Disciples Speaking in Tongues at PentecostBible World
2:11Acts 2:11
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
At Pentecost devout Jews from every nation under heaven gathered at Jerusalem, and Cretans and Arabs among them heard Galilean disciples proclaim God's wonderful works in the birth languages they had grown up speaking. The Spirit miraculously enabled the apostles to speak clearly and accurately in languages they had not learned, so that the message of salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God, repentance and remission of sins in His name, was heard by every man in his own tongue. Hearing in their own language carried conviction to people of many nationalities, thousands were converted in a day and openly confessed Jesus as the promised Messiah, and visitors carried the truth back to their homes to spread it among all nations and classes. Peter explained the outpouring as the fulfillment of what Joel had spoken about the Spirit poured out in the last days, opening the Christian dispensation with a wonderful manifestation of spiritual gifts including speaking with new tongues and prophecy, which continue without intimation of ceasing until the day of glory at Christ's second appearing. Just such a manifestation will come again when God's consecrated people seek the same Spirit in unity and wakefulness, for a large work must still be done among people of all languages and heaven will cooperate with those who carry the message in the judgment hour.
Pentecost Setting and Wording
The verse belongs to the Pentecost narrative recorded in Acts 2:1-47. It records the climax of the amazed report of the multitude at Jerusalem. The disciples were together with one accord when a sound as of a rushing mighty wind filled the house, and cloven tongues like fire sat upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance. Devout Jews from every nation under heaven came together confounded because these Galileans were heard by every man in his own birth tongue.
Among them were Parthians and Medes and Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea, Cappadocia and Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and Libya, Rome with Jews and proselytes, and Cretes and Arabians, and all were amazed and in doubt asking what it meant. The verse finishes that list of devout Jews out of every nation under heaven dwelling at Jerusalem, placing Cretans and Arabs among the people gathered there when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Jerusalem was in the days of the apostles a great center of influence, where light from heaven was to shine in its most powerful rays upon the Lord's witnesses who were to bear the gospel message. It was to be a center from which the gospel would shine out to people from every nation.
The verse belongs to the history of the early church at Pentecost, when Jews from many countries and language groups came to Jerusalem for worship at the festivals. The apostles preached Christ there, and converts returned to different parts of the country and to their homes in different regions carrying the truth, which spread among all nations and classes of society. The busy years of ministry that followed included Peter putting forth untiring efforts with others to reach the Jews who came to Jerusalem to worship at the time of the annual festivals. Its experiences are to be studied because similar experiences must be passed through today.
Miracle of Other Tongues
People from Crete and Arabia heard the apostles speak in their own languages about God's wonderful works, because the Holy Spirit miraculously enabled the apostles to speak languages they had not learned. That overcoming of the barrier of language opened the way for spreading the gospel and confirmed that the commission and testimony of the disciples came from God. The event stands as an example of the spiritual gifts manifested when the Christian age began, a miraculous knowledge of language given to the early missionaries so they could proclaim the message and preach Christ to people of different nations.
The Spirit gave the disciples their speech, and God used them during Jerusalem's religious festival to tell the assembled multitudes about the risen Saviour. That multilingual witness accompanied the proclamation of the risen Savior and the salvation of souls to people from different lands.
At Pentecost people from different nations heard the disciples proclaim God's wonderful works in the languages they had grown up speaking. The disciples spoke clearly and accurately in both their native tongues and foreign languages, so hearers recognized their own birth tongues.
Those wonderful works heard in other tongues included the Saviour's saving work, salvation explained through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God, and that message convicted and converted thousands. Endued with power, the disciples bore bold eyewitness testimony from what they had seen of Christ's words after His resurrection and of His ascension, testifying that He is the resurrection and the life and meeting false reports about His murder and resurrection. The representatives of other nations heard the gospel message of repentance and remission of sins preached in His name.
The verse describes God's works as wonderful and connects hearing those wonderful works with hearing them in one's own language, the language in which one was born. That same hearing in one's own tongue applies to making Scripture available so that every person in England could read about God's wonderful works in English.
Immediate Results at Pentecost
The multilingual witness came very soon after Christ's ascension to heaven, when believers were harmoniously united with one accord and one mind in one place and their prayers ascended to God. The Holy Spirit came upon them and worked powerfully and mightily through them on the day of Pentecost. By miraculously enabling the apostles to speak languages they had not learned, the Spirit overcame the barrier to spreading the gospel. That ability confirmed that their commission and testimony came from God and enabled them to share the gospel across language barriers.
Hearing the wonderful works of God in the tongue in which they were born was meant to carry conviction to people of many different nationalities, so that the message would go broadcast everywhere. Visitors at the feast carried the truths they heard back to their own homes and people and shared them with others. Those who were converted carried the news back, helping the gospel spread widely and winning souls to Christ. Converts who had heard at Pentecost returned to different parts of the country and to their homes in different regions, and the truth they carried spread among all nations and classes of society. They recounted what they had witnessed at Christ's crucifixion and on Pentecost, for the representatives of other nations had heard the gospel message of repentance and remission of sins preached in Christ's name.
The disciples bore bold witness before multitudes gathered at Jerusalem from many parts of the world as eyewitnesses of Christ's talks after His resurrection and of His ascension. Endued with power by the Holy Spirit they testified that He is the resurrection and the life, meeting the false reports about His murder and resurrection. Their message openly confessed Jesus as the promised Messiah and was confirmed by signs and wonders. Thousands were converted in a day as the people took hold of the Word that had been declared during Christ's ministry, and afterward they went out and preached the Word everywhere. Sinners are still to be converted in this way, with believers doing their part by getting the self-denying life of Christ and taking the Bible from house to house to read to people.
The great and mighty subject that brought three thousand souls to repentance in one day was the Spirit's unfolding of Jesus. The Spirit glorified Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him to desire Him, lifting Jesus up as exalted by God to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. That wondrous sermon was preached with tremendous effect in demonstration of the Spirit and with power. The glorious inner beauties of Christ's work and character are not discerned with natural eyes, for it is the Spirit that quickens. The Spirit's work was not recognized by everyone, for while the crowd was amazed some mocked the disciples as drunk.
Prophecy and Doctrinal Significance
At Pentecost people from different nations heard the disciples proclaim God's wonderful works in the languages in which they had grown up speaking, and this amazed the crowd while some mocked the disciples as drunk. Peter explained that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit enabling the disciples to speak in other tongues fulfilled what the prophet Joel had spoken about the Spirit being poured out in the last days. This outpouring fulfilled the part of Joel's prophecy about the Spirit's coming, and began a fulfillment that continued beyond that day.
The prophecy of Acts 2:6-20 will be manifested among God's people, with revelations from heaven given in warnings and in reproofs and in explanation of the Word. By this all may understand they have come to the very period prophesied, and every soul is to be on the watchtower. The day of Pentecost was the full opening of the Christian dispensation with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a most wonderful manifestation of the various spiritual gifts promised to believers, including speaking with new tongues, as people from Crete and Arabia heard the wonderful works of God in their own languages. This proves that the gift of prophecy belongs to the Christian age from its commencement and continues without any intimation of ceasing until the day of glory ushered in by the second appearing of Jesus Christ.
The first and second chapters of Acts give the light of heaven for laborers who feel God has given them a message and a sacred responsibility to proclaim present truth to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. Every worker is to study those chapters, because the work must be carried forward in a higher and broader way than ever before. Jerusalem in the days of the apostles was a great center of influence where light from heaven was to shine in its most powerful rays upon the Lord's witnesses who were to bear the gospel message, when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance before devout Jews out of every nation under heaven dwelling at Jerusalem, including Cretes and Arabians. As a model for proclaiming the gospel widely, the nation's capital should likewise be a special center from which present truth reaches many people, even as Washington like Jerusalem at Pentecost should be a center from which the message reaches people from every nation.
Missionary and End-Time Application
In the early church missionaries were miraculously given knowledge of the languages of the nations to which they were called to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. That miracle proves God is willing to help His servants overcome barriers of language. It gives reason to expect His blessing on efforts to train those who by birth or background already know foreign tongues, so they can carry the message of truth to their own countrymen.
God still sends men to carry His truth to people of a strange tongue so that they hear His wonderful works in their own language. He sometimes opens the minds of His missionaries so they learn the new language quickly. The very people they came to help spiritually become helpers to them in learning the language, and by that close relation are prepared to hear the gospel message when it is given in their own tongue.
Spirit-given speech in other languages that hearers recognize as their own can communicate a warning. So a Polish man understood a message about a coming calamity, though the speakers did not know his language, and they could take turns conversing in it. Hearing God's wonderful works in one's own tongue also applies to making Scripture available in the language in which people were born, so that every person in England could read of those works in English.
Hearing God's wonderful acts in many tongues proves that a mighty power is at work in the world and that heaven will cooperate with those who do the Lord's work. In the last days this means a large work must be done among people of all languages. Every believer, whatever his country or speech, must therefore gain an intelligent knowledge of the truths of the third angel's message in order to do intelligent work for God. The Lord will open the understanding of all who come into right relation to Him, search the Scriptures and walk humbly with God, giving them understanding of the Word and power to work for Him.
Just such a manifestation as hearing the wonderful works of God in one's own tongue will come again when God's people follow on to know the Lord, for hearing in their own language carried conviction so the message went broadcast everywhere. The same blessing given at Pentecost very soon after Christ's ascension, when believers were of one accord and one mind and thousands were converted in a day, is still to be claimed by those who consecrate themselves to God, work in harmony with His Word, exalt the Word and honor its precepts by a consistent course of action. The same Spirit is to be sought now, with wakefulness from stupor and indifference, by getting the self-denying life of Christ, taking the Bible from house to house to save a world and give the message in the judgment hour.
At Pentecost devout Jews from every nation under heaven gathered at Jerusalem, and Cretans and Arabs among them heard Galilean disciples proclaim God's wonderful works in the birth languages they had grown up speaking. The Spirit miraculously enabled the apostles to speak clearly and accurately in languages they had not learned, so that the message of salvation through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God, repentance and remission of sins in His name, was heard by every man in his own tongue. Hearing in their own language carried conviction to people of many nationalities, thousands were converted in a day and openly confessed Jesus as the promised Messiah, and visitors carried the truth back to their homes to spread it among all nations and classes. Peter explained the outpouring as the fulfillment of what Joel had spoken about the Spirit poured out in the last days, opening the Christian dispensation with a wonderful manifestation of spiritual gifts including speaking with new tongues and prophecy, which continue without intimation of ceasing until the day of glory at Christ's second appearing. Just such a manifestation will come again when God's consecrated people seek the same Spirit in unity and wakefulness, for a large work must still be done among people of all languages and heaven will cooperate with those who carry the message in the judgment hour.
Pentecost Setting and Wording
The verse belongs to the Pentecost narrative recorded in Acts 2:1-47. It records the climax of the amazed report of the multitude at Jerusalem. The disciples were together with one accord when a sound as of a rushing mighty wind filled the house, and cloven tongues like fire sat upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke as the Spirit gave them utterance. Devout Jews from every nation under heaven came together confounded because these Galileans were heard by every man in his own birth tongue.
Among them were Parthians and Medes and Elamites, dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea, Cappadocia and Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and Libya, Rome with Jews and proselytes, and Cretes and Arabians, and all were amazed and in doubt asking what it meant. The verse finishes that list of devout Jews out of every nation under heaven dwelling at Jerusalem, placing Cretans and Arabs among the people gathered there when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Jerusalem was in the days of the apostles a great center of influence, where light from heaven was to shine in its most powerful rays upon the Lord's witnesses who were to bear the gospel message. It was to be a center from which the gospel would shine out to people from every nation.
The verse belongs to the history of the early church at Pentecost, when Jews from many countries and language groups came to Jerusalem for worship at the festivals. The apostles preached Christ there, and converts returned to different parts of the country and to their homes in different regions carrying the truth, which spread among all nations and classes of society. The busy years of ministry that followed included Peter putting forth untiring efforts with others to reach the Jews who came to Jerusalem to worship at the time of the annual festivals. Its experiences are to be studied because similar experiences must be passed through today.
Miracle of Other Tongues
People from Crete and Arabia heard the apostles speak in their own languages about God's wonderful works, because the Holy Spirit miraculously enabled the apostles to speak languages they had not learned. That overcoming of the barrier of language opened the way for spreading the gospel and confirmed that the commission and testimony of the disciples came from God. The event stands as an example of the spiritual gifts manifested when the Christian age began, a miraculous knowledge of language given to the early missionaries so they could proclaim the message and preach Christ to people of different nations.
The Spirit gave the disciples their speech, and God used them during Jerusalem's religious festival to tell the assembled multitudes about the risen Saviour. That multilingual witness accompanied the proclamation of the risen Savior and the salvation of souls to people from different lands.
At Pentecost people from different nations heard the disciples proclaim God's wonderful works in the languages they had grown up speaking. The disciples spoke clearly and accurately in both their native tongues and foreign languages, so hearers recognized their own birth tongues.
Those wonderful works heard in other tongues included the Saviour's saving work, salvation explained through the mercy and sacrifice of the Son of God, and that message convicted and converted thousands. Endued with power, the disciples bore bold eyewitness testimony from what they had seen of Christ's words after His resurrection and of His ascension, testifying that He is the resurrection and the life and meeting false reports about His murder and resurrection. The representatives of other nations heard the gospel message of repentance and remission of sins preached in His name.
The verse describes God's works as wonderful and connects hearing those wonderful works with hearing them in one's own language, the language in which one was born. That same hearing in one's own tongue applies to making Scripture available so that every person in England could read about God's wonderful works in English.
Immediate Results at Pentecost
The multilingual witness came very soon after Christ's ascension to heaven, when believers were harmoniously united with one accord and one mind in one place and their prayers ascended to God. The Holy Spirit came upon them and worked powerfully and mightily through them on the day of Pentecost. By miraculously enabling the apostles to speak languages they had not learned, the Spirit overcame the barrier to spreading the gospel. That ability confirmed that their commission and testimony came from God and enabled them to share the gospel across language barriers.
Hearing the wonderful works of God in the tongue in which they were born was meant to carry conviction to people of many different nationalities, so that the message would go broadcast everywhere. Visitors at the feast carried the truths they heard back to their own homes and people and shared them with others. Those who were converted carried the news back, helping the gospel spread widely and winning souls to Christ. Converts who had heard at Pentecost returned to different parts of the country and to their homes in different regions, and the truth they carried spread among all nations and classes of society. They recounted what they had witnessed at Christ's crucifixion and on Pentecost, for the representatives of other nations had heard the gospel message of repentance and remission of sins preached in Christ's name.
The disciples bore bold witness before multitudes gathered at Jerusalem from many parts of the world as eyewitnesses of Christ's talks after His resurrection and of His ascension. Endued with power by the Holy Spirit they testified that He is the resurrection and the life, meeting the false reports about His murder and resurrection. Their message openly confessed Jesus as the promised Messiah and was confirmed by signs and wonders. Thousands were converted in a day as the people took hold of the Word that had been declared during Christ's ministry, and afterward they went out and preached the Word everywhere. Sinners are still to be converted in this way, with believers doing their part by getting the self-denying life of Christ and taking the Bible from house to house to read to people.
The great and mighty subject that brought three thousand souls to repentance in one day was the Spirit's unfolding of Jesus. The Spirit glorified Him before eyes that before saw no beauty in Him to desire Him, lifting Jesus up as exalted by God to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. That wondrous sermon was preached with tremendous effect in demonstration of the Spirit and with power. The glorious inner beauties of Christ's work and character are not discerned with natural eyes, for it is the Spirit that quickens. The Spirit's work was not recognized by everyone, for while the crowd was amazed some mocked the disciples as drunk.
Prophecy and Doctrinal Significance
At Pentecost people from different nations heard the disciples proclaim God's wonderful works in the languages in which they had grown up speaking, and this amazed the crowd while some mocked the disciples as drunk. Peter explained that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit enabling the disciples to speak in other tongues fulfilled what the prophet Joel had spoken about the Spirit being poured out in the last days. This outpouring fulfilled the part of Joel's prophecy about the Spirit's coming, and began a fulfillment that continued beyond that day.
The prophecy of Acts 2:6-20 will be manifested among God's people, with revelations from heaven given in warnings and in reproofs and in explanation of the Word. By this all may understand they have come to the very period prophesied, and every soul is to be on the watchtower. The day of Pentecost was the full opening of the Christian dispensation with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and a most wonderful manifestation of the various spiritual gifts promised to believers, including speaking with new tongues, as people from Crete and Arabia heard the wonderful works of God in their own languages. This proves that the gift of prophecy belongs to the Christian age from its commencement and continues without any intimation of ceasing until the day of glory ushered in by the second appearing of Jesus Christ.
The first and second chapters of Acts give the light of heaven for laborers who feel God has given them a message and a sacred responsibility to proclaim present truth to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. Every worker is to study those chapters, because the work must be carried forward in a higher and broader way than ever before. Jerusalem in the days of the apostles was a great center of influence where light from heaven was to shine in its most powerful rays upon the Lord's witnesses who were to bear the gospel message, when the disciples were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance before devout Jews out of every nation under heaven dwelling at Jerusalem, including Cretes and Arabians. As a model for proclaiming the gospel widely, the nation's capital should likewise be a special center from which present truth reaches many people, even as Washington like Jerusalem at Pentecost should be a center from which the message reaches people from every nation.
Missionary and End-Time Application
In the early church missionaries were miraculously given knowledge of the languages of the nations to which they were called to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. That miracle proves God is willing to help His servants overcome barriers of language. It gives reason to expect His blessing on efforts to train those who by birth or background already know foreign tongues, so they can carry the message of truth to their own countrymen.
God still sends men to carry His truth to people of a strange tongue so that they hear His wonderful works in their own language. He sometimes opens the minds of His missionaries so they learn the new language quickly. The very people they came to help spiritually become helpers to them in learning the language, and by that close relation are prepared to hear the gospel message when it is given in their own tongue.
Spirit-given speech in other languages that hearers recognize as their own can communicate a warning. So a Polish man understood a message about a coming calamity, though the speakers did not know his language, and they could take turns conversing in it. Hearing God's wonderful works in one's own tongue also applies to making Scripture available in the language in which people were born, so that every person in England could read of those works in English.
Hearing God's wonderful acts in many tongues proves that a mighty power is at work in the world and that heaven will cooperate with those who do the Lord's work. In the last days this means a large work must be done among people of all languages. Every believer, whatever his country or speech, must therefore gain an intelligent knowledge of the truths of the third angel's message in order to do intelligent work for God. The Lord will open the understanding of all who come into right relation to Him, search the Scriptures and walk humbly with God, giving them understanding of the Word and power to work for Him.
Just such a manifestation as hearing the wonderful works of God in one's own tongue will come again when God's people follow on to know the Lord, for hearing in their own language carried conviction so the message went broadcast everywhere. The same blessing given at Pentecost very soon after Christ's ascension, when believers were of one accord and one mind and thousands were converted in a day, is still to be claimed by those who consecrate themselves to God, work in harmony with His Word, exalt the Word and honor its precepts by a consistent course of action. The same Spirit is to be sought now, with wakefulness from stupor and indifference, by getting the self-denying life of Christ, taking the Bible from house to house to save a world and give the message in the judgment hour.