1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Preamble:
The apostles and the early disciples now continue on in prayer as Jesus told them to do while waiting for the Promise from the Father. This chapter then recalls those events as the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them and will not only enable them to bear witness to the Lord Jesus Christ’s Resurrection, (and fulfill the Word of God that He would speak to Israel in other tongues, i.e. languages). but more importantly it is the Holy Spirit’s regeneration of their and our persons that makes us new creations in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), which is not only our salvation, but our now being God’s living witnesses of our Living Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! This chapter then is not about the sign gift of speaking in tongues, it is about God taking His chosen (who are the least in the eyes of the world) and making us to be His Witnesses of His Son’s Resurrection Life and Power and Glory by His Holy Spirits first transforming us, then enabling us to be His Witness and Workers (i.e. Gospel preachers, teachers and workers) to the ends of the earth!
Commentary
Vs. 1 “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
The Day of Pentecost, the finial day of the Jews traditional feast of weeks celebration (Lev. 23:15-21; Deut. 16:9-12), which also was the fiftieth day since the Lord Jesus Christ’s Ascension back to God the Father in heaven. And so, on that Day the disciples being gathered together in Jerusalem will now experience God’s outpouring of His Spirit and blessing upon them.
Vs. 2 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.”
The Holy Spirits entrance into their persons and lives then is by no means subtle! Rather He comes from heaven into the place where they are staying as of a mighty rushing wind, filling the whole house where they are sitting. They all then see and experience this powerful outpouring by God of His Spirit upon them.
Vs. 3 “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them.”
Now as the Holy Spirit made His grand entrance into the place where they were sitting, there appeared to them divided tongues; that is He gave to each one of them a different language other than their mother tongue or language; now all of these were as of fire, (not literal fire), thus making them then very fervent and bold in their new speech.
Vs. 4 “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
And so, now being filled with Holy Spirit, (notice not one was left out), it is the Holy Spirit who now enables them to speak with other tongues, i.e. languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Thus, it was the Spirit not themselves who was giving them the words and means to speak in other languages. No one then was ever “coached” on how to speak in tongues in the New Testament. This then begins the fulfillment of Jesus’ Promise that with the Holy Spirits outpouring into the world He would come and reside in each and everyone of us who believe in Him (John 14:16-17). Now there are certain things that uniquely occurred here. First is the Holy Spirits Presence coming into the place where they were staying as of a mighty rushing wind. Nowhere else in the New Testament does this occur because His Coming into the world, and us, occurs only once, for He does not now leave us and then come back to us (John 14:16). And so, it was to the first disciples that His Arrival in the world had to be revealed to them in this very tangible way. Next is the gift of speaking in other languages that the Holy Spirit gave to each disciple, for as we will see this will serve a very specific purpose in fulfilling the Scripture, and bearing witness to the Lord Jesus Christ to all the Jews who were then in Jerusalem, from all over the world, for the Feast at Pentecost.
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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