And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. 5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as if it were coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who made us adequate to be servants of a new covenant not based on the letter but on the Spirit, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Colossians 2:15, tells us that He disarmed the powers with His death. Ministers in church often wear robes with red in the design as a symbol of the flames in which the Holy Spirit came to earth. It was completed by more than twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Acts 2 states early Christians were "filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them . Peter was quoting Scripture and applying it to something that had happened and that is Jesus, His death and His resurrection. As I read the early verses of chapter one, I am also impressed with the realization that Luke provides us with some powerful evidences of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead: To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. And the tomb was empty, and the disciples had seen Jesus, and the authorities were beside themselves trying to figure it out, looked for the body. So He begins to teach them from the Scriptures that they might understand, and that they might comprehend what He was and how He had fulfilled everything that they would have understood to one degree, and then even more they had begun to develop a fuller understanding of the prophecies of Isaiah, or Joel, or Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, the statements about the Messiah. Jerusalem was swelled with pilgrims, at this point in time, and this added to the drama of the moment. 4 So Barnabas and Saul,sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus (Acts 13:1-4, emphasis mine). That's what the gift of the Holy Spirit is for us. 4This is much like Adam and Eve, who sought knowledge outside of the boundaries of their authority. Pentecost will instead be fulfilled at the Rapture of the Body of Christ The Mystery Age - One New Man, the Church, the Bride of Christ During the period until Israel does accept Jesus as Messiah to bring about His return, the time of preparation of a bride for Christ has been extended and the mission to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues. Luke then tells his readers that these two men were sent out by the Holy Spirit. It's an interesting way that they did. 2. Preparation for Pentecost (Acts 1:1-26) | Bible.org 6We can easily deduce this since Pentecost was 50 days after Passover. And I didn't know how to make a connection. It goes on, "When He had spoken these things," in verse 9, "they watched and He was taken up in a cloud, received Him out of their sight. And so they had become a part of something that again, they were still trying to understand. We can accomplish the work of God, and we can then be the firstfruits who follow the Lamb and who know their God and do mighty deeds and mighty exploits. This is the dimension that was given on Pentecost, and what this day is all about for those of us who are the firstfruits. "And He said to them, 'Thus it is written, thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and the remissions of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem, and you are witnesses of these things. BBC - Religions - Christianity: Pentecost That's what this day is all about as a firstfruit. In days gone by, I have sided with those who found the selection of Matthias as an example of fleshly action hastily taken. Even though they had seen miracles, again, another indication to us always to remember that miracles are important, miracles can be faith-builders, but miracles by themselves will not do it all. What Is Pentecost in the Bible & Why Is It Important? - Word by Word Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of "before" and "after." "He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demons. Acts 2:1-13 records the events of this Pentecost, about 10 days after Jesus' ascension. This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven (Acts 1:9-11). . And God will expose sin, ours to ourselves, sometimes to others. Verses 40 to 47 is a summary of one of the most remarkable periods of the church experience. They call attention to references tothe twelveafter this (Acts 6:2; 1 Corinthians 15:5). Darris is the Associate Media Producer for the Church. And all the others came right in and were a part of it with him. Luke chapter 24. Some Christian denominations consider it the birthday of the Christian church and celebrate it as such. Now, it was all beginning to come together. The Great Commission was not only given to the apostles; it was given to the church. 3 And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them. Articles that are published in our magazine or scripting for our television programs goes through a very, very thorough review process. And I was going to go out to California, my first trip to California, visit my brother for about three weeks. No lots were cast here, nor did they need to be. Why did the apostles speak of the coming of the kingdom of God as its being restored? Ben Hadad, the king of Syria, was threatening war against Israel and its King, Ahab. Verses 15-26 immediately precede Pentecost, but do not appear to have any profound impact on the apostles or on the community of believers. And again, He gives, through Mark's account here, He gives the same commission to go. These are the ones who are not defiled with women, they are virgins, spiritual virgins. The Word of God. So Jesus had to rebuke them. When you look and you understand what was taking place, here are people who've been terrified, they had been doubtful, unbelieving to one degree or the other during this previous 50-day period. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). The feast has been celebrated 40 days after Easter in both Eastern and Western Christianity since the 4th century. It was a gentle rebuke, if a rebuke at all. Verse 41, "But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, 'Have you any food?'" In verse 14, it says, "Then later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table and He rebuked them, rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen." Go, therefore, make disciples of nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded, and lo, I am with you, always, even to the end of the age.'" They stood there, transfixed. Again, what they thought that they were becoming a part of was a movement that was noble, that was good, there had been many movements of other Messiah-type figures at this period of time in Judea. Find the date for Pentecost 2014 in the multifaith calendar. At the end of John, you remember, John says, there were so many other things that He did in his life and no doubt probably part of that 40-day period that it would take volumes to teach it, and to record it during this period. This is what He does as He moves them through the Law of Moses, the Psalms, and the prophets, and opening their understanding. Pentecost children's version - dltk-kids.com And perhaps like you and I would today, we might look at it as a little bit odd. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. And second, the replacement of Judas is carried out in a way that is very Old Testament.. He went on to show that, "It's not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. All of these qualities are to the divine nature, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world. Let us consider what some of these lessons might be. "Pentecost" is actually the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks ( Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9 ). And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole house where they were sitting, and it appeared to them, divided tongues as of fire. Barnabas and Saul arrived at the island of Cyprus and had traveled as far as Paphos. Then what looks like tongues of fire rests on the followers of Jesus, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Feast of the Ascension ranks with Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost in the universality of its observance among Christians. From Psalm 69, they recognized that Judas betrayal was part of the divine plan. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. Though a miracle had taken place in front of them, that still wasn't enough to remove the doubt and fear. Again, nothing like this had been a part of their frame of reference before. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said, 16 Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judaswho became the guide for those who arrested Jesus 17 for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry. 18 (Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God (1 Corinthians 15:3-9). Today's Scripture reference comes mainly from Acts 2:12-21. Apostle Peter Biography: Timeline, Life, and Death That is how the mission of the Church is done and that is how then that vision of a community, of a Church, of a people who are rooted in the Word of God, who actually do care for one another, is accomplished; by no other means, by no other means. This makes sense, given both their impulsiveness and their lack of faith. I was going to get on a Greyhound bus. We are not, however, given any indication as to just what things Jesus taught them. Did they doubt that it was real? What is Pentecost? Meaning of Pentecost Sunday 2023 - Christianity.com And what was the key to that? 14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this (Acts 4:13-14). 4 While he was with them, he declared, Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. 3. Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) | Bible.org Then follows a marvelous after photo, which displays a beautiful person, so different from the before photo. I began this lesson by suggesting that it is an example of a before and after presentation. Far more people than they could have ever imagined and Peter gets up and gives the sermon of his life. The ministry of the Holy Spirit does not commence in Acts, it continues in Acts. Did they doubt what they were seeing? What is so important about the selection of Matthias that deserves this kind of editorial space? The ministry has had those two themes for the past two conferences. It was the Roman soldiers that had carried out the death of Christ and had sealed the tomb and a Roman guard had been placed there. When is Whitsun 2023? Why Pentecost is celebrated in the UK It is the ideal to which every subsequent church period has wished to be able to emulate, including ours today. Our Lord saw to it that these witnesses had more than enough evidence of His resurrection, and added to this was the witness of the Spirit to the resurrection: 7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. While it is not plainly stated, it would seem that from a human point of view the events at Pentecost were partially a response to the prayers of these saints. He now consistently refers to them asapostles.The termdiscipleis now employed when reference is made to new believers in Acts. But by doing so, when you read the account, you understand that they knew the Scripture, and they applied Scripture to their choice and their decision to replace Judas. Of course, on the day that He died there had been an earthquake, the sun had turned to dark at midday, people had come out of their graves and it had set Jerusalem all abuzz. Day of Pentecost And Skepticisms We, again, don't necessarily always pause and think about this, in these hours and days following Christ's resurrection. Where do we go from here? There's a lot of information in the details that we are given in chapter 28 verse 16. You ever been in that type of situation where you don't know what to do next? What I would like to underscore is the role of the Holy Spirit in our Lords giving of the Great Commission. Then I finally figured out, "Oh, I got to do this myself. Some say that they wound up in the temple precincts; could very well be. It is not my purpose here to allow these matters to sidetrack our consideration of the argument of this text. The before and after theme is found frequently in the media. And as we've seen, even when they were confronted with the miracle of Christ's resurrection, and they recognized that they still had to deal with the hostility of the world around them, in a kind of a two-pronged government called the Roman Empire and the Jewish society, plus their own human nature, and themselves. He spent days and days, and weeks and weeks doing that, bringing new dimension of understanding to the Scriptures that they had never had. They had come up against the two most powerful authorities of their day in their world. What is Pentecost? Why Does It Matter? - Mark D. Roberts Other scholars have tackled this problem and have proposed solutions. During the 50 days after Jesus' death, He had many interactions with his Disciples and followers, providing them with guidance and . For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. I was standing there gazing, not quite knowing what to do. In verses 12-14, Luke tells us what the apostles were doing while they waited. There is a great difference between before and after.. 9 For if there was glory in the ministry that produced condemnation, how much more does the ministry that produces righteousness excel in glory! And Peter thence begins to quote Scripture. 12 Then when the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was greatly astounded at the teaching about the Lord. They also point out that Lukes account depicts this selection in a favorable light, and that nothing negative is said about the action taken here. The bonds of trust among the disciples were beginning to be frayed. There was doubt. We learn that it was Peter who provided the leadership (1:15). You know, before we ever get to that rushing wind that came in, it's good to think about this question, because it has a direct application to you and I today. 1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul. 3 To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. That is the vision that Jesus has for His Church as articulated by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:16, and they had it at this moment. And of course, one of the most dramatic scenes in all the Bible occurred with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the gathered disciples, and the speaking in tongues, and a mighty rushing wind that we find it hard to imagine what it was like, because it's not part of our custom to try to pray that down today like some other denominations and religious forms do. We can internalize that and think that through. They looked upon them then as liars, charlatans, or fools, maybe a bit delusional. Verses 1-11 describe what happened during that 40-day period between our Lords resurrection and His ascension. A violent wind sounds. Acts 1 is the before section of this great book. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. This should also be our focus before Pentecost and before Jesus Christ's return. What Happened at Pentecost, and Why Does It Matter? - Truth For Life Acts is not the account of God choosing the best and most talented and godly people on the face of the earth, so that He can accomplish the Great Commission. Between Easter and Pentecost: 50 Forgotten Days the - ChurchLeaders I don't think it was an intergalactic tour that He was on to get to the third heaven. Pentecost: The Coming of the Holy Spirit - Bible Story & Meaning They were going up against a lot, just as we go up against our world today, and ourselves, and what Satan might throw at us. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. Not many days, we would look at it roughly 10 days from that 40-day period. These were not terrified, doubtful people. She went and told those who had been with Him as they mourned and wept." And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.". Bob was born and raised in a Christian home i More, concerning righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We just get a few snippets from the gospel accounts, at least, of this 40-day period. The elixir, the antidote to our faith, to every one of our problems, if we could see a miracle; and we like signs, but miracles, well, they're a little harder to come up with. This is the edited manuscript of Lesson 2 in theStudies in the Book of Actsseries prepared by Robert L. Deffinbaugh on September 25, 2005. A photo of the proverbial 90-pound weakling was followed by the after of an awesome, muscle-flexing Charles Atlas physique. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Finally, verses 15-26 are the account of the selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle, a replacement for Judas. The disciples stood gazing, and they didn't know what to do. As I was sitting there gazing around, nobody came. They left the selection of these leaders to the people, but they did set the qualifications. These accounts of like what we have read in the gospels and others for a 40-day period. 2Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the NET Bible. 30 He is the reason you have a relationship with Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Only Paul matches Luke in the proofs he supplies for the resurrection: 3 For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also receivedthat Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, 4 and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. What is the day of Pentecost? | GotQuestions.org I think it was because Jesus had revealed the mystery of the church to them. Prior to His death, the disciples were constantly with Jesus. In particular, Judas death was seen to be a part of the divine plan. Jesus was appearing to the apostles for 40 days until His ascension, and so there had to be 10 days left until Pentecost. Transcript Darris McNeely Beyond Today Presenter And not for the reality that the 1st century world would have known and experienced, that other dimension. "And they looked steadfastly in toward heaven," verse 10, "as He went up, and behold two men stood by them in white apparel." The Giving of the Holy Spirit: On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Disciples and those with them. But I had to go to St. Louis about 100 miles north of my hometown and pick up what they called an express bus, that would go through the larger cities. ), and the Holy Spirit (1:2, 5, 8, 16). The Holy Spirit designated Barnabas and Saul. The apostles were celebrating this festival when the Holy Spirit descended on them. We are no exception today, as we wait and look for the time when the Kingdom will be restored. They'd likely not seen it. . 1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 14 All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers (Acts 1:12-14). Peter was the first one to preach on the day of Pentecost after the coming of the Holy Spirit and he was the first one to proclaim Christ to a . When Jesus arose from the dead, He did not remain with them continually, as He once did. And I sat, and I sat, and I thought somebody will come along and tell me what to do. They were with Him and they asked Him in verse 6, "Lord, will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?" Church services on this day are marked by red robes and banners signifying the fiery winds of the Holy Spirit. Up until this point, Paul (known as Saul until now) was clearly Barnabas assistant. They were looking for power from on high. Apostle Peter explains the meaning of what was happening on the Day of Pentecost. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. '", And so Luke's account gives us a very specific instruction, how He told them, You wait in Jerusalem and then you will receive the power from on high. And that is what they were doing as they waited for that period of time to come about. So it's something for us to examine in our own way, see how much of that is being demonstrated in our life. At the end of the 40 days, Jesus was taken up into heaven. One of the popular themes in contemporary advertising is that of before and after. There are the weight loss programs, which exhibit the most unflattering photo they can find to present as before their program was attempted. It comes from the ancient Christian expression pentekoste hemera, which means . And over a three and a half year period they had had their lives transformed and then they'd watched Him die. The church acknowledged the leading of the Spirit and laid their hands on these men, and then sent them off. The Holy Spirit will come upon you shortly to empower you to carry out this task, so wait in Jerusalem until you receive this power.. Sunday Before Pentecost. A further matter of interest is that during this 40-day period, our Lord spoke with the apostles concerning the things pertaining to the kingdom of God (1:3). And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up," and this is through the account here in Luke, then, would be the final bodily appearance of Jesus to them. And that power would be what would begin to banish the fear, the troubling, doubt, that they had, coupled with the Word of God that they were to have. 8 Last of all, as though to one born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also. By inference, this second volume is the account of all that Jesus continued to do and to teach, through His apostles. The second power that they'd run up against was that of the Jewish authorities. I am inclined to think that verses 12-14 are an apt description of the apostles activity during the entire 50-day period preceding Pentecost. In Ephesians 2, Paul contrasts the Gentiles in their unbelief with the Gentiles as saints, now a part of the church. He was interested in the gospel, but a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus (or Elymas) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the truth. Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Easter and is when Christians remember the gift of the Holy Spirit. 9 But Saul (also known as Paul),filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at him 10 and said, You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousnesswill you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? Think of it! The apostles were all Galileans (see Acts 1:11; 2:7; see also Matthew 26:73), so they could not stay in their own homes. Pentecost is one of the Great feasts in the Eastern Orthodox Church, a Solemnity in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, a Festival in the Lutheran Churches, and a Principal Feast in the Anglican Communion. They might have fidgeted a bit and wondered, "Well, should we go fishing?" I would suspect that it may have been during that 40-day interval between our Lords resurrection and His ascension.
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