Notes on Acts 2, Part One

Notes on Acts 2, Part One

2:1-13 

The Feast of Pentecost began as an agricultural festival in Israel. By the first century, it had become a commemoration of God descending in fire on Mt Sinai to write his Law on stone tablets. The prophets spoke of a day when God would put his Spirit within his people and write his Law on their hearts (see Jere 31:33 & Ezek 36:26). At Mt. Sinai, 3000 people died when God came down in fire to bring the people his Law; on Mt Zion, 3000 people came to life when God came down in fire to emblazon the gospel in their hearts on the Day of Pentecost.

The day of Pentecost marked a monumental turning point in salvation history. Jesus had promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would empower them to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8), and here in Acts 2, that promise is fulfilled. The disciples were gathered together when suddenly, a sound like a rushing wind filled the house. This moment recalls God’s presence in the whirlwind in Job or the breath of life in Genesis 2:7. The appearance of tongues of fire resting on each person further emphasizes God’s presence, as fire throughout Scripture symbolizes purification and divine power - along with judgment. It can be both blessing that purifies (Isaiah 4:4; Malachi 3:2-4; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15)), and judgment that consumes (Genesis 19:24; Malachi 4:1-4).

The remarkable gift of tongues demonstrates that the gospel is for all nations and peoples. The Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to declare God’s mighty works in various languages, uniting what had been scattered at Babel (Genesis 11). This extraordinary event shows that the Church is not confined to one culture, ethnicity, or language but is a global movement empowered by the Spirit. As John Stott notes, “Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be inconceivable, even impossible. There can be no life without the life-giver, no understanding without the Spirit of truth.”

A couple of notes on the phenomena - might rushing wind: recall that the word for Spirit in both Greek and Hebrew is wind/breath/spirit (pneuma, ruach). Fire: “baptize with the Spirit and fire” is how Matthew reads, a blaze that consumes the chaff left behind by the winnowing fork of the Messiah. In an interesting twist, the tongues of fire show the baptism of the Spirit by “pouring” (Acts 2:33), and rather than fiery judgment, the gathered congregation receives a fiery anointing to bear witness. Tongues: real languages (obviously), though delivered in a Galilean accent!

Why this sign? A few possibilities to consider are evident. First is inclusion: the many languages represent the many nations within the scope of the witness the disciples will offer - Jesus is going global. Second, nations are gathered to hear and speak with understanding, reversing Babel - the mountain of the Lord has come down with fire, and humanity is being gathered into the new city of God. Third, it is a sign to “unbelievers” (as Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 14). God speaking to his people in a foreign tongue is a sign of judgment (see Isaiah Isaiah 28:11 - which Paul references in his Corinthian letter - and Deuteronomy 28:49). Possible, though the Deut passage looks like languages they didn’t understand rather than those they did - but definitely foreign tongues. If it's judgment, it’s a sign pointing to the establishment of a new temple/house in Zion that has been filled with the glory cloud. 

2:14-21

Some mock, some wonder. When the Spirit is at work, we can expect the same response. Some people will mock what God does, and others will be captured by the wonder of what God is doing and seek him.

When the crowd mocked the disciples, accusing them of drunkenness, Peter stood to deliver a Spirit-empowered explanation of what was unfolding. Quoting Joel 2:28-32, Peter declared that this outpouring of the Spirit signified the arrival of the "last days," a time when God would pour His Spirit on all people. Young and old, men and women, slaves and free—all would be empowered to prophesy, dream, and see visions. This proclamation of inclusivity reveals the heart of God to empower His people, regardless of status or social barriers.

The democratization of the Spirit means that leadership in the Church is no longer limited to specific roles or institutions. Every believer has access to the Spirit’s power and the privilege of proclaiming God’s truth. As Craig Keener writes, “Joel’s prophecy reminds us that God’s Spirit empowers His people for ministry, breaking barriers of age, gender, and social class. The Spirit is not an elitist gift but God’s gift to His entire community.”

This anointing of the Spirit on the Body of Christ leads necessarily to the acknowledgment that every particular Christian is engaged as a witness (in a variety of ways and settings), and that the community as a whole has a prophetic, priestly, and royal role in that witness to the world. God has fulfilled Moses’ ancient desire, “O that all God’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them” (Numbers 11:29). 

All of the 120 gathered were filled, and all of them spoke/prophesied. That included the women in the company as well. We can be silent before the Lord in humbled adoration, but we must not be silent before the world in public witness.