The Day of Pentecost.
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with
one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven
as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were
sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire,
and it sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy
Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
We have here an account of the descent of the Holy Ghost upon the disciples
of Christ. Observe,
I. When, and where, this was done, which are particularly noted, for
the greater certainty of the thing.
1. It was when the day of pentecost was fully come, in which there seems
to be a reference to the manner of the expression in the institution of
this feast, where it is said (Lev. xxiii. 15), You shall count unto you
seven sabbaths complete, from the day of the offering of the first-fruits,
which was the next day but one after the passover, the sixteenth day of
the month Abib, which was the day that Christ arose. This day was fully
come, that is, the night preceding, with a part of the day, was fully past.
(1.) The Holy Ghost came down at the time of a solemn feast, because there
was then a great concourse of people to Jerusalem from all parts of the
country, and the proselytes from other countries, which would make it the
more public, and the fame of it to be spread the sooner and further, which
would contribute much to the propagating of the gospel into all nations.
Thus now, as before at the passover, the Jewish feasts served to toll the
bell for gospel services and entertainments. (2.) This feast of pentecost
was kept in remembrance of the giving of the law upon mount Sinai, whence
the incorporating of the Jewish church was to be dated, which Dr. Lightfoot
reckons to be just one thousand four hundred and forty-seven years before
this. Fitly, therefore, is the Holy Ghost given at that feast, in fire
and in tongues, for the promulgation of the evangelical law, not as that
to one nation, but to every creature. (3.) This feast of pentecost happened
on the first day of the week, which was an additional honour put on that
day, and a confirmation of it to be the Christian sabbath, the day which
the Lord hath made, to be a standing memorial in his church of those two
great blessings--the resurrection of Christ, and the pouring out of the
Spirit, both on that day of the week. This serves not only to justify us
in observing that day under the style and title of the Lord's day, but
to direct us in the sanctifying of it to give God praise particularly for
those two great blessings; every Lord's day in the year, I think, there
should be a full and particular notice taken in our prayers and praises
of these two, as there is by some churches of the one once a year, upon
Easter-day, and of the other once a year, upon Whit-sunday. Oh! that we
may do it with suitable affections!
2. It was when they were all with one accord in one place. What place
it was we are not told particularly, whether in the temple, where they
attended at public times (Luke xxiv. 53), or whether in their own upper
room, where they met at other times. But it was at Jerusalem, because this
had been the place which God chose, to put his name there, and the prophecy
was that thence the word of the Lord should go forth to all nations, Isa.
ii. 3. It was now the place of the general rendezvous of all devout people:
here God had promised to meet them and bless them; here therefore he meets
them with this blessing of blessings. Though Jerusalem had done the utmost
dishonour imaginable to Christ, yet he did this honour to Jerusalem, to
teach his remnant in all places; he had this in Jerusalem. Here the disciples
were in one place, and they were not as yet so many but that one place,
and no large one, would hold them all. And here they were with one accord.
We cannot forget how often, while their Master was with them, there were
strifes among them, who should be the greatest; but now all these strifes
were at an end, we hear no more of them. What they had received already
of the Holy Ghost, when Christ breathed on them, had in a good measure
rectified the mistakes upon which those contests were grounded, and had
disposed them to holy love. They had prayed more together of late than
usual (ch. i. 14), and this made them love one another better. By his grace
he thus prepared them for the gift of the Holy Ghost; for that blessed
dove comes not where there is noise and clamour, but moves upon the face
of the still waters, not the rugged ones. Would we have the Spirit poured
out upon us from on high? Let us be all of one accord, and, notwithstanding
variety of sentiments and interests, as no doubt there was among those
disciples, let us agree to love one another; for, where brethren dwell
together in unity, there it is that the Lord commands his blessing.
II. How, and in what manner, the Holy Ghost came upon them. We often
read in the old Testament of God's coming down in a cloud; as when he took
possession first of the tabernacle, and afterwards of the temple, which
intimates the darkness of that dispensation. And Christ went up to heaven
in a cloud, to intimate how much we are kept in the dark concerning the
upper world. But the Holy Ghost did not descend in a cloud; for he was
to dispel and scatter the clouds that overspread men's minds, and to bring
light into the world.
1. Here is an audible summons given them to awaken their expectations
of something great, v. 2. It is here said, (1.) That it came suddenly,
did not rise gradually, as common winds do, but was at the height immediately.
It came sooner than they expected, and startled even those that were now
together waiting, and probably employed in some religious exercises. (2.)
It was a sound from heaven, like a thunder-clap, Rev. vi. 1. God is said
to bring the winds out of his treasuries (Ps. cxxxv. 7), and to gather
them in his hands, Prov. xxx. 4. From him this sound came, like the voice
of one crying, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. (3.) It was the sound of
a wind, for the way of the Spirit is like that of the wind (John iii. 3),
thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it comes nor
whither it goes. When the Spirit of life is to enter into the dry bones,
the prophet is told to prophecy unto the wind: Come from the four winds,
O breath, Ezek. xxxvii. 9. And though it was not in the wind that the Lord
came to Elijah, yet this prepared him to receive his discovery of himself
in the still small voice, 1 Kings xix. 11, 12. God's way is in the whirlwind
and the storm (Nah. i. 3), and out of the whirlwind he spoke to Job. (4.)
It was a rushing mighty wind; it was strong and violent, and came not only
with a great noise, but with great force, as if it would bear down all
before it. This was to signify the powerful influences and operations of
the Spirit of God upon the minds of men, and thereby upon the world, that
they should be mighty through God, to the casting down of imaginations.
(5.) It filled not only the room, but all the house where they were sitting.
Probably it alarmed the whole city, but, to show that it was supernatural,
presently fixed upon that particular house: as some think the wind that
was sent to arrest Jonah affected only the ship that he was in (Jon. i.
4), and as the wise men's star stood over the house where the child was.
This would direct the people who observed it whither to go to enquire the
meaning of it. This wind filling the house would strike an awe upon the
disciples, and help to put them into a very serious, reverent, and composed
frame, for the receiving of the Holy Ghost. Thus the convictions of the
Spirit make way for his comforts; and the rough blasts of that blessed
wind prepare the soul for its soft and gentle gales.
2. Here is a visible sign of the gift they were to receive. They saw
cloven tongues, like as of fire (v. 3), and it sat--ekathise, not they
sat, those cloven tongues, but he, that is the Spirit (signified thereby),
rested upon each of them, as he is said to rest upon the prophets of old.
Or, as Dr. Hammond describes it, "There was an appearance of something
like flaming fire lighting on every one of them, which divided asunder,
and so formed the resemblance of tongues, with that part of them that was
next their heads divided or cloven." The flame of a candle is somewhat
like a tongue; and there is a meteor which naturalists call ignis lambens--a
gentle flame, not a devouring fire; such was this. Observe,
(1.) There was an outward sensible sign, for the confirming of the faith
of the disciples themselves, and for the convincing of others. Thus the
prophets of old had frequently their first mission confirmed by signs,
that all Israel might know them to be established prophets.
(2.) The sign given was fire, that John Baptist's saying concerning
Christ might be fulfilled, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and
with fire; with the Holy Ghost as with fire. They were now, in the feast
of pentecost, celebrating the memorial of the giving of the law upon mount
Sinai; and as that was given in fire, and therefore is called a fiery law,
so is the gospel. Ezekiel's mission was confirmed by a vision of burning
coals of fire (ch. i. 13), and Isaiah's by a coal of fire touching his
lips, ch. vi. 7. The Spirit, like fire, melts the heart, separates and
burns up the dross, and kindles pious and devout affections in the soul,
in which, as in the fire upon the altar, the spiritual sacrifices are offered
up. This is that fire which Christ came to send upon the earth. Luke xii.
49.
(3.) This fire appeared in cloven tongues. The operations of the Spirit
were many; that of speaking with divers tongues was one, and was singled
out to be the first indication of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and to that
this sign had a reference. [1.] They were tongues; for from the Spirit
we have the word of God, and by him Christ would speak to the world, and
he gave the Spirit to the disciples, not only to endue them with knowledge,
but to endue them with a power to publish and proclaim to the world what
they knew; for the dispensation of the Spirit is given to every man to
profit withal. [2.] These tongues were cloven, to signify that God would
hereby divide unto all nations the knowledge of his grace, as he is said
to have divided to them by his providence the light of the heavenly bodies,
Deut. iv. 19. The tongues were divided, and yet they still continued all
of one accord; for there may be a sincere unity of affections where yet
there is a diversity of expression. Dr. Lightfoot observes that the dividing
of tongues at Babel was the casting off of the heathen; for when they had
lost the language in which alone God was spoken of and preached, they utterly
lost the knowledge of God and religion, and fell into idolatry. But now,
after above two thousand years, God, by another dividing of tongues, restores
the knowledge of himself to the nations.
(4.) This fire sat upon them for some time, to denote the constant residence
of the Holy Ghost with them. The prophetic gifts of old were conferred
sparingly and but at some times, but the disciples of Christ had the gifts
of the Spirit always with them, though the sign, we may suppose, soon disappeared.
Whether these flames of fire passed from one to another, or whether there
were as many flames as there were persons, is not certain. But they must
be strong and bright flames that would be visible in the day-light, as
it now was, for the day was fully come.
III. What was the immediate effect of this? 1. They were all filled
with the Holy Ghost, more plentifully and powerfully than they were before.
They were filled with the graces of the Spirit, and were more than ever
under his sanctifying influences--were now holy, and heavenly, and spiritual,
more weaned from this world and better acquainted with the other. They
were more filled with the comforts of the Spirit, rejoiced more than ever
in the love of Christ and the hope of heaven, and in it all their griefs
and fears were swallowed up. They were also, for the proof of this, filled
with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which are especially meant here; they
were endued with miraculous powers for the furtherance of the gospel. It
seems evident to me that not only the twelve apostles, but all the hundred
and twenty disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost alike at this time--all
the seventy disciples, who were apostolic men, and employed in the same
work, and all the rest too that were to preach the gospel; for it is said
expressly (Eph. iv. 8, 11), When Christ ascended on high (which refers
to this, v. 33), he gave gifts unto men, not only some apostles (such were
the twelve), but some prophets and some evangelists (such were many of
the seventy disciples, itinerant preachers), and some pastors and teachers
settled in particular churches, as we may suppose some of these afterwards
were. The all here must refer to the all that were together, v. 1; ch.
i. 14, 15. 2. They began to speak with other tongues, besides their native
language, though they had never learned any other. They spoke not matters
of common conversation, but the word of God, and the praises of his name,
as the Spirit gave them utterance, or gave them to speak apophthengesthai--apophthegms,
substantial and weighty sayings, worthy to be had in remembrance. It is
probable that it was not only one that was enabled to speak one language,
and another another (as it was with the several families that were dispersed
from Babel), but that every one was enabled to speak divers languages,
as he should have occasion to use them. And we may suppose that they understood
not only themselves but one another too, which the builders of Babel did
not, Gen. xi. 7. They did not speak here and there a word of another tongue,
or stammer out some broken sentences, but spoke it as readily, properly,
and elegantly, as if it had been their mother-tongue; for whatever was
produced by miracle was the best of the kind. They spoke not from any previous
thought or meditation, but as the Spirit gave them utterance; he furnished
them with the matter as well as the language. Now this was, (1.) A very
great miracle; it was a miracle upon the mind (and so had most of the nature
of a gospel miracle), for in the mind words are framed. They had not only
never learned these languages, but had never learned any foreign tongue,
which might have facilitated these; nay, for aught that appears, they had
never so much as heard these languages spoken, nor had any idea of them.
They were neither scholars nor travellers, nor had had any opportunity
of learning languages either by books or conversation. Peter indeed was
forward enough to speak in his own tongue, but the rest of them were no
spokesmen, nor were they quick of apprehension; yet now not only the heart
of the rash understands knowledge, but the tongue of the stammerers is
ready to speak eloquently, Isa. xxxii. 4. When Moses complained, I am slow
of speech, God said, I will be with thy mouth, and Aaron shall be thy spokesman.
But he did more for these messengers of his: he that made man's mouth new-made
theirs. (2.) A very proper, needful, and serviceable miracle. The language
the disciples spoke was Syriac, a dialect of the Hebrew; so that it was
necessary that they should be endued with the gift, for the understanding
both of the original Hebrew of the Old Testament, in which it was written,
and of the original Greek of the New Testament, in which it was to be written.
But this was not all; they were commissioned to preach the gospel to every
creature, to disciple all nations. But here is an insuperable difficulty
at the threshold. How shall they master the several languages so as to
speak intelligibly to all nations? It will be the work of a man's life
to learn their languages. And therefore, to prove that Christ could give
authority to preach to the nations, he gives ability to preach to them
in their own language. And it should seem that this was the accomplishment
of that promise which Christ made to his disciples (John xiv. 12), Greater
works than these shall you do. For this may well be reckoned, all things
considered, a greater work than the miraculous cures Christ wrought. Christ
himself did not speak with other tongues, nor did he enable his disciples
to do so while he was with them: but it was the first effect of the pouring
out of the Spirit upon them. And archbishop Tillotson thinks it probable
that if the conversion of infidels to Christianity were now sincerely and
vigorously attempted, by men of honest minds, God would extraordinarily
countenance such an attempt with all fitting assistance, as he did the
first publication of the gospel.
The Day of Pentecost.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every
nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came
together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak
in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one
to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? 8 And
how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians,
and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa,
and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt,
and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and
proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues
the wonderful works of God.
We have here an account of the public notice that was taken of this
extraordinary gift with which the disciples were all on a sudden endued.
Observe,
I. The great concourse of people that there was now at Jerusalem, it
should seem more than was usual at the feast of pentecost. There were dwelling
or abiding at Jerusalem Jews that were devout men, disposed to religion,
and that had the fear of God before their eyes (so the word properly signifies),
some of them proselytes of righteousness, that were circumcised, and admitted
members of the Jewish church, others only proselytes of the gate, that
forsook idolatry, and gave up themselves to the worship of the true God,
but not to the ceremonial law; some of those that were at Jerusalem now,
out of every nation under heaven, whither the Jews were dispersed, or whence
proselytes were come. The expression is hyperbolical, denoting that there
were some from most of the then known parts of the world; as much as ever
Tyre was, or London is, the rendezvous of trading people from all parts,
Jerusalem at that time was of religious people from all parts. Now, 1.
We may here see what were some of those countries whence those strangers
came (v. 9-11), some from the eastern countries, as the Parthians, Medes,
Elamites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, the posterity of Shem; thence we
come in order to Judea, which ought to be mentioned, because, though the
language of those in Judea was the same with that which the disciples spoke,
yet, before, they spoke it with the north-country tone and dialect (Thou
art a Galilean, and thy speech betrays thee), but now they spoke it as
correctly as the inhabitants of Judea themselves did. Next come the inhabitants
of Cappadocia, Pontus, and that country about Propontis which was particularly
called Asia, and these were the countries in which those strangers were
scattered to whom St. Peter writes. 1 Pet. i. 1. Next come the dwellers
in Phrygia and Pamphylia, which lay westward, the posterity of Japhet,
as were also the strangers of Rome; there were some also that dwelt in
the southern parts of Egypt, in the parts of Libya about Cyrene; there
were also some from the island of Crete, and some from the deserts of Arabia;
but they were all either Jews originally, dispersed into those countries;
or proselytes to the Jewish religion, but natives of those countries. Dr.
Whitby observes that the Jewish writers about this time, as Philo and Josephus,
speak of the Jews as dwelling every where through the whole earth; and
that there is not a people upon earth among whom some Jews do not inhabit.
2. We may enquire what brought all those Jews and proselytes together to
Jerusalem at this time: not to make a transient visit thither to the feast
of pentecost, for they are said to dwell there. They took lodgings there,
because there was at this time a general expectation of the appearing of
the Messiah; for Daniel's weeks had just now expired, the sceptre had departed
from Judah, and it was then generally thought that the kingdom of God would
immediately appear, Luke xix. 11. This brought those who were most zealous
and devout to Jerusalem, to sojourn there, that they might have an early
share in the kingdom of the Messiah and the blessings of that kingdom.
II. The amazement with which these strangers were seized when they heard
the disciples speak in their own tongues. It should seem, the disciples
spoke in various languages before the people of those languages came to
them; for it is intimated (v. 6) that the spreading of the report of this
abroad was that which brought the multitude together, especially those
of different countries, who seem to have been more affected with this work
of wonder than the inhabitants of Jerusalem themselves.
1. They observe that the speakers are all Galileans, that know no other
than their mother tongue (v. 7); they are despicable men, from whom nothing
learned nor polite is to be expected. God chose the weak and foolish things
of the world to confound the wise and mighty. Christ was thought to be
a Galilean, and his disciples really were so, unlearned and ignorant men.
2. They acknowledge that they spoke intelligibly and readily their own
language (which they were the most competent judges of), so correctly and
fluently that none of their own countrymen could speak it better: We hear
every man in our own tongue wherein we were born (v. 8), that is, we hear
one or other of them speak our native language. The Parthians hear one
of them speak their language, the Medes hear another of them speak theirs;
and so of the rest; v. 11, We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful
works of God. Their respective languages were not only unknown at Jerusalem,
but probably despised and undervalued, and therefore it was not only a
surprise, but a pleasing surprise, to them to hear the language of their
own country spoken, as it naturally is to those that are strangers in a
strange land. (1.) The things they heard the apostles discourse of were
the wonderful works of God, megaleia tou Theou--Magnalia Dei, the great
things of God. It is probable that the apostles spoke of Christ, and redemption
by him, and the grace of the gospel; and these are indeed the great things
of God, which will be for ever marvellous in our eyes. (2.) They heard
them both praise God for these great things and instruct the people concerning
these things, in their own tongue, according as they perceived the language
of their hearers, or those that enquired of them, to be. Now though, perhaps,
by dwelling some time at Jerusalem, they were got to be so much masters
of the Jewish language that they could have understood the meaning of the
disciples if they had spoken that language, yet, [1.] This was more strange,
and helped to convince their judgment, that this doctrine was of God; for
tongues were for a sign to those that believed not, 1 Cor. xiv. 22. [2.]
It was more kind, and helped to engage their affections, as it was a plain
indication of the favour intended to the Gentiles, and that the knowledge
and worship of God should no longer be confined to the Jews, but the partition-wall
should be broken down; and this is to us a plain intimation of the mind
and will of God, that the sacred records of God's wonderful works should
be preserved by all nations in their own tongue; that the scriptures should
be read, and public worship performed, in the vulgar languages of the nations.
