Pam Padgett ... teacher
After Jesus rose from the dead, He appeared to the apostles
speaking to them of the kingdom of God and telling them that they would
be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Jesus told them they would receive power when the Holy Ghost came to them and would witness of HIM ...
Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all
that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was
taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments
unto the apostles whom he had chosen:3 To whom also he shewed himself
alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them
forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of
God:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they
should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the
Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized
with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days
hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him,
saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to
Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or
the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall
receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:and ye shall
be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
As Jesus had told them, they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and they began to speak of the works of God in
other tongues by the Holy Spirit. As the apostles spoke in other tongues by the Holy Spirit, Jews from every nation heard them speaking in their own languages ...
Acts 2:1 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. 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 Galilaeans? 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 Judaea, 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.
Peter told those who heard these things that the pouring out of the Spirit being seen was what had been spoken by the prophet Joel ...
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last
days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:and your
sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see
visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:18 And on my servants and
on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they
shall prophesy:
And Peter taught and testified that Jesus is Lord and Christ, showing how David had before prophesied of Jesus ...
Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of
Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and
signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also
know:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified
and slain:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of
death:because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. 25 For
David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my
face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:26
Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my
flesh shall rest in hope:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in
hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou
hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy
with thy countenance. 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you
of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being a prophet, and
knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his
loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his
throne; 31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ,
that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see
corruption. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are
witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and
having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath
shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended
into the heavens:but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made
that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked
in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men
and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39
For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are
afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many
other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this
untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were
baptized:and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls. ...... And the Lord added to the church daily such as
should be saved.
One of the things that stood out to me as I read this
account is that none of this was done by the flesh, but by the power and
leading of the Holy Spirit, just as Jesus had told them beforehand.
The apostles spoke in languages from every nation on earth, not because they knew
each of those languages, but because the Holy Spirit gave them the
utterance. And each person of the various nations heard the same
message ... the wonderful works of God.
The Holy Spirit led Peter and gave him power in explaining that the Holy
Spirit had been given to them as had been spoke by the prophet Joel,
and in teaching about Jesus, leading Peter to speak according to the
will of God which pricked the hearts of those who heard and had been
called by God to be saved.
None of this was done by the apostles planning what to say and do, but by the Holy Spirit in them. Those things done by our flesh are of no worth. But those things we are led to do and say by the Holy Spirit are life ...
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth
nothing:the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are
life.