MOTEL 6 IN TWO
Acts 2:5-47
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22 “Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him: “‘I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
THE WAIT IS OVER!
God has an awesome plan and design for all who wait for Him, and are obedient to Him.
If you want to enjoy His plan to its fullest, you have to obey. Today’s Passage is focused on the early members of the church and their obedience. Acts 1:2-4 and 2:1-8 contrast well: they could obey and wait, or get busy on their own. 120 people chose to wait. Ever wonder about the rest of the crowd? Look at the experiences of those who obeyed:
I) EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES: GOOD or BAD: CHRIST OR COORS? YOU DECIDE
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5).
This is the Motel 6 passage of the New Testament: a gathering of many people who were God fearing from around the world. The collection of Jewish people would have been the Diaspora coming to Jerusalem for the Pentecost celebration and people relocating to the Home Land.
The two gave occasion for a city environment that would have seen curious interest in the events that had just unfolded: especially due to the city influence. No other Century before the 20th has been as influenced by cities as had the first. It was urban and dangerous: fire, theft, crime: all made for a grim, hostile and dangerous place. Death was common, but the city was a place that the Romans relished. It has been said that the Roman: “Did not feel at home in the country. To feel at home they needed a city.”
Paul, Peter, Jesus: they were men of their time: city life was important to them. Urban squalor was a problem: the cities had multiple tiered buildings: upper rooms. The multi-tiered high-rise buildings were usually tenement buildings for the poor. As city dwellers, there were certain things that caused people to live in fear: most notably: fire.
This aversion to the threat of fire is not as acute in the modern western world due to our extensive use of watering systems. The ancient world did not have the luxury of water mains and pressurized pipes, however. Any threat of fire would be met with fear, frenzy and an immediate response. It wasn’t that long ago when fire held people to the same sense of dread and foreboding. All we have to do is look back at the great fire of Chicago in the 1800’s to see a time in which the catastrophe of fire was a devastating calamity. Again, history shows us the destructive nature of fire during the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake that struck San Francisco California. Although the quake rendered extensive damage to many buildings, the wholesale damage that leveled the ‘City by the Bay’ was caused by the fires that raged for days, due to the damage that was rendered to the water system. People would respond to the threat of fire quickly. Strangely, this catastrophic destruction almost revisited the San Francisco community following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, as numerous water mains burst, curtailing the initial need to fight the fires that began to breakout throughout the city. A frenzied response kept the damage from spreading to far and to fast, however, and the damages were limited. Fires and cities have never been seen to co-exist on friendly terms. Holy Spirit swept over these believers in an overwhelming way that would have created an emotional frenzy.
In Scripture, some things are difficult to explain or understand, yet there they are. Verse 6 tells us about language expansion: When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language (V. 6). The drawing of the crowd and their confusion is an amazing thing: what drew them? They heard the sound that the Disciples heard in the Upper Room: a mighty rushing wind. This verse could just as easily be translated: “When they heard the noise, a crowd came together. And they were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in their own languages.”
The implication is that sound of Pentecost attracted the crowd. This is synonymous with Rabbinic teaching about the giving of the Law at Sinai. When the law was given, the voice was singular, yet Exodus 20: 18 says: “all the people perceived the voices.” Rabbinic tradition says that this shows that the one voice divided into seven spirits/voices that were then heard in seventy tongues, and every people received the Law in their own language. The connection between the New and Old is powerful. Obedience leads to the workings of God in life. Obedient people have unforgettable experiences.
This was also a melting moment (Acts 2:1-11) with a simple message Salvation and the Spirit are for ALL people.
Acts 2:7-8: Galileans had problems pronouncing gutturals and had the habit of swallowing syllables. This is why some of the people in Jerusalem looked down on them as being provincial. This harkens back to the events of the life of Peter immediately prior to the execution of Jesus. Do you remember how Peter had waited in the courtyard, as Jesus was being tried? What was his response to the assertion that he belonged to the band of believers in Christ? As people in the crowd accused Peter of being a Galilean disciple on numerous occasions: Again he denied it. After a little while, those standing near said to Peter, “Surely you are one of them, for you are a Galilean” (Mark 14:70).
Galileans were considered ignorant people, lacking in the social graces of major city dwellers and receiving deficient levels of education. Outsiders considered Galileans to be people who spoke with a funny accent, thus the bewilderment of the precision of language as they were seen in the streets speaking fluently in the languages of the Jewish God-fearing people who were gathering in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. This aversion tactic toward the linguistic peculiarities of the Galilean region is very similar to the prejudices that can exist today when certain regional dialects and accents set a community apart from the general population. Pittsburgh natives often speak with a dialect that is known as ‘Pittsburgh-ese. Due to Dutch and Germanic influences (as well as a number of other immigrant dialects), there is a unique use of language and the expression of some very creative words. Some Pennsylvanians, particularly those who live in the Eastern reaches of the State view this as an aberration, and look at this linguistic peculiarity with disdain, almost equating the use of Pittsburgh-ese as an expression of ignorance. Yet, Pittsburgh is a highly educated community, with no discernable differences in intellect, other than the regional form of communication. This is how it was with the Galileans.
Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” (2:9-11) The list of countries isn’t all inclusive of every country known at the time. The list does identify all of the known major Jewish settlements through out the civilized regions during this era however, moving from the East to the West, with the middle going North to South. Parthia, Media, Elam and Mesopotamia were East of the Euphrates. The Jews who lived there spoke both Aramaic and Greek. These were the lands of the earliest dispersion, comprising the regions where the 10 Tribes of the North were removed to by Assyria in both the Eighth and Seventh Centuries following conflicts and grievances. Even though they were assimilated into the lands that had originally been a place of captivity, they retained their cultural identity and practices once freedom became a viable way of living in their new land.
Later, their numbers grew due to Nebuchadnezzar: at the time of the Pentecostal outpouring, there may have been a Jewish community of over 200, 000. The tenth verse identifies Roman visitors, people from the Capitol. Luke’s reference to these people may be indicative of the community that may have formed the nucleus of the Roman Church upon their return. This would make sense, particularly if the original occasion of the writing of Luke/Acts was to present a legal brief explaining the newly formed religion that became known as Christianity.
These Roman visitors were the only European people included in the list, thus giving us a hint as to their relevance in the treaties reason for existence. They are important to note due to the direction of the Book of Acts itself: it leads to Rome, along with all the other roads in the expansive Roman world. The scope and expansive regions that the Jewish people had migrated to, or were living in, was impressive. By the time the New Testament era arrived, nine out of ten Jewish persons lived abroad, either as the result of dispersion following times of being conquered through hostile aggression, or because of commerce and opportunity for wealth.
Although I am not going to examine Peter’s message at this time, I do think it is important to point out the summation of his belief system at the time, particularly in relationship to eschatological expectations. Peter expected the fulfillment concerning the return of Christ to happen in the immediate future. History shows us that God had a different plan, however. God has waited at least 2000 years (and counting) before the consummation of the age is completed and Christ returns to set up the millennial reign. Peter did realize that the Messianic age had been inaugurated; he just did not realize initially that it would be forestalled indefinitely.
II) MYSTICAL EXPERIENCES: GOOD or BAD?
Acts Chapter 2 is the litmus test for many believers who advocate the more mystical and experiential dynamic of faith. In the Pentecostal realm of the church, the events of Acts 2 have become the basis for their advocacy of a second act of grace, subsequent to salvation. This secondary event has come to be known as the Baptism in the Spirit. Theologies have been written that serve as ardent supporters of a belief that advocates a system of belief that restricts Holy Spirit’s activities in the life of the believer. This view states that the infilling of the Spirit is a distinct occurrence that only happens outside of salvation. This is problematic to theology however, as a biblical approach to Scripture must cede the fact that Holy Spirit is the agent of salvations’ impartation to all who enter into a state of grace. It is interesting to note that the Book of Acts only records two instances of Spirit Baptism, in the sense of the Spirit’s activity of falling upon a collection of believers who were waiting for the blessing of His presence. The first occasion is found in the Second Chapter of Acts, and refers to the Upper Room phenomena. The second occasion of what has been termed as Spirit Baptism is found in the passage of Scripture that highlights the Gentile inclusion into the Spirit Filled life.
The act of being baptized in the Spirit brought to Cornelius and his consorts the freedom that arrives when forgiveness and salvation are the imparted blessing of new life from God. Peter had promised these believers who had dwelt outside of the cradle of Judaism that they were acceptable to God. It was his assertion that the sign of their acceptability came because of their baptism, with the subsequent expressions of glossolalia by these Gentile converts as:
All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, and: He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”
18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life” (Acts 10:43–45; 11:13–18).
The term “Baptized in Spirit” was really meant to be understood as being synonymous with “repentance unto life” (Acts 11:18) and “cleansed their hearts by faith:” God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith (Acts 15:8–9). It is important to acknowledge this distinction, as it places the act of Spirit Baptism into the circumference of salvation, therefore it isn’t a subsequent experience. This does not negate the need for subsequent experiences with the Spirit of God however. Scripture makes continuous references to the act of being filled, which implies ongoing encounters.
Classic Pentecostalism equates the act of Tongue-speaking as the defining mark of the Spirit’s witness as to His indwelling in the life of the Christian who welcomes Him into their life through Spirit Baptism. This tongue chrism made its first appearance in the early church on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2. It was in an Upper Room where the Holy Spirit filled 120 Christians meeting together that the Spirit granted the respondents the ability to speak in tongues. The new language mastery caused the on looking God-fearers to burst out in expressive praise to God in a multitude of languages that were spoken by the Jewish people who had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. According to Acts 2:8–11, the audience of Jerusalem could understand them, since they were communicating the message of peace in the listeners own language.. Verses 9–11 lists multiple nations whose denizens had gathered in Jerusalem. Subsequently, they heard the disciples speaking in their own language once they left the Upper Room and flooded the streets with their new experience burning within their hearts.
Acts 10:1- 48 is a compelling transition in the life of the church, as the community of faith grew outside of the Jewish boundaries it had been restricted to up to this point. As the early church began to organize and develop traditions that would stipulate their ordinances, Baptism begins to carry with it a New Covenant attachment, just like Jesus and the Passover elements. This has ordinarily been understood to be restricted to water baptism, yet the Scriptural record equates the act of baptism within the church via the Spirit as the only means of inclusion into the churches safety and security. This is the reason of the significance of Cornelius’ conversion and baptism into Spirit. Notice the Scriptural record:
At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter at Cornelius’ House
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
In multiple occurrences following the Acts 2 phenomena, whole groups of people encountered the infilling of Holy Spirit. On most of these occasions, Luke indicates that the initiates began to speak with the glossolalic tongues. This experience is confirmed with both the group at Cornelius’s home, and the believers at Ephesus, who had only received the Baptism of John the Baptist.
The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God, and While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues (or other tongues) and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. (10:45, 46; 19:6).
This manifestation of glossolalia was not all-inclusive. There are recorded times in the Book of Acts where the converts did not begin speaking in tongues upon their infilling with Spirit’s presence:
When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into(or in) the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit (8:15–17). This lack of specificity regarding the lingua franca of Acts and the Spirit makes it unclear whether this was an expected occurrence, thereby the instance was an assumed event, or if the record is specific as to the lack of glossolalia. As the other instances do record the phenomena as a part of the dialog, we can assume that the lack of specificity is a warranted exclusion, and that these disciples did not speak in tongues because of their encounter with Holy Spirit.
It is also important to point out Luke’s language usage in Acts 2:39, as this passage points out the necessity for continuity concerning the Spirit’s abiding presence and the manifestations of the chrism’s, which would include the possibility of glossolalia. When Luke identifies the power of the promise as a durative phenomena that was inclusive of the first generation of believers and their children, Luke dispels the notion of a dispensational cage that would limit the promises’ fulfillment to one specific generation. The language rule that applies to this phrase states that the children referral includes an indefinite application of the promise, meaning there would be no end to the possibility of the Spirit’s activities among men. Theologies that limit God and His actions to certain dispensations and not others may be quaint, but it is unfounded.
What this means to us is that we now identify with Jesus and can receive the gift of Holy Spirit’s presence: The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call (2:39).” What a package: forgiveness and God’s abiding presence with us and in us as long as Jesus chooses to wait and return.
This also refers us back to Joel’s prophecy: all who are far away as in separated by time and distance. With many other words, he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day (2:40-41). Peter uses powerful words to convey his thoughts: pleaded, warned, witnessed, and called. Baptism was usually only understood for converts to Judaism, except among the Dead Sea communities. Three thousand people followed Peter’s challenge and crossed over into the new revelation, thus beginning the Christian mission to the Jewish world.
Scripture is instructive concerning the problem of Spirit Baptism, as the Bible indicates that all believers have been immersed into Spirit, as we become integrated and connected to the body of Christ and made members of the church: for we were all baptized by (with or in) one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink (1 Corinthians 12:13). Paul’s theological assertion in this passage in the first letter to the church at Corinth is illuminating, as he tells us that the portal of salvation is the Spirit. You cannot be saved and be deprived of Holy Spirit’s presence and activity in your life. The genuine evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit is the character development that we undergo as Holy Spirit works His presence and character into us. This has come to be known as “Spirit fruit” as defined in Galatians 5:22–23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Lesson: God’s blessings are often in direct proportion to our obedience.
As the modern church begins to obey, we to will encounter extraordinary times with God: Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine (2:12-13).” Here is a significant problem with supernatural manifestations: they are not self authenticating. Nor do they uniformly convince people of the messengers’ truthfulness or correctness. Miracles/supernaturalism must be accompanied by heart preparation and the proclamation of truth if their full impact is to be realized. This even holds true for the miraculous appearance of Holy Spirit at the Feast of Pentecost. Not everyone was convinced it was authentic and they ridiculed those who did by calling them drunks and making light of the phenomena. This is similar to Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians about tongues in I Corinthians 14:23: So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
Amazement and perplexity follow the hearing of tongues, causing non-believers to conclude that the speaker is mad/nuts. However, the God fearing Jews were forced to ask: “What does this mean?”
Paul was a Jew of Jews according to his own admission in Romans and Galatians. He had a distinct burden to see his people come into the redeeming quality and knowledge of Jesus.
Here Luke retells the theme of the Book of Acts and the subplot of Luke’s Gospel: “You shall be my witness’s in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (1:8).” As a good Jewish theologian, Deuteronomy 19:15 looms behind all of Paul’s statements about Jesus and the mission of the Church. This is the passage that gives the requirement for two to three witnesses as a minimum for matters of truth to be established.
Luke uses the principle of witnesses on many occasions in his accounts of the Christ:
· The witness of the Scriptures along with the witness of Jesus and the witness of the Spirit (3)
· The pairs of disciples who were sent out on behalf of Jesus (2)
· The pair of Angels at the Tombs entrance: Matthew and Mark only mention one (28:2-5; 16:5)
· Luke also uses this tradition in his accounts of miracles and ministry in Galilee and in the regions of Perea & Judea (Luke 4:14-9:50 & 9:51-19:27)
He also follows this pattern in Acts by pairing men apostolically in ministry. Peter & John; Barnabas & Saul; Paul & Barnabas; Judas & Silas; Barnabas & Mark; Paul & Silas; and Silas & Timothy. Luke also sets up different parallels between Peter in the first half of the Book and Paul in the second half of Acts:
· Both heal a lame man (3:2-8 & 14:8-10)
· Both do long distance miracles (5:15 & 19:12)
· Both drive out evil spirits from possessed people (5:16 & 16:18)
· Both defeat sorcerers (8:18-24 & 13:6-11)
· Both bring someone back from the grave (9:26-43 & 20:9-12)
· Both defend themselves against Jewish authorities (4:8-12 & 5:27-32)
· Both receive heavenly visions (10:9-16 & 16:9)
· Both impart Holy Spirit to new converts (8:14-17 & 19:1-7)
· Both have miraculous jailbreaks (5:19; 12:7-11; & 16:25-27); and of greatest importance:
· Both proclaim the same message and even use similar Old Testament references for proof (Psalms 16:10)
This is an important element in the Books’ of Acts and in the Gospel of Luke. Both uses Jesus’ words in 1:8 as the basis for their mandate and the structuring of their information and stories from the perspective of the two to three witnesses. We see this again in the outline of Acts:
· The mission of the Jerusalem Apostles and their fellow Jewish believers throughout the world
· The mission of Paul and the brethren throughout the Gentile world
III) MOVEMENT BIRTH: GOOD or BAD?
The Early Days: Acts 2:42-6:7 describes the first three to five years of the Churches existence. Luke uses short stories in his chronicle in order to be brief and to the point, yet still conveying the power of what was occurring. Acts 2:42-47 was basically a thesis statement of how the Church did during these early years.
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (2:42) Luke tells us what it was that distinguished the early fellowship from the rest of Judaism: they continued in the Apostles teachings, fellowship was important, sharing meals was important, and last but not least: prayer took a central place in what they did. These early believers were devoted to these divine activities with a single mindedness. The Apostolic teaching is an important concept: the material they told became the authoritative information about Jesus the Christ and their exploits with Him. It must have been composed of a compilation of His words His earthly ministry His passion and His subsequent resurrection and how this made redemption available. All of these issues became the basis for a new tradition: that of the Christian faith. All of this became information that could be passed down to others by oral recounting and in writings eventually.
The large number of references to teachers, teaching and tradition in Acts and the rest of the New Testament let’s us see how teaching & tradition balanced the creative role that prophecy took. We even see that teaching was linked to prophecy (Acts 13:1; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 14:6; Ephesians 4:11). It also tells what the central aspects of their belief system consisted of: a living eschatological expectation, and the doctrinal teaching of the Apostles. This was their focal point of existence as a Christian community
In addition: there was something unique and special in the gatherings of the fellowship.
With an influx of three thousand believers, people couldn’t help but notice them. It appears that they were given official sanction, probably being identified as the Synagogue of the Nazarene’s: “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect (24:5).
This would give them recognition among the other expressions of the Jewish faith as just another sect
However, they weren’t just another group: they banded around their belief that Jesus was and is the reason for salvation: not the Temple. The breaking of bread probably tells us that they indulged in some form of Communion on an ongoing basis right from the beginning of our faith.
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles (2:43). In addition, Luke tells us that awe settled on the early believers. Most of them didn’t take part in Jesus earthly ministry. The Apostles helped these new converts to be convinced of Jesus reality by the signs they performed. In addition, those outside of the faith were able to observe what was going on as they saw the demonstrations of power occur. They saw God as being ever present with these new believers and they continued to be awed over and over again.
All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need (2:44-45) within this new community, many started to identify themselves in new ways: a sense of community developed. With this newness came persecution and the need to live together, pooling resources. This communal lifestyle was a further implication of the early Churches identification with the Qumran dissidents/covenanters as well.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts (2:46). Here Luke shows us how the early believers continued to express themselves through their Jewishness. The Law was their Law: the Temple was their place of worship; Jerusalem was their promised city. They met and discussed theology at the Temple, Solomon’s Colonnade: they later met to eat & fellowship in homes.
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (2:47). In the beginning, the people were open and tolerant to what was happening in their midst
This allowed the Apostles to continue to tell the community that the event known as Jesus was a reason to rejoice. The early triumph of the Church led to a daily adding to the numbers by the Lord. It was a powerful first five years that this paragraph summarizes for us.
Conclusion
1) The path of comfort doesn’t always include obedience
2) The result of obedience is the experience most only dream about
3) The Lord is waiting for people who will stop, look and listen, allowing him to have His way with them Holy Spirit changes how we view and use our possessions.
BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT* A popularly used phrase, which never occurs as such in the Bible. The NT always uses the verbal phrase “baptize [or baptized] in the Spirit.” That gives it a dynamic character that the noun phrase cannot fully convey.
The phrase seems to have been coined by John the Baptist: “I baptize you with water; but he [the One who is to come] will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire” (Mt 3:11; Lk 3:16; but Mk 1:8 and Jn 1:33 omit the words “and fire”).
The phrase is clearly a metaphor: it stands in contrast to and as the fulfillment of John’s water baptism.
It is a metaphor of judgment, as the context in Matthew and Luke makes clear.
Purification or destruction in a river of fire, by a spirit of cleansing, in the fiery breath of God (“breath” and “spirit” are the same word in Hebrew), was familiar imagery in Jewish thought (Is 4:4; 30:27–28; Dn 7:10).
It is also a metaphor of mercy, since the purification cleanses; after winnowing, the grain would be gathered into the barn (Mt 3:11–12).
And, finally, it is a metaphor of initiation— John the Baptist’s variation on “the messianic woes,” the expectation that the messianic age would be introduced only through suffering and tribulation (e.g., Dn 7:19–22; 12:1; Zec 14:12–15; also the pseudepigraphal 1 Enoch 100:1–3).
In the book of Acts the metaphor retains the initiatory significance given it by John the Baptist.
Acts 2:4 fulfills the promise of Acts 1:5. Since the outpouring of the Spirit was seen as the mark of “the last days” (Is 44:3; Ez 39:29; Jl 2:28–29), it was by being thus baptized in Spirit that the disciples began to experience the last days for themselves (Acts 2:1–7, 18).
Acts 11:17 speaks of Pentecost as the occasion when they came to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. Similarly the apostle Paul sees the gift of the Spirit as the beginning of Christian experience (2 Cor 1:22; Gal 3:3), so that “having the Spirit of Christ” is the defining mark of the Christian (Rom 8:9).
By being baptized in the Spirit, Cornelius and his friends received the forgiveness and salvation that Peter promised them (Acts 10:43–45; 11:13–18).
“Baptized in Spirit” is there synonymous with “granted repentance unto life” (11:18) and “cleansed their hearts by faith” (15:8–9).
The prophets and apocalyptic writers frequently spoke of a period of tribulation and suffering necessary before the new age could come: “the messianic woes,” “the birth pangs of the Messiah,” “a river of fire.” Parallels to John’s phraseology are found in Isaiah 30:27–28 and in the pseudepigraphal 2 Esdras 13:10–11.
John the Baptist probably adopted that usage and reexpressed it through a metaphor drawn from his own most characteristic act (baptism). His “baptize in fire” thus probably denoted the purifying judgment that would bring in the new age as well as bring individuals into the new age.
There is no further biblical reference specifically to baptism of fire. Mark and John abbreviate the Baptist’s preaching by omitting all mention of judgment. With Pentecost and beyond, John’s baptism in water is seen as fulfilled in baptism in the Spirit. But Jesus seemed to echo the Baptist’s conviction that a fiery purification was necessary (Mk 9:49).
And he clearly picked up the Baptist’s prediction, but referred the baptism and presumably the fire to his own death (Lk 12:49–50). His death is understood as suffering the fiery baptism for others.
That thought is matched by the apostle Paul in his understanding of baptism into Christ as a baptism into Christ’s death (Rom 6:3).
So it can be said that John’s expectation of a purgative baptism of fire for the penitent is most nearly fulfilled in the believer’s being united with Christ in his death and sharing in his sufferings; only in that way does one come to share fully in Christ’s risen glory (Rom 6:5; 8:17–23; Phil 3:10–11).
When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
