Acts - Week 4

Week 4 Acts 2 

Day 1 

READ 

Acts 2:3-4 

3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 

Again, it does not say there was actual fire but that it looked like it. The word “tongues” can be used of the organ in the mouth or of one’s language, such as in “What is your mother tongue?” Here it is referring to languages. The people were “filled with the Holy Spirit.” In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit came on some to empower for service. Here all believers were filled with the Holy Spirit. The believers were empowered to speak in other languages. 

REFLECT 

Pentecost is the beginning of the Church age during which all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Here the expression “filled” is used to show they were controlled by Him.  

RESPOND 

Read Romans 8:9-11 to see that everyone who is a believer has the Holy Spirit dwelling in him or her. See also 1 Corinthians 6:19 that reveals the believer’s body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 

Day 2 

READ 

Acts 2:5-6 

5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 

This passage raises the question, What was the purpose of the believers speaking in other languages? Some think it was for the purpose of preaching the gospel to the various people groups from the then-known world. Others say it was not necessary to do that because Greek was a universal language and Aramaic was almost universal. Had they spoken in either of these languages the visitors would have understood the message. Rather, the purpose was to show that God was changing His purpose for the Jewish people as they heard these Gentile languages.  

REFLECT 

With your disciple, read passages that have to do with God discipling His people by sending Gentile languages against the Hebrew-speaking Jewish people. Passages such as Deuteronomy 28:49; Isaiah 28:11-12; and Jeremiah 5:15. 

Day 3 

READ 

Acts 2:7-8 

7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 

The people were amazed that these disciples from Galilee were speaking in other languages. Had they been from the learning centers in Jerusalem, they may have known other languages. These from Galilee were not the educated elite so it was a surprise to the listeners to hear them speaking in other languages. The apostles were all from Galilee except Judas Iscariot. The word translated “languages” in verse 8 is the one from which the word “dialect” is derived.  

REFLECT 

Do you also marvel that these uneducated Galileans were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in the dialects of their listeners? Sometimes God uses those without a formal education to teach others. 

RESPOND 

Read 1 Corinthians 1:20-29 that should encourage believers who often underestimate their abilities to speak for God. 

Day 4 

READ 

Acts 2:9-10 

9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 

This is a listing of the Jewish people who had come from the then-known world. These represented many dialects and now they were hearing Gentile languages in their own dialects. These were not indistinguishable sounds but clear, understandable speech to them. Jewish men were required to attend three festivals and the Passover and Pentecost were two of them. That is the reason so many were in Jerusalem at this time. This was the setting as God was changing His program from the Jewish nation to the Gentile world. 

REFLECT 

Do you not marvel at the way the sovereign God works? His message is for all the world. 

RESPOND 

Read Deuteronomy 16:16-17 for the festivals of Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles that all male Jews were required to attend. This requirement brought them to Jerusalem where the temple was. 

Day 5 

READ 

Acts 2:11-12 

11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other. 

Adding to the listing of those present, author Luke mentions those involved were “both Jews and converts to Judaism.”  They were now hearing languages in their own dialects from these various countries. Notice what was being declared in these various languages, “the wonderful things God has done!” The Jewish nation had rejected Jesus as its Messiah and the religious leaders were supporting having Jesus put to death. The listeners could only ask, “What can this mean?” 

REFLECT 

Notice that even those in Bible times sometimes asked, “What can this mean?” As you study the Bible, ask questions and then look for answers. 

RESPOND 

Talk with your disciple about the importance of asking questions as you study the Bible and then looking for answers. In teaching, one should imagine what others might ask and be prepared to answer their questions.