Acts Chapter 2.

Acts Chapter 2.

Contents.    An important chapter because of:

The coming of the Holy Spirit.    2:1-4.

The crowd's amazement.            2:5-13.

Peter's sermon.                         2:14-36.

The beginning of the Church-life 2:37-47.

           

Chief Event:   The word 'Pentecost' signifies 50 days.  It was also called the "Feast of Weeks."  (Ex.34:22).  B-D 964.  Among the Jews it had become the Festival of the giving of the Law.   Pentecost had its historical foundations in Israel.  This particular Pentecost was the occasion that the Holy Spirit came.  Pentecost or Whitsunday, is important as:-

The beginning of a new era; the Christian dispensation.

The Baptism of the Spirit.

The birthday of the Church.  (Its date approx. April-May 30.A.D).

Pentecost gave to the disciples:-

A new sense of mission and direction.  (Now found in its true fulfillment).

A new sense of power.

A new sense of corporateness.

A new sense of eschatalogical living, i.e. living in the last days.

*  Jesus a Man at the right hand of God.

*  God came in the Person of the Holy Spirit.

           

Peter's Sermon.  2:14-36.   Spoken in a language that could be understood.

  *   Explanation. He explains the tongues as the sign of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  (2:14-21).

  *   Demonstration.   The resurrection proves Jesus is Messiah and Lord.  (2:22-36).

  *   Exhortation.        He commands them to repent and be baptized.  (2:37-41).

Demand - repent.  Promise - forgiveness.  Warning - of the consequences of rejecting Christ.

Theological Assessment.

           

Christology.    The resurrection of Jesus:

*   Foretold in Scripture.                         Psa.16:8-11.

*   An act of God.                                  Acts 2:24, 32.

*   Proof that Jesus was the Messiah.     Acts 2:36.

*   The cause of the present outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 2:33.

Psalm 110, proclaimed the significance of His resurrection and exaltation.

           

The Holy Spirit.   His outpouring is:

*   The fulfillment of prophecy.                            Joel 2:28-32.

*   The promised baptism.                                              Acts 1:5.

*   The consequence of the resurrection of Jesus.           Acts 2:33.

*   An eschatological event, the sign of the last days. "   2:17.   The words of v.19-20, were not literally fulfilled at Pentecost.  That belongs to the Second Advent of Christ.  But Luke is not here concerned with that.  His interest in these words, and his reason for quoting them, is to show the great importance of Pentecost and its eschatological significance.

*   Is an abundant bestowal of spiritual gifts upon all and not a privilege reserved for certain individuals only.  2:17-18.  Restricted by neither age, sex or status.

*   It is associated with the promise of salvation to all who call upon the Name of the Lord.  2:21.

*   The Holy Spirit is given to all who repent, and are baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.  2:38-39.

           

Glimpses of the early Church.  Outside - fear, along with the favour of some people.  Inside - unity and joy, and brotherhood.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit was manifested in their happy, unselfish, devout and united communal life.

Evangelism:

*  The Method - preaching.  The Church came into existence as the result of preaching.  Acts, illustrates the importance of preaching.

*   The Message - Proclaiming God's saving act.  They proclaimed God's saving act in the advent and event of Christ.  They preached Christ, and the central facts of the message were:-

1/.   God's purpose and plan was fulfilled in the death of Christ.

2/.   The things that befell Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures.

3/.   The Resurrection of Christ fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures.

4/.   God has accomplished the things that were written in that. He raised up and exalted

       Jesus as Lord and Messiah.  In Acts, the central topic of preaching is the resurrection.

*   The means, Evangelism, was effective by means of Repentance and Baptism. (2:38). 

a.   The challenge - "repent," is a complete change of heart, mind and life.

b.  Baptism.  It was by this means, that men confessed the claims and authority of Jesus Christ.

b.  The Consequences - The forgiveness of sins.  This aspect of salvation is frequent in Luke's writings.

*   The Gift of the Holy Spirit - The forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit constitute the initial blessing of discipleship.  The New Testament associates the receiving of the Holy Spirit with baptism.  This indicates that the reception of the Holy Spirit, occurs at the beginning of the Christian life, and is shared by every Christian.

           

The forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit are baptismal gifts.  Furthermore, this associating the Holy Spirit with baptism suggests it is not entirely a matter of individual experience, but that, as members of the Israel of God, the disciples shared in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

           

The problem of Tongues or Glossolalia.  B-D.  1286.

           

*   The context of Acts 2 indicates that the diverse tongues were languages, but in Acts chapters 10 and 19 there is nothing to suggests this was so.  In 1st. Corinthians 14 tongues are obviously distinct from languages.  (14:10-11).  The N.E.B. rightly translates "ecstatic speech."  The illustration of the futility of the uninterpreted tongues, Paul implicitly distinguishes them from natural foreign languages. (Findlay).

           

It is probable that tongues showed much diversity and variety and manifested on various levels, some more miraculous, others, largely psychological.  The tongues were a sign that the Holy Spirit had come upon them. (Acts 11:15).  But the instances of this were exceptional and special, rather than the normal.

           

There is nothing to indicate that those who received Peter's word and were baptized to receive the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues.  

           

Tongues were a form of praise to God, and were never used for preaching.  Peter did not address the people in a tongue, but spoke in the language understood by all.  Either Greek or Aramaic served his purpose.  Observe the different effect of Peter's preaching to that of tongues.  (Compare 2:5-7, 11, with 2:37.

The Heresy of Mc.Grossanism.

A Dichotomy.   Mc.Grossan teaches that there are two baptisms of the Holy Spirit, one embracing all Christians (Jn.20:22; 1.Cor.12:13), another, that of Pentecost (Acts 2), which the Christian must seek for himself.  He argues that the baptism of Pentecost is wholly individual, and solely for the purpose of witnessing.  This introduces dichotomy into the New Testament theology.

           

Objections to Mc.Grossan's teaching are:-

*   Christian Baptism, Eph.4:5.  The gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is extended by repentance and baptism. Acts 2:38-39.  Mc.Grossan strangely exemplifies baptism as the unifying bond of New Testament theology.

*    It should be obvious to any reader of Acts, that the event of Pentecost is theologically related to the entire doctrine of the Spirit in Acts.  The Baptism of the Spirit is not concerned exclusively with the power to bear witness.  The event of Pentecost is fundamental to the entire life of the Church as seen in Acts.  It is central to the full doctrine of the Spirit, in all His manifold energies, in the life of the Church as seen in Acts.

           

The activities of the Holy Spirit are as comprehensive in Acts as anywhere in the New Testament in its unity, gifts and quality of life.  Pentecost is basic to the doctrine of the Spirit as presented in all its comprehensiveness in Acts.  Therefore to speak about a baptism of the Spirit that concerns only one phase of the life of the Church and again of another baptism that covers the remainder of the Church's life, is to introduce a mischievous division into the theology of the book of Acts, and the New Testament generally.

           

*   Church ministry.   The unity of the Church was that of a brotherhood, as members of the Israel of God.  Pentecost had a clear historical tie with Israel.  This unity had four essential pillars or means by which it expressed itself:

           

a.   The apostle's teaching.

They first received Peter's word concerning Christ, His resurrection and Lordship, and His offerred forgiveness.  "To receive" meant, "acknowledge and submit."

They showed their reception of the word, by submitting to baptism.

They continued steadfastly in the four essential manifestations of Church life.  This meant, decision and effort.  It gave a collective character to discipleship.

           

To continue in the apostle's teaching, is to obey it.  This teaching had a practical aim, they should know what to do, not merely to be informed.  The apostles did not invent this teaching, but had received it from the Lord. (Matt.28:20).  It was, then, authentic and authoritative.

           

b.   Fellowship "ro Koinonia'.  B-D. 245.  Under "communion."

Fellowship sprang from a new sense of brotherhood.  Their communion was fraternal.  'Koinonia' could be used to describe a business partnership, but Christian fellowship is the sharing of the same life in Christ.  See N.E.B.  It is organic, living, fraternal and vital.

           

c     Breaking of Bread.  In the early stages, this may have included the love-feast, or 'agape' and the Eucharist.

            The Eucharist was a symbolic act by which they pledged and confessed their loyalty to Christ the Lord and expressed their own brotherhood and unity.  The Eucharist reminded them that the ground of their unity, was the death of Christ.

           

d.    Prayers.  B-D. 1019.  This means especially public and communal prayer.  They met together to pray.  Prayer had a very important place in the early Church.  Prayer builds unity and strength.  People who pray together, stay together.

           

The words, "continue steadfastly" applies to all four features of their communal life.  N.E.B. - "they met constantly," and that in spite of obstacles.