th1b.taylor
Member
Acts 2:1:
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:2:
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3:
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:4:
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I feel that it is always important that we pay attention to what is said and what words surround (precede and follow) the text of concern. The first thing I see is that these men were being obedient and they expected the LORD to do the miracle He had promised. The eleven had no doubt in their minds that they would receive the Comforter, the Holy Ghost.
I am continually confronted with the foolish statement, ¨If God would do, today, the miracles that He did in the Bible, I would believe.¨ Jesus taught for forty days after He rose from the grave and it is recorded that He taught as many as five hundred. In the first century women and children were not numbered, only the adult men were counted. This indicates that the number of persons, men, women and children (Under the age of thirty) could have been as many as fifteen hundred or more. And yet there appears to have been less than ten percent that believed and they were the witness´.
When Jesus taught in His home-town He was unable to do many miracles because the people knew Him there as Mary´s son. When we look around the world, into the areas filled with new believers, in the less advanced cultures we see God doing great things because their faith is so strong. In the industrialized nations, we are well educated and, mistakenly, pour our faith into other men and their science. Even so, men and women of like faith with that of mine, see the LORD doing wonderful works in our lives every day. And we work toward the unity of the believers every day.
Acts 2:5:
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:6:
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Acts 2:7:
And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans?
Acts 2:8:
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Acts 2:9:
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Acts 2:10:
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Acts 2:11:
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
This passage is, more oft than not, pulled apart and abused. (NOTE) I am not making a case against the speaking in tongues, the heavenly language. But this passage, absolutely cannot be used to support the practice either! The text, very clearly, points out that the tongues spoken and commented on in this passage is that of languages, known to men. If we will not try to sell our personal agendas and simply pray, read and submit, the Holy Spirit will show each of us that one very, very great miracle took place here.
We´ll take Peter here for our example and Peter would have been, most likely, speaking in Aramaic and that is what he would have heard himself speak and yet the Jew from Egypt, the non-believing Egyptian, the Jew and the non-believer from Crete and so on, heard the words he spoke in their own, native, tongue. I count seventeen languages that the same word was heard in. Peter was a fisherman, not well educated, and yet the men and women from at least seventeen nations understood what he said and they heard it in their native tongues.
Acts 2:12:
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Acts 2:13:
Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
We must never be caught sleeping, Satan is very quick to get his licks in, just as he did here, and like Peter we need to be ready to reply with the true answer.
Acts 2:14:
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 2:15:
For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Acts 2:16:
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Acts 2:17:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of 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:
Acts 2:18:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Acts 2:19:
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Acts 2:20:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Acts 2:21:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Peter gives us the perfect model for our conduct in this passage. Peter and the other ten had just spent three to three and a half years in an intensive Bible study and he goes straight to the scriptures for the proper answer. This happens because he has studied to show himself approved and because he has the Holy Spirit uses his study to guide him as he walks, talks and it is involved with his every moment of life. These men lived for God and so must we, if we are smart.
Acts 2:22:
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Acts 2:23:
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:24:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Acts 2:25:
For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Acts 2:26:
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Acts 2:27:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Peter, being led of the Spirit goes right to the heart of the matter. I have often been informed that if I would skate on the edges of the issue for a time that I might offend fewer people with my message but it has been my observation that Jesus, my primary example, never did such a thing and He, obviously, taught His disciples to go to the point and get on with God´s business.
The Bible Jesus, Peter and the other disciples taught from is our Old Testament. We must pay close attention to all that as been revealed to us in the complete Word of God and remember the examples we have been given to follow in our service to the LORD.
It is often presented that the disciples used the Jewish Bible, only, because the New Testament had not been written at that time. This certainly does have an element of truth to it, the books and the letters of the New testament were not compiled and approved of by execution of the Canon but when we look at the text of the last testament, just as Peter refers to Joel, most of the New Testament refers to what is taught in the Old Testament, a.k.a. The Jewish Bible.
Here´s the tricky part that is seldom seen, except by the person following the lead of the Holy Spirit. In verse 22, the men of Israel are commanded, by Peter, acting in the name of Jesus, to hear the words of Jesus. Now examine John 1:1-3, because here we see that all of the Old Testament is the work of Jesus, the unchanging God of Mal. 3:6a. Now, we are instructed to study to show ourselves approved. (2Tim. 2:15) I cannot help anyone to grow closer to God any more than Peter did but you and I both can study all of scripture, pray and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, just as the disciples did.
And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:2:
And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3:
And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:4:
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I feel that it is always important that we pay attention to what is said and what words surround (precede and follow) the text of concern. The first thing I see is that these men were being obedient and they expected the LORD to do the miracle He had promised. The eleven had no doubt in their minds that they would receive the Comforter, the Holy Ghost.
I am continually confronted with the foolish statement, ¨If God would do, today, the miracles that He did in the Bible, I would believe.¨ Jesus taught for forty days after He rose from the grave and it is recorded that He taught as many as five hundred. In the first century women and children were not numbered, only the adult men were counted. This indicates that the number of persons, men, women and children (Under the age of thirty) could have been as many as fifteen hundred or more. And yet there appears to have been less than ten percent that believed and they were the witness´.
When Jesus taught in His home-town He was unable to do many miracles because the people knew Him there as Mary´s son. When we look around the world, into the areas filled with new believers, in the less advanced cultures we see God doing great things because their faith is so strong. In the industrialized nations, we are well educated and, mistakenly, pour our faith into other men and their science. Even so, men and women of like faith with that of mine, see the LORD doing wonderful works in our lives every day. And we work toward the unity of the believers every day.
Acts 2:5:
And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:6:
Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Acts 2:7:
And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans?
Acts 2:8:
And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Acts 2:9:
Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Acts 2:10:
Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Acts 2:11:
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
This passage is, more oft than not, pulled apart and abused. (NOTE) I am not making a case against the speaking in tongues, the heavenly language. But this passage, absolutely cannot be used to support the practice either! The text, very clearly, points out that the tongues spoken and commented on in this passage is that of languages, known to men. If we will not try to sell our personal agendas and simply pray, read and submit, the Holy Spirit will show each of us that one very, very great miracle took place here.
We´ll take Peter here for our example and Peter would have been, most likely, speaking in Aramaic and that is what he would have heard himself speak and yet the Jew from Egypt, the non-believing Egyptian, the Jew and the non-believer from Crete and so on, heard the words he spoke in their own, native, tongue. I count seventeen languages that the same word was heard in. Peter was a fisherman, not well educated, and yet the men and women from at least seventeen nations understood what he said and they heard it in their native tongues.
Acts 2:12:
And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Acts 2:13:
Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
We must never be caught sleeping, Satan is very quick to get his licks in, just as he did here, and like Peter we need to be ready to reply with the true answer.
Acts 2:14:
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 2:15:
For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
Acts 2:16:
But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Acts 2:17:
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of 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:
Acts 2:18:
And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Acts 2:19:
And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Acts 2:20:
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Acts 2:21:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Peter gives us the perfect model for our conduct in this passage. Peter and the other ten had just spent three to three and a half years in an intensive Bible study and he goes straight to the scriptures for the proper answer. This happens because he has studied to show himself approved and because he has the Holy Spirit uses his study to guide him as he walks, talks and it is involved with his every moment of life. These men lived for God and so must we, if we are smart.
Acts 2:22:
Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Acts 2:23:
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:24:
Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Acts 2:25:
For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Acts 2:26:
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Acts 2:27:
Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Peter, being led of the Spirit goes right to the heart of the matter. I have often been informed that if I would skate on the edges of the issue for a time that I might offend fewer people with my message but it has been my observation that Jesus, my primary example, never did such a thing and He, obviously, taught His disciples to go to the point and get on with God´s business.
The Bible Jesus, Peter and the other disciples taught from is our Old Testament. We must pay close attention to all that as been revealed to us in the complete Word of God and remember the examples we have been given to follow in our service to the LORD.
It is often presented that the disciples used the Jewish Bible, only, because the New Testament had not been written at that time. This certainly does have an element of truth to it, the books and the letters of the New testament were not compiled and approved of by execution of the Canon but when we look at the text of the last testament, just as Peter refers to Joel, most of the New Testament refers to what is taught in the Old Testament, a.k.a. The Jewish Bible.
Here´s the tricky part that is seldom seen, except by the person following the lead of the Holy Spirit. In verse 22, the men of Israel are commanded, by Peter, acting in the name of Jesus, to hear the words of Jesus. Now examine John 1:1-3, because here we see that all of the Old Testament is the work of Jesus, the unchanging God of Mal. 3:6a. Now, we are instructed to study to show ourselves approved. (2Tim. 2:15) I cannot help anyone to grow closer to God any more than Peter did but you and I both can study all of scripture, pray and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, just as the disciples did.
