4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Pentecostals Children learn how to receive God’s gift of the Holy Spirit. Now let’s notice how the people looked at what was happening, for this was going to be a first for God’s chosen people the Jew and the Ordained Gentiles. Matthew Henry comments Not only the twelve apostles, but all the hundred and twenty disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost alike at this time—all the seventy disciples, who were apostolic men, and employed in the same work, and all the rest too that were to preach the gospel; for it is said expressly (Eph. 4:8, 11), When Christ ascended on high (which refers to this, Acts 2:33), he gave gifts unto men, not only some apostles (such were the twelve), but some prophets and some evangelists (such were many of the seventy disciples, itinerant preachers), and some pastors and teachers settled in particular churches, as we may suppose some of these afterwards were. The all here must refer to the all that were together, Acts 2:1; Acts 1:14, 15. 2. They began to speak with other tongues, besides their native language, though they had never learned any other. They spoke not matters of common conversation, but the word of God, and the praises of his name, as the Spirit gave them utterance, or gave them to speak apophthengesthai—apophthegms, substantial and weighty sayings, worthy to be had in remembrance. It is probable that it was not only one that was enabled to speak one language, and another another (as it was with the several families that were dispersed from Babel), but that every one was enabled to speak divers languages, as he should have occasion to use them. And we may suppose that they understood not only themselves but one another too, which the builders of Babel did not, Gen. 11:7. 7 Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” They did not speak here and there a word of another tongue, or stammer out some broken sentences, but spoke it as readily, properly, and elegantly, as if it had been their mother-tongue; for whatever was produced by miracle was the best of the kind. They spoke not from any previous thought or meditation, but as the Spirit gave them utterance; he furnished them with the matter as well as the language. Now this was, (1.) A very great miracle; it was a miracle upon the mind (and so had most of the nature of a gospel miracle), for in the mind words are framed. They had not only never learned these languages, but had never learned any foreign tongue, which might have facilitated these; nay, for aught that appears, they had never so much as heard these languages spoken, nor had any idea of them. They were neither scholars nor travellers, nor had had any opportunity of learning languages either by books or conversation. Peter indeed was forward enough to speak in his own tongue, but the rest of them were no spokesmen, nor were they quick of apprehension; yet now not only the heart of the rash understands knowledge, but the tongue of the stammerers is ready to speak eloquently, Isa. 32:4. When Moses complained, I am slow of speech, God said, I will be with thy mouth, and Aaron shall be thy spokesman. But he did more for these messengers of his: he that made man’s mouth new-made theirs. (2.) A very proper, needful, and serviceable miracle. The language the disciples spoke was Syriac, a dialect of the Hebrew; so that it was necessary that they should be endued with the gift, for the understanding both of the original Hebrew of the Old Testament, in which it was written, and of the original Greek of the New Testament, in which it was to be written. But this was not all; they were commissioned to preach the gospel to every creature, to disciple all nations. But here is an insuperable difficulty at the threshold. How shall they master the several languages so as to speak intelligibly to all nations? It will be the work of a man’s life to learn their languages. And therefore, to prove that Christ could give authority to preach to the nations, he gives ability to preach to them in their own language. And it should seem that this was the accomplishment of that promise which Christ made to his disciples (John 14:12), Greater works than these shall you do. For this may well be reckoned, all things considered, a greater work than the miraculous cures Christ wrought. Christ himself did not speak with other tongues, nor did he enable his disciples to do so while he was with them: but it was the first effect of the pouring out of the Spirit upon them. And archbishop Tillotson thinks it probable that if the conversion of infidels to Christianity were now sincerely and vigorously attempted, by men of honest minds, God would extraordinarily countenance such an attempt with all fitting assistance, as he did the first publication of the gospel. The Crowd’s Response 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Notice there where a lot of people gathered who were Old Testament believers from all parts of the known world. Some from eastern countries; Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and dwellers of Mesopotamia. Then the inhabitants of Cappadocia, Pontus from Asia. The next came Phrygia, and Pamphylia. And Strangers of Rome, Egypt and parts of Libya around Cyrene and island of Crete and from the deserts of Arabia all Jews or proselytes to the Jews Religion. What a crowd gather to see the appearing of the Messiah according to Daniels weeks; Luke 19:11 So they were zealous and devoted to Jerusalem in order to have an early share in the Kingdom of the Messiah.6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. What an amazement to hear them speak in their language and not having learn their language. Talk about a wonderful miracle God gave to man as a witness to the tongues ability to be controlled by God. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own [c]language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and [d]Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 12 So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?” God has a way of assuring His people they are special and the tongue was for a sign to those that do not believe. This wall of resistance was broken down by the tongue given over to the mind of the Lord Himself. It is amazing how every nation has people in it that are Christians that are full of the Holy Spirit of God. People are in ecstasy, spell bound. |