For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.". I don't think it was an intergalactic tour that He was on to get to the third heaven. It is not my purpose here to allow these matters to sidetrack our consideration of the argument of this text. Long before modern advertising, the Bible had its own versions of before and after. In Genesis, we have a picture of man before the fall and after. In the Book of Judges, we have Gideon as a fearful and reticent man (before), and then we have Gideon after as the brave warrior. They had been told to be there, to wait in Jerusalem until that day. So it's something for us to examine in our own way, see how much of that is being demonstrated in our life. Pentecost is the festival when Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. 27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong. That's the famous road to Emmaus experienced from the book of Luke, "and they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either." The mystery of this paragraph is to explain why Luke went to so much effort (and space) to describe an event which appears to have little impact on the events that follow Pentecost. BBC 2014 The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Acts 1, consistent with the rest of the Book of Acts, reminds us that it is not about us; it is about God. Originally, Pentecost was a Jewish holiday held 50 days after Passover. But let's go back, let's look at a few of these scriptures in a little bit more detail and see exactly what had been taking place among the disciples during this period of time, that brought them to that morning of Pentecost. Some of the women mentioned in Acts 1:14 may well have been those who accompanied Jesus and His disciples, and who also contributed to His support (Luke 8:1-3). Let me explain why I have reached this conclusion. Pentecost was unmistakable because of its three distinct phenomena, which served to make it perfectly clear that Jesus had indeed come to His people by His Spirit. Maybe a few more decided to go to Jerusalem on Pentecost to see what was going on, and the town was bursting at the seams, and from all these nations that we're told about here and areas. "He appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom He had cast seven demons. It is the day, 40 days after the Resurrection, when Jesus returns to his Father. Peter's Life Before Christ. Simply because there were 10 days of waiting, watching, and praying before Something Big happened to the church. All of these qualities are to the divine nature, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love. Our sins will find us out. And I didn't know how to make a connection. It goes on, "When He had spoken these things," in verse 9, "they watched and He was taken up in a cloud, received Him out of their sight. It is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church. Let us give thought to the way Luke prepares us for what is yet to come. God's Word and Spirit give us power to overcome and to change to accomplish the work of God. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth . Send inquiries regarding the operation of this Web site to webmaster@ucg.org. There's a lot of information in the details that we are given in chapter 28 verse 16. I would suspect that it may have been during that 40-day interval between our Lords resurrection and His ascension. And speaking about the deep things of the Kingdom of God to prepare them for what they were to take part in, and what they were to be a part of. In verses 12-14, Luke tells us what the apostles were doing while they waited. Anyone anywhere in the world with an Internet connection will be able to use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study. When you read what Peter said about these prophecies from Joel and the Psalmstrust me, folks, Peter's sermon would not have passed doctrinal review by the Jewish doctrinal committee of that day. What Happened at Pentecost, and Why Does It Matter? - Truth For Life With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! Put another way, the same Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus as He gave the Great Commission is the One who will empower the apostles (and the church) to carry out this command. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study series for use by the Foundation. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth. 9 After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight. It's an interesting way that they did. And God will expose sin, ours to ourselves, sometimes to others. Though the emperor, a man named Tiberius, had been holed up on an island called Capri or Capri for a number of years in absentia, the empire was running quite well on its own. It says, "The eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. The Bible teaches the following concerning how the Holy Spirit was involved with the formation and the functioning of the church. But by doing so, when you read the account, you understand that they knew the Scripture, and they applied Scripture to their choice and their decision to replace Judas. And it is also the mission of the Church, we see right here, it has begun. That's how I imagine it and He was home, He was back at, He was at the third heaven. What we are seeing here is again, the power of the Word of God. Anyone is at liberty to use this lesson for educational purposes only, with or without credit. They saw it in different ways and understood it completely different from anything from our frame of reference and they were ascribing, would have been ascribing then even to Jesus something that was not of God, which in itself can be a problem. Even though they had seen miracles, again, another indication to us always to remember that miracles are important, miracles can be faith-builders, but miracles by themselves will not do it all. Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world. What is Pentecost? Why Does It Matter? - Mark D. Roberts We often think a miracle would be just what we need. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Peter says, "Repent, believe, be baptized, you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. The Greek word means "fifty" and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover. And then even when we see in the days after Jesus' final ascension, a roughly 10-day period, when they came to make a decision to replace Judas, they read Scripture, they applied it properly, God blessed the decision. They didn't believe that He had risen, they didn't believe that they had been seen, that He had been seen, and therefore, then they would not believe these eyewitnesses. The bonds of trust among the disciples were beginning to be frayed. And one set upon each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance." And so I made a certain few inquiries, I got on the bus, didn't miss it. Did they doubt what they were seeing? What is so important about the selection of Matthias that deserves this kind of editorial space? And in the room of the house where they were gathered, it obviously became a little bit too small for all that took place, because as these other people take note of it, you get the impression they moved out into a more public location in Jerusalem. Now, when we turn over to Acts chapter 1, and we look at, kind of summing up of this as it is. First, the replacement of Judas occurs prior to Pentecost. They also point out that Lukes account depicts this selection in a favorable light, and that nothing negative is said about the action taken here. In his last face-to-face meeting with the Ephesian elders, Paul spoke to them about their responsibilities as shepherds. And so she was the first to see the empty tomb and have that appearance, and she goes and tells them. I was going to get on a Greyhound bus. He had a lot to come back, he was at the back of the pack. We have to live as well, knowing that there is a God, and to live our life that every day counts. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." So it was a bodily appearance that He made completely to them, and He showed them His hands and His feet. The selection of Matthias as the twelfth apostle is clearly a before, clearly an Old Testament method of seeking Gods will. This process will never be seen again in the rest of the New Testament. They had a lot of fear. And over a three and a half year period they had had their lives transformed and then they'd watched Him die. Between Easter and Pentecost: 50 Forgotten Days the - ChurchLeaders In Revelation chapter 14, we are given an image of the firstfruits, called the 144,000 in this part of the Revelation. 1. And it was the high priest and those people who had engineered His death, and they knew the power that they did have. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. That's what the gift of the Holy Spirit is for us. To seek this knowledge is to go outside the boundaries of their authority.4. "Behold, He said, My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Unmistakable. What is Pentecost? Meaning of Pentecost Sunday 2023 - Christianity.com And more specifically for this group that they would be witnesses of Jesus in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth being fulfilled. And yet some doubted. What was the doubt that was nagging away at them even as they saw Him, and even worshiped Him, knowing that they as they did know that He had died, and yet there was doubt? The church, the body of Christ, began on the Day of Pentecost by the work of the Holy Spirit. And let's look at it beginning in verse 36, this is after His resurrection, "As they said these things," this is the two that He had appeared to on the road to Emmaus, "Jesus himself stood in the midst of them and said to them, 'Peace to you.' ACTS 2 NIV - The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost - Bible Gateway This truth is buttressed by John 14-16, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and 2 Peter 1:20-21. 2 While they were serving the Lord and fasting,the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 3 Then, after they had fasted and prayed and placed their hands on them, they sent them off. It is a remarkable period of church history, because right here we have a vision being fulfilled that Jesus Christ has for His Church. It is available on the Internet at:www.netbible.org. 4This is much like Adam and Eve, who sought knowledge outside of the boundaries of their authority. And it brings it down to the end of the chapter. Jesus promised authority within the boundaries of what God purposed, because the coming of the Spirit was the promise of the Father (verse 4). The apostles were all Galileans (see Acts 1:11; 2:7; see also Matthew 26:73), so they could not stay in their own homes. Doubt, some of them doubt, what did they doubt? Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. I happen to think that they, no doubt during this period of time, as the days go on they talked and they read. After Pentecost, the selection of leadership (as well as the seeking of divine guidance) is heavily dependent upon the presence and power of the Holy Spirit: But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested,full of the Spiritand of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task (Acts 6:3, emphasis mine). Indeed, Acts 2:1 literally reads, "As the Day of Pentecost was being fulfilled." What was fulfilled was the prophecy given by both Jesus and John the Baptist concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit. We have a very involved, and very good, and a very detailed review process at many different levels of our writings, of our speaking in the United Church of God today. As I read the early verses of chapter one, I am also impressed with the realization that Luke provides us with some powerful evidences of the resurrection of our Lord from the dead: To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs.
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