Monday, August 15, 2011

Acts 2: Peter’s sermon at the spiritual outpouring of Pentacost

It used to puzzle me how Peter used the gift of tongues to preach the need for Christ. I would read through his words and I had a hard time catching the logic behind it. Recently, I was able to finally see it.

    PENTACOST SERMON
  1. This outpouring of spiritual gifts had been prophesied by Joel.

  2. [continuing the quotation of Joel] At the same time, scary things are going to happen too before the great day of the Lord came.

    1. (This establishes the need for salavation.)

  3. Anyone who called on the Lord would be saved.

  4. Jesus of Nazareth (crucified and resurrected) is the Lord to call on for salvation and is the Messiah.

    1. Jesus was approved of God.

    2. He did miracles.

    3. You crucified Him.

    4. God raised Him up again.

      1. David prophesied of him.

        1. "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell."

        2. "Thou wilt not suffer thine holy one to see corruption"


      2. David had to be prophesying of Christ because David is dead.

      3. David saw beforehand Christ's resurrection

      4. We are witnesses that Christ is risen


    5. Christ is exalted and on the right hand of God, shedding forth the Holy Ghost, which is what you are seeing now.


      1. David prophesied of this ascension too, though not ascended himself.

        1. "The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool"



When the people ask what they should do, Peter says:

  1. Repent and be baptized every one of you


    1. In the name of Jesus Christ

    2. For the remission of sins


  2. You shall receive the Holy ghost (which you have seen operate here)

  3. The promise is to you here and also to you from far away, whoever is called by the Lord. [also from Joel quotation]

  4. Save yourselves from this perverse generation.



Conclusion: There is logic Peter's words and most of the complexity comes as he cites scripture to explain that Psalms spoken by David were in anticipation of the death and resurrection of Christ.

4 comments:

Curls said...

Excellent clarification of his words there, you're right it is quite complex through there.

I also think that he spoke in tongues so as to reach the most number of people. Speaking in tongues really just means speaking in the language that those around you understand.

Clifford said...

But as you noted on my blog, with a little study, the meaning becomes clear -- a sign that gospel truth is being preached. As opposed to the skull-splitting confusion of the later creeds and mystic Medieval mumbo-jumbo.

Ramona Gordy said...

Hi
I have been studying the record of Babel,when man's language and ultimate opportunity to hear and understand the word of God, was confounded. I have come across a definition of that type of confusion, as to rip the words right out of your mouth and as a result any understanding of the gospel would be as "babbal"

Acts 2:56 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”

There seems to be a representation of a sample demographic from places where those early "babel" settlers scattered to. We know from reading the record of the Jaradites, that God did spare some. Did he make promises to the rest that if they would earnestly seek him out, he would be found?

Romans 10:17
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

Zephaniah 3:9 “For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, which they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord.

Just saying....
Thank you for this excellent post

Michaela Stephens said...

RGG, it seems like the Lord was temporarily reversing the effects of the Tower of Babel language confounding so that the gospel could be spread, doesn't it?