Spirit's Coming
Preaching
A BUCKET FULL OF MIRACLES
Preaching The Miracles Of Jesus
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power. All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "
The evidence is that this festival was celebrated from the beginning of the church on the first Pentecost, fifty days after Christ rose from the dead. From Acts 20:16 it appears that Paul observed the feast of Pentecost, perhaps for the traditional symbolism of the Jewish festival, but also, most likely, for the anniversary of the organization of the church.
A variety of customs grew up in celebrations of the day, including the release of doves from the roof (or into the church from the ceiling), dropping balls of fire from the church roof, and scattering roses upon the congregation. Traditionally the canticle Veni, Creator Spiritus was included on this day, as were both the blessing of baptismal fonts and a number of baptisms.
In North America, Pentecost came to be known, from the Dutch settlers in New York, as Pinkster. The celebrations of the festival were known as Pinkster frolics. This name is reflected in the name often applied to Capitol Hill in Albany, New York - Pinkster Hill, apparently because the slaves of colonial days (New York was the last northern state to abolish slavery) held riotous festivities there on the Day Of Pentecost.
The origin of the Christian celebration of Pentecost seems to derive entirely from the needs of Luke's theological chronology. After the resurrection, Christ spent the next forty days (Acts 1:3) instructing the apostles, and then ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). The next festival in the calendar is that of Pentecost, which suited Luke's purpose admirably.
One question which needs to be posited before a detailed look at the text is that of the identification of the actual miracle in this incident. Perhaps the most obvious miracle is the speaking in languages by the Christians of Jerusalem. While this miracle is sometimes misconstrued, it is certainly, at the very least, a miraculous resolution of the chaos introduced at the Tower of Babel.
A second choice is to identify the miracle of the Day Of Pentecost as the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. The Holy Spirit is certainly not something the early Christians had earned, or qualified for in any way, yet it was poured out liberally on them.
Or, was the miracle here something else? Certainly, a strong possibility is the substantial change in Peter. Less than two months ago, according to Luke's chronology, Peter was so afraid of the consequences that he denied even knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54--62). Now, after witnessing the resurrection, going through forty days of instruction, and receiving the Holy Spirit this morning, Peter stands up in front of a crowd of Jews and proclaims Jesus to the crowd as Lord. This is, at the least, a rather substantial change in Peter's attitude in a remarkably short time.
About The Text
Words
Pentecost - This is actually a Jewish festival (also known as shavous), which falls fifty days after the second day of Passover. Leviticus 23:15--21 and Deuteronomy 16:9--12 provide detailed commands instituting this festival (see also Exodus 23:16; 34:22; and Numbers 28:26). The Jewish festival was originally the culmination of the harvest season, but the agricultural significance was gradually replaced by a commemoration of the giving of the Law on Sinai. Rabbinic scholars determined that the festival of Pentecost happened to fall on the same day that Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai, and thus began a celebration for that event on this day.
While this feast day is the least commented on in Jewish writings, having no separate tractate in the Talmud (as do other feast days), references are scattered through other writings. The most significant aspect of the festival is the tradition of serving dairy foods for the main festival meal of this day.
Theologically, Pentecost served Luke's purpose well. The church can be understood as the harvest, and in fact this image can be found in Luke 10:2 as well as in some parables in Luke and the other gospels. The harvest significance fits with the Christian Pentecost, as does the idea of a new law, which is given on this day, with the Spirit.
all - Acts 1:15 indicates the Christians before Pentecost numbered about 120, or at least 120, as the reference could have been to a portion of the Christians who believed at that time. The term all is ambiguous here. It may mean all the believers at that time, or only all the apostles. The NRSV retains the ambiguity, while TEV opts for the latter meaning.
While the term is ambiguous here, more precise numbers are important in Acts 2:41, which reports that about 3,000 people were baptized and added to the church on Pentecost.
sound - Contrary to expectations fostered by facile representations of the events, the noise is the subject of the verb filled. It was the noise which filled the house, not the violent wind. A noise which came suddenly and filled the house is certainly a cause for some concern, if not fright, confusion, and terror. None of these reactions are reported among the Christians, however; even though they are reported among the Jews later in the lesson.
wind - The Greek word used here, pnoes, is closely related to pneumatos (Spirit) of verse 4. Sometimes these words seem to be used interchangeably, but only rarely when Spirit is used as part of the technical term Holy Spirit, as it is here.
house - The Greek word oikos can refer to either a private home, as is usually assumed here, or to the temple. Luke uses to ieron to refer to temple at least 22 times, and other than here does not use house in that way. It is quite likely he is referring to a private house here, but understanding the reference as meaning the temple would simplify the action of the story.
as of - Illustrations of the events of Pentecost often show the apostles and others with little flames over their heads. Unfortunately, this is not exactly what the text states. Luke is quite clear it was something like tongues of fire, not actual tongues of fire.
Further, the Greek indicates the idea here is that the fire flowed and divided itself to touch each person present. The NRSV, with "divided tongues" has a traditional but infelicitous translation which doesn't really convey what the Greek says. A better image might be that of a bright, fire--like ball which appears and seems to flow until each person in the room has been touched by the blazing light.
rested on - A second part of this verse that contradicts the common illustrations is found in this term. Precisely where the fire--like apparition rested is not stated in the Greek, nor are there any implications of location in this term. Consequently, a variety of options as to the location of the tongues of fire can be considered. It is possible the people were individually engulfed by the fire--like apparition, or that it reached out and brushed their chests (to touch the heart) to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:33.
filled with - This term brings two concerns. First, it implies that the apostles were empty before this event, which is a dubious understanding. If they were in fact empty, then what was the purpose of the forty days of instruction between the resurrection and the ascension, not to mention the years spent traveling with Jesus before the Passion? Clearly the apostles were not empty until this event. Rather, the filling needs to be considered as a parallel to filling something already partially full.
The other issue here concerns what they were filled with. The text clearly indicates it was the Holy Spirit that filled them. It is important to note, however, the Holy Spirit was equally clearly not the agent of the action. The action here is not that of fulfilling a prayer which begins "Holy Spirit, come fill...." Rather, this is the gift of the Father, which was promised in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4, 8, which fills the Christians without the action of the Spirit itself.
speak - The Greek construction here indicates the ability was given successively, not to all those present at once. The languages involved were languages other than those normally spoken. The word in Greek is used by the Septuagint and in classical Greek to indicate solemn or inspired speech, not an ecstatic utterance of an unknown language. The word appears only in Acts in the New Testament, here, and at 2:14 and 26:25.
every nation - This is not intended as an absolute statement, but as a bit of mild hyperbole. The basic meaning of this phrase is that lots of different places were represented in the crowd which assembled. The list in Acts 2:9--11, the lay reader's nightmare, indicates the diversity of the crowd. This is also meant to be a suggestive, not exhaustive list.
amazed and astonished - In Greek, this is a literary device used to indicate intensity. The crowd was quite bewildered. The image is of a crowd milling around, each person asking their neighbor what is going on.
This term also serves as a clear indication that the languages being spoken were natural (real, commonly known in a particular locale) languages, not ecstatic tongues. The nature of the languages led to the amazement of the crowd that a group of Galileans, who had no way to learn the various languages they were speaking, could actually be speaking this variety of languages so that they could be understood. Speaking in ecstatic tongues, on the other hand, was something even a Galilean was as likely as anyone else to be able to do.
Parthians, Medes ... - The United Bible Societies, in their handbook for those who translate the book of Acts, suggests that no text of Acts should be published without a map indicating where these places are to be found. The suggestion is reasonable, but the map itself presents some difficulties, especially in historical terms. The countries named are generally arranged in east to west, north to south order (but there are some problems, see the next note). They also represent the geographical areas of the Roman Empire which had a reasonably large Jewish minority in residence.
Medes - This term is likely taken from the Old Testament, as this group had long since ceased to exist by the time the book of Acts was written. A similar fate had also overtaken Elam (the home of the Elamites).
from Rome - Most often this term means Roman citizens, not former residents of Rome. It is likely, however, that Luke uses the term in the latter sense here.
standing - This is the posture of a Greek orator, not that of a Jewish teacher (as in Matthew 5:1 and other places). Luke is betraying his Greek orientation, as opposed to the Hebraisms which are more common in the other gospels.
Men of Judea, and all who live in Jerusalem - Peter's speech sounds as if it is addressed to only a small segment of the crowd, which is from every nation. But, it is actually addressed to the entire crowd, which is, for Luke, composed only of Jews. The Jews in the crowd are the Jews from every nation who have come to Jerusalem, most likely to study in the temple with the teachers who held forth there. This is precisely what a Jew from Tarsus named Saul had done. The mission to the Gentiles is not initiated until Acts 10, when Peter baptizes Cornelius, so even with the address which sounds quite inclusive, the speech is actually aimed exclusively to the Jews of Jerusalem.
The fact that the address is to those who live in Jerusalem is an indication that the crowd is composed, at least in Luke's mind, of Jews from all over who have taken up residence in Jerusalem, not people in town as visitors for the festival of Pentecost. Even though the festival brought huge crowds back into Jerusalem for a one--day celebration, and some of these people might actually have been in the crowds, theologically it is not appropriate for the newly--baptized members of the church to disperse to the four corners of the earth the day after they join the church.
Thus, Peter's sermon is addressed to the residents of Jerusalem, who have come from all over the empire. These converts can be expected, in all likelihood, to remain in Jerusalem while they learn more about the faith they have just embraced.
drunk - It is an interesting thought to suggest that a drunk becomes intelligible to someone who speaks another language. More often a drunk becomes unintelligible to someone who speaks the same language. Rather than explaining a sudden linguistic facility, the effort of the accusation seems to be to explain the outrageous behavior of a bunch of Galileans who suddenly start shouting in the temple.
nine o'clock in the morning - Obviously, drunks can be drunk this early (either as the residual effect of the evening before, or as the result of an early start on the day), but Peter's point is that morning prayers usually began at this time, and observant Jews, which included the apostles, typically ate only after morning prayers were finished, i.e. usually around ten in the morning.
prophet - The term is used here in the Old Testament sense of God's spokesman, not the more modern understanding as a future seer or fortune teller.
last days - This is a typical Jewish expression indicating the time of the Messianic Age when God would fulfill his promises to his people. These words are not found in either the Greek or Hebrew text of Joel 2:28--32, but are supplied by Peter.
all flesh - This is a messianic sign, the spirit of God is no longer to be largely restricted to the Jews, but to be available to all people.
young men - The term typically indicates those men who are prior to marriage, not only not leaders, but commonly regarded as impetuous and not given to deep thought.
old men - These are respected leaders, trusted counselors, those filling positions typically reserved for elder statesmen.
portents ... and signs - In the New Testament, and often in Acts, this is an idiomatic phrase which functions to intensify the basic meaning of the two words involved - miraculous things. The phrase also occurs in Acts 2:43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; and 15:12. The original text in Joel does not have the intensifying phrase and signs.
Lord - At the conclusion of this lesson the term has an ambiguous use. In the Old Testament, Lord is the usual translation for YHWH, the name of God. In Acts, the Greek word is also taken to refer to Jesus. In verse 20, the former meaning is intended; in verse 21, the latter.
Parallels
There are two distinct parallels to this selection from Acts. One set of parallels involves Paul's comments on speaking in tongues, the other is to the portion of Peter's sermon included here which largely comes from Joel.
In 1 Corinthians 14:1--5 Paul speaks of the relative value of speaking in tongues and finds that it is less valuable than the gift of prophecy. Both of these are manifestations of the Spirit, and Paul points out that tongues is the less valuable gift. This point is raised again later in this same chapter. In 14:20--25 Paul begins with a quote from Isaiah 28:11--12 which is fulfilled without reference in the action of this lesson, and uses this quote to demonstrate again that speaking in tongues is a less valuable gift than prophecy. In general, Paul seems to accept speaking in tongues as something that must be put up with, but he consistently emphasizes that other gifts of the Spirit are more valuable in building up the church. Of course, Paul is generally speaking of ecstatic speech, not the image that is presented in Acts.
Paul also quotes Joel 2:32, the final verse of this lesson, in Romans 16:13.
In his sermon, Peter quotes Joel 2:28--32, but with some modifications. Peter adds the opening words and the second half of the phrase portents ... and signs, as has already been noted. He also reverses the order of Joel, mentioning young men before old men, where Joel has the opposite order. Peter also adds and they shall prophesy. Even though the changes might seem rather insignificant, in most instances, they do indicate that Peter (or Luke) can easily be understood to be working from his memory of the portion of Joel quoted here, not from a written copy in front of him from which he could copy the words. These sorts of minor modifications seem like precisely the sort of thing which could occur when trying to remember a lengthy quote.
The People
As Individuals
The most prominent individual in this lesson is Peter. In the gospels, Peter is presented as a leader among the disciples, although Thomas fills a similar leadership role in the Gospel of John. In the letters of Paul there is some support for the identification of Peter as a leader in the early church. Certainly there is plenty of evidence to support the view that Peter took a leadership position in the early church. The significant question for scholars is how much of what Acts presents as Peter's role is historically justified? It is certainly possible, perhaps even likely that Peter was the apostle who stood forth and spoke to the crowd, defending the Christians against defamatory charges of drunkenness.
The question might be asked how a relatively unlettered fisherman could begin a sermon by quoting an Old Testament prophet. One supposition is that Peter was actually the product of the synagogue training system, which managed to produce adults who were, at the least, familiar with selected portions of the Hebrew Scriptures. Certainly the citation from Joel would be included in a short list of prophecies concerning the messianic expectations which were rampant during this period, so it might not be too large an assumption to imagine that Peter had memorized the portion of Joel as a part of his synagogue training, which was generally required of boys so that they could become men (through a bar mitzvah).
While Peter was certainly the main character in this lesson, he is not the only character to play an important role. While the other Christians also received the Spirit, Peter is the one who steps forward with the other apostles to speak. In 2:33, the gift of the Holy Spirit clearly included other Christians. It was not limited to apostles, but was a gift given to all the Christians present on the morning of Pentecost.
In writing his materials, one of Luke's favorite literary devices is to identify two opposing groups and then explicate the situation with a dialog between the groups. This is what happens here between the crowd and those in the crowd who thought the apostles were drunk. As happens here, one group, the crowd, is generally well disposed toward Christians, the other group is usually antagonistic to some extent. This device affords Luke the impression of providing a well--rounded picture of events as well as allowing an opportunity and justification for explanatory discourses. This is what happens here, as Peter uses the accusation about new wine as a transition into his sermon.
The crowd as a whole behaves in a way unlike the typical response to a portent or a sign. Rather than believing the good news or in Christ, this crowd simply waits to hear more. While this allows for Peter's sermon, the whole purpose for signs in the gospels and Acts is to instill, engender, and enhance belief, none of which happens here. It is only after the sermon of Peter that over 3,000 people are baptized and come to the church (Acts 2:37--42).
As Images And Signs
In this lesson we have an example of something both basic and significant to the Christian use of the Old Testament. Peter uses an Old Testament prophecy and applies it to the current situation to illuminate what the prophecy actually means. Here he claims further that the events unfolding in front of the crowd's eyes are the prophecy's embodiment and fulfillment.
This approach is actually a vastly different approach than that taken in the Old Testament. There, when a crisis occurred, a new prophet arose and proclaimed the Word of God for the people of God. While often ignored or even actively persecuted (for example, Jeremiah), these prophets eventually gained much respect in Israel for the way they told the people of the Word. For this reason there was little or no re--interpretation of previous prophecies, although Jeremiah ran into troubles when he challenged Isaiah's prophecy about God protecting Jerusalem from foreign invaders. What was true a century earlier was no longer true in Jeremiah's time. Yet, even this change was marked by the presence of a new prophet, not a new interpretation of an existing prophecy.
The New Testament approach is, in general, the reinterpretation of existing prophecies, and their application to the current situation. This approach is not unique to the Christians, as it is also found among the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is, however, not without its dangers. Without some guidance in the proper manner of reinterpretation, simply looking for some selection from either the Old or New Testament to explicate a current situation can lead to quite disastrous results. The application of biblical prophecies must be done carefully and prayerfully to ensure a reasonable chance of proper application.
The crowd's reaction is mentioned three times in this lesson. They are described as "bewildered ... amazed and astonished ... amazed and perplexed" in various places. These are all typical reactions to God's deeds of power in the New Testament. From reactions to the angels at the time of Jesus' birth to the reactions to the angels at the tomb, fear, bewilderment, astonishment, amazement, and perplexity seem to be the normal reactions. The miracle of tongues aroused these same emotions, but this sign did not lead to the next step which is generally found in the gospels, namely belief or faith (at least in some of the hearers). Belief is supposed to be the result of a sign such as this.
It is possible that this lack is actually a literary device. No faith is engendered from the initial sign, but after Peter explains what is going on, 3,000 come to be baptized and join the church (Acts 2:41). This certainly results in heightening the effect of Peter's sermon, even as it reduces the episode of speaking in tongues to a mere prelude.
This lesson contains three echoes of the Old Testament. First, to Genesis 1:1--2, where a "wind (or Spirit) from God" moves across the waters to initiate creation. In Acts, a noise like a wind and a Holy Spirit from God came to the apostles to initiate a new creation: the church. In Genesis 11:1--9 the story of the Tower of Babel is recounted. There the people were confused by the device of the confusing languages. Here the image is reversed. All the languages are available to those who proclaim the Word of God.
Similarly, in Numbers 11:24--25 the spirit which rests on Moses is shared with the elders who begin to prophesy. The situation is not as clearly echoed in Acts, but the Spirit, symbolized by the tongues as of fire, seems to begin in a central location and then is divided to be shared among the others present. In Acts, the distribution of the Spirit, as in Numbers, also represents a distribution of the leadership role, and a distribution of the ability to prophesy. In Numbers, the prophetic ability is a one--time event, while in Acts the ability is understood to be on--going. Finally, even though Acts presents Peter in a leadership role in the early chapters, and Paul in the latter portions of the work in the same role, the reality of the early church was that leadership was actually quite decentralized. Most of the leadership depended on an individual's ability to convince others to do what was needed, rather than deriving from any offices which had inherent authority. Thus, the distribution of the leadership role is even more widespread in Acts than it was in Numbers.
Finally, the Pentecost of the Jews was originally a harvest festival. The story of the first Christian Pentecost also represents a harvest, this time a harvest of believers for the church. In one day the church grew by more than 2,500 percent. Not only does this rapid growth almost certainly indicate the potential for some problems in assimilation, it also is a sign of the reinterpretation of the festival into an evangelical event.
The Action
In The Story
A very pertinent question regarding this story is to attempt to establish the exact location of these events. As noted, the word house could refer to either a private home or the temple. The flow of events would be much more dramatic if the events took place in the temple, but it is most likely that Luke is referring to a private home. The story should not be treated as a description of a documentary film.
There is no mention of any movement from the location of the descent of the Spirit to the location of the speaking in tongues and Peter's sermon. If the Spirit came to the Christians in a private home, there must have been some movement. This also raises questions of the number of people who moved, how many remained in the first location, and even questions of how many people were present in the private home in the first place. A private home that could accommodate 120 Christians (if that is how many people were present) must have been a very large home, even if it is assumed that the home was built on the Roman model with an interior courtyard where the people gathered.
When reading the story we have the disadvantage of familiarity. The noise in Acts 2:1 is not identified as the Holy Spirit until Acts 2:4. Thus, when first heard, the noise is "enigmatic" at the least, perhaps terrifying, and certainly a cause for a case of nerves. Anyone who has lived through a hurricane or tornado, can testify that the sound of a rushing wind is often quite scary. There is a certain implacable nature to the rushing wind, something that is very threatening, even when you are in a well--constructed room or building. Even though not mentioned, it is quite likely that the Christians present were understandably nervous when the sound as of a rushing wind began.
There is also a question of where the understanding of the languages actually did occur. While it is commonly assumed that the speakers were actually speaking tongues which they did not normally speak, it is possible to theorize that the speakers were actually speaking their normal, everyday language, while the listeners heard the language they normally spoke. With this understanding, the miracle took place not in the speakers who had been baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, but in the ears of the listeners who had not.
The idea that what was really involved was not an actual language but ecstatic speech (which is what is found in Numbers and in other places in the New Testament) is not supported by either the plain words of the text or by the Greek which lies behind them. Clearly what the people here were speaking was the normal languages that were familiar to those people listening. Only a true polyglot could manage such a feat without help, and none of the Galileans standing in front of the crowd had attained anything even approaching that level of dexterity of language. In fact, it is possible that the thick Galilean accent might have been quite an impediment to listeners understanding their words even in the Aramaic they commonly used. (The Galilean accent seems to have been behind at least one of the identifications of Peter in Luke 22:54--62.)
A final aspect of the action of the story which might be a source of questions is the matter of why the crowd gathered around the Christians. If, in fact, the Christians were baptized by the Spirit in a private house, then the manifestation of the spirit would likely have been a rather private event, and not likely to draw a crowd. Apparently it was the speech of the apostles which brought forth the crowd, but it is possible to understand Acts 2:6 as reflecting either cause, and the question is submerged in Luke's presentation.
In The Hearers
The action in this lesson is not finished, but continues to the present day. As a result of Peter's sermon, at least according to Luke, the number of believers grew by 3,000 on this day. With very little sign of difficulties, the church continues to grow daily in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46--47). By Acts 5:1--11 there was a misunderstanding that caused problems (Ananias and Sapphira), while Acts 6:1--6 recounts the solution of another problem caused by the rapidly growing church.
While it might be comforting to modern sensibilities to discern the strains of rapid growth in the church in Acts, these incidents can also serve as a reminder that Luke is writing theological history. In other words, what masquerades as history is actually a theologically structured document, with the incidents included generally selected on the basis of the theological impact, not the historical validity of the reporting.
It is reasonable to suspect that at least a few of the 3,000 believers who were baptized on Pentecost might have been tourists in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, returning to their homes throughout the region (or even throughout the whole Roman world) during the next few days. While this is contrary to Lucan theology, it is historically probable, especially in light of the historical growth of the church in other places. Luke does agree that the church slowly begins to spread out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, or at least to Rome, where the action of Acts ends.
The Sermon
Illustrations
On the Day Of Pentecost, there is the following idea:
Corrie ten Boom once wrote: "I have a glove in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled."
Karl Barth once wrote about something he called "flat--tire Christianity," namely Christianity with the Spirit gone out of it.
With Peter's sermon filling the second half of the lesson, it might be worthwhile to look at speaking:
At a church conference the opening prayer began with: "Oh, Lord, be with the first speaker and help him to inspire those who hear your Word. And be with the second speaker and imbue her with your Spirit to share with those here. And Lord, have mercy on the last speaker."
On the subject of growth:
There are those who would point out that growth is unnatural for the church, Pentecost notwithstanding. It is much more natural for a church to reach a plateau and stay there. The next most natural pattern for a congregation is to decline in membership. Thus, it should be apparent that growth, either the explosive growth of the Day Of Pentecost or the slower, steady growth of the days after, is the result of both the Holy Spirit and the hard work of Christians.
Speaking of hard work and commitment to the cause of growth:
A female tourist in Florida was entranced by the necklace worn by a Seminole Indian in his native costume. She asked what it was composed of and the Indian replied it was made of alligator teeth.
"Oh, I see," the woman replied. "So it must have the same value for your people as a string of pearls has for our people."
"Not quite," replied the Indian gravely. "Anyone can open an oyster."
Approaches To Preaching
One of the themes of the Day Of Pentecost is the growth of the church. What is not always examined are the implications of that growth. First, the subject of evangelism arises. This is one of the committees in most congregations which is difficult to recruit people to serve on. Somehow the church's reluctance to evangelize has overtaken the impetus of the Spirit.
A second problem of evangelism is the assimilation of the results of evangelism, namely the new members. After the first Christian Pentecost, the church had grown by roughly 2,500 percent, which leads to questions of how to instruct the new members in the teachings of Jesus and the behaviors expected of Christians. Is it possible to be too successful? Many businesses run into significant problems when they become too successful too quickly, some even end up in bankruptcy with an extremely popular product.
Similarly, is it possible for the church to be healthy when it isn't growing? Does the community in which it finds itself matter? If it is in a growing community, or in a stable or shrinking community? What does it take to grow? The devotion and commitment of the members is a good place to start.
The Holy Spirit came not only to Peter, or even only to the disciples, but in fact, it included all the Christians in the room. What about the rest of the Christians? It isn't always the one out front who matters the most. In the book of Numbers, when the Spirit is shared among the seventy elders, two of them weren't with the others at the Tent of Meeting. Eldad and Medad were in the encampment when the Spirit was distributed, but they also got a share and prophesied in the camp. In many ways the same thing is happening on Pentecost. We aren't in the room for that Pentecost sharing of the Spirit, but we also get our share at Baptism, and we should prophesy and tell others about the good news.
The speaking in tongues brings up another possibility. Communication can be one of the more difficult things in a congregation. Even though it often seems as if gossip spreads just a little slower than the speed of light, other information is often difficult to spread. Newsletters are read thoroughly by only a small percentage of the recipients. Announcements in church are heard by only a percentage of the people in attendance, who are only a percentage of the membership to begin with. The gift of tongues is something that would be quite convenient in most local parishes, but the issue might be more than merely misunderstanding or inattentiveness. Are the messages really worth hearing?
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power. All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."
But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "
The evidence is that this festival was celebrated from the beginning of the church on the first Pentecost, fifty days after Christ rose from the dead. From Acts 20:16 it appears that Paul observed the feast of Pentecost, perhaps for the traditional symbolism of the Jewish festival, but also, most likely, for the anniversary of the organization of the church.
A variety of customs grew up in celebrations of the day, including the release of doves from the roof (or into the church from the ceiling), dropping balls of fire from the church roof, and scattering roses upon the congregation. Traditionally the canticle Veni, Creator Spiritus was included on this day, as were both the blessing of baptismal fonts and a number of baptisms.
In North America, Pentecost came to be known, from the Dutch settlers in New York, as Pinkster. The celebrations of the festival were known as Pinkster frolics. This name is reflected in the name often applied to Capitol Hill in Albany, New York - Pinkster Hill, apparently because the slaves of colonial days (New York was the last northern state to abolish slavery) held riotous festivities there on the Day Of Pentecost.
The origin of the Christian celebration of Pentecost seems to derive entirely from the needs of Luke's theological chronology. After the resurrection, Christ spent the next forty days (Acts 1:3) instructing the apostles, and then ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). The next festival in the calendar is that of Pentecost, which suited Luke's purpose admirably.
One question which needs to be posited before a detailed look at the text is that of the identification of the actual miracle in this incident. Perhaps the most obvious miracle is the speaking in languages by the Christians of Jerusalem. While this miracle is sometimes misconstrued, it is certainly, at the very least, a miraculous resolution of the chaos introduced at the Tower of Babel.
A second choice is to identify the miracle of the Day Of Pentecost as the giving of the Holy Spirit to the church. The Holy Spirit is certainly not something the early Christians had earned, or qualified for in any way, yet it was poured out liberally on them.
Or, was the miracle here something else? Certainly, a strong possibility is the substantial change in Peter. Less than two months ago, according to Luke's chronology, Peter was so afraid of the consequences that he denied even knowing Jesus (Luke 22:54--62). Now, after witnessing the resurrection, going through forty days of instruction, and receiving the Holy Spirit this morning, Peter stands up in front of a crowd of Jews and proclaims Jesus to the crowd as Lord. This is, at the least, a rather substantial change in Peter's attitude in a remarkably short time.
About The Text
Words
Pentecost - This is actually a Jewish festival (also known as shavous), which falls fifty days after the second day of Passover. Leviticus 23:15--21 and Deuteronomy 16:9--12 provide detailed commands instituting this festival (see also Exodus 23:16; 34:22; and Numbers 28:26). The Jewish festival was originally the culmination of the harvest season, but the agricultural significance was gradually replaced by a commemoration of the giving of the Law on Sinai. Rabbinic scholars determined that the festival of Pentecost happened to fall on the same day that Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai, and thus began a celebration for that event on this day.
While this feast day is the least commented on in Jewish writings, having no separate tractate in the Talmud (as do other feast days), references are scattered through other writings. The most significant aspect of the festival is the tradition of serving dairy foods for the main festival meal of this day.
Theologically, Pentecost served Luke's purpose well. The church can be understood as the harvest, and in fact this image can be found in Luke 10:2 as well as in some parables in Luke and the other gospels. The harvest significance fits with the Christian Pentecost, as does the idea of a new law, which is given on this day, with the Spirit.
all - Acts 1:15 indicates the Christians before Pentecost numbered about 120, or at least 120, as the reference could have been to a portion of the Christians who believed at that time. The term all is ambiguous here. It may mean all the believers at that time, or only all the apostles. The NRSV retains the ambiguity, while TEV opts for the latter meaning.
While the term is ambiguous here, more precise numbers are important in Acts 2:41, which reports that about 3,000 people were baptized and added to the church on Pentecost.
sound - Contrary to expectations fostered by facile representations of the events, the noise is the subject of the verb filled. It was the noise which filled the house, not the violent wind. A noise which came suddenly and filled the house is certainly a cause for some concern, if not fright, confusion, and terror. None of these reactions are reported among the Christians, however; even though they are reported among the Jews later in the lesson.
wind - The Greek word used here, pnoes, is closely related to pneumatos (Spirit) of verse 4. Sometimes these words seem to be used interchangeably, but only rarely when Spirit is used as part of the technical term Holy Spirit, as it is here.
house - The Greek word oikos can refer to either a private home, as is usually assumed here, or to the temple. Luke uses to ieron to refer to temple at least 22 times, and other than here does not use house in that way. It is quite likely he is referring to a private house here, but understanding the reference as meaning the temple would simplify the action of the story.
as of - Illustrations of the events of Pentecost often show the apostles and others with little flames over their heads. Unfortunately, this is not exactly what the text states. Luke is quite clear it was something like tongues of fire, not actual tongues of fire.
Further, the Greek indicates the idea here is that the fire flowed and divided itself to touch each person present. The NRSV, with "divided tongues" has a traditional but infelicitous translation which doesn't really convey what the Greek says. A better image might be that of a bright, fire--like ball which appears and seems to flow until each person in the room has been touched by the blazing light.
rested on - A second part of this verse that contradicts the common illustrations is found in this term. Precisely where the fire--like apparition rested is not stated in the Greek, nor are there any implications of location in this term. Consequently, a variety of options as to the location of the tongues of fire can be considered. It is possible the people were individually engulfed by the fire--like apparition, or that it reached out and brushed their chests (to touch the heart) to fulfill the prophecy of Jeremiah 31:33.
filled with - This term brings two concerns. First, it implies that the apostles were empty before this event, which is a dubious understanding. If they were in fact empty, then what was the purpose of the forty days of instruction between the resurrection and the ascension, not to mention the years spent traveling with Jesus before the Passion? Clearly the apostles were not empty until this event. Rather, the filling needs to be considered as a parallel to filling something already partially full.
The other issue here concerns what they were filled with. The text clearly indicates it was the Holy Spirit that filled them. It is important to note, however, the Holy Spirit was equally clearly not the agent of the action. The action here is not that of fulfilling a prayer which begins "Holy Spirit, come fill...." Rather, this is the gift of the Father, which was promised in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4, 8, which fills the Christians without the action of the Spirit itself.
speak - The Greek construction here indicates the ability was given successively, not to all those present at once. The languages involved were languages other than those normally spoken. The word in Greek is used by the Septuagint and in classical Greek to indicate solemn or inspired speech, not an ecstatic utterance of an unknown language. The word appears only in Acts in the New Testament, here, and at 2:14 and 26:25.
every nation - This is not intended as an absolute statement, but as a bit of mild hyperbole. The basic meaning of this phrase is that lots of different places were represented in the crowd which assembled. The list in Acts 2:9--11, the lay reader's nightmare, indicates the diversity of the crowd. This is also meant to be a suggestive, not exhaustive list.
amazed and astonished - In Greek, this is a literary device used to indicate intensity. The crowd was quite bewildered. The image is of a crowd milling around, each person asking their neighbor what is going on.
This term also serves as a clear indication that the languages being spoken were natural (real, commonly known in a particular locale) languages, not ecstatic tongues. The nature of the languages led to the amazement of the crowd that a group of Galileans, who had no way to learn the various languages they were speaking, could actually be speaking this variety of languages so that they could be understood. Speaking in ecstatic tongues, on the other hand, was something even a Galilean was as likely as anyone else to be able to do.
Parthians, Medes ... - The United Bible Societies, in their handbook for those who translate the book of Acts, suggests that no text of Acts should be published without a map indicating where these places are to be found. The suggestion is reasonable, but the map itself presents some difficulties, especially in historical terms. The countries named are generally arranged in east to west, north to south order (but there are some problems, see the next note). They also represent the geographical areas of the Roman Empire which had a reasonably large Jewish minority in residence.
Medes - This term is likely taken from the Old Testament, as this group had long since ceased to exist by the time the book of Acts was written. A similar fate had also overtaken Elam (the home of the Elamites).
from Rome - Most often this term means Roman citizens, not former residents of Rome. It is likely, however, that Luke uses the term in the latter sense here.
standing - This is the posture of a Greek orator, not that of a Jewish teacher (as in Matthew 5:1 and other places). Luke is betraying his Greek orientation, as opposed to the Hebraisms which are more common in the other gospels.
Men of Judea, and all who live in Jerusalem - Peter's speech sounds as if it is addressed to only a small segment of the crowd, which is from every nation. But, it is actually addressed to the entire crowd, which is, for Luke, composed only of Jews. The Jews in the crowd are the Jews from every nation who have come to Jerusalem, most likely to study in the temple with the teachers who held forth there. This is precisely what a Jew from Tarsus named Saul had done. The mission to the Gentiles is not initiated until Acts 10, when Peter baptizes Cornelius, so even with the address which sounds quite inclusive, the speech is actually aimed exclusively to the Jews of Jerusalem.
The fact that the address is to those who live in Jerusalem is an indication that the crowd is composed, at least in Luke's mind, of Jews from all over who have taken up residence in Jerusalem, not people in town as visitors for the festival of Pentecost. Even though the festival brought huge crowds back into Jerusalem for a one--day celebration, and some of these people might actually have been in the crowds, theologically it is not appropriate for the newly--baptized members of the church to disperse to the four corners of the earth the day after they join the church.
Thus, Peter's sermon is addressed to the residents of Jerusalem, who have come from all over the empire. These converts can be expected, in all likelihood, to remain in Jerusalem while they learn more about the faith they have just embraced.
drunk - It is an interesting thought to suggest that a drunk becomes intelligible to someone who speaks another language. More often a drunk becomes unintelligible to someone who speaks the same language. Rather than explaining a sudden linguistic facility, the effort of the accusation seems to be to explain the outrageous behavior of a bunch of Galileans who suddenly start shouting in the temple.
nine o'clock in the morning - Obviously, drunks can be drunk this early (either as the residual effect of the evening before, or as the result of an early start on the day), but Peter's point is that morning prayers usually began at this time, and observant Jews, which included the apostles, typically ate only after morning prayers were finished, i.e. usually around ten in the morning.
prophet - The term is used here in the Old Testament sense of God's spokesman, not the more modern understanding as a future seer or fortune teller.
last days - This is a typical Jewish expression indicating the time of the Messianic Age when God would fulfill his promises to his people. These words are not found in either the Greek or Hebrew text of Joel 2:28--32, but are supplied by Peter.
all flesh - This is a messianic sign, the spirit of God is no longer to be largely restricted to the Jews, but to be available to all people.
young men - The term typically indicates those men who are prior to marriage, not only not leaders, but commonly regarded as impetuous and not given to deep thought.
old men - These are respected leaders, trusted counselors, those filling positions typically reserved for elder statesmen.
portents ... and signs - In the New Testament, and often in Acts, this is an idiomatic phrase which functions to intensify the basic meaning of the two words involved - miraculous things. The phrase also occurs in Acts 2:43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; and 15:12. The original text in Joel does not have the intensifying phrase and signs.
Lord - At the conclusion of this lesson the term has an ambiguous use. In the Old Testament, Lord is the usual translation for YHWH, the name of God. In Acts, the Greek word is also taken to refer to Jesus. In verse 20, the former meaning is intended; in verse 21, the latter.
Parallels
There are two distinct parallels to this selection from Acts. One set of parallels involves Paul's comments on speaking in tongues, the other is to the portion of Peter's sermon included here which largely comes from Joel.
In 1 Corinthians 14:1--5 Paul speaks of the relative value of speaking in tongues and finds that it is less valuable than the gift of prophecy. Both of these are manifestations of the Spirit, and Paul points out that tongues is the less valuable gift. This point is raised again later in this same chapter. In 14:20--25 Paul begins with a quote from Isaiah 28:11--12 which is fulfilled without reference in the action of this lesson, and uses this quote to demonstrate again that speaking in tongues is a less valuable gift than prophecy. In general, Paul seems to accept speaking in tongues as something that must be put up with, but he consistently emphasizes that other gifts of the Spirit are more valuable in building up the church. Of course, Paul is generally speaking of ecstatic speech, not the image that is presented in Acts.
Paul also quotes Joel 2:32, the final verse of this lesson, in Romans 16:13.
In his sermon, Peter quotes Joel 2:28--32, but with some modifications. Peter adds the opening words and the second half of the phrase portents ... and signs, as has already been noted. He also reverses the order of Joel, mentioning young men before old men, where Joel has the opposite order. Peter also adds and they shall prophesy. Even though the changes might seem rather insignificant, in most instances, they do indicate that Peter (or Luke) can easily be understood to be working from his memory of the portion of Joel quoted here, not from a written copy in front of him from which he could copy the words. These sorts of minor modifications seem like precisely the sort of thing which could occur when trying to remember a lengthy quote.
The People
As Individuals
The most prominent individual in this lesson is Peter. In the gospels, Peter is presented as a leader among the disciples, although Thomas fills a similar leadership role in the Gospel of John. In the letters of Paul there is some support for the identification of Peter as a leader in the early church. Certainly there is plenty of evidence to support the view that Peter took a leadership position in the early church. The significant question for scholars is how much of what Acts presents as Peter's role is historically justified? It is certainly possible, perhaps even likely that Peter was the apostle who stood forth and spoke to the crowd, defending the Christians against defamatory charges of drunkenness.
The question might be asked how a relatively unlettered fisherman could begin a sermon by quoting an Old Testament prophet. One supposition is that Peter was actually the product of the synagogue training system, which managed to produce adults who were, at the least, familiar with selected portions of the Hebrew Scriptures. Certainly the citation from Joel would be included in a short list of prophecies concerning the messianic expectations which were rampant during this period, so it might not be too large an assumption to imagine that Peter had memorized the portion of Joel as a part of his synagogue training, which was generally required of boys so that they could become men (through a bar mitzvah).
While Peter was certainly the main character in this lesson, he is not the only character to play an important role. While the other Christians also received the Spirit, Peter is the one who steps forward with the other apostles to speak. In 2:33, the gift of the Holy Spirit clearly included other Christians. It was not limited to apostles, but was a gift given to all the Christians present on the morning of Pentecost.
In writing his materials, one of Luke's favorite literary devices is to identify two opposing groups and then explicate the situation with a dialog between the groups. This is what happens here between the crowd and those in the crowd who thought the apostles were drunk. As happens here, one group, the crowd, is generally well disposed toward Christians, the other group is usually antagonistic to some extent. This device affords Luke the impression of providing a well--rounded picture of events as well as allowing an opportunity and justification for explanatory discourses. This is what happens here, as Peter uses the accusation about new wine as a transition into his sermon.
The crowd as a whole behaves in a way unlike the typical response to a portent or a sign. Rather than believing the good news or in Christ, this crowd simply waits to hear more. While this allows for Peter's sermon, the whole purpose for signs in the gospels and Acts is to instill, engender, and enhance belief, none of which happens here. It is only after the sermon of Peter that over 3,000 people are baptized and come to the church (Acts 2:37--42).
As Images And Signs
In this lesson we have an example of something both basic and significant to the Christian use of the Old Testament. Peter uses an Old Testament prophecy and applies it to the current situation to illuminate what the prophecy actually means. Here he claims further that the events unfolding in front of the crowd's eyes are the prophecy's embodiment and fulfillment.
This approach is actually a vastly different approach than that taken in the Old Testament. There, when a crisis occurred, a new prophet arose and proclaimed the Word of God for the people of God. While often ignored or even actively persecuted (for example, Jeremiah), these prophets eventually gained much respect in Israel for the way they told the people of the Word. For this reason there was little or no re--interpretation of previous prophecies, although Jeremiah ran into troubles when he challenged Isaiah's prophecy about God protecting Jerusalem from foreign invaders. What was true a century earlier was no longer true in Jeremiah's time. Yet, even this change was marked by the presence of a new prophet, not a new interpretation of an existing prophecy.
The New Testament approach is, in general, the reinterpretation of existing prophecies, and their application to the current situation. This approach is not unique to the Christians, as it is also found among the authors of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It is, however, not without its dangers. Without some guidance in the proper manner of reinterpretation, simply looking for some selection from either the Old or New Testament to explicate a current situation can lead to quite disastrous results. The application of biblical prophecies must be done carefully and prayerfully to ensure a reasonable chance of proper application.
The crowd's reaction is mentioned three times in this lesson. They are described as "bewildered ... amazed and astonished ... amazed and perplexed" in various places. These are all typical reactions to God's deeds of power in the New Testament. From reactions to the angels at the time of Jesus' birth to the reactions to the angels at the tomb, fear, bewilderment, astonishment, amazement, and perplexity seem to be the normal reactions. The miracle of tongues aroused these same emotions, but this sign did not lead to the next step which is generally found in the gospels, namely belief or faith (at least in some of the hearers). Belief is supposed to be the result of a sign such as this.
It is possible that this lack is actually a literary device. No faith is engendered from the initial sign, but after Peter explains what is going on, 3,000 come to be baptized and join the church (Acts 2:41). This certainly results in heightening the effect of Peter's sermon, even as it reduces the episode of speaking in tongues to a mere prelude.
This lesson contains three echoes of the Old Testament. First, to Genesis 1:1--2, where a "wind (or Spirit) from God" moves across the waters to initiate creation. In Acts, a noise like a wind and a Holy Spirit from God came to the apostles to initiate a new creation: the church. In Genesis 11:1--9 the story of the Tower of Babel is recounted. There the people were confused by the device of the confusing languages. Here the image is reversed. All the languages are available to those who proclaim the Word of God.
Similarly, in Numbers 11:24--25 the spirit which rests on Moses is shared with the elders who begin to prophesy. The situation is not as clearly echoed in Acts, but the Spirit, symbolized by the tongues as of fire, seems to begin in a central location and then is divided to be shared among the others present. In Acts, the distribution of the Spirit, as in Numbers, also represents a distribution of the leadership role, and a distribution of the ability to prophesy. In Numbers, the prophetic ability is a one--time event, while in Acts the ability is understood to be on--going. Finally, even though Acts presents Peter in a leadership role in the early chapters, and Paul in the latter portions of the work in the same role, the reality of the early church was that leadership was actually quite decentralized. Most of the leadership depended on an individual's ability to convince others to do what was needed, rather than deriving from any offices which had inherent authority. Thus, the distribution of the leadership role is even more widespread in Acts than it was in Numbers.
Finally, the Pentecost of the Jews was originally a harvest festival. The story of the first Christian Pentecost also represents a harvest, this time a harvest of believers for the church. In one day the church grew by more than 2,500 percent. Not only does this rapid growth almost certainly indicate the potential for some problems in assimilation, it also is a sign of the reinterpretation of the festival into an evangelical event.
The Action
In The Story
A very pertinent question regarding this story is to attempt to establish the exact location of these events. As noted, the word house could refer to either a private home or the temple. The flow of events would be much more dramatic if the events took place in the temple, but it is most likely that Luke is referring to a private home. The story should not be treated as a description of a documentary film.
There is no mention of any movement from the location of the descent of the Spirit to the location of the speaking in tongues and Peter's sermon. If the Spirit came to the Christians in a private home, there must have been some movement. This also raises questions of the number of people who moved, how many remained in the first location, and even questions of how many people were present in the private home in the first place. A private home that could accommodate 120 Christians (if that is how many people were present) must have been a very large home, even if it is assumed that the home was built on the Roman model with an interior courtyard where the people gathered.
When reading the story we have the disadvantage of familiarity. The noise in Acts 2:1 is not identified as the Holy Spirit until Acts 2:4. Thus, when first heard, the noise is "enigmatic" at the least, perhaps terrifying, and certainly a cause for a case of nerves. Anyone who has lived through a hurricane or tornado, can testify that the sound of a rushing wind is often quite scary. There is a certain implacable nature to the rushing wind, something that is very threatening, even when you are in a well--constructed room or building. Even though not mentioned, it is quite likely that the Christians present were understandably nervous when the sound as of a rushing wind began.
There is also a question of where the understanding of the languages actually did occur. While it is commonly assumed that the speakers were actually speaking tongues which they did not normally speak, it is possible to theorize that the speakers were actually speaking their normal, everyday language, while the listeners heard the language they normally spoke. With this understanding, the miracle took place not in the speakers who had been baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit, but in the ears of the listeners who had not.
The idea that what was really involved was not an actual language but ecstatic speech (which is what is found in Numbers and in other places in the New Testament) is not supported by either the plain words of the text or by the Greek which lies behind them. Clearly what the people here were speaking was the normal languages that were familiar to those people listening. Only a true polyglot could manage such a feat without help, and none of the Galileans standing in front of the crowd had attained anything even approaching that level of dexterity of language. In fact, it is possible that the thick Galilean accent might have been quite an impediment to listeners understanding their words even in the Aramaic they commonly used. (The Galilean accent seems to have been behind at least one of the identifications of Peter in Luke 22:54--62.)
A final aspect of the action of the story which might be a source of questions is the matter of why the crowd gathered around the Christians. If, in fact, the Christians were baptized by the Spirit in a private house, then the manifestation of the spirit would likely have been a rather private event, and not likely to draw a crowd. Apparently it was the speech of the apostles which brought forth the crowd, but it is possible to understand Acts 2:6 as reflecting either cause, and the question is submerged in Luke's presentation.
In The Hearers
The action in this lesson is not finished, but continues to the present day. As a result of Peter's sermon, at least according to Luke, the number of believers grew by 3,000 on this day. With very little sign of difficulties, the church continues to grow daily in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46--47). By Acts 5:1--11 there was a misunderstanding that caused problems (Ananias and Sapphira), while Acts 6:1--6 recounts the solution of another problem caused by the rapidly growing church.
While it might be comforting to modern sensibilities to discern the strains of rapid growth in the church in Acts, these incidents can also serve as a reminder that Luke is writing theological history. In other words, what masquerades as history is actually a theologically structured document, with the incidents included generally selected on the basis of the theological impact, not the historical validity of the reporting.
It is reasonable to suspect that at least a few of the 3,000 believers who were baptized on Pentecost might have been tourists in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, returning to their homes throughout the region (or even throughout the whole Roman world) during the next few days. While this is contrary to Lucan theology, it is historically probable, especially in light of the historical growth of the church in other places. Luke does agree that the church slowly begins to spread out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, or at least to Rome, where the action of Acts ends.
The Sermon
Illustrations
On the Day Of Pentecost, there is the following idea:
Corrie ten Boom once wrote: "I have a glove in my hand. The glove cannot do anything by itself, but when my hand is in it, it can do many things. True, it is not the glove, but my hand in the glove that acts. We are gloves. It is the Holy Spirit in us who is the hand, who does the job. We have to make room for the hand so that every finger is filled."
Karl Barth once wrote about something he called "flat--tire Christianity," namely Christianity with the Spirit gone out of it.
With Peter's sermon filling the second half of the lesson, it might be worthwhile to look at speaking:
At a church conference the opening prayer began with: "Oh, Lord, be with the first speaker and help him to inspire those who hear your Word. And be with the second speaker and imbue her with your Spirit to share with those here. And Lord, have mercy on the last speaker."
On the subject of growth:
There are those who would point out that growth is unnatural for the church, Pentecost notwithstanding. It is much more natural for a church to reach a plateau and stay there. The next most natural pattern for a congregation is to decline in membership. Thus, it should be apparent that growth, either the explosive growth of the Day Of Pentecost or the slower, steady growth of the days after, is the result of both the Holy Spirit and the hard work of Christians.
Speaking of hard work and commitment to the cause of growth:
A female tourist in Florida was entranced by the necklace worn by a Seminole Indian in his native costume. She asked what it was composed of and the Indian replied it was made of alligator teeth.
"Oh, I see," the woman replied. "So it must have the same value for your people as a string of pearls has for our people."
"Not quite," replied the Indian gravely. "Anyone can open an oyster."
Approaches To Preaching
One of the themes of the Day Of Pentecost is the growth of the church. What is not always examined are the implications of that growth. First, the subject of evangelism arises. This is one of the committees in most congregations which is difficult to recruit people to serve on. Somehow the church's reluctance to evangelize has overtaken the impetus of the Spirit.
A second problem of evangelism is the assimilation of the results of evangelism, namely the new members. After the first Christian Pentecost, the church had grown by roughly 2,500 percent, which leads to questions of how to instruct the new members in the teachings of Jesus and the behaviors expected of Christians. Is it possible to be too successful? Many businesses run into significant problems when they become too successful too quickly, some even end up in bankruptcy with an extremely popular product.
Similarly, is it possible for the church to be healthy when it isn't growing? Does the community in which it finds itself matter? If it is in a growing community, or in a stable or shrinking community? What does it take to grow? The devotion and commitment of the members is a good place to start.
The Holy Spirit came not only to Peter, or even only to the disciples, but in fact, it included all the Christians in the room. What about the rest of the Christians? It isn't always the one out front who matters the most. In the book of Numbers, when the Spirit is shared among the seventy elders, two of them weren't with the others at the Tent of Meeting. Eldad and Medad were in the encampment when the Spirit was distributed, but they also got a share and prophesied in the camp. In many ways the same thing is happening on Pentecost. We aren't in the room for that Pentecost sharing of the Spirit, but we also get our share at Baptism, and we should prophesy and tell others about the good news.
The speaking in tongues brings up another possibility. Communication can be one of the more difficult things in a congregation. Even though it often seems as if gossip spreads just a little slower than the speed of light, other information is often difficult to spread. Newsletters are read thoroughly by only a small percentage of the recipients. Announcements in church are heard by only a percentage of the people in attendance, who are only a percentage of the membership to begin with. The gift of tongues is something that would be quite convenient in most local parishes, but the issue might be more than merely misunderstanding or inattentiveness. Are the messages really worth hearing?
