To All the Nations

Acts 2: 5-6

 

5And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.

 

Luke details the coming of the Holy Spirit that Jesus promised after He ascended to heaven. The day of Pentecost was exactly fifty days after Jesus' resurrection. We celebrate this day every year because it is the day that the power of the Holy Spirit was released and given to the disciples that they may carry on the work and ministry of Jesus. The day of Pentecost was indeed special. It was the day that a great miracle was witnessed by many men. The wind and fire of God came down on the disciples and they began to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit directed. But the miracle of men hearing the disciples in their own language beyond Hebrew and Aramaic without the disciples ever studying was an example of what Christ said in the great commission in Matthew 28, "Go therefor and make disciples of all the nations." Remember, originally, Jesus' ministry focus was only on the Jews. The NKJV Study Bible notes "it underscored the universal outreach of the church."  Men of all different backgrounds began to hear the word of God in a language they understood. A supernatural gift from God given to reach the masses. The apostle Paul talks about the ability to interpret tongues that are spoken in 1Corinthians 14:6-13. As the apostle Paul stated, "How will it be known?"  Speaking in tongues is one thing but as Paul said, someone must be able to understand or interpret what is being said. The day of Pentecost was also special because God reversed what He did at the Tower of Babel in Genesis. Even now, the word of God is heard in other languages in other countries so that men might believe. It is a gift from God to know another tongue or language without study to communicate and most importantly, to communicate the word of God that men can be saved.