The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
• Acts 2:1,2 – “When the day of Pentecost had
come, they were all together in one place. And
suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a
violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house
where they were sitting.”
– John the Baptist’s prophecy fulfilled
• Matt 3:11 - “As for me, I baptize you with water for
repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I,
and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
– And that of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself – Acts 1:1-4
– Day of Pentecost - annual spring feast when the Jews
presented the first-fruits of their wheat harvest to God.
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
• Exod.34:22 - You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is,
the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of
Ingathering at the turn of the year.
– Also used to celebrate the giving of the Mosaic Law and
gathered together in unity - Exod 19:1; Psalm 133:1
• Paul gives further reflection on the importance of the Holy
Spirit being given vs. the Mosaic Law - Gal 3:3, 23-29
– Pentecost – Greek term meaning fiftieth.
• Feast of Weeks occurred 50 days after the Passover
– Lev 23:15,16; Deut 16:10,11
• All male Jews expected to attend and with up to 20 miles of
travel (Constable)
– Who were ‘they’ and what house?
• Acts 1:15 (~120) and the Upper Room?
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
– noise like a violent rushing wind
• wind – pneuma, same Greek term as for Spirit – John 3:8
– Coming as violent indicates power
» Tornado-like?
• Acts 2:3,4 – “And there appeared to them tongues
as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested
on each one of them. And they were all filled with
the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.”
– How would you describe tongues as of fire?
• Like the pillar of fire but consumable – Exod 3:2-6
• But unlike the pillar abiding over the entire nation of Israel,
each one received it individually, e.g. cloven or divided.
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
– Both wind and fire symbolize the presence of God.
– And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
• In context how do you interpret being filled with the Holy
Spirit?
– Under the power of the Spirit.
– In Acts, this repeatedly refers to proclamation of the Gospel.
» Acts 4:8, 31; 6:3, 5; 7:55; 9:17; 13:9, 52
– But as believers Paul has told us to be filled with the Holy Spirit
» Eph 5:18 - And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be
filled with the Spirit
– Overall, being filled is being totally controlled by the Holy Spirit and
thus we bring glory as new creations in Christ Jesus to the Heavenly
Father.
» This process was ongoing and essential to the early chruch age.
– and began to speak with other tongues
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
• How about this as an outward sign of God’s power within?
• And the Jews were always looking for a sign weren’t they?
• And these were other tongues, known languages.
– Purpose was to authenticate and further the truth of the Gospel.
– Reflect back on Gen 11 where God confused the languages.
Acts Commentary
by Constable
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
• Acts 2:5,6 – “Now there were Jews living in
Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under
heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd
came together, and were bewildered because each
one of them was hearing them speak in his own
language.”
– God-fearing men.
• Their origin is described in Acts 2:9,10
– Was the sound the wind or the speaking in tongues?
– How big was the crowd?
• ~3000 became saved that day – Acts 2:41
• But the temple area could hold up to 200,000
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
– Although they were bewildered, apparently there was
no one who didn’t understand.
Acts 2:7,8 – “They were amazed and astonished,
saying, ‘Why, are not all these who are speaking
Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in
our own language to which we were born?’”
– bewildered, amazed, astonished – what more
description do we need!
– The large majority of disciples were Galileans
• Matt 26:73 - A little later the bystanders came up and said to
Peter, “Surely you too are one of them; for even the way you
talk gives you away.”
– Rude, unpolished, and unlearned men - differences easily detected
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
Acts 2:9-11 – “Parthians and Medes and Elamites,
and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and
Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and
Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around
Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and
proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - we hear them in our
own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”
16 geographicalethnic areas
Wiemers, G
www.generationword.com
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
• Acts 2:12,13 – “And they all continued in
amazement and great perplexity, saying to one
another, “What does this mean? But others were
mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet
wine.”
– Some continued in amazement and now great
perplexity
• perplexity - totally at loss
– Could this be good?
– Others were mocking
• mocking – scoffing
– saying they were drunk
» sweet wine had a higher alcohol content
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel
The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 2:1-13 “Coming of the Holy Spirit”
Can you picture yourself there?
Is there anything less miraculous
today in terms of the Holy Spirit
indwelling us to bring glory to the
Lord?
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February 2, 2014 Bob Eckel