May 24 – Acts 2:1-13

Main Focus: The Spirits Arrival

Acts chapter 2 records the birth of the church at Pentecost. Pentecost was the second of the annual harvest festivals, coming 50 days after Passover. Jesus had compared the Holy Spirit’s work to the wind, but here the Holy Spirit is coming in greatly increased power, and it was appropriate that this event be accompanied by a sound that was not like a gentle breeze but like a mighty rushing wind. The house where they were sitting probably was the upper room, which must have been located close to the temple grounds.

The divided tongues of fire were not literal flames but looked enough like fire that this was the best description that could be given. “Fire” in the OT often indicates the presence of God, especially in his burning holiness and purity, consuming everything that is impure. These tongues may possibly portray both the purity and the power of the speech of these disciples as they proclaimed “the mighty works of God”, as well as the holy presence of God.

Verse 4 says they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a fulfillment of what Jesus promised. It does not mean that the Holy Spirit was completely inactive prior to this time (for the Spirit of God was active in the world and onward), but now the Spirit was coming to people in a new, more powerful way, signifying the beginning of the new covenant age (the time from Christ’s death until he returns at some time in the future). And they began to speak in tongues. The word translated “tongues” can also be translated “languages,” and that is the sense that it has in this verse. This is clearly a miracle of speaking, not of hearing, for the disciples began “to speak in other tongues.” As the Spirit gave them utterance indicates that the Holy Spirit was directing the syllables they spoke.

The presence of the crowd indicates that the setting must be the temple grounds, the only place in Jerusalem that could accommodate more than 3,000 persons . The fact that they were dwelling in Jerusalem suggests not only Jewish pilgrims but local residents as well. And they spoke the “mighty works of God” (v.11). The long list of nations covers most of the first-century Roman world, particularly areas where Jewish communities existed. It provides one of the most comprehensive ancient catalogs of Jews living outside Palestine, The list demonstrates that already at Pentecost the Christians were starting their worldwide witness. At this point the converts were mainly Jewish. The only Gentiles at Pentecost were proselytes, Gentiles who had become full converts to Judaism.