The "Visible" Church

Acts 2:1-4 2 When the Day of Pentecost had 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 the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. NKJV 2 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Most likely all 120 believers were together again in the same upper room that was mentioned in (Acts 1:23). They were likely gathered to celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22–23), or Harvest (Ex. 23:16); not necessarily “seeking” the Holy Spirit, as popular teaching holds to, today. All the Apostles and disciples were again, in agreement, having no divisions within their fellowship. They were simply praying together in the fellowship of one another during the celebration of the festival, remembering the life, death, and resurrection of The Lord; and that they were “waiting” for the “baptism of the Holy Spirit”.

Acts 1:4-5 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." NKJV Luke 24:46-49 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high." NKJV

Acts 2:42-43 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. NKJV

It is important to note that this ‘baptism’ is not referring to the salvation of individuals(Jn.15:3). All the believers assembled that day were true converts and in full agreement with the Great Commission. This is not the “individual” baptism that John and Jesus were preaching for repentance and the remission of sins(Matt. 3:11). The “baptism of the corporation of the body elect” is being empowered here, much like, individual baptism, when the Holy Spirit empowers one to repent and believe. This was a baptism of power to fulfill all Christ’s commands in regards to the Great Commission under this new divine authoritative institute called; the church.

The Holy Spirit is coming and setting up a new government with the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures as her Head. At this starting point in the history of the body of Christ on earth, the coming of the Holy Spirit institutes the transition of power from the national covenant of Israel to the new covenant of the church in the person and work of Jesus Christ(Jn.15:5). Here we have a separation of power because Israel’s rejection of the chosen Messiah.

It is important to note that Israel in not completely cut-off, because the new covenant has left provision for them to be engrafted back in again(Rom.11:23). Also, God has still promised Israel particular things regarding the kingdom that wil be restored to them as a particular and called out nation that is elect of God.

Rom 11:26-32 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; 27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." 28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. 29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, 31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all. NKJV

This is why the Great Commission says salvation is to the Jew first, beginning in Jerusalem. It starts and ends with Jerusalem as the capitol of God, no matter what we see in God’s providence, even now. It fact, God's providential history is telling us that God is already preparing to fulfill His promises to Israel. The fact that they are a nation again speaks volumes. The point of this passage is that the disciples are not seeking some ecstatic outward experience to testify of their salvation, but simply waiting for the power to go into all nations and preach the gospel as Christ commanded. But He told them to wait for His strength and not to rely on their own power, as I even do. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Luke is not describing a literal sound from heaven, but that the Holy Spirit’s power has come and filled the whole house in which the believers gathered. Everyone present was given a “super-natural” gift to equip each other in the mission of the church. Notice again that it came “suddenly”, which clarifies, that the disciples were not seeking the Holy Spirit. The Spirit came to them by surprise. When Luke describes it as a “sound” from heaven and a “rushing mighty wind”, he is using similes to say that it was of the authority of heaven and God’s throne, that was working in the believers that day; and since they were expecting the promise of the Holy Spirit, which is often described as the wind (Jn.3:8), Luke uses poetic language to get our attention to desribe a literal event. The following verses tell us what happened when the Holy Spirit’s power moved or worked in their hearts. John MacArthur also adds some good points:

In contrast to much errant teaching today, the New Testament nowhere commands believers to seek the baptism with the Spirit. It is a sovereign, single, unrepeatable act on God’s part, and is no more an experience than are its companions justification and adoption. Although some wrongly view the baptism with the Spirit as the initiation into the ranks of the spiritual elite, nothing could be further from the truth. The purpose of the baptism with the Spirit is not to divide the body of Christ, but to unify it. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, through the baptism with the Spirit “we were all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Gal. 3:26–27; Eph. 4:4–6). MacArthur, John: Acts. Chicago : Moody Press, 1994, c1996, S. 40

3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them Again this is a figure of speech to describe the power working in each disciple that day. They did not literally breath fire or have cloven tongues(KJV), but they did receive a new form of speech. All 120 disciples were given the gift of preaching and teaching the gospel that day. The Greek word for “divided” is διαμερίζω [diamerizo /dee·am·er·id·zo/], which has three meanings;

1 to cleave asunder, cut in pieces. 2 to be divided into opposing parts, to be at variance, in dissension. 3 to distribute.

This means that they spoke with truth and with grace. The Apostle Paul said the man of God must "cut it straight", and what he means by that is, the minister is not to teach what he feels the text is saying, but to be straight foward and plain, but also rightly "dividing" the Word of truth. This means they spoke with bold authority about what God has said, but with the commpassion to bring the hearer under God's grace and mercy. Therefore, they cut up the Word and distributed it equally in systems, verse by verse.

2 Tim 2:15-16

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. NKJV

Luke is describing this preaching and teaching gift as a "fiery" and cloven tongue. An illustration of this is like the fire breathing dragon that has a cloven tongue. It is a fierce animal that needs to be feared and respected. We also see and illustration of this in the history of Moses.

Num 21:6-7 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. KJV

With this new baptism God is giving the church two ministries; a ministry of death and a ministry of life.

2 Cor 3:7-18 Glory of the New Covenant

7 But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, 8 how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? 9 For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 10 For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. 11 For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains is much more glorious. 12 Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech — 13 unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. NKJV

The ministry of death is the letter of the law that only has the power to kill and condemn us before God. So these disciples were talking out of one side of their mouth the ministry of death and condemnation through God’s law; but with the other side of their mouth the life giving words of the gospel in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and His glory in how He relates to His Father, and the Holy Spirit who now works death and life in the called out ones (the church). 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Luke again clarifies that everyone in the room was filled with power and that it was not just “divided” tongues as I just described, but with multiple earthly and known languages. The phrase “as the Spirit gave them utterance” should inform us that God was sovereign over these languages. The disciples could not just speak them at will. The reason they could not just speak them at will was because God did want them to abuse the intention of the gift. The gift of preaching and teaching in different languages was to advance communication, so that, the Great Commission would be fulfilled. It was to be operated for a particular purpose and not to be used as a means to incorporate pagan worship. I don’t have time to get into details, but Paul’s letter to the Corinthians deals with the abuse of the gift that began at Pentecost and two other times in the Book of Acts. Lord willing, tomorrow we will discuss the "visual" effects of the Holy Spirit's power that is now alive and active in the body of Christ; and to continue to fulfill Christ’s earthly ministry that is sent to seek and to save the lost.