Chapter 4—Pentecost: The Apostles Begin Their Work
This chapter is based on Acts 2:1-41.
(TT 21)
As the disciples returned from Olivet to Jerusalem, the people expected to see on their faces confusion and defeat; but they saw gladness and triumph. The disciples had seen the risen Saviour, and His parting promise echoed in their ears.
(TT 21.1)
In obedience to Christ’s command, they waited in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Spirit, “continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.” Luke 24:53. They knew they had an Advocate at the throne of God. In awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, “Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you.” John 16:23. Higher and still higher they extended the hand of faith.
(TT 21.2)
As the disciples waited, they humbled their hearts in repentance and confessed their unbelief. Truths which had passed from their memory were again brought to their minds, and these they repeated to one another. Scene after scene of the Saviour’s life passed before them. As they meditated on His pure life they felt that no toil would be too hard, no sacrifice too great, if only they could bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of Christ’s character. If they could have the past three years to live over, they thought, how differently they would act! But they were comforted by the thought that they were forgiven, and they determined, so far as possible, to atone for their unbelief by bravely confessing Him before the world.
(TT 21.3)
The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, they came close together. And as they drew nearer to God, they realized what a privilege had been theirs to associate so closely with Christ.
(TT 21.4)
The disciples did not ask for a blessing merely for themselves. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. In obedience to the word of the Saviour, they offered their supplications for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and in heaven Christ claimed the gift, that He might pour it upon His people.
(TT 22.1)
“When the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” The Spirit came on the praying disciples with a fullness that reached every heart. Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out the riches of the Spirit’s grace. Words of penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise. Lost in wonder, the apostles grasped the imparted gift.
(TT 22.2)
And what followed? The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands were converted in a day.
(TT 22.3)
“When He, the Spirit of truth, is come,” Christ had said, “He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come.” John 16:13.
(TT 22.4)
When Christ passed within the heavenly gates, He was enthroned amidst the adoration of the angels. The Holy Spirit descended on the disciples, and Christ was indeed glorified. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. The Holy Spirit was sent as a token that He had, as Priest and King, received all authority in heaven and on earth and was the Anointed One.
(TT 22.5)
“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” The gift of the Holy Spirit enabled the disciples to speak with fluency languages with which they had been unacquainted. The appearance of fire signified the power that would attend their work.
(TT 23.1)
“There were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” Scattered to almost every part of the world, they had learned to speak various languages. Many of these were in Jerusalem, attending the religious festivals. Every known tongue was represented. This diversity of languages would have been a great hindrance to the proclamation of the gospel. God therefore miraculously did for the apostles what they could not have accomplished for themselves in a lifetime. They could now speak with accuracy the languages of those for whom they were laboring—a strong evidence that their commission bore the signet of Heaven. From this time forth the language of the disciples was pure, simple, and accurate, whether in their native tongue or in a foreign language.
(TT 23.2)
The multitude were “amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? and how hear we every man in our own tongue?”
(TT 23.3)
The priests and rulers were enraged. They had put the Nazarene to death, but here were His servants telling in all the languages then spoken, the story of His life and ministry. The priests declared that they were drunk from the new wine prepared for the feast. But those who understood the different languages testified to the accuracy with which these languages were used by the disciples.
(TT 23.4)
In answer to the accusation, Peter showed that this was in fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel. He said, “These are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” See Joel 2:28, 29.
(TT 24.1)
With power Peter bore witness of the death and resurrection of Christ: “Jesus of Nazareth, ... ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.”
(TT 24.2)
Peter, knowing that the prejudice of his hearers was great, spoke of David, who was regarded by the Jews as one of the patriarchs. “David speaketh concerning Him,” he declared. “I foresaw the Lord always before My face, for He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved... . Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption” ... .
(TT 24.3)
“Let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day”“He ... spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”
(TT 24.4)
The people from all directions pressed in, crowding the temple. Priests and rulers were there, their hearts still filled with abiding hatred against Christ, their hands uncleansed from the blood shed when they crucified the world’s Redeemer. They found the apostles lifted above all fear and filled with the Spirit, proclaiming the divinity of Jesus of Nazareth, declaring with boldness that the One so recently humiliated and crucified by cruel hands is the Prince of life exalted to the right hand of God.
(TT 24.5)
Some who listened had taken part in the condemnation and death of Christ, their voices calling for His crucifixion. When Pilate asked, “Whom will ye that I release unto you?” they had shouted, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” When Pilate delivered Christ to them, they had cried, “His blood be on us, and on our children.” Matthew 27:17; John 18:40; Matthew 27:25.
(TT 25.1)
Now they heard the disciples declaring that it was the Son of God who had been crucified. Priests and rulers trembled. Conviction and anguish seized the people. They said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The power that accompanied the speaker convinced them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.
(TT 25.2)
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
(TT 25.3)
Peter urged on the convicted people the fact that they had rejected Christ because they had been deceived by priests and rulers, and that if they continued to look to these men they would never accept Him. These powerful men were ambitious for earthly glory. They were not willing to come to Christ to receive light.
(TT 25.4)
The scriptures that Christ had explained to the disciples stood out before them with the luster of perfect truth. The veil was now removed, and they comprehended with perfect clearness the object of Christ’s mission and the nature of His kingdom. As they unfolded to their hearers the plan of salvation, many were convicted and convinced. Traditions and superstitions were swept away, and the teachings of the Saviour were accepted.
(TT 25.5)
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” In Jerusalem, the stronghold of Judaism, thousands openly declared their faith in Jesus as the Messiah.
(TT 26.1)
The disciples were astonished and overjoyed. They did not regard this as the result of their own efforts; they realized that they were entering into other men’s labors. Christ had sown the seed of truth and watered it with His blood. The conversions on the Day of Pentecost were the harvest of His work.
(TT 26.2)
The arguments of the apostles alone would not have removed prejudice. But the Holy Spirit sent the words of the apostles home as sharp arrows of the Almighty, convicting men of their terrible guilt in rejecting the Lord of glory.
(TT 26.3)
No longer were the disciples ignorant and uncultured; no longer a collection of independent, conflicting elements. They were of “one accord,”“of one heart and of one soul.” In mind and character they had become like their Master, and men recognized that “they had been with Jesus.” Acts 2:46; 4:32, 13. The truths they could not understand while Christ was with them were now unfolded. No longer was it a matter of faith with them that Christ was the Son of God. They knew He was indeed the Messiah, and they told their experience with a confidence which carried with it the conviction that God was with them.
(TT 26.4)
Brought into close communion with Christ, the disciples sat with Him “in heavenly places.” Benevolence full, deep, and far-reaching, impelled them to go to the ends of the earth, filled with an intense longing to carry forward the work He had begun. The Spirit animated them and spoke through them. The peace of Christ shone from their faces. They had consecrated their lives to Him, and their very features bore evidence to the surrender they had made.
(TT 26.5)