First, we discuss the scene of the Holy Spirit’s descent during the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection. We see that the indwelling Holy Spirit was initiated by Himself, and that the disciples already possessed the indwelling Holy Spirit at that time—it was only now being manifested. Second, we examine Peter’s sermon at Pentecost, where he expounded on the prophecies of Joel. This reveals that foreknowledge and predestination are two sides of the same coin. His words had two dimensions: one described David’s spiritual experience, while the other, as a prophet, foresaw Christ’s resurrection. Third, we see that Peter’s sermon, empowered by the Holy Spirit, led to the baptism of three thousand people, for their hearts were pierced. Finally, we observe that the Jerusalem church shared everything in common and their daily activities, witnessing how the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
1. The descent of the Holy Spirit at the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection
“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.””(Acts 2:1-13)
This describes the first outpouring of the Holy Spirit, where tongues of fire appeared. The scene is depicted very clearly here, but it was not like this every time when someone was filled with the Holy Spirit. This refers only to the first time. Understand that the Holy Spirit has absolute sovereignty, just as with spiritual gifts: “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”(1 Corinthians 12:11) To unbelievers, it evokes only astonishment, suspicion, or mockery. This descent resembled a mighty wind, reminding us of Jesus’ words: “The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.””(John 3:8)
While we might summarize this passage as people coming from various regions, the detailed account of specific individuals arriving here prevents us from overlooking the author’s intent—to confirm that people truly came from diverse places. The Bible sometimes employs this style to draw our attention to what matters. For instance, in the Old Testament, when the tabernacle was consecrated, “The leaders offered the dedication offering for the altar when it was anointed, so the leaders offered their offering before the altar. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Let them present their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.””(Numbers 7:10-11) The offerings were identical; it would have sufficed to list the offerings and then describe the order of the tribes: Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan, Asher, and Naphtali. But following the Old Testament’s style, we see that all the tribes are the same, and the order should not be mistaken. When “Now the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, “The sons of Israel shall camp, each by his own standard, with the banners of their fathers’ households; they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance.””(Numbers 2:1-2), the sequence remains consistent. When “…they moved out for the first time according to the commandment of the LORD through Moses.”(Numbers 10:13), without considering the sacred objects associated with the tabernacle, their marching order followed this pattern too.
We have discussed how the disciples received power through the descent of the Holy Spirit for the purpose of bearing witness to the Lord Jesus. This fulfills His promise: “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”(John 14:16-17) Here it is stated that we would have the indwelling Holy Spirit, and they indeed received the power to testify for Jesus. Yet when Jesus was arrested, the general situation was that “…all the disciples left Him and fled.”(Matthew 26:56) The exception was Peter, who did not flee but departed after denying the Lord three times (cf. Matthew 26:69-75). Only John remained at the cross.
The disciples’ gathering there demonstrated that they had faith, indicating they already possessed the indwelling Holy Spirit, awaiting the first manifestation of the Spirit. On this point, Scripture clearly states that believers have the indwelling Holy Spirit: “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, …”(1 Corinthians 6:19) Yet experience shows us that not every professing believer has a manifest presence of the Holy Spirit. Pursuing the Holy Spirit is not primarily to obtain power, but to bear witness to Him—don’t put cart before horses.
After Jesus’ resurrection, this indwelling Holy Spirit was initiated by Himself. Scripture records: “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”(John 20:21-22) He never made empty gestures. Though they already possessed the indwelling Holy Spirit at that time, it was not until Pentecost that it was manifested for the first time, as recorded.
2. Peter’s sermon at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. ‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below,
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. ‘The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge (G4268) of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. ‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; Because You will not abandon my soul (G5590) to Hades, Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. ‘You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’ “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord (the Father) said to my Lord (Jesus), “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.””(Acts 2:14-36) Note that the original meaning of “miracle” refers to a sign. Miracles occur to convey specific messages. Do not merely focus on the surface-level miracle; understand the message it conveys.
We see that Peter was the first to speak, taking the lead with a lengthy address. Let us examine it section by section. First, it is clear from his words that it was not yet time for drinking wine—it was only about nine in the morning! He essentially quoted the prophecy of the prophet Joel in Joel 2:28-32, which clearly addressed the Jews, calling upon the triune God. The scripture states, “And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the LORD (H3068, Jehovah) Will be delivered; For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem There will be those who escape, As the LORD (H3068) has said, Even among the survivors whom the LORD (H3068) calls.”(Joel 2:32)
We see that this was not the last days. The descent of the Holy Spirit was merely the beginning of “I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind.” Subsequently, it speaks of events that will occur in the last days. The Scriptures clearly indicate that dreadful things will happen then. Please read the Scriptures for yourselves; we will not elaborate further here. But for Christians: “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”(Luke 21:27-28)
Then it speaks of the works done by Jesus of Nazareth, revealing God’s foreknowledge (G4268), knowing that “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”(John 10:17-18)
A predetermined plan is the predestination. Thus, He was predestined to go to the cross as we see this in His answered prayer in Gethsemane (cf. Hebrews 5:7): “…yet not as I will, but as You will.”(Matthew 26:39) Thus, foreknowledge and predestination are two sides of the same coin, as the Book of Romans declares: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”(Romans 8:29)
Here it speaks only of being conformed to the Son’s image, not to His life. For no one can be conformed to His life—He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born without sin, while our lives begin with sin. At most, we can be conformed to His image. This point must be very clear. Among the seven churches in the Book of Revelation, the best was the church in Philadelphia, for the Scripture says, “…Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, …”(Revelation 3:8) From God’s perspective, “I know your deeds. …because you have a little power, …”(Revelation 3:8) Therefore, they were able to “…have kept My word, and have not denied My name.”(Revelation 3:8) This describes what humans can do from a human perspective. We must seek to please God from His perspective, just as the church in Philadelphia did.
Then comes “David says of Him,” referring on one hand to earthly matters, since it was talked about the tongue. On the other hand, it points to spiritual matters, for David died and was buried. To keep the soul (G5590) from being abandoned in Hades and not see corruption is possible only in spiritual matters. For in his time, God had shown him the path of life, knowing that seeing His face would bring perfect joy.
Then comes “The Lord said to my Lord,” quoting from the Book of Psalms: “A Psalm of David. The LORD (H3068, Jehovah says to my Lord (H113): ‘Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”(Psalm 110:1) The New Testament echoes this, as in: For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord (Jehovah) said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.””(Luke 20:42-43) Therefore, David’s Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ. That is to say, “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.”(Hebrews 10:12-13)
These words have two aspects: one describes David’s spiritual experience, and the other, because he was a prophet, foresaw Christ’s resurrection. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”(Acts 2:36) Jesus who is one of Holy Trinity was already the Christ; He did not become the Christ because He was crucified.
3. Peter preaches with the power of the Holy Spirit, leading three thousand to be baptized
“Now when they heard this, they were pierced (G2660) to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”(Acts 2:37-42)
As we stated at the outset, the disciples would receive power through the descent of the Holy Spirit, manifested in being pierced (G2660) through the heart, where the word (G2660) only appears once. Not everyone experienced this piercing, but “…that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”(Acts 2:41-42) The Holy Spirit Himself established Peter’s position of leadership.
Peter and Jesus were consistent in calling for repentance. Scripture says, “From that time (when John the Baptist was imprisoned) Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.””(Matthew 4:17) Then they were to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, not “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” as stated in Matthew 28:19, from ‘what God tells us is consistent.’
Faith brings the indwelling Holy Spirit, which God grants to both the Jews He has called and the Gentiles from afar whom He has summoned. This does not refer to physical Jews, which is why Paul says, “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.”(Romans 2:28-29) It also speaks of that generation as crooked, but this is not only true then—it is true now as well.
4. The Jerusalem Church shared all things in common and broke bread in their homes
“Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe (G5401); and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”(Acts 2:43-47)
Let us examine the word awe (G5401), which appears 47 times. It denotes genuine fear, which may originate from people, as in “Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear (G5401) of the Jews.”(John 7:13) Or in this context: “And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear (G5401).” (Matthew 14:25-26) When people witnessed the apostles performing many wonders and miracles, it was natural for them to feel a sense of awe (G5401). Thus, the crowd’s fear was a natural expression of reverence toward God. This is similar to when Ananias and Sapphira deceived the Holy Spirit; as soon as it was known, they immediately died, and “And great fear (G5401) came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.”(Acts 5:11)
Finally, we observe the daily practices of the Jerusalem church—both in the physical temple and in private homes. Only the Jerusalem church shared everything in common; no other church is recorded to have done so. This reminds me of the kibbutz, which has a similar arrangement—translated into Chinese as ‘collective farm.’ Due to human nature, each such collective farm never has a large number of people. This is not communist collectivism where there is basically no freedom; under this arrangement, each person still retains some degree of freedom.
Please note: This article is based on the Sunday (11/30/25) topicwise Bible study. Unless otherwise specified, verses refer to those in NASB95. Past articles referenced can be found on our website, ‘https://a-christian-voice.com/‘, under ‘On spiritual understanding about life.’
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