Tongues

Hello Everyone:

Our text for today is:

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs–we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine. “

Yesterday, we talked about the actual day of Pentecost and what it meant for the Jewish people and the city of Jerusalem and how strategic God was in using a festival that it was mandatory for the Jews to attend to pour out his spirit. 

Today, let’s pick up with the audience.  As I told you on yesterday, the audience would have included Jews from all over.  During the diasporas, Jews were no longer centrally located in one place but were scattered abroad.   It our text, we see that the audience included God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven and the tongues that were dispersed that day by the Holy Spirit were “different languages” for the text says that people understand what was being said.  In actually, the people in the upper room were instantly given a new language that they did not know.   Our text gives us a list of the various people that were there who spoke various languages. 

The text teaches that no matter what language they possessed they were able to hear the “wonders of God” declared in their own tongue when this out pouring of the Holy Spirit fell.

Both amazed and perplexed, they begin to ask each other what does this mean and some even assumed that they were drunk.

Tomorrow, we will study the disciples response to their questions.

 Stay encouraged everyone and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily. 

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