A Biblical View of Pentecost. (Acts 2:1- 12)

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Welcome

If you've ever wondered about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and its significance in the life of a believer, this episode is for you. We'll look at this scriptural account of Pentecost and discuss its implications for us today. Let's dive in!

Episode Notes: A Biblical View of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-12)

Introduction

• Reflect on a personal experience with a conversation about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.
• Mention the common questions and curiosity about this topic among Christians.
• Brief overview of Pentecostal and charismatic beliefs regarding the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Pentecostal Doctrine

• Outline of the classic Pentecostal teaching:
  • Necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit after salvation.
  • Association of this baptism with speaking in tongues as a heavenly language.

Key Questions

• Timing of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: at conversion or after?
• Significance of the baptism: does it provide power, and are believers powerless without it?
• Nature of speaking in tongues: human language or heavenly language?

Scriptural Examination: Acts 2:1-12

• Context of Pentecost:
  • Meaning of "Pentecost" and its occurrence fifty days after Passover.
  • Historical significance of Passover and Pentecost in the Old Testament.
• Event Description:
  • Coming of the Holy Spirit.
  • Reactions of people in Jerusalem: confusion and amazement.
• Key Verses:
  • Acts 2:1-4: Sound of a rushing mighty wind, appearance of tongues of fire, filling with the Holy Spirit, speaking in other tongues.
  • Acts 2:5-12: Multinational audience hearing their own languages, amazement, and the question, "What does this mean?"

Baptism vs. Filling of the Holy Spirit

• Distinction between baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit.
• Biblical evidence and theological explanations from the Epistles.
• Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
  • Unites believers into the Body of Christ.
  • Empowers for service.
  • Occurs at conversion.
• The Filling of the Holy Spirit:
  • Continuous experience for empowerment and service.

Speaking in Tongues

• Acts 2:5-12: Evidence that the tongues spoken were known human languages.
• Examination of 1 Corinthians 13 and Romans 8 regarding the concept of heavenly languages.
• Clarification that biblical instances of tongues are intelligible human languages.

Theological Significance of Pentecost

• Historical and prophetic fulfillment of Pentecost.
• The baptism of the Holy Spirit as the initiation of the church.
• Unity in the Body of Christ:
  • Importance of unity among believers.
  • Illustration of interdependence within the Body of Christ.

Conclusion

• Appreciate the unity and completeness we have in Christ.
• Reflecton the importan

Transcript

A Biblical View of Pentecost.  (Acts 2:1-12)

Transcript:

 I hadn't been a Christian for very long when someone asked me, "Have you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit with what they suggested the evidence of which was speaking in tongues?" 

This was new to me; I'd never heard of such a thing. But she insisted that it was something I needed to do next. At that point, all I knew was that I wanted whatever the Lord had for me, so I began searching the Scriptures to see if I needed this baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Since then, I've had countless conversations with people about this topic. I wonder if anyone of you listening have been told that you need the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? Many of you probably have. So, what is the biblical teaching on this subject?

Those who advocate for this are sometimes called Pentecostals and charismatics  and in my experience, they are sincere, godly people who love the Lord. But the real question is: what does Scripture say, and do their beliefs match up with the Bible?

Let’s start by summarizing what the classic Pentecostal doctrine teaches.

They say you need to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit after you are saved.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit then gives you the power to witness or serve the Lord and is evidences by speaking in tongues and that is considered a heavenly language.

These points raise several questions:

When should you experience the baptism of the Holy Spirit—at conversion or after?

What is the significance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Does it grant power, and if so are you powerless without it?

Is speaking in tongues a human language or a heavenly language?

We've been studying the book of Acts, and we've arrived at Acts 2:1-13, the passage that describes what happened on the Day of Pentecost. Let's look at this passage to see if we can answer these questions and understand our relationship to this topic…..

The passage before us is straightforward. It begins with the coming of the Holy Spirit.

The second part of the passage, starting in verse 5, describes the reaction of the people in Jerusalem to what was happening. In a word, they were confused.

Luke then provides clarification from verse 7 onwards to ensure there is no misunderstanding about what transpired.

Verse 1 says,

 "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

To understand this, we need to explain what Pentecost means. The word "Pentecost" means "fifty." It refers to a Jewish festival that occurred fifty days after Passover.

In the Old Testament, God gave Israel seven festivals to observe throughout the year. One of these was Passover, which you may know well already if you were with me when we journeyed through Exodus together.

Passover originated when the children of Israel were in Egypt as slaves. The death angel passed over the homes that had lamb’s blood on the doorposts, sparing them from death.

Fifty days after Passover, they celebrated Pentecost.

While we know the significance of Passover, the meaning of Pentecost isn't as clear from the Old Testament. 

It was one of the festivals God commanded them to observe. However, looking back, we can see that these festivals had spiritual significance. Some were fulfilled during the first coming of Christ, and others will be fulfilled at His second coming.

So, Pentecost marked the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the early church, empowering them for ministry and fulfilling the promise Jesus made to His disciples. So understanding Pentecost helps us grasp the significance of the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives and the church today.

In Acts chapter 1, we saw how God instructed the disciples to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. This was to ensure that the event occurred on the day of the Feast of Pentecost.

To put it in modern terms, it's similar to how we have religious holidays like Easter and Christmas—Easter commemorates the resurrection of Christ, and Christmas celebrates His birth. Similarly, Passover and Pentecost were significant religious festivals for the Jews, commemorating important historical and spiritual events. God here orchestrated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to coincide with Pentecost, giving it a new, profound significance.

Verse 1 of Acts 2 states, "When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." We don’t know the exact location, as in chapter 1 they were in the upper room, but some suggest it could have happened in the temple courtyard. Regardless of the location, they were united, waiting for the Lord as instructed.

When Pentecost arrived, several significant things occurred:

Verse 2, tells us

: "Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting."

(Acts 2: 2)

This was an extraordinary noise, unlike anything they had ever heard, filling the entire house.

Verse 3:

They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

They saw what looked like flames of fire resting on each of them, reminiscent of the burning bush that Moses encountered—fire that did not burn out.

Combining the imagery of wind and fire evokes a powerful and dynamic scene. This was a dramatic, supernatural event signifying the coming of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 4 talks about the filling with the Holy Spirit.

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

This is a critical verse that we need to explore in depth and ask the question is there a difference between the Baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit

When reading Acts 1 and the beginning of Acts 2, it’s clear that Jesus instructed the disciples to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, verse 4 here 

describes them as being filled with the Holy Spirit instead of baptized. This distinction has led to much debate.

Some believe the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit are the same, while others insist they are different. 

The primary question I suppose revolves around the purpose of the baptism of the Holy Spirit: is it to empower believers, as suggested in Acts 1:8, or does it serve another purpose?

I believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit does two key things, with a third element involved:

Firstly, it initiates/places believers into the Body of Christ:

The baptism of the Holy Spirit unites believers into one body, the church.

It also the empowers them for service:

It provides the power to witness and serve effectively.

A Separate experience, often at the same time but distinct.

While the book of Acts shows the event, it is the epistles that will explain its significance. They indicate that the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit can occur simultaneously but are not necessarily the same thing.

The book of Acts provides the historical account, while the epistles offer the theological explanation. By studying both, we gain a comprehensive understanding of this vital aspect of our faith.

Next time, we will delve into the filling of the Holy Spirit. For now, let’s focus on understanding the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

To illustrate the importance of the epistles in explaining significant events, we can also compare them to the Gospels. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John tell us that Jesus died on the cross. 

However, it is the epistles that delve deeper, explaining that His death was for our sins, achieving redemption, reconciliation, and propitiation. The Gospels provide the historical account, while the epistles offer the theological explanation. 

Similarly, here, Acts 2 gives us the historical event of Pentecost, and the epistles explain its significance.

It will be Romans 6 that teaches that the baptism of the Holy Spirit places us into Christ. When we trust in Christ, we are united with Him. This union is described using the term "baptized into Christ." 

The second significant aspect of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that it places us into the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13 states, "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body." 

The moment we trust in Christ, we are incorporated into His body, the church.

This means that the baptism of the Holy Spirit does three things:

1.   Places us into Christ: We are united with Him.

2.   Incorporates us into the Body of Christ: We become part of His body, the church.

3.   Integrates us into the Church: Not just any church, but the universal church—the collective body of all believers.

The church began on the day of Pentecost. The baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 marks the start of the church. This is evident later in Acts 11:15-16, where Peter recounts the Holy Spirit falling on the Gentiles and equates it to what happened at the beginning—Pentecost. 

This was the first instance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, making it clear that the church started on that day.

The question then arises whether the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a subsequent experience to salvation. In Acts, there are a few instances where it occurs after conversion. However, I think these are exceptions during the transitional period of the early church. 

Typically, we see the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at the moment of conversion. This is supported by 1 Corinthians 12:13, which indicates that all believers are baptized into the body of Christ upon trusting in Him.

The epistles clarify that after the transitional period in Acts, the norm is for believers to receive the Holy Spirit at conversion.

Ephesians 1:3 states that we are blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ, and Colossians 2:10 confirms that we are complete in Him. Romans 8:9 asserts that anyone without the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.

It is important to note that there is no biblical command to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Bible does not instruct believers to seek it because it is a gift given at conversion.

The only instance of someone seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit is in Acts 8, where Simon the Sorcerer is rebuked for his misguided attempt to buy this gift.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a foundational doctrine that signifies our union with Christ, our incorporation into His body, and our integration into the universal church. It began on the day of Pentecost and occurs at the moment of conversion for all believers.

Understanding this helps us appreciate the completeness and sufficiency of our salvation in Christ. There is no need to seek what has already been graciously given to us the moment we believe. 

If you’ve trusted Christ, you have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. You might not have felt it or known it, but you received that along with many other spiritual blessings. You were reconciled, redeemed, sealed—essentially, you got the whole package because you are complete in Christ.

Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:5 writes:

"I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy."

That’s clear we don’t need to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit; we have already received it when I trusted in Christ.

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 their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 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?”

(Acts 2: 5-12)

The subject of tongues can also be controversial, and it was certainly a source of confusion on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:5-7 describes how Jews from every nation were bewildered because they heard the apostles speaking in their own languages. These were Galileans, known for their limited linguistic skills, yet they were speaking in various languages and dialects, causing amazement and confusion among the listeners.

The primary debate about tongues today revolves around whether it is a heavenly language or a human language. Some point to 1 Corinthians 13, which mentions the "tongues of men and of angels," to support the idea of a heavenly language. Others refer to Romans 8, where it says the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that words cannot express.

However, Acts 2 provides its own clarification for what is being described on this particular occassion. 

The passage clearly indicates that the apostles were speaking in known human languages. Verse 6 states that everyone heard them speak in their own language, and verses 9-11 list the various regions and languages represented. Additionally, verse 11 emphasizes that the listeners heard them declaring the wonderful works of God in their own tongues, meaning languages.

Based on Acts 2, it is evident that tongues in the New Testament refer to known human languages. The Greek word for "tongue" means "language."

Some people argue that there might be a heavenly language based on the concept of angels speaking. However, whenever angels speak in the Bible, they do so in a known human language. There is no biblical evidence to support the existence of an unintelligible heavenly language. Discussions about what language will be spoken in heaven are speculative and not grounded in Scripture.

These were Galileans, not known for multilingual capabilities, yet they were speaking in various tongues, which means languages and dialects. The passage is clear that in this passage the tongues were known human languages, as seen in verses 6 and 8, where it states that everyone heard them speak in their own language.

The events at Pentecost serve as a significant moment in church history. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by supernatural signs and the speaking of human languages, signalled the beginning of a new era where the gospel was to be proclaimed to all nations.

In Genesis, God confused the languages at Babel to disperse humanity. Pentecost represents the reversal of this event, where God enables the apostles to speak in various languages, allowing everyone to understand the gospel message.

Pentecost is a historical event, not a repeatable personal experience. The coming of the Holy Spirit fulfilled the Jewish feast of Pentecost, just as Christ's birth, crucifixion, and resurrection fulfilled Old Testament prophecies.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is not about giving believers power, although it enables the potential for empowerment. Its primary significance is uniting us with Christ and placing us into the body of Christ. This unity means we are connected to every other believer, forming a spiritual family that transcends earthly bonds.

Understanding the true meaning of Pentecost should lead us to appreciate the unity we have in Christ. This unity manifests in our relationships with other believers. Have you ever travelled and met a fellow believer who felt like family? This bond is because we are all part of the same body of Christ.

Paul emphasizes the importance of this unity, urging us to be sensitive to one another because when one part of the body hurts, we all hurt. This profound connection is a key takeaway from the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 

We are members of one another, closer than even our immediate family, and we must live out this truth in our daily interactions.

The point of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that we are all members of the same body. This truth is emphasized by Paul in his letters. 

Paul’s application of this principle is clear: we are all indispensable parts of the body of Christ, regardless of how significant or insignificant we may feel. The baptism of the Holy Spirit has united us, making us interdependent.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the thing that calls us to care for one another equally. You might consider yourself as insignificant, perhaps like a little toe in the body, or you might see yourself as highly significant, like the mouth or brain. 

However, every part of the body is crucial. Just try getting along without a toe and see how it affects your balance and mobility. Similarly, the mouth and brain are vital, but they also need the rest of the body to function.

To further illustrate this point, let’s picture a blind man and a woman who cannot walk. The woman sits in a wheelchair, and the blind man pushes her. He cannot see where they are going, so she becomes his eyes, and he provides the strength and mobility she lacks. When they come to an intersection, she instructs him to stop or go based on the traffic lights. Together, they achieve what neither could accomplish alone.

This is what the baptism of the Holy Spirit does for us. It connects us into one body where each member is essential, and we depend on each other’s strengths to compensate for our weaknesses.