What Does This Mean?

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

January 11, 2021

What Does This Mean?

” . . . we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

Acts 2:11b-12

Read: Acts 2:5-13 

In Genesis 11, we learn the whole world spoke one language, and the people purposed to build a tower to heaven. God thwarted their plans by confusing their language so they couldn’t understand each other or work together. On the Day of Pentecost, the Lord reversed that curse so that the mass of people gathered that day each heard the Apostle’s speaking in their own language. What does this mean?

It was the beginning of the fulfillment of the promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3, “. . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Of course, not everyone on the Day of Pentecost, or today, received the promise: “Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:13)

When I read today’s passage, I remember when I was preaching in a house church in Ciego de Avila, Cuba. The room in the house was overflowing with people onto the front porch and into the street. People were standing three deep looking in the windows. Their worship was joyful and included dancing. A man and a woman, neighbors from down the street and out for an evening walk, stopped in front of the house and gazed with wonder at the sights. They stayed as I began preaching through an interpreter. When I gave the invitation, they were the first to respond and made their way through the crowd to the front room and there received Jesus as their Savior.

My Takeaway: I long to be a part of a church where Luke’s statement at the end of chapter two is a present-day reality: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47b).

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.