SUMMARY
As promised by JesusJesus is the Messiah whose life, death, and resurrection are God's saving act for humanity, the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine Spirit, the “power from on high,” comes upon his followers as they are all gathered together in one place. This power appearing as “divided tongues, as of fire” and sounding “like the rush of a violent wind” is interpreted by PeterThe disciple who denied Jesus during his trial but later became a leader in proclaiming Jesus as God’s gift in accord with the words of the prophet Joel.
ANALYSIS
The story of PentecostPentecost was originally a Jewish harvest or pilgrimage festival that fell on the fiftieth day after Passover. It was during this festival that the Holy Spirit visited Jesus' followers in tongues of fire and caused them to speak in many languages, as reported in Acts... is crucial in Acts for several reasons. First, it is a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise that the “power from on high” would come upon his followers to empower their witness (LukeThe "beloved physician" and companion of Paul 24:49). Second, the coming of the Holy Spirit happens to all the believers who are gathered together in Jerusalem. It is not a gift just for the Twelve, nor for men only, but it comes upon the whole gathering (described in Acts 1:13-14 as including women). Finally, in this story the power of speaking other languages intelligibly is the gift given by the Spirit to enable believers to testify to God’s work in Jesus the MessiahThe Messiah was the one who, it was believed, would come to free the people of Israel from bondage and exile. In Jewish thought the Messiah is the anticipated one who will come, as prophesied by Isaiah. In Christian thought Jesus of Nazareth is identified.... This great gift is like the “deeds of power, wonders, and signs” (2:22) that God did through Jesus and will continue to do throughout the book of Acts. It is important that the power of the Spirit is a gift and works for good, even if that good includes warnings against attempted misuses (8:18-24; 13:6-12; 19:11-20). This work of the Spirit is consonant with the work of Jesus, who pours the Spirit from on high (2:33).
Much of Acts details the ways in which the Spirit works with the leaders of the Christian community or even a step ahead of them. That Peter and PaulA Christian missionary who once persecuted the church are able to raise persons from the dead, heal the sick, and overcome the powers of other deities is an important witness to the incomparable power of God, once at work in Jesus, now at work through the Spirit that empowers Jesus’ followers. Elsewhere, the Spirit whisks Philip from one place or another (8:26, 39-40). The Spirit falls upon CorneliusAn early Gentile convert to the Christian faith. and his householdA household is a living unit comprised of all the persons who live in one house. A household would embrace all the members of a family, including servants and slaves. In the book of Acts, stories are told of various persons and their households, like... even before Peter finishes speaking to them (10:44; 11:15). Many activities of believers in Acts are directed immediately by the Spirit or through dreamsDreams often have potency and predictive power in the Bible, for they were seen as messages from God. In the Old Testament Joseph dreamed about the seven fat and lean years. In the New Testament Joseph dreamed about escaping to Egypt with Mary and Jesus. and visions.
All this energy and power for witness in deed and word comes to believers on the day of Pentecost. The Jewish festival of Pentecost, coming seven weeks after PassoverPassover commemorates the deliverance of the Hebrew people from Egypt as described in the book of Exodus. It is celebrated with worship and a meal on the fourteenth day of the month called Nisan, which is the first month of the Jewish year. The time..., was a great celebration of God’s giving of the law. The giving of the Spirit parallels the giving of the law, God’s gift to a new people who experience a foretaste of full salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. in the community of repentant believers. Because many Jewish pilgrims came to Jerusalem for Pentecost, the good news of this salvation is immediately extended internationally in Acts 2.
