Dwell in the Word: Acts 2:1-13

Think on these questions as you dwell in Acts 2:1-13:

1. How does the event of Pentecost mark a significant moment in the early church's history? What is the key message that the disciples are empowered to convey through this event?

2. What is the significance of the disciples speaking in various languages during Pentecost? How does this relate to the biblical narrative of the Tower of Babel, and what does it signify for the spread of the gospel?

3. What is the broader message conveyed by the event of Pentecost for believers today? How does this event exemplify the inclusive nature of the gospel, transcending ethnic boundaries? Additionally, how does it emphasize the role of the Holy Spirit in the expansion of the church?

Transcript:

 Here we have a substantial story. The beginning of the church when the Holy Spirit comes in power. Now this is an important story because suddenly what we have is basically the announcement that the gospel is going to go out. Jesus has said this, that they are going to be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

But here we have it on display. And so, what happens? They're all together. We just read on Wednesday that they were together and praying and now they're together again. And now divided tongues and this rushing wind comes and here in verse four we see, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now it's important that we understand from what we are reading here. This is not ecstatic utterances. This is not babble. This is clear speaking in known languages. And we see this in verse 8. And how is it that we hear each of us in his own native language? And so, what is the point here? What is happening?

Well, all these people had come together for the Feast of Pentecost. Now, we have to understand that we talk about Pentecost as a Christian thing, but they would gather for Pentecost as a Jewish feast. And so, all these people would come to Jerusalem for this feast from all over the Roman Empire. And so now the idea is, is that while they are here, these people are hearing the gospel and in their own languages, and they are going to go out into the world.

And be able to tell what has happened and proclaim the wondrous works of God, right? And so, what we see is that the Tower of Babel is functionally being undone here. Remember, back at the Tower of Babel, everybody was spread out. And then, in one language, in one group of people, The word of the one who would come through the line of the seed of the woman went through one family.

And so essentially through one family group, one language group, right? And so, we've followed that. Well, now that we've come to the coming of the seed of the woman, the one who will crush the head of the serpent, now that he has lived, died, resurrected, and ascended to the right hand of the Father, now the good news of the gospel is going to go out into every language.

It's not just for this one people group anymore. It's going out to people everywhere.  And so, God used this Feast of Pentecost and the coming together of these people in order to expand the message of the gospel out into the world. And as I said, to functionally undo Babel, where now suddenly they're not divided anymore, but they're brought together by the gospel.

And we see this as we look at verse 11. We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God. This was an amazing thing, that the gospel was now going out into the whole world.  And so, while you think about this today, and what does this mean for us? We are, first of all, we are, not, most of us, Hebrew people.

This is good news for us. This event is part of how the gospel comes to us. That the gospel is expanded out to people of every tribe, tongue, and nation. That's good news for us. But also, it tells us something about the proliferation of the gospel. That the Holy Spirit Comes to God's people and he is the one who brings them to faith.

And so, we proclaim this good news. We proclaim it to everyone that they might hear and that they might believe in that the Spirit might use our proclamation of it to bring them to faith.  And so, we have joy that God has brought us into his family, regardless of our ethnicity. And so, with that joy, we then proclaim the wondrous works, the mighty works of God ourselves that others might hear and believe. 

And so, as I said, this is essentially the birth of the church. This is our understanding of how God has brought a people together who are diverse, who are made up of people from, as I said, every tribe, tongue, and language. And so may we know that this is continuing today, and may we faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, that others may hear and believe this good news, that the church may continue to grow, not because of anything that we do, but because God is bringing people to faith through the proclamation of the gospel and through the work of the Holy Spirit.