Acts 2:1-12

Review: the believers in Jerusalem were waiting for the promised outpouring of the Spirit

Verse 1:

“they were all together in one place” - the same group as in 1:15, about 120 people.

Together in once place - this is again the Jerusalem church in seed form.

Again, there is some sense of organization, and some sense of membership

Pentecost - also called the “Feast of Weeks” celebrated the wheat harvest.

Is there a connection between the OT Pentecost and feast and the NT Pentecost event?

There were 50 days from passover to Pentecost:

Passover - Jesus as the passover lamb whose blood protected Israel from God’s wrath

Pentecost - feast where firstfruits of the harvest were offered to God… perhaps the Jerusalem church was the firstfruits of the New Creation?

But equally important, Pentecost was a day on which many scattered Jews from many nations would be gathered back to Jerusalem

Verses 2-4: How did the HS manifest his presence?

Mighty rushing wind: the sound was like a rushing wind - some kind of supernatural thing being compared to the sound of wind. Greek words for wind and spirit are the same...

It filled the house where they were sitting: similar idea to the glory of God filling the temple - but now, what is God’s temple? (His gathered people.)

Divided tongues of fire: Why fire? (Representative of God’s presence.) But before this, always dangerous to get close to. Now, resting on individuals! How?!? (Clothed with Jesus’ righteousness!)

Luke 3:16 ESV

John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

They were filled with the HS and began to speak in tongues: these were foreign languages.

Just as the HS gave skills to certain individuals for building the tabernacle, now he is giving gifts to his people for the building up of the church, which is the new temple!

Verses 5-12: Jews from many nations.

(Show Map)

What were the believers doing? (Telling of the mighty works of God.)

Why were they telling of the mighty works of God?

What mighty works of God?

How does this relate to our understanding of what evangelism is?

The crowd had trouble explaining what was going on because it was miraculous… yet some managed to come up with a (not very good) explanation.