ACTS LESSON 3

    We will begin this lesson in Acts 2:1 "And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place."

    Pentecost means fifty. In Exodus 23:16 we find that this time is
one of the three most important feasts or festivals of the Hebrews The
other two are Passover and Tabernacles. This festival (Pentecost) is,
also, called the Feast of Weeks. It is called this, because it is
celebrated seven weeks after Passover, actually fifty days. It was,
also, called the Feast of Harvest and the day of First Fruits.  The
first loaves of the new grain are offered on the altar on this
day. The time this feast is to be celebrated is the fiftieth day after
the resurrection of Jesus. Of course, with the Hebrews, it was the
fiftieth day after the Sunday of Passover. We will find that God is
exact. Notice the harmony of the 120 here (they were in one
accord). Pentecost can, also, be thought of as Jubilee. On Jubilee,
the fiftieth year, the captives were to be set free. All of these
things are symbolized in the day of Pentecost. These disciples would
be set free to minister for God. As we said in a previous lesson,
their old fears and doubts would all be gone. This would be an
assurance of their standing with God.

    Acts 2:2 "And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting."

    The disciples were probably gathered in this home for prayer. This
was probably in the upper room, where Jesus had eaten the Last Supper
with the disciples. It was probably near the time for the morning
prayer. Perhaps, around 9 a.m. in the morning. This mighty wind filled
the house (not the temple). This is probably the way the churches got
started, with these home meetings. The wind is symbolic of the Spirit.

    Acts 2:3 "And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of
fire, and it sat upon each of them."

    These cloven tongues were like a fire. When each of the 120 people
in attendance, men and women, were touched by a tongue of fire, the
Spirit of God came upon them. Notice here, that it sat on each of
them. This is not a collective happening. It happened to each of them
individually.

    Acts 2:4 "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began
to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

    There is a lot of confusion today about the Holy Ghost baptism.
May I say right here, that you cannot be taught to receive the Holy
Ghost. The Holy Ghost is received by the Spirit of God coming on an
individual. This is a gift from God to an individual. The purpose of
this is so the individual receiving this gift can be a more effective
witness for God. This is the baptism that John the Baptist was
speaking of, when he said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Ghost
and fire. Not all tongue speaking is of God. Satan is a counterfeiter,
and we must be sure the tongue we receive is of God. The Holy Spirit
or Holy Ghost will not enter into an unclean vessel. Notice that these
120 people were praying, and had been praying, and in one accord, for
ten days when this happened. I say again, this not something you
learn, it is a gift from God to those who God has called to minister.
Another thing that is greatly misunderstood, it is not an unknown
tongue, as you will see in the next few verses. It is a language the
person receiving has never learned to speak. You will notice that the
tongue they were speaking in was a language of another country.
Perhaps, unknown to the person receiving it, but easily understood by
someone who knew the language. Notice where the utterance came from
(the Holy Spirit). Spirit is capitalized, meaning the Holy Spirit.
When you repeat a language after someone else, you have learned a
language. You must not learn to speak in tongues. You must receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit from God alone. The things of the Spirit
cannot be learned. They must be received.

    Acts 2:5 "And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men,
out of every nation under heaven."

    Notice that these devout Jews were from many nations. They had
different native languages.

    Acts 2:6 "Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came
together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak
in his own language."

    This verse 6 seems to be at a later time, because this says when
it was noised abroad. Now here, you can easily see that this is not an
unknown language at all. This was individuals speaking in a language
not their own language. The noise was not from the wind probably, but
the noise of the people speaking in tongues. Whoever the baptized
person witnessed to, they heard it in their own language.

    Acts 2:7 "And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to
another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?"

    The strange thing to these people was that Galilaeans were
speaking in languages not native to their own tongue, but to the
tongue of the people who were listening.  This amazed them, because
they expected to hear the Galilaeans speak in their own tongue. These
120 received their gift of the Holy Ghost in the upper room, but, I
believe, those hearing them speak were on the streets. I believe, if
God calls you to minister in Mexico, then the foreign language you
would get would be Spanish. The purpose, as I have said before, of the
Holy Spirit baptism is to equip you to better minister God's word to
the people He has called you to minister to.

    Acts 2:8 "And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we
were born?" Acts 2:9 "Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the
dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and
Asia," Acts 2:10 "Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts
of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,"

Acts 2:11 "Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God."

    This is just an extended explanation of all of the different
languages these Galilaeans spoke on that day. This message of the
wonderful works of God is not just for one nation, but for all. These
who spoke in languages foreign to their own, were not really speaking
to these people, but were rather letting God speak to these people
through them. Even a minister speaking in English to an English-
speaking congregation will have a much more effective message, if God
speaks through him as the Spirit gives him utterance.

    Acts 2:12 "And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one
to another, What meaneth this?"

    It is amazing every time that God speaks. Can you believe that
they would doubt? They should have known for sure that this was a
miracle of God.

    Acts 2:13 "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."

    These who doubted are like many today, who will not believe
anything that they have not experienced. They want to believe only
things that they have seen with their own eyes. If you have seen
something with your natural eye, it takes no faith to believe it. Fact
is not faith. Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." New wine would make you
so drunk that you would not be able to even speak in your own native
tongue, much less speak in a foreign language.

    Acts 2:14  "But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his
voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all [ye] that dwell
at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:" Acts
2:15 "For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is [but] the
third hour of the day."

    Peter was the authority of this body of believers. Peter stood,
and in a grave voice told them, how ridiculous it was to make such a
rash statement about this gift of God. The third hour of the day was a
time of prayer. It was about 9 a.m. in the morning. Peter was possibly
speaking this in the court of the Gentiles where all were allowed to
come.

    Acts 2:16 "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;"
Acts 2:17 "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I
will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and
your old men shall dream dreams:" Acts 2:18 "And on my servants and on
my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they
shall prophesy:"

    This leaves no doubt that this is a fulfillment of Joel's prophecy
in Joel 2:28-29. We are certainly living in the last days, so we know
this is for now, as well as the day of Pentecost. This word prophesy
can be translated so many ways, one of which means to preach. In the
Spirit there is no difference between a male and female. The flesh is
the only difference. God really is not the one who makes a difference
between men and women. God is not interested in the flesh. Galatians
3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."
This Holy Spirit of God fell on all of the 120, male and female, and
empowered them to be ministers of God. God's purpose is to get as many
people as will into the kingdom of God. If the old men won't do it,
then He will send a young man. God also sends women, old and young, to
bring in the harvest.

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                          Acts 3 Questions

 1.  What was the state of the 120 on the day of Pentecost?
 2.  What does Pentecost mean?
 3.  In Exodus 23:16, we find that there are how many important
     feast's of the Hebrews?
 4.  Name them.
 5.  What are two other names for Pentecost?
 6.  What day after Jesus' resurrection was Pentecost?
 7.  What was Jubilee?
 8.  What would this do for the believers?
 9.  What did it sound like?
 10. Where were the 120 when this happened?
 11. What generally happened at 9 a.m.?
 12. What did these believers see?
 13. How many of them were filled with the Holy Ghost?
 14. What outward expression came with the Holy Ghost?
 15. How is the Holy Ghost received?
 16. What is the purpose of the Holy Ghost?
 17. Who had spoken of this baptism of the Holy Ghost earlier?
 18. Have all who speak in tongues been baptized of God? Explain.
 19. It is not really an unknown tongue, but what?
 20. Why were the people confounded about this?
 21. What were all who spoke?
 22. Name some of the countries these listeners were from.
 23. What did they speak in tongues?
 24. What did some mockers say?
 25. What is faith?
 26. What was so ridiculous about them saying they were full of new
     wine?
 27. Who spoke out for the disciples?
 28. What time of day was it?
 29. What did the disciples usually do at this time?
 30. What did Peter tell them this was?
 31. In what days was this prophesied to happen?
 32. What were the young men prophesied to do?
 33. What were the old men prophesied to do?
 34. Who will God pour out His Spirit on?
 35. Is it wrong for a woman to preach?
 36. In Galatians 3:28, we read what about male and female?
 37. Who will preach and bring people into the kingdom?


                                Notes