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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_2:1-4
1When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Act_2:1 "Pentecost" This annual Jewish Feast is also called "Feast of Weeks" (cf. Exo_34:22; Deu_16:10). The term "Pentecost" means "fiftieth." This feast was held fifty days (seven weeks) after Passover (i.e., numbering from the second day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread). It had three purposes in Jesus' day:
1. commemoration of giving of the Law to Moses (cf. Jubliees Act_1:1)
2. thanksgiving to God for the harvest
3. an offering of the first fruits (i.e., a sign of YHWH's ownership of the whole harvest) of the grain harvest. The OT background is in Exo_23:16-17; Exo_34:22; Lev_23:15-21; Num_28:26-31 and Deu_16:9-12.
NASB, NRSV "had come"
NKJV "had fully come"
TEV "came"
NJB "came around"
This is literally "had been filled." It is a present passive infinitive. This was a divine appointment and fulfillment of divine purpose. It is used only in Luke's writings (cf. Luk_8:23; Luk_9:51; here; and a similar metaphor in Luk_2:6). Human history is calendared by YHWH.
M. R. Vincent, Word Studies, vol. 1, p. 224, reminds us that the Jews saw the day as a container to be filled. The time of Pentecost had fully come! It was also the time of God's special inauguration of the Age of the Spirit, the beginning of the church.
▣ "they were all together in one place" This phrase implies unity of both place and mind (cf. Act_1:14). It is not certain where this occurred. It was probably in the "upper room" (cf. Act_1:13; "house," Act_2:2), but at some point the Temple is involved in this experience (cf. Luk_24:53; size of group in Act_2:47).
Act_2:2 "came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind" In this entire section the emphasis is on the sound, not the wind or fire. This is similar to Gen_3:8. In the OT the word ruah (BDB 924) is used of breath, wind, and Spirit (cf. Eze_37:9-14); in the NT pneuma is used of wind and the Holy Spirit (cf. Joh_3:5-8). The term wind in this verse is pnoç. It is used only here and in Act_17:25. The term pneuma is used of the Spirit in Act_2:4.
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Act_2:3 "tongues as of fire distributing themselves" The text appears to describe a sound and light event. The light-like fire was at first unified, but broke into separate manifestations and gathered on each believer. Each person in the Upper Room—Apostles, Jesus' family members, and disciples—had visible confirmation of their inclusion. The church was one!
The Feast of Pentecost had developed in Judaism as a celebration of the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai (when the tradition developed is uncertain, it was definitely by the second century a.d., but probably much earlier). Therefore, the loud wind and fire may be a reminder of the awesomeness of YHWH descending on Horeb (cf. Exo_19:16).
In the OT fire symbolizes (1) the presence of deity; (2) judgement (cf. Isa_66:15-18); or (3) purification (cf. Exo_3:2; Deu_5:4 and Mat_3:11). Luke is using an analogy to try to express a unique occurrence of a physical manifestation of the Spirit. See Special Topic following.
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▣ "each one of them" There was no distinction made between Apostles or disciples; men or women (cf. Joe_2:28-32; Act_2:16-21).
Act_2:4 "they were all filled with the Holy Spirit" This event is mentioned in Luk_24:49 and called "the promise of My Father." "Filling" is repeatable (cf. Act_2:4; Act_4:8; Act_4:31; Act_6:3; Act_6:5; Act_7:55; Act_9:17; Act_11:24; Act_13:9). It implies daily Christlikeness (cf. Eph_5:18 compared with Col_3:16). This is different from baptism of the Spirit, which denotes the initial Christian experience or incorporation into Christ (cf. 1Co_12:13; Eph_4:4-5). Filling is the spiritual empowering for effective ministry (cf. Eph_5:18-20), here evangelism! See note at Act_3:10.
In many ways some segments of Evangelicalism have reacted to what they see as excess in the area of spiritual experience and have depreciated the NT emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Two books that have helped me work through this issue are by Gordon Fee.
1. Gospel and Spirit
2. Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God
See full note at Act_5:17.
NASB, NKJV "began to speak with other tongues"
NRSV "began to speak in other languages"
TEV "talk in other languages"
NJB "began to speak in different languages"
Literally it is "other tongues" (heterais glôssais). The translation "different languages" reflects the understanding of this term based on the context of Act_2:6; Act_2:11. The other possible translation is "ecstatic utterances," based on 1 Corinthians 12-14 and possibly Act_2:13. It is uncertain how many different languages were being spoken, but it was many. If you try to add up all the countries and regions in Act_2:9-11 it must have been well over twenty. Several of the 120 believers must have spoken the same language.
God did something unique and powerful to inspire this small group of frightened men and women waiting in a locked upper room to become bold proclaimers of the gospel (both men and women). Whatever this initial sign of the coming of the promised Holy Spirit was, God also used it to confirm His acceptance of other groups (e.g., Samaritans, Roman army officers, and Gentiles). "Tongues" in Acts was always a sign to believers that the gospel had overcome another ethnic, geographical barrier. There is a distinctive difference between the tongues of Acts and Paul's later ministry in Corinth (cf. 1 Corinthians 12-14).
Theologically it is possible that Pentecost is the direct opposite of the tower of Babel (cf. Genesis 10-11). As prideful, rebellious humans asserted their independence (i.e., refusal to disperse and fill the earth), God implemented His will by the insertion of multiple languages. Now, in the new age of the Spirit, the nationalism which impedes humans from uniting (i.e., one world government of the eschaton) has for believers been reversed. Christian fellowship across every human boundary (i.e., age, sex, class, geography, language) is the reversal of the consequences of Genesis 3.
▣ "as the Spirit was giving them utterance" The verb is imperfect active indicative, meaning the Spirit began to give them. The word "utterance" (apophtheggomai) is a present passive (deponent) infinitive. This term is only used by Luke in Acts (cf. Act_2:4; Act_2:14; Act_26:25). It is used in the Septuagint for the speaking of prophets (i.e., Spirit-inspired speech, cf. Deu_32:2; 1Ch_25:1; Eze_13:9; Eze_13:19; Mic_5:11; Zec_10:2).
I prefer this interpretation to the Classical Greek etymological meaning "raised volume," "impassioned speaking," or "elevated rhetorical speaking." Luke knew the Septuagint and was influenced by its terminology. The Septuagint was the Bible of the Mediterranean world and became the Bible of the Church.