Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 1-101 Sunday 03 Jun 2001

Whit Sunday Reading: ACTS 2: 1-21, 32-36

(From ‘Encounter with God’ Bible Reading Notes)

THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN

‘The biblical images to describe the work of the Spirit – fire, mighty rushing wind, flood etc – are exactly the sorts of things we pay to insure ourselves against’ (Catherine Fox).

A sound like a violent wind, tongues of fire, people filled with God’s Spirit and speaking in languages they had never learned – what on earth was happening? Jews from all over the then known world (vs 8-11) heard ‘the wonders of God’ proclaimed in words they could understand. Ordinary believers were filled with power to witness for Jesus (1:8). No wonder the amazed crowds asked, ‘What’s going on here?’ (v 12, The Message).

In answer to the question, Peter gives two main answers. First, the events indicate that the Spirit of Prophecy had been poured out on God’s people. For centuries no prophetic voice had been heard in Israel, but now, in accordance with Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28,29), God’s Spirit has been poured out on all God’s people, enabling them to prophesy. One of the best definitions I know of the working of the gift of prophecy was given by the well known scholar, the late FF Bruce: ‘Prophetic ministry is the declaration of the mind of God in the power of the Spirit, with a special bearing on the particular situation’. How we need this gift to be exercised more widely in the church!

The second main point stressed by Peter is that the outpouring of the Spirit, with visible manifestations, is the proof that the crucified Jesus has indeed been exalted to God’s right hand as Lord. He it is who has poured out the Spirit (v 33). The good news is that the new age of the Spirit is also the age of salvation. From now on, ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord (Jesus) will be saved’ (v 20).

The age of the Spirit is exciting, but to open ourselves to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is a dangerous thing!

‘If we invoke the Holy Spirit we must be ready for the glorious pain of being caught by his power (and taken) out of our petty orbit into the eternal purposes of the Almighty’ (William Temple, 1881-1944).

Copyright Scripture Union, 2001