Acts 2:1-21 (with a slice of v22).
We broke the text up into four parts: The Resource, the Resolve, the Representitive and the Revelation.
The Resource: We see in Acts 2 the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, in His promise to send the Holy Spirit. We have from the Lord the expectation that when He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will guide them in the truth (John 16:13) and will give them power (Acts 1:8), that they might be witnesses. We made the important note that ministry done without the truth cannot save (Rom 10:17; 2 Thes 2:13), and cannot sanctify (John 17:17). Nothing has changed since Pentecost (in regard to the primacy of the truth)! Today, Biblical ministry is done by men empowered by the Holy Spirit to understand and speak the truth! Any ministry done, which is not grounded on the truth, is not honoring to Jesus Christ. You might say however, "what's up with the gift of languages?". This leads us to out next point.
The Resolve: We see that the gift of languages was a testimony to unbelievers, which confirmed the validity of the message preached by the Apostles (1 Corinth 14:22, Heb 2:3-4). The use of the gift of languages on Pentecost paved the way for the truth, which was shortly thereafter preached by the Apostle Peter. The effect of the discliples speaking in languages they never learned, nor understood, was that the crowd was bewildered, amazed and perplexed; leaving some asking "What does this mean?", and others mocking them, saying that they were drunk (Acts 2:12-13).
The Representitive: Upon hearing the variety of responses to the gift of languages, Peter begins to preach! We made the note that he commanded the crowd to let his message be known by them, and to give heed to it! This is amazing boldness! We also see that when he mentions the prophesy of Joel, he acknoledges that the prophesy is still valid, and important (and still is today). Also, even though it was spoken through Joel, he was passive in doing so, for the prophesy is not his own words, but God's. In other words, Joel is not the source of this information, God is (2 Peter 1:20-21). We found these two things, by looking at the verb form of the word "utterance". Therefore, Peter is the representitive of God! He is an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and is representing Him to this crowd!
The Revelation: This part was kind of hard, but a lot of fun, and extremely delightful to understand! Peter's use of this prophesy out of Joel, referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, is done in order to tell the crowd that the time period known as "The Last Days" has come! This is the period that we currently live in now! We acknowleded that the NT authors understood that they were living during this time period (1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18). However, we also saw that the prophesy foretold that the Spirit would come upon "all mankind" (Acts 2:17). We don't see this happening on Pentecost! Therefore, we understand that the first coming of the Lord initiated "the last days", but the complete fulfillment of this prophesy awaits a future event! We went back to Joel, and kept reading beyond the part that Peter quotes, and saw that there is to come a time when God will return to earth (that event described in Acts 2:19-20), gather all of the nations into one place called the valley of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat meaning "Yahweh Judges", and will "enter into judgement" (Joel 3:2). Jesus Christ told us that He will be the one judging (Matt 25:31-46)! Therefore, immediately after this judgement, only believers will be present on earth, and the part of Joel's prophesy referring to "all mankind" will be fully satisfied. All believers will then at that time enter into the Mellenial (100 year) Kingdom (Rev 20:1-6). Peter's point in using Joel's prophesy is that the presence of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the last days, and there is promised to come a great judgement upon the earth; and, only those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21)! At this time, Peter shifts to begin to teach the crowd from the OT, that Jesus Christ is God, and the promised Messiah! He is the one who is to Judge the nations, and He is the one to who sinners must call out for help; help to overcome the power of sin, and savlation from the judgement that sin rightfully deserves.
Have you called upon the name of the Lord? Have you ever been broken and contrite in heart over your sinfulness, and begged God for His salvation, trusting in the gospel? On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the full weight of guilt of all of those who will ever believe! Saving faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (faith that includes obedience to God and repentence from sin) is the only way that God saves. Are you obedient to Jesus Christ? If you believe in Him, have you been baptized? If not, do you really have saving faith in Him? He commands those who believe in Him to be baptized. Will you obey Him, or reject His authory?
We broke the text up into four parts: The Resource, the Resolve, the Representitive and the Revelation.
The Resource: We see in Acts 2 the faithfulness of Jesus Christ, in His promise to send the Holy Spirit. We have from the Lord the expectation that when He (the Holy Spirit) comes, He will guide them in the truth (John 16:13) and will give them power (Acts 1:8), that they might be witnesses. We made the important note that ministry done without the truth cannot save (Rom 10:17; 2 Thes 2:13), and cannot sanctify (John 17:17). Nothing has changed since Pentecost (in regard to the primacy of the truth)! Today, Biblical ministry is done by men empowered by the Holy Spirit to understand and speak the truth! Any ministry done, which is not grounded on the truth, is not honoring to Jesus Christ. You might say however, "what's up with the gift of languages?". This leads us to out next point.
The Resolve: We see that the gift of languages was a testimony to unbelievers, which confirmed the validity of the message preached by the Apostles (1 Corinth 14:22, Heb 2:3-4). The use of the gift of languages on Pentecost paved the way for the truth, which was shortly thereafter preached by the Apostle Peter. The effect of the discliples speaking in languages they never learned, nor understood, was that the crowd was bewildered, amazed and perplexed; leaving some asking "What does this mean?", and others mocking them, saying that they were drunk (Acts 2:12-13).
The Representitive: Upon hearing the variety of responses to the gift of languages, Peter begins to preach! We made the note that he commanded the crowd to let his message be known by them, and to give heed to it! This is amazing boldness! We also see that when he mentions the prophesy of Joel, he acknoledges that the prophesy is still valid, and important (and still is today). Also, even though it was spoken through Joel, he was passive in doing so, for the prophesy is not his own words, but God's. In other words, Joel is not the source of this information, God is (2 Peter 1:20-21). We found these two things, by looking at the verb form of the word "utterance". Therefore, Peter is the representitive of God! He is an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and is representing Him to this crowd!
The Revelation: This part was kind of hard, but a lot of fun, and extremely delightful to understand! Peter's use of this prophesy out of Joel, referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, is done in order to tell the crowd that the time period known as "The Last Days" has come! This is the period that we currently live in now! We acknowleded that the NT authors understood that they were living during this time period (1 Peter 1:20; 1 John 2:18). However, we also saw that the prophesy foretold that the Spirit would come upon "all mankind" (Acts 2:17). We don't see this happening on Pentecost! Therefore, we understand that the first coming of the Lord initiated "the last days", but the complete fulfillment of this prophesy awaits a future event! We went back to Joel, and kept reading beyond the part that Peter quotes, and saw that there is to come a time when God will return to earth (that event described in Acts 2:19-20), gather all of the nations into one place called the valley of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat meaning "Yahweh Judges", and will "enter into judgement" (Joel 3:2). Jesus Christ told us that He will be the one judging (Matt 25:31-46)! Therefore, immediately after this judgement, only believers will be present on earth, and the part of Joel's prophesy referring to "all mankind" will be fully satisfied. All believers will then at that time enter into the Mellenial (100 year) Kingdom (Rev 20:1-6). Peter's point in using Joel's prophesy is that the presence of the Holy Spirit marks the beginning of the last days, and there is promised to come a great judgement upon the earth; and, only those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21)! At this time, Peter shifts to begin to teach the crowd from the OT, that Jesus Christ is God, and the promised Messiah! He is the one who is to Judge the nations, and He is the one to who sinners must call out for help; help to overcome the power of sin, and savlation from the judgement that sin rightfully deserves.
Have you called upon the name of the Lord? Have you ever been broken and contrite in heart over your sinfulness, and begged God for His salvation, trusting in the gospel? On the cross, Jesus Christ bore the full weight of guilt of all of those who will ever believe! Saving faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (faith that includes obedience to God and repentence from sin) is the only way that God saves. Are you obedient to Jesus Christ? If you believe in Him, have you been baptized? If not, do you really have saving faith in Him? He commands those who believe in Him to be baptized. Will you obey Him, or reject His authory?
posted by Timothy Nash @ 10:10 AM
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