---

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived…

---

Here’s a quick primer/reminder on these Jewish Holidays and why they are significant

PASSOVER
• In Exodus 12:21-23 God’s people were captives and slaves in Egypt. God told them to put blood on their doorways. If they would do this, then when God came through to execute judgments on Egypt He would not “permit the Destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.” The Destroyer would see the blood and “Pass over” them so they would be saved. That blood foreshadowed the blood of Christ which would be shed on the cross ~700 years later. Jesus’ crucifixion at Passover fulfilled the Passover’s promise forever for those covered by the blood of Christ (see 1 Cor 5:7-8).

PENTECOST
• This Jewish feast occurred 50 days after the Passover feast which is why it was called Pentecost (“Pente” means 50). Jews also called it the Festival of Weeks. The Pentecost feast actually celebrated two things which were fulfilled in Christ: (1) It was the time when Jews would sacrifice the first fruits of their grain harvests to God, and (2) It commemorated the anniversary of God giving the Law through Moses to Israel at Mount Sinai. The grace of Christ fulfills the Law.

---

…they were all together in one place.

---

There were about 120 of them according to Acts 1:15, and they were together in obedience to Jesus’ instruction. Before He was carried up to Heaven, Jesus told The Twelve that the Father would send the Comforter to them, who would take what was Jesus’ and reveal it to them (John 16:15). He said to hang out in Jerusalem until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49-51).

Here it comes…

---

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4a And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…

---

The Holy Spirit is now controlling them…

---

Acts 2:4b …and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.”

---

Keep in mind that these men were no longer in control of themselves. The Holy Spirit was Himself controlling them and speaking through them. The experience here at Pentecost was a very different thing than the speaking in tongues described in 1 Corinthians 12-14. In Corinth there were no “divided tongues as of fire” resting on the speakers, nor was there any account of many people hearing a message in their own languages. In vv.9-11, I count 17 nationalities, each with their own language or dialect. But these 17 were listening to only 12 apostles, yet all understood them.

In Corinth, one person spoke and another person interpreted. Some were attempting to skip the “interpret” part and Paul called them out. See, for example, 1 Corinthians 14:4-5, 14: “4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up… 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.”

In contrast, here at Pentecost, there was no interpreter telling the people what the tongues-speaker was communicating. Instead, the audience heard the same message but each heard it in his own language.

---

Acts 2:12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” 

---

These are two ways we see people respond to God’s work, but there are certainly other ways.

“What does this mean” from the first group may seem like a reasonable reaction, but look below the surface: They had just heard the disciples miraculously communicating to them in their own language. If they listened to the message they would know what it meant. Instead, they responded like superstition-prone people we all know who overlook the truly miraculous because it’s so familiar, and instead look for some sort of mysterious meaning in events.

“They are filled with new wine” from the second group shows them to be hard-hearted. Their egos put up a barrier to recognizing God’s work.

In in 1 Corinthians 14:21, in the context of setting the Corinthians straight on tongues speaking, Paul wrote “In the Law it is written, ‘By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord.’”

That prophecy, which came from Isaiah 28:11-12, was fulfilled here on Pentecost through the Apostles in the presence of men of many nations. It showed in the broader context of Isaiah’s prophecy that God had begun a new era for His relationship with people. The church was now born in Israel’s capital Jerusalem, which means “the City of Peace,” where Christ had been crucified just a few weeks prior.

This came upon this crowd suddenly. The thousands of spectators weren’t in Jerusalem to see the fulfillment of prophecy. They were there to celebrate Pentecost as they did each year. But flames of fire resting on men, the sound of a mighty rushing wind, words spoken which could be easily understood by people of diverse languages… This wasn’t the usual Pentecost. The prophetic significance of what was happening wasn’t immediately obvious, so Peter explains it to them:

---

Acts 2:14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; 18 even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. 19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; 20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. 21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

---

Joel, in the second chapter of his prophecies, prophesied that the things that were now happening would happen at the beginning of the Messianic age! [see, Joel 2:28-32, though Peter didn't quote Joel word-for-word].

The Messianic age has now begun! No devout Jew could miss the message Peter was purporting. This was the beginning of the “Last Days” (For “The Last Days” in prophesy, see Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 23:20; Jeremiah 49:39; Ezekiel 36:16; Hosea 3:5; Micah 4:1).

So Peter seizes this moment of clarity and ties the prophecies back to Jesus:

---

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

---

At the end of this section of his sermon, Peter also made it abundantly clear that the Jews were responsible for killing Jesus by the hands of “lawless men,” i.e., men who did not have the Law, i.e., the Roman gentiles.

But the story didn’t end there. God caused this Jesus, the Christ, to defeat death as David himself had prophesied in Psalm 16:8–11:

---

24 God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him, “I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; 26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. 27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 

---

Thousands of people were at this gathering and heard the news that Christ was indeed the Christ/Messiah, the Son of David of prophecy. They had crucified Him, but He would extend grace and salvation to them.

---

37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

---

Verses 37-39 speak to me that not only these original hearers, but “everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” should not only repent, but also be baptized in Christ’s name for the forgiveness of their sins. In so doing, each of us will receive a gift, which is the Holy Spirit.

---

40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

---

Peter continued to teach the crowd, exhorting them to be saved from the depravity of their generation. Jews needed saving, and that saving would come through Christ.

---

41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

---

Those who received Peter’s words were baptized and – I LOVE THIS! – 3,000 SOULS were added that day.

---

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

---

Those who were saved continued to learn from the apostles; continued to fellowship, eat, and pray together; formed a community/family with each other; cared for each other’s’ needs; attended temple together. In other words, praising God for this salvation and spreading this gospel became the primary focus of their lives (unlike the secondary or even worse focus it is in most of our lives today).

In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul wrote the following:
"¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
¹¹ For it has been reported to me by Chloe's people that there is quarreling among you, my brothers.
¹² What I mean is that each one of you says, “I follow Paul,” or “I follow Apollos,” or “I follow Cephas,” or “I follow Christ.”
¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
¹⁴ I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name.

Paul didn't even want to be named responsible for baptizing these people into Christ because they denominated themselves. Whereas some of them were saying they followed Paul and others said they were following Peter, today some would say they are following Calvin or Wesley or Spurgeon or the Pope or even Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll, Charles Stanley, or whomever.

Denominationalism, aka Division, is the first sin the American church (<-- That is a singular word) needs to repent of to be truly effective for the kingdom of Christ.

You don't find it in mission fields or in populations elsewhere in the  world who have only recently become Christians. Denominationalism (which means giving similar things different names in order to distinguish between them) is by definition division. It's a sin that creeps in  a takes over through time. Look how far we have taken it since the days of 1 Corinthians 1!