Pentecost, Pt2 Acts 2:14-22
The primary character of the anointing of the Spirit was to impart power and ability to speak the wonderful works of God, v11. This the Apostles did employing the languages of their hearers—in most instances involving a miracle. The Spirit-given ability to speak/preach is further seen as the record of the day develops.
There is a unity of mind/message to be seen here, v14. All of the Apostles stand and preach in the same vein. Peter preaches to the natives of Israel, v14, 22. Cp Gal 2:7. Consequently Peter does not preach ‘in tongues’ but in his own language and Galilean accent, v7. He does however, speak with power and boldness. It is his sermon that is recorded and it likely indicates the nature and content of all of the messages preached that day.
I AN IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE.
- Defending the truth. As Peter begins to speak the words recorded here, he does so to defend the truth of God that has been slandered and attacked, v13. It is very clear that they have already said enough to stir such a response recorded, v12-13. There is a sense in which men’s opinions of our person is irrelevant and time defending ourselves is wasted, except only as far as it serves the defence of the message preached. Cp 1Cor 4:9-13. The Apostles united to defend the integrity of the truth they were preaching. It is an important aspect of the Spirit’s work to cause men to stand for the defence of His truth when it is under attack.
- A natural argument. Peter refutes the mockery of his audience with the argument of v15—‘they cannot be drunk because….’ This little statement gives an insight into the nature of the wine that was consumed, and even into the ways of society at the time. But more importantly it spoke to the character of the men preaching. They were men whose personal lives refuted any such notion. They lived in such a way as to make defence of the truth possible and credible. Cp Phil 1:27. We must endeavor to be able to defend ourselves against the false accusations of the enemies of the gospel in order to preserve the integrity of the truth.
II THE ONLY EFFECTIVE DEFENCE OF OUR WITNESS IS BIBLICAL.
Peter justified the events/behaviours of the day by the clear teaching of the word of God, v16.
- Spiritual activity must be Biblical. What we do in the context of serving God, worshipping, preaching, etc. must be supportable from Scripture. It is very striking here that Peter is justifying what God has done from the Bible! Here is the only way to know that God is truly at work! He is justifying what Apostles are doing—they had no more license to do as they pleased than we have.
- The Holy Ghost works according to Scripture. This fact specially needs to be underlined given that many support the fallacy that the Spirit operates regardless of Scripture. Cp Gen 1:2-3, Jn 16:13, Eph 5:9, 1Pet 1:22.
- A Biblical explanation of Pentecost, v16-18. Using the statements of Joel the prophet, Peter simply explains what is happening before their eyes.
It was a work of God, v17.
The Spirit has been poured out, v17.
The promise of God has been fulfilled. The consequence is a tremendous upsurge in the revelation and communication of truth, v17-18. Men and women, young and old—with the relevant distinctions/definitions used in Scripture of ‘prophesying’ — communicate the word of God. What was happening here then was not the drunken ramblings of the debauched, but the communication of the word of God.