To Speak Or Not to Speak...Is That Really the Question?

Acts 2:1-13

The day of Pentecost was an annual feast at which the Jews presented their first-fruits unto God.  “Pentecost” is a Greek word, when transliterated into English, means fiftieth.  This feast took place on the 50^th day after Passover.  All Jewish males had to be present at the central sanctuary (Exodus 34).  This accounts for such a large number of Jews that were present.  In contemporary terms we might say that everyone who was important according to the Jewish faith was present at this feast.  The scene was set for God to do something big; and to say that He does something awesome is truly an understatement.

It must have been an amazing sight to see these flaming tongues descending from above.  We must remember that Luke is attempting to describe something that has never happened before nor has it happened since.  He uses similes and metaphors to describe what he sees.  How do you describe something you’ve never seen before?  Ordinarily, you would compare the unknown thing to something that you know.  Honestly, we are not completely sure what these tongues looked like; but is that the point?  God could have use anything to picture the Holy Spirit, but I often wonder why he used tongues.  My first thought that comes to mind when I hear the word “tongues” is mouth or mouthpiece.  The Holy Spirit is to be our mouth or mouthpiece, He speaks through us to others; and this is what happened at Pentecost.  But was the miracle the act of speaking in tongues, or was the miracle the number souls that were saved as a result of this unique event?  We tend to major on the speaking in tongues which the Apostles did, and minor on the souls that were saved which the Holy Spirit did.

Because of this unique phenomena, the crowd, composed of many different people groups, is confused and amazed at the same time.  How can Galileans, who were considered unlearned men, able to speak in so many languages?  But were the tongues given so that all people groups present could hear the Gospel?  These different people groups, in Jerusalem on this festive occasion, would have known the trade language of the day.  So the question remains why would the Apostles need to speak in tongues if most people in Jerusalem were already able to communicate with one another through a common language?  It seems that tongues were more than just a speaking miracle; they were mean to authenticate the message of the Apostles.  And just like the miracles that Jesus preformed; there was a reason for Jesus’ practices.  Jesus preformed miracles to get the attention of the crowd so that he could preach the Gospel to them. 

Peter, like Jesus, does not waste an opportunity.  Peter uses this miraculous event to preaching a Pentecost sermon which was also his first sermon.  The Holy Spirit saved 3,000 souls on this occasion; but we often forget that this same Holy Spirit indwells each believer to guide them throughout their life.  The hard thing is letting him lead us, especially when we think that we have a better plan...