This week’s scripture: Acts 2:1-21 & 37-47, is a long one, so pour yourself a cuppa, make yourself comfortable, and we will begin…
We know that at Pentecost the Spirit’s arrival was marked by the sound of a ‘violent wind’ and the tongues of fire that came down from heaven, alighting on the disciples [Acts 2:2-3]. But God has form as a firestarter. For example, He brought fire and wind to Moses and the people after they had completed the construction of the Tabernacle at Mount Sinai [Exodus 19:17-18]. Something similar also occurred at the dedication of the temple built by Solomon, as fire came down from heaven to fill the house [2 Chronicles 7:1-3].
On both those occasions the fire was a symbol of God’s presence in the temple built for Him – an actual building – because under the old covenant, the temple was regarded as the dwelling place of God. However, in this passage in Acts, as God’s Holy Spirit was poured out onto the disciples, they became God’s new temple, and because of God’s Holy Spirit, we are also His temple, His dwelling place.
Under the old covenant, the Spirit’s work appeared to be limited to key personnel — prophets, priests, and kings. These, with some honourable exceptions (e.g., Deborah the prophetess in Judges 4 & 5), were exclusively men. But now Christ has poured out his Spirit on all flesh, knowing and living in the Holy Spirit is something that is possible for all of us – young and old, male and female, near and far, you and me [Acts 2:17]. With God’s Holy Spirit in us, we are not only God’s living temple, we are His priests, and His prophets.
Towards the end of the passage in Acts, we see that the Holy Spirit’s presence has changed the believer’s lifestyle. They found themselves more closely bound in lifestyle together, sharing their possessions and lives together. The presence of the Holy Spirit also manifested itself in signs and wonders which, not surprisingly, drew attention to the believers and, more importantly, to God. In short then, the presence of the Holy Spirit was driving unity in God’s people, and at the same time driving mission to the world.
Go Deeper
Fran shared how she wanted to worship God recently, but at the same time was experiencing worry on behalf of a family member. She wanted to worship God and bring the situation to him but just could not get her mind to settle no matter what. Fran began speaking in tongues under her breath, and after a while realised that while she did not know what she was saying, her heart was suddenly at peace, and her mind cleared.
In his letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul says ‘For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.’ (1 Corinthians 14:14). This sounds a bit disparaging, but in Fran’s case her mind was in such a whirl, she felt it needed a bit of unfruitfulness! In Corinthians, Paul also said ‘… anyone who speaks in a tongue speaks not to people, but to God.’
What we did on Sunday is something we can also do at home.
Stick on some background music [e.g. Iona]:
and use your time to ask the Holy Spirit to guide you.
Pray out in English (other languages are also available!) or in tongues. You can do this out loud, or inside your head, but whatever you do, I would encourage you to block out the things around you and simply focus on being in God’s presence.
I’d also encourage you, if you feel able to do this, to share what God says in these moments with those around you. Let us know how you get on!
