Acts of the Apostles — Building the Church II: Pentecost

Date: 2019-06-02
Title: Acts of the Apostles — Building the Church 2
Scripture: Acts 2:1-13
Speaker: Lead pastor

(Summary by Hilda)

Why Did Luke Write Acts?

Luke, a Gentile physician, was good at careful observation and should have been a man of reason — yet in both Acts and his Gospel he recorded many miracles and wonders: the descent of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, healings, exorcisms, even the raising of the dead. To outsiders these are incredible, and recording them risked his reputation.

Both Luke’s books are addressed to “most excellent Theophilus” (Luke 1:1; Acts 1:1). Some scholars suggest Theophilus may have been a judge or defence counsel of the time. The early church was being persecuted, and Luke may have written so that a judge or lawyer could help present evidence on behalf of Christians, to deter Roman persecution — which is why he documented carefully.

Luke 1:3 says: “I have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, and have decided to write an orderly account for you.” So Luke had not himself experienced these events; he had recorded them carefully as an interviewer in their proper sequence. Acts 1:8 first mentions filling with the Spirit: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The Day of Pentecost

Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival, fifty days after Passover. On this day, the disciples were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a rushing wind filled the house; tongues of fire appeared on each of them; they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Jews from every nation in Jerusalem heard them speak in their own languages.

This was a complete reversal of Babel — where languages divided, the Spirit now unites. The gospel began to break through language, ethnicity, geographic boundaries.

Today

Today, when we rejoice that same-sex marriage has been legalised somewhere, do we remember those who paid the cost to make it happen? Mainland China still has many persecuted churches; we should pray for them too. From Luke and Acts we know that Jesus cared about society. June 4th is approaching. Facing repression by mainland authorities, Hongkongers are anxious. On this day, we offer remembrance and prayer, asking the Spirit’s gracious light to awaken sleeping Chinese, to preserve historical truth. May the prayers of believers become a lamp that does not go out in history, guarding truth in the floodwaters of the world. May those in power stop oppressing God’s people, must face up to democracy and freedom, and heal the wounds of the people.