Transcript ACTS 2:1-21 “The Hub of the Bible”

ACTS 2:1-21
“The Hub of the Bible”
November 4, 2012
Remembering what ACTS
is:
Not so much a history as a
progress report of the
apostles and their fulfilling
the Great Commission
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Acts 1:1 – 6:7 outlines the beginning and growth of
the church in Jerusalem, and ends with the statement
“The word of God kept on spreading; and the number
of the disciples continued to increase greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were
becoming obedient to the faith.”
Acts 6:8 – 9:31 describes the spread of Christianity
into Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and ends with the
statement “So the church throughout all Judea and
Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up;
and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the
comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.”
Acts 9:32 – 12:24 pictures the expansion of the
church into Antioch and Caesarea and the reception of
the Gentiles into the faith. It ends saying “But the
word of the Lord continued to grow and to be
multiplied.”
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Acts 12:25 – 16:5 tells of the preaching of the Gospel
through Asia Minor and Galatia, ending with the
report “So the churches were being strengthened in
the faith, and were increasing in number daily.”
Acts 16:6 – 19:20 reports on the carrying of the
Word into Europe (Corinth, Ephesus, etc.) and ends
by noting “So the word of the Lord was growing
mightily and prevailing”
Acts 19:21 – 28:31 finishes the narrative with the
Gospel being preached in the heart of the ancient
world, and concludes “preaching the kingdom of God
and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with
all openness, unhindered.”
Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost had come, they
were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly
there came from heaven a noise like a violent
rushing wind, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared
to them tongues as of fire distributing
themselves, and they rested on each one of
them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak with other tongues,
as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Time: Pentecost
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The occasion of the feast
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Called “Pentecost” because it occurred on the
fiftieth day after the Passover Sabbath. (Lev.
23:15&16)
Called the “Feast of Weeks” because it occurred a
week of weeks (7 X 7) from Passover. (Deut.
16:10)
Called the “Feast of Harvest” because it marked
the day when the firstfruits of the wheat harvest
were offered in sacrifice to God. (Exo. 23:16)
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The characteristics of the Day
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One of three occasions in the year when all
men of Israel were required to go to
Jerusalem to worship. (Exo. 23:14-17.
However, by the time of Christ, that had
been altered so that only those living
within fifteen miles of Jerusalem were
required to go.)
All work was suspended on that day.
(Numbers 28:26)
Offerings were to be made in conjunction
with the feast. (Deut. 16:16&17)
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The reasons for the Feast Day
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Thanksgiving for the harvest
Rejoicing for deliverance (Deut. 16:11&12)
Tradition—not Scripture—says it was to
commemorate the giving of the law. Tradition
says it was the day on which Moses had
received the Law on Mt Sinai
SUDDENLY,
IT HAPPENS!!
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Prophecies of this event:
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Joel 2:28ff– “It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions.
29 “Even on the male and female servants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
John the Baptist announces it– “As for me, I baptize
you with water for repentance, but He who is coming
after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove
His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit
and fire.” (Matthew 3:11)
Jesus promised it– “for John baptized with water, but
you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many
days from now.” (Acts 1:5)
Place: the temple
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The disciples, following the ascension and in
keeping with Jesus’ instruction, were
“continually in the temple, praising God.”
(Luke 24:53)
Probably in the outer court of the Gentiles,
since that is one of the few places in Jerusalem
large enough to accommodate such a crowd.
What was seen and heard
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Sound like a violent, rushing wind
Tongues of fire—distributing themselves. The
old term from the KJV is “cloven” tongues.
This means they had a solid base, but split
apart as they moved upward. Again, this was
not fire, but “as of fire”.
THIS IS THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT. (At least, the manifestation of what
was happening.)
Acts 2:5-13
“Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every
nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came
together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them
speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying,
“Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that
we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9
Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea
and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and
the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews
and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues
speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in
amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this
mean?” 13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet
wine.”
The Results of this Holy Spirit
Baptism
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On the Apostles:
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They spoke in tongues (vs. 4)
These were the languages of those gathered
But how?
It appears from the “divided” tongues that the
apostles spoke in their language, but that the
people heard in their language!
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On the people:
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They were “bewildered” (v. 6)
They were “amazed and marveled” (v.7)
They were “perplexed” (v. 12)
Some had the answer: they are drunk!
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How would being drunk allow you to hear
someone speaking a different language from
yours in your tongue?
Peter’s answer: too early to be drunk, but not
too early for the Spirit to move!
Acts 2:14-21
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But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to
them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you
and give heed to my words. 15 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it
is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what was spoken of through the
prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams;
18 Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,
I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit
And they shall prophesy.
19 ‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
20 ‘The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
What Joel says:
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“all mankind”—not a sampling of the Jews
(the apostles) and Gentiles (the house of
Cornelius), but “all”
“signs in heaven above…the sun shall be
turned to darkness…before the great and
terrible day of the Lord”
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.”
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Going back to John the Baptist’s prophecy in
Matthew 3:11– “He will baptize you with the
Holy Spirit and fire.”
Generally we interpret this to mean that the
apostles were to be baptized in the Holy Spirit
and those who reject Jesus would be baptized
in fire (lost into the fires of hell). But what
about those who are neither apostles or
rejecters of Jesus? What about them?
I see in this prophecy of Joel and promise of a
future baptism of the Holy Spirit for all of
those who obey Jesus—at the same time those
who do not obey receive a baptism of fire!
QUESTIONS??
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Next week, Peter’s sermon and the people’s
response
Life in the infant days of the church