. . . both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
Acts 2:11-12 ESV
The day of Pentecost had come. And with it, the promised Holy Spirit was poured out on the believers waiting in obedience to Jesus’ directive (Acts 1:4-5). One sign of this “baptism of the Holy Spirit” was that they began to speak in other tongues or languages.
When this happened, a crowd gathered. And they were amazed to hear these Galileans speaking in the native languages of those in the crowd. They were proclaiming the mighty works of God, speaking as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:4).
After hearing the sound of the Holy Spirit coming, and then the believers speaking in their native languages, the crowd was perplexed. What does this mean? What’s going on here?
In responding to the crowd, Peter turned to Joel 2:28-32. This passage says, among other things, that in the last days, God would pour out his Spirit on all flesh. And that all who call on the name of the Lord would be saved.
That Pentecost, nearly 2000 years ago, inaugurated the last days we are in now. In these last days, God has taken up residence, not in a physical structure, but in his people. And, as the prophets foretold, God’s people now include both Jews and Gentiles, all who call on his name.
The rest of the book of Acts is the story of the spread of the Jesus movement. It began in Jerusalem as a Jewish messianic movement. But as it spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, it became a multiethnic movement that transcended ethnicity, gender, and social standing.
