads up to the coming of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1—13 tells of his coming. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 38)
In Acts 2 we find that the event we have been waiting for happens. But what does it mean? The only way to understand what it means is by the symbols the Holy Spirit has given to help us understand it. There are two of them. One is the wind. We read in verse 2: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting” (italics mine). The other is fire. We read in verse 3: “They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them” (italics mine). (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 39)
The Hebrew word for “wind” or “spirit” is ruach. You can’t say that properly without a strong sound of breath: it is pronounced ru-aaah. So what is true linguistically—that the word means both “breath” and “spirit”—-is also conveyed sensually. It is the same with the Greek word pneuma and with the Latin word spin’tus. So there is not one of these three great ancient languages in which a person could even say the word for “spirit” without an audible breath sound. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 39)
I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, “You must be born again.” The wind blows wherever it pleases. 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 3:5—8
Think of what is said of the creation of Adam at the beginning of Genesis. God breathed into Adam so that he became a living being. His Spirit (which we remember means “breath” or “wind”) was the vehicle. Now we find Jesus saying that the new life that all people need needs to be breathed into them in a way analogous to God’s creation of Adam. Just as at the beginning God breathed into Adam so that he became a living physical being, so also in our day if a person is to be saved God must breathe into him or her by his Holy Spirit once again from above, just like the first time so that the person might become spiritually alive. We may be physically alive without the new birth, but if we are to become spiritually alive God must breathe Spirit into us. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 40)
We tend to forget that fire is a source of light because we live in an age of electricity. When we think of light, we think of flipping a wall switch and having a bulb light up. In the ancient world, there was no electricity. So light came either by the sun or by fire. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples at Pentecost, the first experience they had was what we would call “spiritual illumination.” That is why Peter could preach such a persuasive sermon. He understood the Old Testament as he had not understood it before. He was given ability to preach it to enlighten those who heard him. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 44)
Everyone will hear as the gospel spreads through the testimony of those who are obeying the Great Commission. That is what you and I are called upon to do. That is the task to which the Lord Jesus Christ sends us. (James Montgomery Boice, Acts, 45)