Two Small Fish
October 24, 2005
The law required all Jewish men to go to Jerusalem to celebrate three major festivities – Passover in the spring, Pentecost 50 days later, and the feast of the Tabernacles at the end of the harvest in the fall. (Read about in Leviticus chapter 23.)
All the Jewish festivities were shadows or forerunners of what is to come. The Lamb of God shed His blood on Passover. Passover, for the Jews, reminded them of the blood of the lamb that was sprinkled on the doorposts. Their obedience saved them from the curse of the Egyptians and set them free. Our submission to Jesus’ shed blood saves us from the curse of sin and set us free.
Verse 2-3: Luke used metaphors to help us understand what the experience was like. He doesn’t say that it was a wind or fire, but it was like wind and fire. He used something familiar to all of us to express the phenomena that few have experienced.
The simile of wind and fire to describe the presence of God appears throughout the Old and New Testaments. Moses’ burning bush and the pillar of fire that lit the way for the Hebrew children during their exile are two examples.
Verse 4: The gift of the Holy Spirit enabled these men to speak in unlearned languages. Everything God does has purpose. His purpose of speaking in tongues was to further the gospel. As stated in the introduction, many foreigners were in Jerusalem at this time. They all spoke different languages. God provided a way for all of them to hear and understand the gospel at the same time.
Later, we learn that the gift of speaking in tongues included languages known only to angels. There is a major controversy about speaking in tongues, which the devil uses to divide the church. Some say that speaking in tongues is the evidence of being baptized in the Spirit, receiving the Spirit, or being filled with the Spirit.
In his letter to the believers at Corinth, Paul cautioned about placing too much emphasis on any particular gift, especially speaking in tongues. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul said that the Holy Spirit brings to life the necessary gifts for the common good of all. In 1 Corinthians 14, Paul continued this teaching by describing the calamity of the misuse of speaking in tongues. He said that we should seek the better gifts such as prophecy that all would benefit. Let’s leave the giving of gifts to the One who knows what is best for all of us.
Verse 5-10: These verses summarize the different regions that were represented at Pentecost. They recognized the speakers as Galileans and were amazed that they spoke in other languages. Galileans seemed to have had a reputation of being uneducated and rowdy. At any rate, their dialect was distinguishable from others. (Matt. 26:73)
Verse 11-13: The men acknowledged the truth about the wonderful works of God, but were utterly amazed and confused by the circumstances of the hearing. Some mockingly suggested that the disciples were full of wine. When was the last time you heard a drunk speak fluently and intelligently in his native tongue let alone a language he didn’t know? We all make feeble explanations for occurrences that we don’t understand.
Verse 14-21: Peter serves as the spokesman, while the others interpret his sermon. It is probable that after His resurrection, Jesus spent much of his time teaching the disciples the relevance of Old Testament prophecy. Luke recorded Jesus explaining the Scriptures to the two men on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35).
Peter did not rush into the main topic of his discourse. First, he explained the current event through Joel’s prophecy, which began to be realized on that notable Pentecost. “In the last days” refers to the church age from Pentecost to the return of Christ. Verses 19-21 have yet to be fulfilled.
Verse 22: At this point, Peter revealed the core of his message. God gave proof that Jesus was the Messiah through miracles, wonders, and signs. In researching ancient documents, both Christian and non-Christian, it has been confirmed that no one in the first century denied that Jesus performed miracles. The controversy came in through the backdoor. Who gave Him the power to do the miracles? Jesus’ enemies claimed that Satan did. But, as Jesus pointed out, a house divided will not stand. The devil would not have given Jesus the power to cast out demons or to do anything that would hinder his scheme of destruction.
Verse 23: By the purpose and foreknowledge of God, Jesus was delivered to be crucified. This was God’s plan of salvation from before time began. But, Peter concluded that the wicked hand of humanity nailed Him to the cross.
Verse 24: Just as it is impossible for darkness to overpower light, it was impossible for death to overpower life. John 14:6 reveals that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Verse 25-31: David was the favored king of the Jews. They all understood and believed that the promised messiah would come through his lineage. Peter spoke of David’s prophecy concerning the Lord in Psalms 16:8-11. The prophecy had been misunderstood until this time. Peter points to the David’s tomb. David’s body decayed just like everyone else’s. Jesus Christ is the only One this passage could refer to.
Verse 32: Of which we were all witnesses does not refer to only the disciples. Most of the audience would have been in Jerusalem during the Passover. Therefore, they all witnessed the crucifixion and heard rumors of Jesus’ resurrection. These twelve men continued to claim the resurrection. And now, over 500 men confessed to have seen Him, spoken with Him, and eaten with Him. The current news of the day was Jesus ascended to heaven on a cloud. More than idle curiosity drove this crowd to the house of the disciples this particular morning.
Verses 33-36: Peter draws their attention to Christ sitting at the right hand of God. The phenomenon that they were experiencing was the fulfillment and the evidence of Christ’s ascension. God made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
Verse 37: The audience was cut to the heart. Their understanding of the resent events penetrated more than their minds. It went to the core of their realization. With the newness of truth, they cried out, “What shall we do?”
Verse 38-41: The sequence of Peter’s answer should be noted. First, repent – Acknowledge your sins and turn away from your desire to sin. We cannot truly be a follower of Jesus without repentance. Repentance means that we’ve changed our minds about who we are and who God is. Repentance means that He can have complete control of us. This is the difference between someone who believes the facts about Jesus and a true follower of Christ.
Water baptism is the outward expression of the inward cleansing. Don’t be lured into an argument over the proper method. Immersion is wonderful, but not always an option. The important thing is to be obedient to the Lord and express your faith outwardly that all may know you are cleansed within.
When we confess our sins and ask for forgiveness with a contrite heart, Jesus forgives. The gift of the Spirit is given as promised to all believers in John 14 (not to be confused with the gifts of the Spirit, which are the abilities that the Holy Spirit gives each believer to enable us to minister to one another.) Jesus made this promise to all who believe and to their children. “To those who are afar off” extended the promise to Gentiles as well as Jews.
About three thousand heard the gospel and believed that day.
Verses 42-47: Fellowship played an important role in the first century church. Believers met daily to listen to the apostles teach, to pray, and to “break bread.” The phrase “break bread” referred to the Lord’s Supper.
These final verses of chapter two show us what “of one accord” really means. Concern for the welfare of the brethren prompted sacrificial giving. Many sold their possessions and the money was distributed according to the need. This community of believers worshipped God with glad hearts. They took the task of evangelizing the world as a daily ministry. And, God blessed them with the favor of all the people, by adding new believers to their flock daily, and by equipping the disciples with wonders and miraculous signs.
Conclusion
and Challenge:
This chapter began with the disciples’ simple act of faith. They waited. When the Holy Spirit came upon them, they proclaimed the gospel as the Lord gave them utterance. They used the prophecies of the Old Testament to verify their statements. All believers observed the needs of one another and did whatever it took to meet those needs. They met daily, listened to instruction, and praised God.
Have we noticed a pattern here? Being of one accord takes work. Are there areas in our lives that need to be reshaped into the pattern? When was the last time we’ve heard of anyone giving sacrificially? Do we listen to instruction or bulk against it? Do we spend time praising God every day? Do we take the task of evangelizing the world personally? Have we studied the Bible well enough to understand how to verify our faith through the prophecies in both the Old and New Testaments?
Tammy, Melinda Barry and family, Jenn, Jordan, Hurricane Victims, Joey, Phyllis, Sue, Aaron, J.J., Joyce, Donna, Jackie, Nora, Karen and Raph, Brett and family, our Monday Bible Study, and remember me, Brenda Hendricks.
If you know that you are a believer, but you’re not sure what gifts the Spirit has given you, ask. The Lord gladly reveals our purpose to us and enables us to use our gifts for His glory.
Brenda
Hendricks.