Acts 2:4-13

 

Acts 2:4-13

And They Were All Filled with the Holy Spirit

Act 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

Act 2:5  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 

Act 2:6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 

Act 2:7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 

Act 2:8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 

Act 2:9  Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 

Act 2:10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 

Act 2:11  Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 

Act 2:12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 

Act 2:13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 

           1.      The Indwelling – vs. 4*

a.       They were indwelled with the Holy Spirit for the first time

                                                              i.      While it may appear, at first glance, that there was a time when the Disciples were Christians and did not have the Holy Spirit it is dangerous to read into this story too much. This is a transitory period of time between the old and new covenants.

                                                            ii.      Scripture is clear that it is impossible to be a Christian and not be indwelled by the Holy Spirit

1.       Romans 8:9 

                                                          iii.      The seeming delayed indwelling of the Holy Spirit speaks to the transitory period that the Church was in.

1.      The Samarians that had previously believed in Christ - Acts 8:14-17 

2.      The Gentile believers - Acts 10:44-48 

3.      A left-over pocket of believers that were baptized with the baptism of John the Baptist

a.       Acts 19:1-6 

b.      The miraculous manifestation

                                                              i.      They were not speaking with babbling; they were speaking clearly in other languages they did not know.

c.       The Holy Spirit gave them clarity of speech

                                                              i.      Tongues is not something random but something that was foretold in the Old Testament scriptures

1.      The primary gift of the Holy Spirit to be pursued is not tongues but rather love - 1 Corinthians 14:1 

2.      Tongues are limited in their benefit - 1 Corinthians 14:3-4 

3.      Tongues are a sign of pending judgment - 1 Corinthians 14:21-22 

4.      Tongues are a sign to those who have hardened their hearts in unbelief and are no longer sensitive to the word of God.

a.       Isaiah 28:11-13 

          2.      The Drawing – vs. 5-6*

a.       The audience is drawn to the manifestation of power with a divisive effect

                                                              i.      The audience is mainly devout Jews, there in Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of Pentecost – vs 5

                                                            ii.      They each received a simultaneous translation of what the Disciples were saying. This did not bring comfort but rather fear. They had never heard God praised in their own languages like this before. God is revealing His intention of drawing all the peoples of the earth to His Son. – vs. 6

1.      Acts 1:7-8 

           3.      The Marveling – vs. 7-11*

a.       The unlearned speak with clarity – vs. 7-11a

                                                              i.      They could not believe that those they looked on with distain, were speaking with such distinction in a vast array of languages

b.      What were they speaking? – vs. 11b

                                                              i.      They were quoting the Psalms in the native tongues of the audience

1.      Psalm 145:8-17 

           4.      The Response – vs. 12-13*

a.       Some wanted to know more

                                                              i.      These people would be a part of the birth of the Church - Acts 2:41 

b.      Some mocked

                                                              i.      Those that hardened their hearts would viciously persecute the believers

1.      First, they questioned the legitimacy of the believers

a.       Acts 4:6-7  

2.      Then they threatened physical violence on the believers

a.       Acts 4:17-18 

3.      Then they imprisoned the believers - Acts 5:17-18 

4.      Then they began to kill the believers - Acts 7:57-58; 2 Timothy 3:12