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Acts 2 – Tongue Speaking: How, Why, and What Is Happening Here
The tongue speaking in Acts 2: (1) Gains attention (2:5-7); (2) Amazes people (2:7); (3) Equates all people (2:6-11; 2:17-8); (4) Brings glory to God (2:11,19); (5) Fulfills prophecy (Acts 2:16); and (6) Leads to salvation (2:21,38).
That is the purpose of plain, non-miraculous, Bible preaching today: (1) To preach we must gain people’s attention and we keep their attention by preaching; (2) Amaze people with what God has done; (3) Treat all as equal in sin, equal to each other and to God; (4) Bring glory to God because His word is wonderful; (5) Preach God’s fulfilled prophecies, even fulfilling the still active prophecy which is “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved;” (6) And finally lead others to salvation.
The details of the original outpouring are often discussed and argued as to what happened. I would like to investigate how and why, not just why it happened, but how and why it happened the way it did. God does nothing haphazardly. And maybe that will answer the question as to what happened.
Wind – How it begins is with the “a noise like a violent, rushing wind” (2:2) coming from heaven. Israel beginning included God and wind. In Exodus 14:21, God uses an east wind to blow all night separating the waters of the Red Sea. Very reminiscent of Genesis 1 where God separated the waters (Gen.1:6). A wind is used to end the flood (Gen.8:1) which is reminiscent of Genesis 1 where the Holy Spirit passed over the waters (Gen.1:2). Psalm 106:9 says that “God rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up.” The Pentecost sermon concludes with a scathing rebuke (2:36). However the emphasis on the wind is at the beginning and not the end, about a new beginning and not a rebuke since it involves the apostles and not the crowd. God begins the New Covenant, the restored kingdom, the church, with a noise like a violent, rushing wind from heaven. The Holy Spirit is the breath or wind of God. God begins and separates to salvation with wind and with the Holy Spirit.
Fire – Tongues as of fire, like a candle, appear above the heads of the apostles. What was this divine fire-like tongue? It reminded the observer of fire. God sometimes begins by fire or “divine fire” just consider the burning bush and Mt. Sinai. God sometimes ends and destroys by fire. In Amos, each of the “Oracles Against the Nations” involves destructive fire. Sodom and Gomorrah is the most well known example of destruction by fire. Hell is eternally destroys by fire. But the message of Pentecost is not one of destruction, but of life – the life of the resurrection Messiah and the new life of those who crucified Him. God historically lead by fire. The Israelites were led through the wilderness not only by a cloud, but by a pillar of fire (Ex.13:21-22). This same fire protected Israel from the Egyptians before crossing the Red Sea by separating them from their enemies (Ex.3:19-20). The process is fire, wind, water, fire. That pillar would like a huge tongue of fire. God leads, separates to salvation and protects by fire.
Language – The most controversial aspect of the tongue speaking is the question of what it was – human language formerly unknown or ecstatic utterance. Seeing the text, they spoke with human language (Acts 2:8). Seeing their history we also conclude the apostles spoke with human languages formerly unknown. Why? God begins with speech, human speech, throughout the Bible. God spoke to Moses on the Mountain the Ten Commandments (Ex.20). In the beginning “God said” (Gen.1). God speaking separated creation and separated Israel as a distinct nation. Part of this speech on the first day is the apostles speaking languages from many different Gentile countries, although the hearers were Jews. Consider this the Tower of Babel healed, from many nations, one. God calls, separates and unites, God begins with speech.
The whole scene ends with Peter saying to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NASB).
Why and how is what is happening here? God is calling, speaking to us, offering a fresh beginning, separating us from our sins, protecting us from damnation, uniting us into one new people, and giving us the Holy Spirit to lead us.
What is happening here? (1) God has gotten our attention; (2) We are amazed at His love for us although we are sinners; (3) All of us are equal to God because God show no partiality; (4) Our salvation brings glory to God; (5) We are involved in the fulfillment of prophecy by calling on the name of the Lord and being saved; (6) All of this leads to our personal salvation calling on the name of the Jesus, becoming part of the New Covenant, the restored kingdom, the church of Jesus Christ. We then lead our life being led by God and obeying His commands.
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