Celebrating GodGod's People Offer Praise
Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5) Glorifying GodActs 2:1-12
New International VersionThe Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly, a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. 5 Now, there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then, how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[b] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
For Reflection
Wind with no wind; Fire with no flame; What, indeed, does this mean?
Each language limits our understanding of each other. All words are arbitrary and therefore subject to interpretation. No matter what language we speak, the words we use only stand in an approximation of the actual reference. "But that day of Pentecost, there was an actual impartation... to illuminate, sustain, direct, and elevate; to cleanse and quicken. No twisting of the narrative can weaken the plain meaning of it, that these unlearned Galileans spake in tongues which their users recognized to be their own," writes Maclaren in his commentary.
This is a living metaphor for looking beyond the arbitrary word toward its whispers of the Holy Spirit. God's intentions for our understanding lie beyond the literal meaning of our imperfect languages. PrayPray and meditate on God's message, which lies embedded within the literal word. Pray and let the Holy Spirit enlighten, sustain, direct, elevate, cleanse and quicken you into active obedience to God's intentions for God's Creation.
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