Church in the home Wed.evenings 27/ Jan/ 2010, Pentecost and the holy spirit

Church in the home Wednesday evenings 27 Jan 2010

Pentecost and the holy spirit

This study was partly gleaned from the web source mentioned below.
I enjoyed the approach to the study of Pentecost as shared by J. W. Rittenburg of Bible tools.


http://bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Audio.Details/ID/366/Pentecost-and-Holy-Spirit.htm

Pentecost and the holy spirit

Israel Lacked the Holy Spirit

Let's begin in Deuteronomy 29:2-4.

We will begin in the Old Testament, in the Old Covenant. We're not focusing directly upon Pentecost here, but in an indirect way, it has to be a foundation for what happened a little bit later.

And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land: The great temptations which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the LORD has not given you [Israelites, the people who had been alive through the wilderness journey, perhaps some of them the whole 40 years] a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

Reflect forward to the New Covenant. It is God's leading and guiding by His Holy Spirit, enabling us to perceive, to see and to hear His Word. These people were 38 or 40 years in the wilderness in the presence of God, yet they didn't get it. It never sank in. The reason it never sank in is because God did not perform that which would have given them the ability to perceive what was going on in their lives.

In Deuteronomy 5:29, we will see this confirmed. This is near the end of the chapter that contains the second recording of the Ten Commandments. Moses writes:

O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!

Except for a precious few of those Israelites, nobody received God's Holy Spirit under the Old Covenant. It's because of this that we see scriptures like this quoted—so that we will understand them in a New Testament context. Romans 11:8-11:

(According as it is written, God has given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. [The "they," of course, is Israel.] And David said, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompense unto them: Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back always. I say then, [Paul reaches a conclusion] Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

So, spiritually—from the time of the Exodus (sometime around the 1400s B.C.) all the way up until the time that Paul wrote these things—these people hadn't been offered the Holy Spirit at all. And so, spiritually they had a form of "blindness" or they were "sleeping," as Paul said. When you're like that, you don't know what's going on. You are oblivious to what is going on around you. So it ought to be very easy for us to read about Israel's constant bickering, warring, complaining, sexual sins, intrigues and murders, remembering that they were operating within a God-imposed spiritual handicap—so that an example could be set (and written) for us to learn from. That's quite a detriment, if we look at it from a human perspective. God, of course, knew what He was doing all along. He put these people through the paces in order that our understanding might be much deeper and broader.

Still Future in John's Day

In Luke 3:16, we read of John the Baptist:

John answered, saying unto them all [that is, to all of those who were there], I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I comes, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

This occurs before the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ, before the giving of God's Holy Spirit. Even in Acts 1:4-5, the Holy Spirit was still not yet given:

And being assembled together with them [the disciples], commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, you have heard of me. For, John truly baptized with water; but you shall [still future] be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.

That's pretty clear. Even up till a few days before Pentecost, the receipt of the holy spirit by people in general was yet a future occurrence. So, when God's moment arrived, He introduced the Spirit to mankind with a mighty visible and audible display. I think part of it was because it ranks as one of the most important acts of God for the completion of His purpose, even to this very day.

Even today—2,000 years after the fact of the giving of God's Holy Spirit on that day of Pentecost—the overwhelming bulk of mankind that has even some understanding of this day at the same time has no idea of its detailed significance. Thus, even if they do celebrate it, they do it with very little understanding. Many Protestant denominations call it "Whitsunday," which is derived from "white Sunday"—because it became a custom to baptize converts that day, while they were wearing white baptismal gowns. It sounds good. It might even sound logical and reasonable to some, but it doesn't have any (or very little) biblical significance. So the real meaning of the day is lost to them. Two thousand years after the fact, it is still lost to them.


Why Did God Give It to Us?

Let's go back to Acts 2:14-21. We'll start there rather than at the beginning of the chapter, and then we'll go back and pick up some points that are important to this sermon.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, You men of Judea, and all you that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the last days, says 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: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

It's interesting to note that Peter did not say that this was "the fulfillment" of what Joel spoke. The reason he did not say it was "the fulfillment" is because much of the prophecy of Joel was not yet fulfilled. Peter understood that—and you can very easily see it. Peter knew that it was only the beginning of what Joel spoke, because God's Spirit was not being poured out on all flesh. That will be obvious in just a bit. The sun and moon didn't change their appearance, and not everybody that "called on the name of the Lord" was being saved. What we see here is something that was similar to what happened when Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 in Luke 4, when He began His ministry in His home town. Parts of the prophecy Jesus left out. Peter recognized that this was only the beginning of what Joel prophesied.

A number of things that occurred on this occasion we should take note of before we go on to other things. So drop back to verse 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.

The sound was understood or it was perceived to be coming from heaven. It says that it filled the whole house where they were sitting, which is interesting. Why would he mention sitting? Why weren't they just standing around and fellowshipping with one another? Well, because in all probability "the house" that is mentioned there was, in actuality, the Temple. They were sitting because it was a holy day, and they were having a service.

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (verse 3)

In addition to the wind-like sound, flames of fire appeared either to fall upon or to rise from those who were given God's Spirit. There's no indication that these flames appeared on anybody else, except those who were in the house. This may have been done because fire had previously been associated with a form of baptism—another reason why I read to you Luke 3 where John the Baptist mentioned the "baptism of fire." So, it had previously been associated with a form of baptism by John the Baptist. God used the fire to identify those who were receiving His Spirit at that time—a form of visible "sanctification" (being set apart).

Speaking in Tongues

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (verse 4)

Those in the house were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke with other languages. These were not unknown languages—but languages familiar with people in the area, because we read in verse 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.

Notice that in verse 4 the word "tongues" appears, but in verse 6 the word "language" appears. Now, why weren't they both translated the same way? The reason is because it's two different words. The one in verse 4 is the one that we are most familiar with. We have probably heard in the past that it's glossais, and that word means (in today's usage) "a language" or "tongue." But in verse 6 the Greek word is dialekto. That word has practically come into the English language untranslated; it means "dialect." So these people not only heard in their own language—they heard in their own dialect. These people, then, to whom God gave His Holy Spirit, were not speaking in an unintelligible gibberish, but each person hearing heard each person speaking in not only his own language, but even his own dialect!

You might recall that, as Jesus was on trial, Peter was identified as being Galilean because of the way he spoke. Let's say that the Jews in Judea spoke Aramaic, and that Peter spoke Aramaic. And yet, Peter spoke it in a dialect different from the Judeans in Jerusalem. And so, very quickly, that young lady identified Peter as being a Galilean. That's the kind of thing that we're talking about here in Acts 2—that God worked an awesome miracle. The miracle was not only in the speaking. The miracle in the hearing may have even been greater, because the miracle had to work in each person's mind so that they heard each person speaking in their own dialect. That's pretty precise.

Based upon what Paul writes in I Corinthians 14 about God's concern for order and organization at services, I am sure that not everyone of those people who were receiving God's Holy Spirit were all speaking at once. Rather, it was organized by God so that the distinct language and the dialect could be clearly and distinctly heard by those who were observant. This was an awesome miracle!


Who Were the Listeners?

There is serious doubt, though (with the exception of one group, which I'll mention later), whether the people listening were "pilgrims" who had just recently traveled to Jerusalem. Notice verse 8:

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

This begins to indicate that these people who were hearing were foreign-born inhabitants of Jerusalem—that these people were not merely visiting, but were living there. Now look at verse 5.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

In every place that I looked where the word "dwelling" is used, it is talking about inhabitants living permanently in the land.

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, You men of Judea, and all you that dwell at Jerusalem. . . . (verse 14)

Do you see whom he addressed? The inhabitants of Jerusalem. Now, they may have been foreign-born, but for whatever the reason, they were now living in Jerusalem. I take that to mean a lot of businessmen had been transferred there by their "companies," their "corporations" (I'm using modern metaphors here), and they were now living there, conducting business. They were largely Jews who may have, like the apostle Paul, been born in another area of the Roman Empire. But they traveled to Jerusalem, put down roots there, and were now living there. Their native tongue was not Aramaic, but it may have been something like Greek or Latin.

The exception is in verse 10:

Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes.

If you have a modern Bible, it is very likely that that word "strangers" has been translated into the word "visitors." In fact, the King James margin reads "visitors." Those from Rome were "visitors." Something else buttresses this fact—that so many people were baptized:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day [Pentecost] there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (verse 41)

This was not a modern Billy Graham evangelistic campaign, where he gives a sermon and three thousand people answer the altar call. What we're dealing with here are people who were foreign-born but were now living in Jerusalem. They evidently had lived there for quite a long time. These people were eye- and ear- witnesses to the ministry of Jesus Christ. They saw Him. They heard Him. They may have participated in His murder. Even if they did not participate, they may have given approval. Or, even if they didn't give approval, they were eyewitness to the things that had occurred. So, on this day of Pentecost, God—by His Spirit—opened their minds, and the impact of what they had witnessed in that previous three and one-half years all came together when they heard Peter's sermon. They were smitten in their hearts. And they repented because they were ready.

Modern Protestant evangelists would like to give you the impression that you can hear one sermon, and, boy, you're converted. I'm afraid, brethren, that it takes a lot more than that for God to lead us to repentance. So much preceded this occasion to set these people up. During the ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ, God was leading these people to repentance. Then, when they heard Peter's sermon, with the help of God's Holy Spirit giving the sermon and leading them, they repented and were baptized.

"You Shall Receive Power"

Now, in Acts 11:15, where Peter is recounting what occurred at the house of Cornelius, he says:

And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

So, what Peter confirmed here is that the receiving of the Holy Spirit is, indeed, also the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The receiving and the baptism of the Holy Spirit are synonymous. Now, when we are baptized by the Holy Spirit, what is it that we are receiving? I think that if there is any one English word that might catch the essence of this, it is "power." In Acts 1:8, Jesus is speaking.

But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

"You shall receive power." Now, let's go to II Timothy 1:7 where we will see a confirmation of this. This is another familiar scripture, but we'll read it again on this day.

For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

That should ring a bell in our minds. We've heard it very, very often. We'll turn to another one in the book of Romans that we don't hear very often, but it is part and parcel of the same kind of thinking.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)

We're empowered to hope by God's Holy Spirit. Notice verse 19:

Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Ilyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Paul conducted his ministry by means of the power of God. Signs, wonders, miracles, healings, and things of that nature were done through the power of the Holy Spirit.






http://www.biblicalunitarian.com (Biblical Unitarianism website)
http://www.truthortradition.com (Truth or Tradition web site)
http://www.stfonline.org/ (Spirit and Truth fellowship online website)