Acts Part 08
We cannot see the wind itself, but we can hear it and see trees swaying under its power. In a similar way, we cannot see God’s Spirit, but we can observe its effects.
Acts 2:1 begins with the Day of Pentecost. The phrase “had fully come” may not be the best translation as it seems to lessen the significance of the Holy Day being fulfilled. Young’s Literal Translation renders the verse,
“And in the day of the Pentecost being fulfilled, they were all with one accord at the same place.”
The giving of the Holy Spirit fulfilled an important purpose represented by this Holy Day.
Pentecost means “count fifty.” Following the weekly Sabbath during the Days of Unleavened Bread, a small handful of newly sickled barley stems and heads was brought to the priest to be accepted by God. This was called the Wave-Sheaf Offering, or the “first of the firstfruits.” Jesus Christ was represented by this offering as the first of the firstfruits. Fifty days later came Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of the Harvest.
Pentecost represents the firstfruits and the smaller spiritual harvest, while the fall festivals represent the larger spiritual harvest to come. Exodus 23:16 refers to both the “Feast of Harvest” and the “Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year,” when the fruit of the field was gathered.
The disciples were gathered “with one accord in one place.” The Greek word homothymadon (G3661) means “with one mind.” It is a distinctive Greek word used twelve times in the New Testament, ten of those occurrences appearing in Acts. Here, it describes the unity of mind among these foundational members of the New Testament Church as they waited in Jerusalem, following Christ’s command, for the promised Holy Spirit.
Suddenly, in verse 2, a sound came from heaven, like a rushing mighty wind, and filled the whole house where they were sitting. God gave His Spirit in a vivid and powerful way on this occasion. Other examples of the Holy Spirit being given in a specific manner appear in Acts 10:44, when Cornelius and the first Gentile converts received the Holy Spirit, and Acts 19:5, when disciples who had received John’s baptism were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit after Paul laid hands on them.
The comparison to wind helps illustrate the nature of God’s Spirit. In John 3:5-8, Jesus explained that a person must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God. He compared the Spirit to the wind, which cannot be seen, although its effects can be observed. We cannot see the wind itself, but we can hear it and see trees swaying under its power. In a similar way, we cannot see God’s Spirit, but we can observe its effects.
The Holy Spirit also enables true worship of God. In John 4:23-24, Jesus explained that true worshipers will worship the Father “in spirit and truth,” and that God reveals His truths to us through the power of His Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:10-11).
The sound filled the entire house where the disciples were sitting, possibly the same upper room mentioned in Acts 1. Those gathered included the apostles and the others who were present with them.
In verses 3 and 4, divided tongues appeared to them, as of fire, with one resting upon each person. This was a visible manifestation accompanying the giving of the Holy Spirit to the apostles and those gathered with them. The tongues appeared like flames and rested upon each of them. Scripture does not record this same visible manifestation occurring again when the Holy Spirit was given later through the laying on of hands or from God directly.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. The following verses explain that these tongues were languages understood by people from different regions who had gathered in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was filled with devout Jews from many nations who had traveled there for the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost was one of the three annual festival seasons when the people were commanded to gather before God.
Much of the Jewish population lived outside Judea, throughout different parts of the Roman Empire. It has been estimated that Jews made up as much as ten percent of the Roman Empire’s population, with Jewish communities especially prominent in trade centers and the eastern regions of the empire.
As discussed in the intertestamental period, under Julius Caesar, the Jews had been granted certain favored privileges, including protections that allowed Jewish communities and synagogues to exist in various cities. These synagogues would later provide opportunities for the apostles to preach the Gospel as they traveled.
Notice that the people gathered in Jerusalem are described as devout, meaning they were conscientious in their religious observance and in following God’s instructions.
When the sound occurred, the multitude gathered and was confused because each person heard the disciples speaking in his own language. They were amazed that these men, whom they recognized as Galileans, could speak in the languages of the people who had traveled from so many different regions.
Verses 9-13 list people from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya near Cyrene, Rome, Crete, and Arabia. Both Jews and proselytes were present. They heard the disciples speaking in their own languages about the wonderful works of God. The people were amazed and perplexed, asking, “Whatever could this mean?” Others mocked the disciples, claiming they were full of new wine.
This sets the stage for Peter’s sermon in the next section. The miraculous ability to speak in languages understood by the gathered people drew attention to what God was doing and gave Peter an opportunity to explain the significance of the events taking place on the Day of Pentecost.
Acts of the Apostles is a course taught at ABC by Mr. Darris McNeely. Recordings from the 2022–2023 class year are available on the ABC website.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
