Our passage today is Acts 2:1–13. I’ve entitled this message “Outpour at Pentecost.” This passage relays one of the seminal moments in human history. Full stop. No qualification. We call this day, Pentecost. And as we’ll see in the text, Pentecost is the day that the promised Holy Spirit comes in power. It’s the day that the disciples have been anticipating and waiting for since Jesus ascended into heaven a few days before this in Acts 1. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come. Well, he’s about to come.

But the promise of the Holy Spirit goes back further than that. Jesus told his disciples the night before he died, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). The promise of the Holy Spirit goes back even further than that to the days of John the Baptist, who said, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt 3:11). Actually the promise of the Holy Spirit goes back even farther than that to the prophecies of the OT (Joel 2:28–32). 

Well now in Acts 2, after all this waiting, the day finally comes. And the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as we’ll see in a moment, is an absolutely unmistakable, supernatural event. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come with a whisper. The Holy Spirit doesn’t come with a nudge or a soft hug. No, the Holy Spirit comes with fireworks. The Holy Spirit comes with wind and fire and pandemonium. And the church is birthed. And the world will never be the same again. That happens at Pentecost. That happens in our text today, Acts 2:1–13. So strap on your safety belts. This is a marvelous passage of Scripture.

And I want to approach our text today with a question as we get started. It’s a dangerous question. It’s the question “why?” “Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost?” You can see that question in your notes with the answers that follow. 

Why was the church birthed in this manner? Why didn’t God just use an advertising campaign to launch his church? Why didn’t he reveal his plans for the church to Caesar or to Herod and let them advance it militarily? Why pour out the Holy Spirit at Pentecost with a scene that could be described as utter pandemonium? 

Some of you might respond to that question with a smart-alecky response, “Because God wanted it that way, Pastor Tony. That’s why!” Touche. That’s not a bad answer. But beyond that there are some clues in the text that give us a more detailed answer to that question “why.” Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost? 

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I’ll give you three answers to that question. Here’s the first.

Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost?

1) To birth the church in an unmistakably supernatural manner (2:1–4) 

Here’s what happened. Look with me at Acts 2:1. 

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.

Notice that they were “together” again. And the “they” is a reference to the 120 men and women from chapter 1. And “they” were together “in one place.” The “place” is probably the upper room where they were praying previously. They were all together, obeying Jesus and waiting for the Holy Spirit. 

I can’t emphasize the word together enough! This concept of “togetherness” is a major theme in the book of Acts. We’ll see it a lot in this book. “Togetherness” is an important part of the early church’s beginning. They got together. They weren’t solitary or aloof. They weren’t secluded or unsociable, seeking God in isolation. They were together in one place. That’s important. 

Also the fact that this was “the day of Pentecost,” [see that in verse one], that was important too. In Jewish culture, Pentecost (also called “The Day of Firstfruits” or “The Feast of Harvest” or “The Feast of Weeks”) was one of the three major festivals in Jerusalem. There was Passover, Pentecost, and The Feast of Tabernacles. 

Now the word “Pentecost” in Greek (πεντηκοστή) means “fiftieth.” That’s because it took place fifty days after Passover. Coincidently the Israelites arrived at Mount Sinai approximately fifty days after the Passover. So Pentecost has often been associated with the giving of the Law at Sinai. As Christ is the fulfillment of Passover, the birth of the church is the fulfillment of Pentecost.

In Hebrew, this OT feast was called חַג שָׁבֻעֹת [ḥag šavuot], which means “Feast of Weeks.” In the OT, it was a festival that celebrated the end of the barley harvest and the beginning of the wheat harvest (see Exod 23:16; 34:22; Lev 23:15–21; Deut 16:9–12; 2 Chr 8:13). It was a day of solemn assembly when all work would cease. It was a time to praise and worship God for the firstfruits of the harvest. How interesting that this day was used for the firstfruits of the church harvest! 

Pentecost was also a time when many Jewish pilgrims would visit the city of Jerusalem from all over the world to worship. Some scholars say that there were more Jews in Jerusalem for Pentecost than even Passover, because the weather at that time of year was more favorable for travel. Strategically speaking it was a time when maximum impact could be made on the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the visitors to Jerusalem. 

As I said a few weeks ago, the population of Jerusalem is estimated to be somewhere around 100,000 people at this time. And the city would swell significantly to twice that amount during holidays and feasts. Some scholars believed that the population would swell even larger. 

So the day of Pentecost was strategically significant as the day for the Holy Spirit’s “coming out party.” Keep that in mind as we move through this passage. 

Look at verse 2. 

2 And suddenly there came from heaven [in other words this was a supernatural event] a sound like a mighty [Greek: “violent” or “forceful”] rushing wind 

Imagine the sound of a tornado spinning and roaring through a small town. That’s what we have here. Or imagine the sound of hurricane-force winds swirling and rumbling to shore. It’s that kind of sound. It’s the kind of sound that would bring panic and alarm to a crowd, especially if it happened all of a sudden, like what we see here. 

and it filled the entire house where they were sitting

Now what’s the “it” here? It’s not the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” It’s actually the “sound of the rushing wind.” There’s only one subject in the previous clause. There’s only one noun in the Greek nominative case and that’s the “sound.” The “sound” filled the house—not the wind and not the Holy Spirit. Not yet anyway. So you have this sound like a violent rushing wind filling the house, but no actual wind yet. That must have been pretty terrifying for these 120 disciples.

Look at verse 3. 

3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them [each of the 120]. 

Notice the sound was like a mighty rushing wind. The tongues were “as of” fire. Luke is using similes here to describe the indescribable. “They were kind of like this. They reminded me of something like that.” How do you describe the indescribable? How do you express the inexpressible? I don’t know. Luke’s doing the best he can with these similes. 

Now this description of “divided tongues as of fire” is absolutely fascinating. I wonder, what were they divided from? Each other maybe? Was it a huge flame of fire that divided into 120 tongues? Was it one huge tongue of fire, and then it divided into 120 tongues? I don’t know. 

Here’s what I envision in my brain. It’s a little dangerous venturing into my brain, but let me just share with you how I see this. I see in that upper room, a miniature “pillar of fire,” similar to the pillar of fire that led the Israelites in the wilderness. God often used fire for divine theophanies (i.e. appearances of God) in the OT. Remember the burning bush and Moses? Similar to that, God uses fire as a theophany in this episode of the NT. This is God’s shekinah glory coming down. 

So I see this singular pillar of fire in the middle of the room that slowly takes the shape of a tongue, a human tongue. And all of a sudden that singular tongue divides into two and then into four and keeps dividing until there are 120 individual tongues of fire resting above every man and woman in the room. 

But these fiery tongues didn’t just rest above them. Verse 3 says they “rested on each one of them,” meaning they came to rest inside each of them. Later on when they are speaking in tongues, the tongues of fire aren’t visible to those listening. So the fiery tongues must have disappeared inside of them. This is God’s shekinah glory coming down. And now that shekinah glory indwells his people!

 Jesus prophesied this in Luke 24:49, when he said, “I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” They were clothed with this power. The tongues of fire came to rest upon them. They were “clothed” with tongues of fire. In other words, the fire indwelt them. 

 Look at verse 4.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

Alright so let’s take a breath here and think this through. What’s going on? Well, let me just say that this whole event in Acts 2 is absolutely otherworldly. The disciples encountered something unmistakably divine. God showed up. God showed up in this place visibly and audibly and even verbally as they were given utterance by the Holy Spirit in foreign tongues. 

This wasn’t the product of human intelligence or activity. This wasn’t an alien from outer space. This was A.I. either. This wasn’t manufactured by human ingenuity. This was an act of God. This was a taste of the divine. And God wanted the church to be birthed by this supernatural, otherworldly, divine-and-definitely-not-human event at Pentecost. Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost? To birth the church in an unmistakably supernatural manner.

Now you might say in response to that first point, “Why did God want to birth the church in an unmistakably supernatural manner?” “Why did God do it that way?” Because he wanted the church to operate with his power. Because he wanted the church to accomplish his mission in his power for his glory. Because God wanted to differentiate the church from the other human institutions and assemblies that lack his supernatural, transcendent power.

So when 3,000 people get saved at Pentecost at the end of Acts 2, and when the world is turned upside down in the coming years, who gets the credit for that work? Not Peter. Not the Apostles. Not the church. God gets the credit for that. 

You know when the disciples gathered around and discussed what happened here nobody said, “Yeah, I’m pretty amazing. Don’t you love how I made those tongues of fire come down on all of us!” Peter didn’t say that. The men didn’t say that. The women didn’t say that. The credit for this, the glory for this event, goes to God.

Now let me be clear about something. I believe that Pentecost here in Acts 2 is a once-for-all-time event. I’m not praying for God to do the exact same thing that happened at Pentecost here in San Antonio. But I am asking God to do amazing things in our church by the power of the Holy Spirit and for his glory. And you should be asking God to do that too.

Listen, hear me on this. “We are not to teach the experience of the apostles; we’re to experience the teaching of the apostles.” I think there’s wisdom in that statement and it can help us avoid errors in the experiential realm. Let me say it again. “We are not to teach the experience of the apostles, we’re to experience the teaching of the apostles.” And I’m not here, as your pastor, to tell you to repeat the experience of the apostles; I’m here to relay to you the teaching of the apostles. 

God did something at Pentecost that could only be attributed to him. The glory could only be applied to him. His imprint, his signature was unmistakable on that day. And my prayer is “Do something like that again, Lord, something that is unmistakably you. And we will glorify you and only you for it.” 

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Here’s another reason why God chose to pour out his Spirit at Pentecost. God wanted to birth the church in an unmistakably supernatural manner, and he also wanted…

2) To launch the church with immediate international impact (2:5–11)

The timing of this event was extremely important. It was timed in such a way, at Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit’s outpouring would have maximum international impact. Here’s what Luke writes in verse 5. 

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 

Like I said earlier, lots of Jews would pilgrimage to Jerusalem for Pentecost. Some would even come for Passover and then stay fifty days later for Pentecost. Luke describes these men as devout or pious men from every nation under heaven. It was not an accident that God unleashed the power of the Holy Spirit on this day where many were gathered in Jerusalem for this sacred festival.

At this time in history, there were as many or more Jews who lived outside the ancient boundaries of Israel as who lived inside. That wasn’t always the case. In the days of David and Solomon, almost all Jews lived inside Israel’s boundaries. But the landscape of Jewish life changed after the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. 

In 722 B.C. the Assyrians came to Israel and displaced all the northern Israelites. Many of those Israelites intermingled with other nations close by and became the Samaritans of Jesus’s day. We’ll talk more about the Samaritans in the days ahead. 

In 587 B.C. the Babylonians conquered Judah and began to take Jewish exiles back to Babylon. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were a few of those exiles as well as the heir to the Davidic throne. After Babylon fell, the Persians allowed the Jews to return to Israel, but many Jews stayed in Persia or Babylon or wherever else they settled down. During the Persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and the Roman Empire, Jews began to migrate all over Europe and Asia. They were called the Jewish Diaspora. 

And so during the days of Jesus and the early church, there were Jews living throughout the Roman Empire. So when Paul travelled throughout the Empire, he preached the gospel in synagogues and Jewish assemblies hundreds of miles from Jerusalem. 

Well on the day of Pentecost, Jewish representatives from every nation under heaven were in Jerusalem. How convenient for the spread of the gospel! So there were all these Jewish pilgrims in Jerusalem, and look at verse 6.

6 And at this sound the multitude came together 

Maybe “this sound” is a reference to the sound of the violent rushing wind. Maybe it’s a reference to the sound of 120 disciples speaking in different tongues. Maybe it’s both. Whatever the case the noise of all this ruckus brought a multitude of people to the disciples. 

The disciples, at some point, must have moved out of the upper room. And now they are speaking in tongues out on the street loud enough to cause a commotion. And the crowds started to gather. 

and they [the Jewish pilgrims] were bewildered, because each one was hearing [these 120 disciples] speak in his own language. 

This is like a great reversal of the tower of Babel, right? Instead of people being confused at all the different languages being spoken that they can’t understand, they are confused at all the different languages spoken that each can understand in his own native tongue. And they are bewildered by this. 

Sanja and I used to travel a lot out of O’Hare Airport in Chicago. And we would always marvel at how many languages we would hear there. We’d even try to guess sometimes what languages people were speaking. Sanja was always better than me at guessing that. And on occasion, Sanja would hear her own language being spoken, either Croatian or something close like Bosnian or Serbian. And when that happened there was a great joy that came over her. She loved hearing people speaking in her native language, in her heart language, especially when there was this cacophony of voices and languages in the airport terminal. 

I think it’s hard for us in America to understand that. It’s hard to really understand unless you’re bilingual and have spent time in a foreign country. By the way, if someone speaks two languages their called “bilingual,” right? And if they speak three languages, they’re trilingual. But what if they only speak one language? What do you call that person? The answer is, American. If you speak one language you’re an American. 

For Jews who grew up in Persia or Babylon or Rome, that native language was their heart language. Even if they had learned Hebrew or Aramaic or Greek as well, they must have been overjoyed at the sound of their native, heart language being spoken. 

But notice, Luke doesn’t say “overjoyed.” He says “bewildered.” And if that wasn’t enough, look at verse 7.

7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 

Galileans were stereotyped as unsophisticated “know-nothings” from the rustic backwaters of Israel. So how in the world would “Galileans” be able to speak so many languages, languages that probably few of them had ever even heard before? The answer is that this must be a miracle. Something divine was taking place. God was trying to get their attention.

And notice too, they are speaking in discernible language. This is not a “heavenly language.” And this is not unintelligible gibberish. They are speaking clearly with the grammar, syntax, and vocabulary of a language they never learned, and they shouldn’t know how to speak.  

Look at verse 9.  

9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes 

By the way, a “proselyte” was a Gentile convert to Judaism. A Gentile male could convert to Judaism by being circumcised. So these weren’t just God-fearers. These are converts. These are proselytes to Judaism. These are people who are seriously committed to the Jewish faith. And some of them are about to become serious Jesus-followers. 

So, verse 11 says, 

Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians —we [that’s the gathered crowd] hear them [that’s the 120 disciples] telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 

 Here is a map of all the nations represented in Acts 2. Apart from Galilee and Jerusalem, there are sixteen geographical coordinates noted in the text. And generally speaking these coordinates are listed east to west.

Nations Represented at Pentecost

There’s 1) Parthia, 2) Media, and 3) Elam. These are on the far east of the map in what is now modern-day Iran. 4) Mesopotamia is west of there in what is today modern-day Iraq. 5) Judea is west of there and includes all that is in and around Jerusalem. Northwest of there, in modern day Turkey, you can see 6) Cappadocia, 7) Pontus, 8) Asia, 9) Phrygia and 10) Pamphylia. There were many Jews in these areas, and that’s why Paul goes there for his missionary journeys later in Acts. 11) Egypt, 12) Libya, and 13) Cyrene are south of there, across the Mediterranean in northern Africa. It’s estimated that Egypt had approximately 100,000 Jews living there at this time. Jesus’s parents fled to Egypt in Jesus’s youth before returning to Israel (Matt 2:13–23). The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a prominent Jewish settlement and later became a center for Christianity. 14) Rome is northwest of Egypt and straight west of Turkey. There was a large population of Jews in Rome as well. 15) Crete is there in the middle of the Mediterranean. And 16) Arabia is south of Judea right next to Egypt.  

This list of nations is not exhaustive in terms of where Jewish populations were found. But it covers an extensive amount of Europe and Asia. Basically it covers almost every major place where a Jewish population might be found. And Jews from all over the world were here in Jerusalem at Pentecost hearing the mighty works of God in their own, native languages. Did God have purpose in that or what? God wanted to launch the church at a time he knew there would be an immediate, international impact. 

Why does he want to do that? Well, these are the firstfruits of the Great Commission. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and make disciples” (Matt 28:18–20). Jesus said, “you will be my witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Eventually the disciples will go to the ends of the earth. But at the birth of the church, God brings the ends of the earth to the freshly minted church in Jerusalem. It’s a telling sign of things to come.

Now I will say this. On the day of Pentecost the church experienced geographical diversity. But the church hasn’t yet experienced ethnic diversity. That comes later in Acts when the mission spreads first to Samaritans (see Acts 8:25ff). And then later when it spreads to uncircumcised Gentiles (see Acts 10:1ff). More on that later in the book of Acts. 

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Now look at verse 12. 

12 And all were amazed and perplexed, 

Were the people amazed by all this? Did you notice how many times Luke repeats a statement like that. The people were “bewildered” (2:6), “amazed” (2:7), “astonished” (2:7), “amazed” again (2:12), and also, here’s a new word, “perplexed” (2:12). Luke wants you to grasp just how awesome an event this was. 

12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”

Wow, that’s insulting. Actually it’s more insulting than you realize. First of all, it’s early in the morning, as Peter says later. Nobody gets drunk in the morning in this culture. Plus the reference here is to “new wine.” The Greek word here indicates cheap, only partially fermented wine. So not only are they accused of getting drunk; they are accused of getting drunk with cheap, partially fermented wine! 

And isn’t that just how it goes sometimes? Even the most miraculous events in human history have detractors. Some search for understanding in those moments. Others dismiss them with contempt. That’ll always be the case on this side of eternity. Don’t be surprised when people dismiss the supernatural. Don’t be surprised when people dismiss the gospel. That’s been happening for centuries. 

But for most in this scene there is a longing for answers. The confusion and excitement of Pentecost leads to existential angst in their soul: “What’s the meaning of all this?” “Why is this happening?” And for those who are seriously looking for answers, God supplies them in the verses that follow. 

In verse 14 it says, 

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven 

Is anyone surprised here that Peter stood up to speak? Peter was born and chosen for this moment!

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 

 That’s a great line from Peter here. “They’re not drunk; it’s only three hours after sunrise.” Why would Peter say that? Because nobody in ancient Israel says, “It’s five o’clock somewhere.” That’s because nobody drinks or gets drunk in the morning. 

No, something else is going on here. And Peter spends the next thirty verses in Acts 2 telling them what’s happening and what they need to do to find peace and reconciliation with God. In other words, he preaches the gospel! And people get saved!

 Now I’m going to stop here and pick up next week with Peter’s sermon. It’s a great sermon, and I want to dedicate a whole service to it next week. But let me give you a third point from our message today. 

Why was the Holy Spirit poured out at Pentecost? 

1) To birth the church in an unmistakably supernatural manner (2:1-4) 

2) To launch the church with immediate international impact (2:5–11), 

and thirdly…

3) To provide the church an unavoidable preaching opportunity (1:12–13)

Here’s what I mean by that. People are left confused, bewildered, and amazed at what just happened. What are the disciples going to do about it? Well, they can’t just go back and hide out in the upper room at this point. The secret is out. God has moved in their midst. God has brought such a disturbance right into the heart of Jerusalem that the residents are crying out for an explanation. And now, empowered by the Holy Spirit, with fearless courage, and even sanctified bravado, Peter steps to the plate and preaches the gospel. And Christian churches and Christian leaders have been preaching the gospel ever since. 

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So what do we make of this passage of Scripture? What can we say applicationally about this fascinating, confusing, and altogether extraordinary event recorded in God’s Word? Let’s flesh this out a little bit together.

I’m going to give you, before we close, three applications from this passage. Let’s move from information to transformation. Let’s move from exposition to application, and think through some ways that we can be doers of God’s Word and not just hearers only. 

In terms of application, write this down first. 

Application:

1) Marvel at the once-for-all-time event of Pentecost 

We talked already about the once-for-all-time nature of this event. We’re not asking God for a repeat of Pentecost. But we are asking him to move in our midst in a similar unmistakable way. And let’s not forget to respond to this once-for-all-time event with awe and wonder. Let’s praise God for the miracle of Pentecost. Let’s worship him for the birth of the church in Jerusalem. Let’s celebrate the way the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples in such an uncanny way. 

Celebrate also the testimony that was given in multiple languages to a multitude of people. Celebrate the 3,000 that came to Christ that day through Peter’s preaching. Recount the Word of God to your children. Recount the work of God to your family, so that you can share together in the wonder of God. What happened at Pentecost was awesome! Let them sense your awe. Let them see the way you marvel at what God has done and what is recorded in his Word.

One of the things that Sanja and I worked hard at when we use to read the Bible to Alastair at night is expressing the wonder of God’s Word and the marvel of God’s work in our world. It can be a struggle sometimes after a long day to do that. Honestly, we’ve failed sometimes to convey these truths in a way that was captivating and compelling. But it’s something worth fighting for, because we wanted our son to see just how awesome our God is. 

So marvel at the once-for-all-time event of Pentecost. But also, secondly, 

2) Ask God to move in our church in unmistakable ways

Ask God to open up avenues for evangelism for you that you couldn’t open up yourself. Ask God to awaken gifts and abilities inside of you that can only be attributed to God. Ask God to bring about revival in this community that isn’t dependent on someone’s personality or someone’s financing, but is only attributable to God moving in working in our midst. 

Why is that important? Why do we want that? So that God can receive the glory for what happened when all is said and done. 

Remember what I said earlier. This is a great reminder for us. Nobody patted Peter and the disciples on the back after they spoke in tongues. Nobody praised them for their miraculous activity. The very notion of that would be ludicrous. Pentecost was a God-thing. Pentecost was all about God’s glory manifested in earthen, human vessels. 

In fact instead of being praised, the disciples got mocked. People said they were drunk. How’s that for doing God’s work for God’s glory! You get laughed at by some! But who cares? “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Rom 3:4). And “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). And let’s pray for God to move powerfully in our church in unmistakable ways.

Thirdly. Here’s a final application.

3) Ephesians 5:18 – “Be filled with the Holy Spirit” 

Notice I’m just quoting a Scripture there with that third application point. I want to tread lightly on this third point because I know that the nature of the Holy Spirit’s work in the church today is a hotly debated topic. Acts 2:1–13 is one of the most debated passages in Scripture. Christians interpret and apply these passages in very different ways. 

And before I tell you about my own position on the difference between the “Baptism of the Spirit” and “Being filled with the Spirit,” let me just say that this is an issue that brothers and sisters in Christ disagree about. We can agree to disagree on these issues, and still extend the right hand of fellowship to others. 

Here’s a great quote for you, I use it often, “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity.” In essential doctrinal matters like “the deity of Christ,” “substitutionary atonement,” “The resurrection of the saints,” “authority of Scripture,” “the Trinity,” etc., we need unity. We need conviction without compromise. 

In secondary matters like women in ministry, church governance, the use of sign gifts, and the baptism of the Spirit, we need liberty. We need the freedom to agree to disagree. And in all things, we need charity (i.e. love). 

For the record, here’s what I believe about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a one-time event in the life of a Christian. When a person gets saved they are sealed with the Holy Spirit. They are indwelt by the Spirit. Both of those statements are interchangeable descriptions of the baptism of the Spirit. 

Now water baptism is the outward sign of an inward work. In our theological tradition, water baptism follows Spirit baptism. We are credobaptists—credo means “I believe.” Water baptism doesn’t save you; Spirit baptism saves you. And only those who have been Spirit-baptized, who have been born again, are then water baptized. 

Now, just to round out this conversation. There are some Christians, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, who believe in a second baptism of the Spirit. This is a post-conversion filling of the Spirit that accelerates their sanctification. Sometimes that second baptism is associated with speaking in tongues. I don’t believe personally in a “second-baptism of the Spirit,” but I do believe in subsequent fillings of the Spirit after conversion. 

For example look with me at Acts 4:8 where the Bible says that Peter was “filled with the Holy Spirit” before he begins to preach again. Obviously Peter was already saved. He had already been baptized with the Spirit at this point in Acts 2. But God saw fit to subsequently fill him with the Spirit for the purpose of preaching. Look also in Acts 4:31 where the Bible says that as the believers were praying for boldness they were all “filled with the Holy Spirit.” This is also a post-conversion filling of the Holy Spirit. 

Experientially I have sensed multiple times in my life a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit. Some people might call it an “anointing,” but I prefer the term “filling.” I have sensed the Holy Spirit fill me and empower me at different times in my life, and at times that has brought me to tears. Oftentimes on Sunday morning, I sense a move of God in my Spirit that I can’t even articulate. It doesn’t happen every Sunday, but it happens often enough that I cry out to God to bring it every time I preach his Word.

So when Paul says “Be filled with the Spirit” in Ephesians 5:18, I believe that he means for us to be so sensitive to the leading of the Spirit that you live a flesh-killing, Spirit-controlled life on this earth. He’s not telling the Ephesian to get saved. They are saved. He’s telling them to walk more closely in the Spirit. And a flesh-killing, Spirit-controlled life can be accelerated and accentuated by divine encounters with God similar to what we see in the book of Acts. Nothing propels Spirit-led lifestyles like an encounter with the transcendent God of the Universe. 

So here’s my exhortation to you church. “Be filled with the Spirit.” Pray with a clear conscience, “God, move powerfully in our midst. Fill us anew with a fresh outpouring of your Spirit.” We can pray for that together.

    Now that’s my view on the Baptism of the Spirit. Jesus’s disciples in the upper room had a visible infilling of the Spirit that was accompanied by tongues. Our baptism of the Spirit is like that, but it’s not like that. We are indwelt by the Spirit. But we don’t see visible tongues of fire indwelling us. That was a once-for-all-time event at Pentecost. 

And to that, you might ask, “What about “speaking in tongues, Pastor Tony?” Well, we don’t have time for that today. We’ll come back to that at another time. Trust me it comes up again in Acts. 

But let me just say this, wherever you land on that issue, whether you are a cessationist, or whether you’re a continuationist, or whether you don’t even know what those terms mean. Wherever you land on that issue, let me reiterate, “In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity.”

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And wherever you land on these issues, here’s something that is absolutely irrefutable in Acts 2. God’s heart is a global heart. The church in Acts 2 was launched with an international audience and with international intent. Jesus wants us, as the church, to be his witnesses before the world. Jerusalem was ground zero for the nuclear event that was the launch of the church. And we’ve been spreading the gospel globally ever since. And we’re going to keep doing it. God help us.