As the day of Pentecost arrives, the believers are still “all together in one place” (2:1). The word “arrive” or “had come” (symplerosthai) is stronger than simply that Pentecost was present or had started, rather it carries the idea of fulfillment, and it points to the completion of a set time.[1] Delling says the word has the meaning to make complete, or to be fulfilled. He makes the suggestion “that God’s saving will is carried out in the event…What is fulfilled is not just the period up to the event, but the time of the event itself….”[2] The text could be translated: “And in the Day of Pentecost was to be fulfilled, they were all of one mind and together in the same place” (author’s translation). Baker notes that “The Holy Spirit was not poured out because the disciples had attained a state of super-spirituality, but simply because the set time for His coming had arrived.”[3] Christ had died, rose, and ascended, now was the time for the Spirit to come. God is acting in fulfillment of His promise to the nation of Israel. The coming of the Spirit was to be a new phrase in the national and religious life of Israel. This is a fulfillment of prophecy, both of the Old Testament and Christ concerning the empowering and coming of the Holy Spirit upon the nation of Israel, and thus to the world.
The coming of the Holy Spirit signified two very important truths: First, the Spirit came to be present with and in believers (John 14:17). Second, those whom He indwells He enables. The emphasis of this event is on enablement and witness.
God now acts to fulfill what He promised. “And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting” (2:2). The emphasis is on the sound.[4] Interestingly, the text literally reads, “a sound as of a violent wind being borne along.” It is not wind that filled the house, but sound. “This mighty sound was surely the symbol of power…The volume of the sound denotes vast, supernatural power,”[5] notes Lenski. This fits well with the concept of a baptism of the empowering of the Holy Spirit. Harrison connects it with Ezekiel 37:1-14, were the Spirit is connected with noise and breath.[6] Wind and the Spirit are closely connected in John 3:6-8. What is true in both passages, and here at Pentecost, is the idea of wind symbolizing the Holy Spirit. This sound filled the house. Tradition says this was the upper room.
In addition, “there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them” (2:3). This describes the experience of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It was a baptism of power from on high (cp. Luke 24:49). We must note, as Baker does:
This long-promised event should not be confused with another work of the Spirit which is also called a baptism and which results in the formation of the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). This latter work of the Spirit had never been promised, but is related to that which Paul calls a mystery or secret. This later work of the Spirit is “non-experiential.” When the Spirit baptizes a person into the Body of Christ upon believing the Gospel, the believer does not sense or feel the experience. The only way he knows it has occurred is that Paul’s epistles tell him the Spirit has done this work. But in contrast to this, the baptizing work of the Spirit as Pentecost was completely experiential. There was a sound of a might rushing wind, such as that of a tornado; there was a visible appearance of a flame of fire which separated into smaller flames and which sat upon each of the believers…. With such a great contrast between these two works of the Spirit it is difficult to understand how anyone could confuse them.[7]
Another factor to indicate this is not the spiritual baptism into the Body of Christ is that the events of Pentecost were local, not (which many seem to assume) universal. Aldrich made this point, saying:
Those who note the problem have oversimplified the solution by declaring that all believers were baptized by the Spirit into the church on the Day of Pentecost…. The historical facts are quite otherwise. Only 120 received the initial baptism at Pentecost. There is no record of any simultaneous coming or outpouring of the Spirit upon individuals or groups in other places.[8]
This seems to be supported by these following facts:
· Joel’s promise is related directly to Zion and Jerusalem (Joel 2:28-32).
· The Twelve were told to wait in Jerusalem for this event (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). Why would they have had to wait in this location if the event was going to be simultaneous with people in other places?
· That is why this baptism of power was repeated outside Jerusalem by the Apostles laying on of hands (cf. Acts 8:14-17).
· That is the case of John’s disciples in Acts 19:1-7. Notice the question asked is not did they receive the Holy Spirit, but did they receive Holy Spirit (empowerment). There is no article in the Greek, which indicates it is the power, not the person. It is the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that is in view. What Paul does is baptize them with the power of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by the power of speaking in tongues. Note also these were Jews, not Gentiles. They also were converted under John the Baptist, not under Jesus or the Twelve. For some reason they had not been updated until they met Paul.
All of this supports the idea that Pentecost was not a universal event, but limited both in location (Jerusalem) and subjects (Jews). The baptism of 1 Corinthians 12:13 is not an experience oriented event, but is universal. On the other hand, the Pentecost experience was accompanied with local experiential results. Aldrich goes on to note:
It may be objected that this conclusion is based on the argument from silence and this is acknowledged. However, the theory that others in different geographical locations received the Spirit at the time of the experience in the upper room is likewise based on the argument from silence. But it seems strange that the Scripture should be silent on so important a matter if there were additional Pentecostal experiences in other places. While the Scriptures are not explicit in limiting the initial baptism to the 120, there are some strong implicit arguments for this conclusion.[9]
While the sound was heard, now we have something visible. The Greek word for appeared (horao), specifies something that was seen, or observable. It is from the word meaning eye, from which comes the English word optical.[10] What was visible is described in the text as “tongues as of fire.” Evidently the appearance of fire came in one piece and then separated into individual flames. However, the emphasis is on the word tongues, not fire, but the word fire is significant. In the Old Testament fire symbolized one of two things: First, the presence of God (Ex. 3:2-4; 13:21; Deut. 5:4, 24-26). Second, judgment (cf. Isa. 5:24; 66:15-18). Malachi (3:2-6) speaks of fire as a purifying agent. These Old Testament promises involve only the nation of Israel. All indications are that the fire is a symbol of His empowering presence.
The Old Testament is abundant with the promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Take note of the following Old Testament Scriptures:
· Isa 32:15—“Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high.”
· Isa 44:3—“I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, And my blessing on your descendants.” This is clearly a promise to the offspring of Jacob (Israel).
· Ezek 36:26-27—“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Clearly this promise is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with the nation of the renewed Israel during the end times.
· Ezek 37:14—“I will put My Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it, declares the Lord.”
· Ezek 39:29—“I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel”
· Joel 2:28-29—“And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men will see visions. And even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.”
Is it little wonder that Peter will come to say “This is it…” (Acts 2:16)? Peter, who is filled with the Spirit, points out that Pentecost is in fulfillment of Old Testament promise, especially Joel. The ring of fulfillment is found throughout this passage. The key to understanding Acts chapter 2 is fulfillment and renewal.
[1] Bock, ACTS, 94.
[2] G. Delling,. “Sympleroo,” THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF THE NEW TESTAMEN (Abridged in One Volume), 871.
[3] Baker, 19.
[4] Cf. Gen. 3:8. Could this have been the same sound that Adam heard in the garden?
[5] Lenski, ACTS, 58.
[6] Harrison, ACTS, 58.
[7] Baker, UNDERSTANDING ACTS, 19.
[8] Aldrich, Roy L., “The Transition Problem in Acts,” BIBLIOTHECA SACRA, July 1957,237 (This journal will be footnoted as BIB-SAC from now on).
[9] Ibid, 238-239.
[10] Vine, EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY, 1:65.
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