ACTS
CHAPTER 2:1-13, “The Pentecostal Blessing”
by
Jim Bomkamp
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In this study from the book of Acts, we will be looking at the
inauguration of the church when Jesus sent the Holy Spirit down to His body and
‘baptized’ all of the believers present there in the Holy Spirit.
1.1.1. The book of Acts is a book
of ‘first things’, and we will look at some ‘first things’ in the church
1.1.2. Last week we saw that Jesus
told His disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait together there until the promise
of the baptism of the Holy Spirit would come, yet He didn’t tell them how long
He would delay in sending the Holy Spirit, but they were obedient to Jesus and
stayed together there in Jerusalem praying and worshipping and ‘tarrying upon
the Holy Spirit’
1.1.2.1.We saw that the church in
the book of Acts, the first generation church, should be the model for the
church today because
1.1.2.1.1.It was free from doctrinal
and other impurity
1.1.2.1.2.It was the only generation
in the history of the church which God used it to reach to all of the known
world with the gospel
1.1.2.1.3.The disciples knew that they
had to be completely dependent upon the Holy Spirit because they had no idea
what they were doing otherwise
1.1.2.1.3.1.What hinders us in the
church today is that we think that we know what we are doing, and it is our
intellect which gets us into trouble when we rely upon it instead of the Lord
and His power and might
1.1.2.2.I mentioned also that no
matter how talented or naturally gifted we may be, we still need to go to the
Lord and ask Him to fill us and use us mightily through the power of the Holy
Spirit
1.1.2.3.We also saw that the Lord
does good things in our lives if in all of those times in our lives when we
find ourselves waiting upon the Lord and His calling and will for us that we
spend our time, ‘Tarrying Upon The Holy Spirit’
1.1.2.4.We also saw that there was a
difference between the filling of the Spirit (which should be a daily experience
for the believer being controlled and empowered by the Lord) and the baptism of
the Holy Spirit where God sovereignly falls upon the believer and gives him a
great anointing for service
1.1.3. I want to mention right off
the bat that in the mainstream church today there tend to be two divergent
camps concerning the belief in and exercise of spiritual gifts. Those who believe that the gifts aren’t for
today, and they don’t want to consider spiritual gifts because if you let God
out of the box you just don’t know what kind of weird stuff might happen if you
do, and then there are those who believe that the gifts of the Spirit are for
today, however to them anything goes in relation to the use of the gifts. We in the Calvary Chapel movement go right
in-between the two opinions. For on the
one hand we believe that the gifts of the Spirit are for today, however we also
believe that we need to allow the use of the gifts of the Holy Spirit according
to the guidelines laid out in the scripture (as found primarily in 1 Cor. 14)
1.1.3.1.The Baptists think we’re
Pentecostals and the Pentecostals think we’re Baptists. Thus someone coined the name, ‘Bapticostals’
for us
1.1.4. In the mainstream church
today there are those who believe differently than we do in the Calvary
Chapels, for they believe that the baptism of the Spirit is something that
automatically occurs when a person receives Christ into his life, and they base
this primarily on what Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:13, “13 For we were all
baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and
we were all given the one Spirit to drink”.
However, I don’t believe this way because
1.1.4.1.In 1 Cor. 12:13, the One who
is doing the baptizing is the Holy Spirit, and the baptism is a baptism not
‘of’ the Holy Spirit, but a baptism ‘into’ the body of Christ
1.1.4.2.In Matt. 3:11 (which Jesus
quotes here in Acts 1) where John the Baptist said of Christ when Christ came
to him to be baptized, that He (Jesus) would baptize, this baptism is a baptism
‘in the Holy Spirit’, so I believe that two different baptisms are being spoken
of in 1 Cor. 12:13 and Matt. 3:11
1.1.4.3.When we consider the fact
that the word ‘baptism’ means ‘immersion’, and has general usage, my
interpretation makes even more sense
1.1.4.3.1.The fact that the word had
general usage can be seen in 1 Cor. 10:2 when Paul wrote about the Israelites
being ‘baptized into Moses’, “2 and all were baptized into Moses in the
cloud and in the sea”
1.1.4.4.The fact that the disciples
in John 20:22 already ‘received’ the Holy Spirit when Jesus came though the
walls and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit” also supports my
interpretation, for I believe that it was actually at that moment when Jesus breathed
on the disciples that they were born again, and having received the Holy Spirit
I believe they were also at that moment ‘baptized’ into the Body of Christ
1.1.5. I have entitled this
message, “The Pentecostal Blessing”, for it was on the day of Pentecost, 50
days after the Passover and when Christ was crucified, that the Lord sent the
Holy Spirit to the church, inaugurating it, and because
1.1.5.1.The ‘baptism’ of the Holy
Spirit is a blessing for the believer
1.1.5.2.As I mentioned in the
previous message the baptism of the Spirit is a work that is often subsequent
to salvation for the believer
1.1.5.3.Also, in our lives as
believers and within the church, if anything happens that is a blessing it
occurs because of the moving of the Holy Spirit, for all His works in the
believer’s life are blessing
1.1.6. The feasts that occurred on
the day of Pentecost were the feasts after the Harvest, the ‘first fruits’
1.1.6.1.Lev. 23:15-21 tells us about
these feasts, “15 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after
the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering;
there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. 16 ‘You shall count fifty days to the
day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to
the Lord. 17 ‘You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread
for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine
flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. 18 ‘Along with the bread,
you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of
the herd, and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their
grain offering and their libations, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to
the Lord. 19 ‘You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two
male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 ‘The priest
shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering
with two lambs before the Lord; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 ‘On this same day you
shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You
shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your
dwelling places throughout your generations”
1.1.6.2.It is interesting that the
Holy Spirit would be poured out on this day, for Christ is called ‘the
first-fruits’ of those who are raised from the dead, but also the inauguration
of the church was in a way a day of first fruits as well
1.1.7. Josephus
writes that during this time with all of the people throughout Judea who came
to worship and participate in the feasts that Jerusalem swelled from 150,000 to
1,000,000 people, so this was a prime opportunity for the Lord to pour out His
Spirit upon His church, providing great signs and wonders which would be used
as an opportunity to preach the gospel
1.1.8. We
know that though the believers had been gathering together in an upper room,
they were also gathering together daily in the temple. It is at the temple itself, I believe, that
our story occurs since very few homes in that day could have handled such a
large group of people as who came (thousands), heard the message of the gospel,
and responded to it
1.2.
What happened on the day of Pentecost is that
the Holy Spirit fell upon the church, and there are various phenomena that
occurred simultaneously
1.2.1. There
is a mighty rushing wind that is coming from heaven, and the Lord uses this to
draw the Jews from all over the city together
1.2.1.1.It
is interesting to note that in John 3:8 when talking to Nicodemus about the
necessity of being born again if you would go to heaven, that Jesus said that
the Holy Spirit was like a wind that comes and goes and you see the effect of
it but do not know from where it came, and so it was with those who were born
of the Spirit
1.2.2. There
are ‘split’ or ‘cloven’ tongues of fire that appear over every single one of
the believers who are gathered together
1.2.3. All
of the believers began to speak in praise and glorify God in ‘ecstatic speech’,
speaking in languages which they themselves did not know, however many of the
languages that they were speaking were the native languages that were spoken in
the many nations and people groups which were gathered there
1.3.
We do not see again in the book of Acts that the Lord draws people to
hear the gospel through a mighty rushing wind, nor that He places cloven
tongues of fire upon the believer’s heads, for this event was very unusual in
that it was a day of first things, being the day that the Lord inaugurated His
church
1.4.
Notice the response of the people who came
together after hearing this sound. This
is typical of the response that non-believers often have when they see the
mighty works of God before them first hand
1.4.1. They
are in awe and marvel because they are each one hearing them speak in their own
native tongues
1.4.2. They
were perplexed being unable to explain how it could be that this group of crude
and uneducated Galileans could be speaking in their native tongues praises to
God
1.4.3. They
begin to mock and be critical, accusing the disciples of being drunk
1.5.
Last week I mentioned that the falling of the
Holy Spirit upon the believers gathered together on this day was a sovereign
act of God, and throughout the book of Acts we see that the Lord just kept on
falling on people. I believe also that the history of God’s movings upon men
after the period of the first century church always involved His falling on
them
1.5.1. In
this chapter everyone in the church spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit fell
upon them, and as you read through the book of Acts you see that usually when
the Lord fell upon people that they also had this same experience of speaking
in tongues, however not in every case
1.5.1.1.In
Acts 4:31 the Lord fell upon the believers, however instead of speaking in
tongues they spoke the Word of God boldly, “31 And when they had prayed, the
place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak the word of God with boldness”
1.5.1.2.I
believe that throughout the 2,000 year history of the church God has poured out
His Spirit on people and ‘baptized’ or ‘immersed’ them in His Spirit, and many times these same
men of God who were then used greatly by the Lord, did not speak in tongues and
they may have even believed that the gifts of the Spirit were not for our
present day
1.5.1.2.1.All
of the great men of God in the church of history past who were used greatly
spoke and/or wrote of times when they felt the presence of the Lord come upon
them in such a powerful way that they were never the same, and after this God’s
hand came mightily upon their preaching and ministry
1.5.1.2.1.1.For
example, John Wesley spoke of His ‘Aldersgate’ experience this way, for he said
that he felt the love of Christ so strongly in his heart that he thought that
he would die, and he actually asked the Lord to take it away from him
1.5.2. I
would have you also consider that when the Holy Spirit ‘baptizes’ individuals
they do not automatically speak in tongues as we see that all of these
believers did on the day of Pentecost, for even Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:30,
‘not all have the gift of tongues’
1.5.3. When
the Holy Spirit baptizes a person there are several effects that will be seen
in their life
1.5.3.1.Just
as occurred with the disciples here on the day of Pentecost, they will know
more about Christ in just a few moments than they have known ever before this
1.5.3.2.They
will have a boldness and confidence in the Lord’s ability to use them, and just
as happened with Peter in this experience, they will be used greatly by the
Lord
1.5.3.3.They
tend to have a strong experiential assurance of their own personal salvation
such as they have never had before
1.5.3.4.The
fruits of the Spirit should be seen in their lives, including especially that
one fruit from which all of the other fruits come, ‘love’
1.6.
I will also say that I believe that every
account of tongues found in the New Testament is the identical experience that
these believers have in this chapter, it is ‘ecstatic speaking’ in an unknown
language, and what is being spoken is worshipful prayer and exaltation of the
Lord
1.6.1. In 1 Cor. 14:2, Paul wrote
that the person who speaks in a tongue speaks to God, and that in his spirit he
doesn’t know what he is saying for he speaks mysteries, “2 For one who
speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God; for no one understands,
but in his spirit he speaks mysteries”
1.6.1.1.Many times today in some of
the Pentecostal oriented churches someone will stand up and speak in a tongue,
and then someone else will give a prophesy that is supposed to be an
interpretation of that tongue, however I believe that the expression of a
tongue is not meant to be a prophesy from God but an expression of praise and
worship, for as Paul writes here the one who speaks in a tongue speaks unto God
1.6.1.2.In 1 Cor. 14:5-19, Paul
writes about how that in the general assembly of the church what the people
need is not for someone or everyone to speak in a speech that is unintelligible
to them but something from God’s Word that is edifying, therefore the person
who speaks in tongues is to be quiet in these assemblies if he or someone else
is not able to accurately interpret his expression of praise in an unknown
tongue, “5 Now I wish that you all spoke in tongues, but even more that you
would prophesy; and greater is one who prophesies than one who speaks in
tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may receive edifying. 6 But
now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, what shall I profit you,
unless I speak to you either by way of revelation or of knowledge or of
prophecy or of teaching? 7 Yet even lifeless things, either flute or harp, in
producing a sound, if they do not produce a distinction in the tones, how will
it be known what is played on the flute or on the harp? 8 For if the bugle
produces an indistinct sound, who will prepare himself for battle? 9 So also
you, unless you utter by the tongue speech that is clear, how will it be known
what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. 10 There are, perhaps, a
great many kinds of languages in the world, and no kind is without meaning. 11
If then I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be to the one who
speaks a barbarian, and the one who speaks will be a barbarian to me. 12 So
also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the
edification of the church. 13 Therefore let one who speaks in a tongue pray
that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my
mind is unfruitful. 15 What is the outcome then? I shall pray with the spirit
and I shall pray with the mind also; I shall sing with the spirit and I shall
sing with the mind also. 16 Otherwise if you bless in the spirit only, how will
the one who fills the place of the ungifted say the “Amen” at your giving of
thanks, since he does not know what you are saying? 17 For you are giving
thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified. 18 I thank God, I speak
in tongues more than you all; 19 however, in the church I desire to speak five
words with my mind, that I may instruct others also, rather than ten thousand
words in a tongue”
1.6.1.3.Likewise,
Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 14:4, that the person who speaks in a tongue receives
personal edification, for this is the purpose of tongues and the reason why it
is not useful for the general assembly of the church, “4 One who speaks in a
tongue edifies himself; but one who prophesies edifies the church”
1.6.1.3.1.In
the Calvarys we do sometimes have afterglows or ‘believers only’ meetings where
we do pray for each other for the gifts of the Spirit to be bestowed, and
during these times there is an openness to public speaking in tongues
2.
VS 2:1 - “2:1 And when the day of Pentecost had come, they
were all together in one place” –
The day of Pentecost came and the disciples were all together in one place
2.1.
Again, we do not know for sure where they were gathered together, however
it is most probably the temple since houses of the size which could hold such a
group were very uncommon in that day
3.
VS 2:2-6 - “2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like
a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and
they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy
Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them
utterance. 5 Now there were Jews living
in
3.1.
The phenomena
3.1.1. A sound of wind such as produced by a hurricane is
heard coming from heaven
3.1.2. Tongues of fire rested on top of each person
3.1.2.1.Note that the Holy Spirit is not a fire and that no
where else in the book of Acts did fire accompany the falling of the Holy
Spirit upon people
3.1.2.2.The fire over the believers does symbolize the
purification of sanctification which is produced by the Holy Spirit in the
believer’s life
3.1.3. They were all ‘filled’ with the Holy Spirit
3.1.3.1.Remember, as I mentioned last week, to be ‘filled’
with the Holy Spirit means to be controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit
3.1.3.1.1.It should be obvious from this that when the Holy
Spirit comes upon a person’s life that we should expect that the person’s life
should then produce the fruits of the Holy Spirit in their life, and that ‘by
their fruits you shall know them’
3.1.4. They began to speak as the Holy Spirit gave them
utterance
3.1.4.1.Some in the church have taught that what was
miraculous here in Acts chapter 2 when the Spirit fell was that the people
heard them speak in their own native languages, and that therefore the miracle
was upon the hearers only, however these verses make it clear that the miracle
was upon the person who was doing the speaking
3.1.4.2.There are others in the church who have taught that
the people were not speaking in praise and worship in an unknown language, but
rather that they were at this point speaking and preaching to the people and
that the people were hearing them preaching each in their own language; however the scripture indicates otherwise
here, for it shows that they were speaking to God, for that they were in
worship and praise is apparent because they were speaking of the great and
mighty deeds of God (see 2:11), and people just happened to show up in the
midst of it
3.1.5. Each person who came together after hearing the sound
of the wind was hearing the disciples praise and glorify God ‘in his own
language’
3.1.5.1.Again this was ‘ecstatic speaking’ and the disciples
did not know what they were saying, they were just being led by the Spirit and
were worshipping and glorifying the Lord
3.1.5.2.We have in the Calvarys in several instances
discovered that someone’s prayer language in which they spoke in tongues was a
language that was known upon the earth
3.1.5.2.1.Chuck Smith (the founder of the Calvary Chapel
movement) has on one occasion spoken about a woman in his fellowship who spoke
a Classic or Aristocratic French in her prayer language
3.1.5.2.2.On another occasion Chuck spoke about a young boy who
wanted to be prayed for that he might speak in tongues, and then after the boy
began speaking he seemed to all to be speaking gibberish, however a woman who
was Russian spoke up because she recognized every word that the boy had been
speaking
3.1.5.3.Many of the believers there were also speaking in
tongues which no men knew, and this probably led to the crowd accusing the
brethren of partaking of alcoholic beverages
3.1.5.3.1.In 1 Cor. 13:1, Paul seemed to imply that with his
gift of tongues that he might speak in the tongues of men and also of angels,
indicating a language that was spoken or known only in heaven
4.
VS 2:7-13 - “7 And they were amazed and marveled, saying, “Why,
are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 “And how is it that we each
hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 “Parthians and Medes and
Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and
visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them
in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all
continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does
this mean?” 13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”” – The crowd who came together after hearing
the sound of the mighty rushing wind reacts to what they have seen and heard
4.1.
It has been said
that at a minimum as many as 17 different languages were being spoken by those
who were speaking praises and worshipping in unknown tongues
4.2.
The response of
the crowed was
4.2.1. Amazement
4.2.1.1.Having seen firsthand the mighty works of God they had
no means of explaining the phenomena, for they were in a state of awe
4.2.2. Great perplexity
4.2.2.1.When the Lord intervenes in unbelievers lives they do
not usually know what to think, for their whole belief system is suddenly
challenged, and it sort of knocks their whole life’s foundation out from under
them
4.2.2.2.You see, if God is real and His Word is true, there
are tremendous implications for people’s lives, and when a person first comes
to consider this possibility and all of it’s implications, it can be quite
overwhelming
4.2.3. Mocking and criticism
4.2.3.1.When people have decided that they do not want to know
truth in their life nor discover whether or not there is a God, etc., then they
have to somehow justify themselves and their choice to disbelieve God in the
face of seeing His works, so all they can do is ridicule and scorn the
messenger bringing God’s Word to them
4.2.3.1.1.It’s the old routine of, ‘if you can’t discredit the
message (or in this instance works of God), then try to find a way to discredit
the messenger’