LECTIO DIVINA Acts 2:1-11 Pentecost Sunday Year B Fr. Michael … · 2019. 11. 10. · Jesus promised, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts

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LECTIO DIVINA

Acts 2:1-11

Pentecost Sunday

Year B

Fr. Michael Brizio, IMC

www.shareinhisloveministries.com

1) OPENING PRAYER:

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful

and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth

your Spirit and they shall be created. And You

shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did

instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the

same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever

enjoy His consolations. Through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

2) READING OF THE WORD (What the Word

says): Acts 2:1-11

1 When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they

were all in one place together.

2 And suddenly there came from the sky a noise

like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire

house in which they were.

3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,

which parted and came to rest on each one of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and

began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in

his own language.

7 They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?

8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?

9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

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10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome,

11 both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the

mighty acts of God.”

3) EXPLANATION (What the Word means):

Jewish law required Jewish people to observe three pilgrimage festivals –– annual festivals in Jerusalem that

Jewish men were expected to attend:

• Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread,

observed in March-April (Leviticus 23:4-8;

Numbers 28:16-25; Deuteronomy 16:1-8). These

were originally two festivals, but by New

Testament times the Jewish people had combined

them. They celebrated the Exodus from Egypt.

• The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), observed toward

the end of May or the beginning of June (Leviticus

23:10-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12) –– also known as

“the festival of harvest” (Exodus 23:16) or “the day

of the first fruits” (Numbers 28:26).

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• The Feast of Booths (or Feast of Tabernacles),

observed in late September or early October

(Leviticus 23:33-36, 39-43; Deuteronomy 16:13-

15). This was a harvest festival, celebrating the

ingathering of the crops.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE LUKE-ACTS CONTEXT

Luke wrote both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts

of the Apostles –– the Gospel being the story of

Jesus and Acts being the story of the early church.

It is unfortunate that the two books are separated in

the New Testament by the Gospel of John, because

placing Acts directly after Luke would help us to

see how the Acts of the Apostles picks up where

the Gospel of Luke leaves off. This is significant

to the story of Pentecost, because the first Christian

Pentecost is deeply rooted in the Gospel of Luke.

We might think of the first Christian Pentecost as

beginning, not with the words, “When the day of

Pentecost had come” (Acts 1:1), but with the words

of the angel to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come

upon you, and the power of the Most High will

overshadow you” (Luke 1:35).

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The Spirit responsible for the birth of Jesus is also

responsible for the birth of the church. The birth of

the church in Acts 1-2 parallels the birth of Jesus in

Luke 1-2.

The gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 fulfills the

prophecy of John the Baptist in Luke’s Gospel, “He

will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire”

(Luke 3:16).

Jesus alluded to the gift of the Holy Spirit at

Pentecost when he told his disciples to “stay here

in the city until you have been clothed with power

from on high” (Luke 24:49). He restated that in

Acts, saying, “You will be baptized with the Holy

Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5).

The Spirit that fills the disciples (Acts 2:4) is the same Spirit that descended upon Jesus at his baptism (Luke

3:22).

Jesus began his ministry Spirit-filled (Luke 4:1), and so does the church (Acts 2:4, 38).

Jesus told the disciples not to worry about what they would say when brought before the authorities, because the

Spirit would teach them (Luke 10: 11-12) –– a prophecy that we see fulfilled in Acts (4:8; 5:29-32; 6:10; 7:1-55;

13:46-47; 16:35-39; 21:37 - 22:39; 23:6-10; 24:10-21; 25:1-12; 26:1-32; 28:23-30).

v.1a: When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,

Luke began his Gospel with the story of Jesus’

birth. He begins the book of Acts with the story of

the church’s birth. First came the Messiah; now

comes the Holy Spirit.

The “fulfillment” language is important here.

Jesus promised, “You will be baptized with the

Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5).

Now his promise is fulfilled.

Pentecost is also known as the Feast of Harvest. “It

is not accidental, of course, that the birth of the

church, this great ‘harvest’ of souls, should occur on this important (harvest) festival” (Cousar, 329).

Pentecost is also known as the Feast of Weeks. Leviticus 23:15-21 requires Jews to observe the Feast of Weeks

fifty days after the offering of the barley sheaf at the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It says, “You shall count until

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the day after the seventh Sabbath, fifty days; then you shall present an offering of new grain to the Lord” (Leviticus

23:16).

Thus, the feast became known as the Feast of Weeks, because the countdown was seven sabbaths –– seven weeks

–– a week of weeks. Numbers 28:26-31 and Deuteronomy 16:9-12 provide details about offerings to be offered

and persons to be included.

The word “Pentecost” is Greek, meaning fifty, reflecting the fifty-day countdown. As already mentioned, it is

one of three great pilgrimage festivals (the others being Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles), which Jewish

males living near Jerusalem are required to attend and to which Jews from other nations make pilgrimage as they

are able. As many as 180,000 people attend –– two-thirds from foreign lands.

Scholars believe that, at some point, Pentecost

became “primarily a celebration of God’s gift of

the Law of Moses to Israel, (serving to remind the

Jewish people) of the fifty-day interval between

Passover in Egypt and the giving of the law at

Mount Sinai” (Walaskay, 34) –– but it is uncertain

whether this meaning prevailed at the time of the

first Christian Pentecost.

Parallels between Moses’ experience and the first

Christian Pentecost include: Pentecost wind and

fire parallel Sinai thunder and lightning (Acts 2:2-

3; Exodus 19:16); Peter parallels Moses as God’s

spokesman (Acts 2:14-40; Exodus 31:12); The

Spirit-inspired speaking in languages by 120 disciples at Pentecost parallels God’s gift of the Spirit at Sinai to the

Seventy, who prophesied (Acts 2:1-4; Numbers 11:16-30); “On both occasions, there is a focus on the Lord’s

salvation and the offer of a new relationship between the Lord and the people (2:21, 38-39; Exodus 19:4-6)”

(Faw).

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v.1b: they were all in one place together.

These events take place in Jerusalem. “For Luke,

Jerusalem is not merely a geographical location but

is also of theological significance; it is the place of

temptation (Luke 4:9-13) and of death (Luke 9:31;

13:33; 18:31-32). Thus, the way of Jesus is

towards Jerusalem, where he suffers, dies and

rises.... By contrast, the way of the church is from

Jerusalem toward Rome (Acts 1:8)” (Randolph and

Kingsbury, 3).

The people who are gathered together in 2:1 are

presumably the 120 disciples mentioned in 1:15 ––

although they could be only the apostles (v. 14).

The mention of a house in 2:2 suggests the possibility that they have returned to the upper room. In any event,

they move outdoors to preach to the crowd.

v.2a: And suddenly there came from the sky

Jesus’ disciples retreated into hiding after the crucifixion and waited quietly for God to act. Now the time has

come!

This gift of God comes “from the sky” - from God.

v.2b: a noise like a strong driving wind, and it

filled the entire house in which they were.

At the creation of the world, “the Lord God formed

man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into

his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became

a living being” (Genesis 2:7). Then God breathed

breath into Israel, the first people of God, and their

dead bones came to life (Ezekiel 37:7-10). Now at

Pentecost God’s great wind/breath breathes life

into the new people of God –– the church.

The heavens roar. But it isn’t the wind that fills the

house, but “a noise like a strong driving wind.”

The purpose of this sign is to announce the presence of the Spirit. No tornado or hurricane is required –– just the

sound will do.

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v.3: Then there appeared to them tongues as of

fire, which parted and came to rest on each one

of them.

In the Old Testament, God showed his presence as

“a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch” (Genesis

15:17) –– and “a flame of fire out of a bush”

(Exodus 3:2-6) –– and “a pillar of fire” (Exodus

13:21) –– and smoke and fire at Sinai (Exodus

19:18) –– and “a devouring fire” (Exodus 24:17).

God used fire to demonstrate his power and the

powerlessness of the prophets of Baal –– and to

execute judgment on the prophets of Baal (1 Kings

18:17-40). God used fire to execute his judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24) –– and Egypt (Exodus

9:23-24) –– and the Israelites who made the golden calf (Exodus 32:20). God also instructed Israel to make

offerings burned with fire to atone for their sins (Exodus 29:18).

v.4a: And they were all filled with the Holy

Spirit

This is a theme that recurs throughout the Acts of

the Apostles:

As the conclusion of his Pentecost sermon, Peter

says, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in

the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be

forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy

Spirit” (2:38).

When Peter and John are arrested and required to

appear before the council of rulers, elders, and

scribes in Jerusalem, “Peter, filled with the Holy

Spirit,” addressed the council with a compelling

sermon (Acts 4:8).

After Peter and John are released from jail, they

gather together with other Christians to pray, “and

they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke

the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31).

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When the work of feeding widows fairly becomes more than the apostles can handle, they direct the church to

“select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and wisdom” to take care of that

task (Acts 6:3.5).

When Stephen is stoned to become the first

Christian martyr, he is described as “filled with the

Holy Spirit” as he gazes into heaven to see “the

glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand

of God” (7:55).

When Saul has his Damascus road encounter with

Christ and Ananias comes to lay hands on him,

Ananias says, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who

appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so

that you may regain your sight and be filled with

the Holy Spirit” (9:17).

Barnabas is described as “a good man, full of the

Holy Spirit and of faith” (11:24).

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When Paul encounters the magician Elymas in

Cyprus, Paul is described as “filled with the Holy

Spirit” (13:9), while he describes Elymas as “full

of deceit and villainy” (13:10).

Peter is the great preacher this day, but note the

emphasis on the community of faith: “They were

all together” (v.1); “A tongue rested on each of

them” (v.3); “All of them were filled with the Holy

Spirit, and began to speak” (v.4).

In the past, God has set his Spirit on a chosen few,

but in the era that begins with this first Christian

Pentecost, God gives the Spirit to all who belong

to the believing community.

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v.4b: and began to speak in different tongues, as

the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Speaking in “different tongues” at Pentecost is

different from the speaking in tongues that Paul

addressed in 1 Corinthians 12-14 - and is probably

different from the two occasions in Acts where

people are said to speak in tongues (Acts 10:46;

19:6).

At Pentecost, speaking in other languages is for the

purpose of communication - making it possible for

each person to understand in his or her own

language. No interpretation is required. There is

no record of apostles using this gift elsewhere in

their missionary work, probably because it was

unnecessary. Most Jews understood Aramaic

and/or Greek.

At Pentecost, the disciples are NOT said to be

speaking in tongues. The word “tongues” appears

in 2:3, but those are “tongues, as of fire” - symbols

of the power that the Spirit has conferred on the disciples. To confuse those tongues of fire with speaking in

tongues would constitute a distortion of the text.

The speaking of tongues of which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 12-14 is ecstatic speech that hinders

communication unless an interpreter is provided. Paul regards it as a legitimate gift, but neither as the greatest

gift nor as essential (1 Corinthians 13:1).

There are numerous references in the book of Acts to Christians who have the Holy Spirit (2:4; 4:8, 31; 6:5, 10;

7:55; 8:17; 9:17; 10:19, 44-47; 11:15-17, 24, 28; 13:2, 4, 9, 52; 19:6; 20:23, 28; 21:4) -but on only two of those

occasions is there any mention speaking “in tongues” (Acts 10:46; 19:6). It is not clear whether these two

occasions (10:46; 19:6) constitute intelligible speech, such as that in Acts 2 - or speech that requires an interpreter,

such as that mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

The fact that the speech in Acts 2 is not labeled as speaking in tongues leads us to believe that the speech in Acts

10 and 19 is a different phenomenon - more like the ecstatic speech of 1 Corinthians 1 12-14 than the intelligible

speech of Acts 2.

“The church of Christ still speaks in many tongues, and if her speech is not now normally of the supernatural

order that marked the day of Pentecost, the message is the same –– the mighty deeds of God” (Bruce, 53).

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v.5: Now there were devout Jews from every

nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.

“Devout Jews” would be Jews who observe the

law. It is natural that it would be devout Jews ––

observant Jews –– who would come to Jerusalem

for this Pentecost observance “from every nation

under heaven.”

Only a devout Jew would go to the trouble and

expense of a trip to Jerusalem for this festival. But

their devoutness will not insure their salvation.

Peter will later call them to repent and be baptized

“so that your sins may be forgiven” (2:38).

The time will come when Peter will proclaim

Christ to Gentiles, but his first appeal is to Jews (Romans 1:16; 2:9).

v.6: At this sound, they gathered in a large

crowd, but they were confused because each one

heard them speaking in his own language.

Some scholars have noted that Pentecost reverses

the curse of the Babel story, in which “the Lord

confused the language of all the earth;

and…scattered them abroad over the face of all the

earth” (Genesis 11:9). But other scholars have

noted that at Babel one language became many,

and at Pentecost they continued to be many. The

confusion that took place at Babel was permanent.

The miracle that took place at Pentecost was

limited and temporary –– designed to communicate

in a special way for this crowd only.

v.7: They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking

Galileans?

Judea, home of Jerusalem, is urbane, and the people of Jerusalem regard Galileans as peasants –– likeable enough,

but unsophisticated –– people whose dialect and manners mark them as different. They don’t expect much from

Galileans –– certainly not mastery of foreign languages. That’s why they are astonished when these Galileans

start preaching in a dozen different languages.

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Of the oratory that pours from these Galilean mouths, one commentator says, “The language of the Spirit is not

communicated with perfect or heavenly diction, free from the marks of human identity; it is the language of

particular human groups, spoken in their idiom” (Wall, 58). God often uses very ordinary people to do

extraordinary work.

Like the sound of wind and tongues of fire, these languages attract people’s attention. There is something

compelling about hearing one’s own language while traveling far from home. Their ears perk up as they hear the

disciples speak in their hometown vernacular.

v.8: Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? v.9: We are Parthians, Medes, and

Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, v.10: Phrygia and

Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, v.11a: both Jews

and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,

Luke not only tells us that the crowd has gathered “from every nation under heaven” (v.5), but also lists the

nations (listed below with rough present-day equivalents):

Parthia = Northern Iran, southwest of the Caspian Sea

Media = Northern Iran, southeast of the Caspian Sea

Elam = Southwest Iran, near Kuwait, north of the Persian Gulf

Mesopotamia = Iraq and eastern Syria

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Judea = The West Bank of Israel and west to the Mediterranean

Cappadocia = Eastern Turkey

Pontus = Northern Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) on the Black Sea

Asia = Western Asia Minor (Turkey)

Phrygia = West-central Asia Minor (Turkey)

Pamphylia = Southern Asia Minor (Turkey)

Egypt = Northeast Africa on the Mediterranean

Libya = West of Egypt on the Mediterranean

Cyrene = A small part of Libya on the Mediterranean

Rome = Rome, Italy

Crete = A large Greek island located southeast of mainland Greece

Arabs = Saudi Arabia

To see the scope of the nations involved, look at a modern map of the area. Start with Rome, and move east to

Turkey and Iran –– then move west and south through Iraq and Saudi Arabia –– then move west through Egypt

and Libya –– and then move north across the Mediterranean to Rome. You will find that you have traced a rough

circle with Judea and Jerusalem at the center.

As we will see later in this chapter (2:41), three thousand members of this crowd will be baptized at the conclusion

of Peter’s sermon. We can be sure that they carried the word of their Pentecost experience –– and their testimony

to Jesus –– to all of the places listed above –– and more.

In a day when Roman rule imposed its rule on all these peoples, this list of nations points to a day in the future

when Christ will reign in the hearts of men and women throughout the world.

v.11b: yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.”

All are amazed to hear in their own languages. It is clear that they understand, because they speak of a message

of God’s deeds of power.

4) MEDITATION (What the Word suggests to me):

a) We read the Word again.

b) Select the word or a brief phrase which touched you or impressed you. Repeat this word/phrase aloud and

slowly 3 times. Between each repetition allow a moment of silence to allow the Word to penetrate into our hearts.

c) We will remain silent for a few minutes, and let the Lord speak to us.

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d) We now share what the Lord has given us in this word. We will avoid discussions or sermons or comments

on what others have said. We share what the Lord has told us personally by using such expressions as, “To me

this word has said …”

5) QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: (What the Word asks me)

a) Do I frequently remind myself of the Holy Spirit’s presence in me?

b) Do I pray and rely on the Holy Spirit’s power in my daily life?

c) What in my life prevents the Holy Spirit from bearing fruit in my life?

d) Do I use for the building up of the Body of Christ the special gift the Holy Spirit has given me?

6) WORD OF LIFE (What the Word reminds me):

Filled with the Holy Spirit

7) ACTION (What the Word invites me to do):

Often during the day I will invoke the Holy Spirit.

8) FINAL PRAYER (What the Word makes me pray): The Sequence

Come, Holy Spirit, come! And from your celestial home Shed a ray of light divine!

Come, Father of the poor! Come, source of all our store! Come, within our bosoms shine.

You, of comforters the best; You, the soul’s most welcome guest; Sweet refreshment here below;

In our labor, rest most sweet; Grateful coolness in the heat; Solace in the midst of woe.

O most blessed Light divine, Shine within these hearts of yours, And our inmost being fill!

Where you are not, we have naught, Nothing good in deed or thought, Nothing free from taint of ill.

Heal our wounds, our strength renew; On our dryness pour your dew; Wash the stains of guilt away:

Bend the stubborn heart and will; Melt the frozen, warm the chill; Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful, who adore And confess you, evermore In your sevenfold gift descend;

Give them virtue’s sure reward; Give them your salvation, Lord; Give them joys that never end. Amen. Alleluia.

And may the blessing of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit descend upon us and with us remain

forever and ever.