When the Day of Pentecost[1] had finally arrived, they were all[2] together in the same place.
The Day of Pentecost comes 50 days after Passover, so this is 50 days after Jesus’ death.
Suddenly there came from heaven a noise like the sound of a strong, blowing wind,[3] and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then tongues, seemingly made of fire, appeared to them, moving apart and coming to rest on each one of them.[4] They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other languages, as the spirit gave them the words to say.
This fulfills the prophecy of John the Baptist that Christ would “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). Similar to wind, “fire” in Scripture often indicates God’s presence(Exodus 3:2; 19:18; Isaiah. 4:5).[5]
There were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem at that time. When they heard this noise they gathered in a crowd.[6]They were deeply puzzled, because every single one of them could hear them speaking in his or her own native language. They were astonished and amazed.[7]
These are the same groups separated at the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9). [8]This is one of the most obvious examples of what the folks at the Bible Project like to say: “the Bible tells a unified story.” Genesis 10 and 11 describe the nations moving apart as God scatters them to temper them. Acts 2 describes people moving inward toward Jerusalem, with the Holy Spirit then gathering nations to unify them. At Babel, people had tried to make a name for themselves. Now they are uniting around the name of Jesus.
This also prefigures the image of the life to come in Revelation, when every tribe and nation (Revelation 5:9 and 7:9) gather around the throne in unity. The Holy Spirit of God the Father, gifted by the Son, intends to bring righteous unity to our beautiful human diversity. Whenever tribes and nations live together in harmony, it’s a foretaste of heaven.
“These men who are doing the speaking are all Galileans,[9] aren’t they?” they said. “So how is it that each of us can hear them in our own mother tongues? There are [people from everywhere]. We can hear them speaking about the powerful things God has done—in our own languages!”
Everyone was astonished and perplexed. “What does it all mean?” they were asking each other. 1But some sneered. “They’re full of new wine!” they said. Then Peter got up, with the eleven. He spoke to them in a loud voice.
“People of Judaea!” he began. “All of you staying here in Jerusalem! There’s something you have to know! Listen to what I’m saying! These people aren’t drunk, as you imagine. It’s only nine o’clock in the morning! No, this is what the prophet Joel was talking about[10] when he said,
In the last days,[11] declares God, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters[12] will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams; yes, even on slaves, men and women alike[13], will I pour out my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
And I will give signs in the heavens above, and portents on earth beneath, blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and glorious day. And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
“You people of Israel,” Peter continued, “listen to this. The man Jesus of Nazareth was marked out for you by God through the mighty works, signs and portents which God performed through him right here among you, as you all know.
Just a quick note: Peter says that the “signs and portents” of Joel were the “signs and portents” of Jesus ministry, death and resurrection. The blood, fire, clouds, smoke, darkness, moon turning into blood as part of the glorious day of the Lord. It’s a good reminder that biblical writers use wonderfully creative/apocalyptic language to describe things, and we need to be careful to appreciate the imagery without requiring it to be literal. #biblereadingtip
He was handed over in accordance with God’s determined purpose and foreknowledge—and you used people outside the law to nail him up and kill him. But God raised him from the dead! Death had its painful grip on him; but God released him from it, because it wasn’t possible for him to be mastered by it…[14]
My dear family, I can surely speak freely to you about the patriarch David. He died and was buried, and his tomb is here with us to this day. He was of course a prophet, and he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to set one of his own physical offspring on his throne. He foresaw the Messiah’s resurrection, and spoke about him ‘not being left in Hades,’ and about his flesh ‘not seeing corruption.’
This is the Jesus we’re talking about! God raised him from the dead, and all of us here are witnesses to the fact! Now he’s been exalted to God’s right hand; and what you see and hear is the result of the fact that he is pouring out the holy spirit,[15] which had been promised, and which he has received from the father…
“So the whole house of Israel must know this for a fact: God has made him Lord and Messiah—this Jesus, the one you crucified.” When they heard this, the people in the crowd were cut to the heart.
“Brothers,” they said to Peter and the other apostles, “what shall we do?” “Turn back!” replied Peter. “Be baptized—every single one of you—in the name of Jesus the Messiah, so that your sins can be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The promise is for you and for your children, and for everyone who is far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” He carried on explaining things to them with many other words. “Let God rescue you,” he was urging them, “from this wicked generation!”
Those who welcomed his word were baptized. About three thousand people were added to the community that day.
I am going to get two, maybe three sermons out of this. Here’s Part One.
* * * * *
I mentioned last week that the call to repentance and invitation into life in Christ in the speeches in Acts often focused on the difference it would make right now. This is a great example. What will happen when people repent? God will rescue them from a wicked generation. The implication is that he will turn them into a righteous generation.
This is not the only time we see this language in the Bible, so we have hyperlinks; we have context to know what Peter’s audience thought of when he said this.[16] As far as I can tell, here is the first mention in the OT.
“They (Israelites) are corrupt and not his children…. A perverse generation that is unfaithful… to their shame they are a wicked and perverse generation… (Deuteronomy 32: 5)
Since we first find the language of a warped and crooked generations in the Old Testament, let’s start there.
I mentioned last week we will see two kinds of calls to repentance in Acts: national and individual. God called the physical, geographical nation of His people to be holy, set apart from the wicked and perverse people around them. They often were not. They would often embrace idolatry, and terrible practices always followed.
As the prophets speak in the Old Testament, we see patterns emerge of the sins God addresses when they show up in not just Israel but in the nations around them. I don’t believe that God holds people responsible for what they don’t know, so the fact that He held all the nations responsible to foundational moral standards tells me that God has put something in all people so that everyone knows foundational moral standards. Here’s what characterized wicked generations.
Idolatry[17]
Specifically, the “detestable practices” linked with it. The worship of idols is called out as foolish, but it’s the practices that follow that are the real problem.
Religious Hypocrisy[18]
This was specific to the Israelites. They were observing ceremonial law while ignoring justice, mercy, and righteousness. (Jesus called out the Pharisees on this.[19]) In the OT, the priests were taking bribes and getting rich from their ministry.
Oppression of the Poor and Vulnerable[20]
Exploiting the poor, widows, orphans, and foreigners (Tim Keller’s Quarter of the Vulnerable); charging excessive interest; confiscating property.
Violence and Bloodshed[21]
A society marked by violence, murder, and warfare. This was Ninevah’s specific sin for which Jonah was sent. Violence against women and children stands out (see Amos 1)
Greed and Materialism[22]
Land grabbing, luxury at others' expense, unchecked consumption, and the economic injustice that follows greed. This wasn’t saying wealth was bad; it was the means by which it was gotten. When others get hurt by those getting rich, it’s not good.
Pride and Arrogance[23]
National arrogance; assuming invincibility; claiming god-like power like Pharoah did. If Israel started to believe they had god-like power, they had forgotten their God.
Injustice in Legal Systems[24]
Courts favoring the wealthy; weighted scales; bribery (which favors the wealthy yet again); corrupt judges; the silencing of truth-tellers.
Sexual Immorality Linked to Idolatry[25]
Ritual prostitution (which even the Israelites participated in at times, which meant they were worshiping idols); adultery, incest and assault.
Breaking Covenants and Agreements[26]
Wicked nations did not keep their word. They betrayed treaties and alliances and committed political treachery. Amos called this breaking the Treaty of Brotherhood which everyone seemed to understand.[27]We could add entering into bad treaties as well: Israel began to make alliances with their pagan neighbors to win battles rather than relying on God.
Trusting in Military or Economic Strength Instead of God[28]
This one was also particular to Israel. God’s admonished Israel that their kings should not gather chariots (a conquering army), gold (wealth) or wives (political alliances that brought in idolatry).[29]That was the way of Egypt, not God’s people. God’s people were not to trust in violence, wealthy, or other gods.
So as far as nations go, there were definitely things that characterized a wicked generation. If you are thinking, “But not every individual in that nation supported what was happening,” I hear you. It’s the same tension we feel when we hear people talk about “systemic injustice” and we think, “But I don’t do that and I’m in the system!” So let’s talk about that
In the Ancient Near East, virtually all nations had a collectivist culture. This included Israel. People saw themselves primarily as part of a group. Identity, responsibility, and honor/shame were shared communally just as much as individually. The idea was that everyone was to some degree culpable, because it was happening on their watch. Three quick examples:
Achan’s sin (Joshua 7) brings guilt on all Israel. Somebody – anybody - should have stopped him.
Daniel confesses his people’s sins, saying “we have sinned,” even though he personally was righteous. (Daniel 9)
Peter said to his Jewish audience in Acts 1, “You crucified Jesus” when they personally had nothing to do with the actual crucifixion of Jesus. It happened on their watch.
We have been raised in a very individualistic culture, so this probably feels unfair to us. But this is the biblical moral ecosystem. The prophets in the Old Testament would call for a national repentance, not just an individual one. Repentance, then, was everyone being committed to the opposite of all the things that got them in trouble.
Worship of Yahweh
Religious integrity; actually living within the covenant agreement.
Protection of the vulnerable
Peace instead of violence and bloodshed
Generosity over greed and exploitation
·National humility over arrogance
A just legal system that did not show favoritism
Sexual purity; honoring, not using, those around them
Keeping treaties and agreements; being people of their word
Trusting in God to protect and provide.
Fast forward. In the New Testament, Peter tells us, the church:
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you.” (1 Peter 2:9)
We, the church, are now a spiritual nation situated globally in the midst of all the physical nations in which we live. I’m going to try to modernize the previous list and apply it to the spiritual nation of church – our church, the church in America, and the church globally.
This isn’t a scolding or a scathing rebuke to any of you. This is like when I take my vehicle to the mechanic before a trip and ask him to run that diagnostic to see how my vehicle is doing. Think of this as a diagnostic check for the church: the American church, our church, ourselves.
What does it look like for us to be royal priesthood that proclaims the praises of God?
True Worship over idolatry. Tim Keller used to describe an idol as the things that “when they shake, we shake.” We might not have idols on our shelves, but we may entertain them in our hearts. Are we trusting in anything over God? Is there anything in our lives that when it starts to crumble, we start to crumble? Or do we trust that God is Good, that God loves and cares for us, and that God will provide? Can we rest in Jesus even in the midst of the worst trials? #trueworshipiswitness
Integrity over hypocrisy. Do we live guided by the covenant we have entered into with God? Do people around us know that the church practices what we preach? If we insist that God calls us to love others as Jesus loved us, are we displaying that love? If we call for generosity, are we generous? If we insist that a Christian sexual ethic is good for the culture, how are we doing in that area? If we want God’s Old Testament laws on classroom walls, are we modeling obedience in our own lives of not just those commandments, but of all the commands God gives to us that help us walk in righteous integrity?
I just saw two stories yesterday where religious leaders of organizations promoting the implementation of Christian values in culture were arrested for the exploitation of children. The prophets would have something to say about that. Demanding a standard we don’t keep is hypocritical; modeling a standard others find compelling and life-giving is world-changing. The early church showed that. #integrityiswitness
Care for the vulnerable. Are society’s “least of these” on the church’s radar? Are we looking out for them, starting in our family, then our church, then spreading into our community and nation? What practical things (within our means and opportunity) are we doing to ensure their well-being? We have a benevolence fund that can always use a boost; there are numerous non-profits in town that provide crucial services. There are global Christian organizations that care the vulnerable. It might be a personal gift to someone you know. #careiswitness
Meekness (“harnessed power”) over bullying. Is the church using power – whatever that looks like - to protect and not harm? Do people consistently get hurt by the church, or do they feel emotionally and relationally safe? (I don’t mean sheltered from hard and necessary truths; I mean that we aren’t putting stumbling blocks in their way through our words, attitudes, and actions). Does the church – and all of us in it – provide a welcoming presence that offers a compelling oasis to people desperate for safety and belonging? #meeknessiswitness
Contentment over greed[30]. Do those around us need to worry that money matters so much to us that it will be prioritized over people, or will they learn that followers of Jesus see wealth as a tool God gives us to further the Kingdom? Do we ever trample on others when we see the opportunity to make some money? Do we begrudgingly give as little as we can because it’s ridiculous that God thinks our money is His, or do we joyfully tithe/ share our resources as much as we can because generosity is really rewarding? Last week, a friend told me he hoped a business venture would yield a ton of money because, “I have so many places I want to support.” #contentmentiswitness[31]
Humility vs. pride. I think the modern application for the church might have to do with proudly declaring how good we are and how terrible the culture is. Meanwhile, scandal after scandal unfolds in the American church. It’s a discouraging news feed, and it’s crushing to our witness.
It turns out that sin crouches at everyone’s door, and we must “take heed, lest we fall.”[32] There is so much opportunity for humility and repentance. When there is sin in the institution of the church, it needs to be called out for the sake of those getting hurt and as a witness to the world.[33] We need to own it without excuses, repent, and learn from it to move into deeper righteousness and maturity is the way to go. #humilityiswitness
Sexual Integrity. The world is full of exploitation, objectification and dehumanization. Is the church from top to bottom fighting against it and modeling a better way? Are we building a righteous view not just of sex but of people that is honoring of their imago dei? Are we building a community in which everyone knows they will not be exploited are used or ogled or lusted after, but will be loved with honor and integrity? #honoriswitness
A commitment to justice/righteousness (being right with God and others). It’s not just cultures that grant privilege to a few; the church can do that too. The letters in the New Testament make clear that was a problem right out of the gates. We tend to admire and prioritize some over others for all kinds of reasons. Do we ignore some who walk into our doors because we don’t think they are as important as others, or is everyone equally valued in our church community? God did not intend for there to be hierarchy of value in the Kingdom of God. Often, a huge way people experience the love of Jesus is through the love of the followers of Jesus. #justiceiswitness
Peter wrote that we are a holy nation to “proclaim the praises of Him who called you.” May our lives and communities we create sing His praises even louder than our voices.
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[1] The Greek word pentekoste means “fiftieth”
[2] The 120 assembled in the upper room (1:15)?
[3] Wind is an image for the Holy Spirit’s presence in Ezekiel 37:9, 13 and John 3:8.(ESV Reformation Study Bible)
[4] “Also significant is Luke's statement that these tokens of the Spirit's presence "separated and came to rest on each of them." This seems to suggest that, though under the old covenant the divine presence rested on Israel as a corporate entity and upon many of its leaders for special purposes, under the new covenant, as established by Jesus and inaugurated at Pentecost, the Spirit now rests upon each believer individually.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[5] ESV Global Study Bible
[6] Fun Fact: The crowd’s presence indicates that the setting is the temple grounds. This was the only Jewish space in Jerusalem that could accommodate this many people. (ESV Global Study Bible)
[7] “According to Jewish tradition, God spoke in 70 languages (voices/qolot)…The Book of Jubilees reinforces this by claiming there were 70 Gentile nations.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible) “These ideas provide an interpretive backdrop for Pentecost (see Ac 2, which contains many parallels to the Sinai revelation. For the early Christian, God’s original intent to speak to all nations expanded in the book of Acts.” (NIV First Century Study Bible)
[8] See “Babel Reversed: Acts 2:9–12, redemptivehistorytheology.com
[9] “Galileans had difficulty pronouncing gutturals and had the habit of swallowing syllables when speaking; so they were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem as being provincial (cf. Mk 14:70).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
[10] The quotation is from the Greek Old Testament text of Joel 2:28–32.
[11] Apparently, the “last days” start at Pentecost
[12] “The women in the upper room participated in the gift of the Spirit at Pentecost, further confirming Joel’s prophecy.” (ESV Global Study Bible)
[13] Last week, we talked about how the early church filled up with Empire outcasts!
“[14] Peter then quotes Psalms 16:8–11. I’m skipping it for the sake of time this morning. It’s the passage about God the Father not leaving Jesus in Sheol/Hades.
[15] “In the OT, only God could pour out God’s Spirit; Peter thus identifies Jesus as divine — God who pours out the Spirit in Joel 2:28 – 29.” (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)
[16] We see something similar in other New Testament passages. Paul wrote, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Philippians 2) Jesus rebuked the Pharisees who keep demanding more miracles and signs: “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!” (Matthew 12)
[17] Isaiah 44, Jeremiah 10, Ezekiel 6, Amos 5:26, Hosea 4
[18] Isaiah 1, Amos 5, Micah 3 and 6, Ezekiel 22
[19] Matthew 23
[20] Amos 5; 3; 2:6–7, Isaiah 10:1–2, Ezekiel 16; 22:29, Zechariah 7:10, Psalm 12
[21] Micah 3:10, Hosea 4:2, Nahum 3:1; Ezekiel 22, Amos 1
[22] Isaiah 5:8, Amos 3, Micah 2
[23] Obadiah 1, Isaiah 14 (Babylon), Ezekiel 28 (Tyre)
[24] Amos 5, Isaiah 5, Micah 3
[25] Hosea 4, Isaiah 57, Ezekiel 22 and 23
[26] Ezekiel 17, Isaiah 33
[27] Amos 1
[28] Isaiah 31, Hosea 10,
[29] Deuteronomy 17
[30] Philippians 4:11-13
[31] On a personal note, this is why you will not hear us demand that you give/tithe to the church. We invite you to be generous as God moves you, as our announcement note We need to pay the bills, but we would like to use funds God has inspired you to give joyfully.
[32] 1 Corinthians 10:12
[33] Historically, think of many churches that supported slavery, as well as the Doctrine of Discovery, (endorsed by both Catholic and Protestant institutions) which justified killing native Americans and taking their land because the native land was Canaan, and the conquerors were the new Israel. Currently, think of the child abuse/cover up scandal in the Catholic church, and the more recent sex abuse/cover-up scandal in the Southern Baptist Convention.