Acts 2

Acts 2:1

D. The Day of Pentecost and the Birth of the Church (2:1-47) 2:1 The Feast of Pentecost, typifying the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, was fifty days after the Feast of First fruits, which spoke of the resurrection of Christ. On this particular Day of Pentecost the disciples were all with one accord in one place. A fitting subject for their conversation might have been the OT passages dealing with the Feast of Pentecost (see Lev_23:15-16, for example). Or perhaps they were singing Psalms 133, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!2:2 The coming of the Spirit involved a sound to hear, a sight to see, and a miracle to experience. The sound, which was from heaven and filled the whole house, was like a rushing mighty wind. Wind is one of several fluid types of the Holy Spirit (oil, fire, water), speaking of His sovereign, unpredictable movements. 2:3 The sight to see was divided tongues, as of fire, resting upon each of the disciples. It does not say they were tongues of fire, but tongues as of fire. This phenomenon is not to be confused with the baptism of fire. Although the baptism of the Spirit and the baptism of fire are spoken of together (Mat_3:11-12; Luk_3:16-17), they are two separate and distinct events. The first is a baptism of blessing, the second of judgment. The first affected believers, the second will affect unbelievers. By the first, believers were indwelt and empowered, and the church was formed. By the second, unbelievers will be destroyed. When John the Baptist was addressing a mixed group (repentant and unrepentant, see Mat_3:6-7) he said Christ would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire (Mat_3:11). When he was speaking only to those who were truly repentant (Mar_1:5), he said Christ would baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Mar_1:8). What then is the meaning, in Act_2:3, of the divided tongues, as of fire? The tongues doubtless refer to speech, and probably to the miraculous gift of speaking in other languages which the apostles were to receive at this time. The fire may refer to the Holy Spirit as the source of this gift, and may also describe the bold, burning, enthusiastic preaching which would follow. The thought of enthusiastic utterance seems especially fitting, because enthusiasm is the normal condition of a Spirit-filled life, and witness is its inevitable outcome. 2:4 The miracle to experience, connected with Pentecost, was the filling of the Holy Spirit, followed by the speaking with other tongues. Up to now, the Spirit of God had been with the disciples, but now He took up His residence in them (Joh_14:17). Thus the verse marks an important turning point in the Spirit’s dealings with men. In the OT, the Spirit came upon men, but not as an abiding Resident (Psa_51:11). Beginning with the Day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God indwelt people permanently: He came to stay (Joh_14:16). On the Day of Pentecost, the believers were not only indwelt by the Holy Spirit, but they were filled with Him as well. We are indwelt by God’s Spirit the moment we are saved, but to be filled with the Spirit we must study the Word, spend time in meditation and prayer, and live in obedience to the Lord. If the filling of the Spirit were automatically guaranteed today, we would not be exhorted, Be filled with the Spirit (Eph_5:18). The coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost also formed believers into the church, the Body of Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one bodywhether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or freeand have all been made to drink into one Spirit (1Co_12:13). Henceforth, believing Jews and Gentiles would become one new man in Christ Jesus and members of the same Body (Eph_2:11-22). The disciples who were filled with the Holy Spirit began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. From the following verses, it is clear they were given the miraculous power to speak actual foreign languages which they had never studied. It was not gibberish or ecstatic utterances but definite languages then in use in other parts of the world. This gift of tongues was one of the signs or wonders which God used to bear witness to the truth of the message which the apostles preached (Heb_2:3-4). At that time, the NT had not been written. Since the complete word of God is now available in written form, the need for the sign gifts has largely passed (though, of course, the sovereign Spirit of God could still use them if He so desired). The occurrence of tongues on the Day of Pentecost should not be used to prove that tongues are the invariable accompaniment of the gift of the Spirit. If that were the case, why is there no mention of tongues in connection with:

1. The conversion of the 3,000 (Act_2:41)?
2. The conversion of the 5,000 (Act_4:4)?
3. The reception of the Holy Spirit by the Samaritans (Act_8:17)? In fact, the only other occurrences of the gift of tongues in the Book of Acts are:
4. At the conversion of the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius (Act_10:46).
5. At the rebaptism of John’s disciples in Ephesus (Act_19:6). Before leaving verse 4, we should mention that there is considerable difference among Bible students concerning the whole subject of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, both as to the number of times it has taken place, and the results flowing from it. As to its frequency, some believe that:
6. It took place only onceat Pentecost. The Body of Christ was formed at that time, and all believers since then have entered into the good of the baptism.
7. It took place in three or four stagesat Pentecost (chap. 2); at Samaria (chap. 8); at the house of Cornelius (chap. 10); at Ephesus (chap. 19).
8. It takes place every time a person is saved. As to its effect in the lives of individuals, some hold that it is a second work of grace, commonly taking place after conversion, and resulting in a more or less complete sanctification. This view lacks scriptural support. As has already been mentioned, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that operation by which believers were:
9. Incorporated into the church (1Co_12:13).
10. Endued with power (Act_1:8). 2:5-13 Jews, devout men had gathered in Jerusalem from all over the then-known world to observe the Feast of Pentecost. When they heard the rumor of what had happened, they assembled at the house occupied by the apostles. Then, as now, men were attracted when the Spirit of God was at work. By the time the multitude reached the house, the apostles were already speaking in tongues. Much to their amazement, the visitors heard these Galilean disciples speaking in a great variety of foreign languages. The miracle, however, was with those who spoke, not with those who heard. Whether those in the audience were Jews by birth or converts to Judaism, whether they were from east or west, north or south, each one heard the mighty works of God described in his own language. The word, language, used in verses 6 and 8 is the one from which we get our word, dialect.It is widely believed that one purpose of the gift of tongues at Pentecost was to proclaim the gospel to people of different languages simultaneously. For instance, one writer says, God gave His law in one language to one nation, but He gave His gospel in all languages to all nations.But the text does not bear this out.

Those who spoke in tongues were declaring the wonderful works of God (2:11). This was a sign to the people of Israel (1Co_14:21-22), intended to excite amazement and marvel. Peter, by contrast, preached the gospel in a language that most, if not all, of his audience could understand. The response to the tongues among the visitors was varied. Some seemed deeply interested, whereas others accused the apostles of being full of new wine. The disciples were indeed under an influence outside their own power, but it was the influence of the Holy Spirit, not of wine! Unregenerate men are always ready to offer a natural explanation for spiritual phenomena. Once when God’s voice was heard from heaven, some said it thundered (Joh_12:28-29). Now unbelievers mockingly explained the exhilaration caused by the coming of the Spirit in terms of new wine. The world, said Schiller, likes to tarnish shining objects, and to drag those that are exalted down to the dust.2:14 The disciple who had denied his Lord with oaths and curses now steps forward to address the throng. No longer the timid and vacillating follower, he has become lion-like and forceful. Pentecost has made the difference. Peter is now filled with the Spirit. At Caesarea Philippi, the Lord had promised to give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Mat_16:19). Here in Acts 2 we see him using the keys to open the door to the Jews (v. 14) as later, in chapter 10, he will open it to the Gentiles. 2:15 First the apostle explains that the unusual events of the day were not the result of new wine. After all, it was only 9:00 a.m., and it would be virtually unheard of for so many to be drunk at that early hour. Also, Jews engaged in the exercises of the synagogue on a feast day abstained from eating and drinking until 10:00 a.m., or even noon, depending on when the daily sacrifice was offered. 2:16-19 The true explanation was that the Spirit of God had been poured out, as spoken by the prophet Joel (Joe_2:28 ff). Actually, the events of Pentecost were not a complete fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. Most of the phenomena described in verses 17-20 did not take place at this time. But what did happen at Pentecost was a foretaste of what would happen in the last days, prior to the great and awesome day of the Lord. If Pentecost fulfilled Joel’s prophecy, why is a promise given later (Act_3:19) that if there was national repentance and Israel received the One they had crucified, He would come back and bring in the day of the Lord? The quotation from Joel is an example of the Law of Double Reference, by which a Bible prophecy has a partial fulfillment at one time and a complete fulfillment at a later time. The Spirit of God was poured out at Pentecost but not literally on all flesh. The final fulfillment of the prophecy will take place at the end of the Tribulation Period. Prior to the glorious return of Christ, there will be wonders in the heavens, and signs on the earth (Mat_24:29-30). The Lord Jesus Christ will then appear on the earth to put down His enemies and to establish His kingdom. At the beginning of His thousand-year reign, the Spirit of God will be poured out on all flesh, Gentiles as well as Jews, and this condition will prevail, for the most part, throughout the Millennium. Various manifestations of the Spirit will be given without regard to sex, age, or social status.

There will be visions and dreams, which suggest the reception of knowledge; and prophecy, which suggests its impartation to others. Thus, the gifts of revelation and communication will be in evidence. All this will occur in what Joel described as the last days (v. 17). This, of course, refers to the last days of Israel and not of the church. 2:20 The supernatural signs in the heavens are distinctly said to occur before the coming of the … day of the Lord. In this context, the day of the Lord refers to His personal return to the earth to destroy His foes and to reign in power and great glory. 2:21 Peter closes the quotation from Joel with the promise that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. This is the good news for all ages, that salvation is offered to all people on the principle of faith in the Lord. The name of the Lord is an expression that includes all that the Lord is. Thus, to call on His name is to call on Himself as the true object of faith and as the only way of salvation. 2:22-24 But who is the Lord? Peter will next announce the startling news that this Jesus whom they had crucified is both Lord and Christ. He does so first by speaking of the life of Jesus, then His death, resurrection, ascension, and finally His glorification at the right hand of God the Father. If they had any illusions that Jesus was still in a Judean tomb, Peter will soon disabuse their minds! They must be told that the One they had murdered is in heaven, and they must still reckon with Him. Here then is the flow of the apostle’s argument: Jesus of Nazareth was demonstrated to be a Man from God by the many miracles He performed in the power of God (v. 22). In His determined purpose and foreknowledge, God delivered Him into the hands of the Jewish people. They, in turn, turned Him over to the Gentiles (men without the law) to be crucified and put to death (v. 23). However, God raised Him up from among the dead, having loosed the pains of death. It was not possible for death to hold Him a prisoner because:

1. The character of God demanded His resurrection. He had died, the Sinless for the sinful. God must raise Him as proof of His complete satisfaction with the redemptive work of Christ.
2. The prophecies of the OT demanded His resurrection. This is the particular point which Peter presses in the following verses. 2:25-27 In Psalms 16 David had written prophetically concerning the Lord’s life, death, resurrection, and glorification. As to His life, David described the unbounded confidence and assurance of One who lived in uninterrupted fellowship with His Father. Heart, tongue, and fleshHis whole being was filled with joy and hope. As to His death, David foresaw that God would not leave His soul in Hades, nor would He allow His Holy One to see corruption. In other words, the soul of the Lord Jesus would not be left in the disembodied state, neither would His body be permitted to disintegrate. (This verse should not be used to prove that the Lord Jesus went to some prison house of departed spirits in the lowest parts of the earth at the time of His death. His soul went to heaven Luk_23:43 and His body was placed in the tomb.) 2:28 As to the resurrection of the Lord, David expressed confidence that God would show Him the path of life. In Psa_16:11 a, David wrote, You will show me the path of life. In Act_2:28 a, Peter quoted it, You have made known to me the ways of life. Peter changed the future tense to the past tense. The Holy Spirit obviously directed him to do this since the resurrection was now past. The present glorification of the Savior was predicted by David in the words, You will make me full of joy in Your presence, or as Psa_16:11 puts it, In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.2:29 Peter argues that David could not have been saying these things about himself, because his body had seen corruption. His tomb was well known to the Jews of that day. They knew he had not been raised. 2:30, 31 When he wrote the Psalm, David was speaking as a prophet. He remembered that God had promised to raise up One of his descendants to sit on his throne forever. David realized that this One would be the Messiah, and that though He would die, His soul would not be left in the disembodied condition, and His body would not decay. 2:32, 33 Now Peter repeats an announcement that must have shocked his Jewish audience. The Messiah of whom David prophesied was Jesus of Nazareth. God had raised Him from among the dead, as the apostles could all testify because they were eyewitnesses to His resurrection. Following His resurrection, the Lord Jesus was exalted to the right hand of God, and now the Holy Spirit had been sent as promised by the Father. This was the explanation of what had happened in Jerusalem earlier in the day. 2:34, 35 Had not David also predicted the exaltation of the Messiah? He was not speaking of himself in Psa_110:1. Instead he was quoting Jehovah as saying to the Messiah, Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. (Note carefully that verses 33-35 predict a waiting time between the glorification of Christ and His return to punish His enemies and set up His kingdom.) 2:36 Now, once again, the announcement comes crashing down upon the Jewish people. GOD HAS MADE BOTH LORD AND CHRISTTHIS JESUS WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED (Greek word order). As Bengel said, The sting of the speech is put at the endTHIS JESUS, whom you crucified. They had crucified God’s Anointed One, and the coming of the Holy Spirit was evidence that Jesus had been exalted in heaven (see Joh_7:39). 2:37 So mighty was the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that there was an immediate response from the audience. Without any invitation or appeal from Peter, they cried out, What shall we do? The question was prompted by a deep sense of guilt. They now realized that the Jesus whom they had slain was God’s beloved Son! This Jesus had been raised from the dead and was now exalted in heaven. This being so, how could these guilty murderers possibly escape judgment? 2:38 Peter’s answer was that they should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. First, they were to repent, acknowledging their guilt, and taking sides with God against themselves. Then they were to be baptized for (or unto) the remission of their sins. At first glance, this verse seems to teach salvation by baptism, and many people insist that this is precisely what it does mean. Such an interpretation is impossible for the following reasons:
3. In dozens of NT passages, salvation is said to be by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Joh_1:12; Joh_3:16, Joh_3:36; Joh_6:47; Act_16:31; Rom_10:9, for example). No verse or two could conceivably contradict such overwhelming testimony.
4. The thief on the cross had the assurance of salvation apart from baptism (Luk_23:43).
5. The Savior is not stated to have baptized anyone, a strange omission if baptism is essential to salvation.
6. The Apostle Paul was thankful that he baptized only a few of the Corinthiansa strange cause for thankfulness if baptism has saving merit (1Co_1:14-16). It is important to notice that only Jews were ever told to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (see Act_22:16). In this fact, we believe, is the secret to the understanding of this passage. The nation of Israel had crucified the Lord of glory. The Jewish people had cried out, His blood be on us and on our children (Mat_27:25). The guilt of the Messiah’s death was thus claimed by the people of Israel. Now, some of these Jews had come to realize their mistake. By repentance they acknowledged their sin to God. By trusting the Lord Jesus as their Savior they were regenerated and received eternal forgiveness of sins. By public water baptism they dissociated themselves from the nation that crucified the Lord and identified themselves with Him. Baptism thus became the outward sign that their sin in connection with the rejection of Christ (as well as all their sins) had been washed away. It took them off Jewish ground and placed them on Christian ground. But baptism did not save them. Only faith in Christ could do that. To teach otherwise is to teach another gospel and thus be accursed (Gal_1:8-9). An alternative interpretation of baptism for the remission of sins is given by Ryrie: This does not mean in order that sins might be remitted, for everywhere in the New Testament sins are forgiven as a result of faith in Christ, not as a result of baptism. It means be baptized because of the remission of sins. The Greek preposition eis, for, has this meaning because of not only here but also in such a passage as Mat_12:41 where the meaning can only be they repented because of [not in order to] the preaching of Jonah. Repentance brought the remission of sins for this Pentecostal crowd, and because of the remission of sins they were asked to be baptized. Peter assured them that if they repented and were baptized, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To insist that this order applies to us today is to misunderstand God’s administrative dealings in the early days of the church. As H. P. Barker has so ably pointed out in The Vicar of Christ, there are four communities of believers in the Book of Acts, and the order of events in connection with the reception of the Holy Spirit is different in each case. Here in Act_2:38 we read about Jewish Christians. For them, the order was:
7. Repentance.
8. Water baptism.
9. Reception of the Holy Spirit. The conversion of Samaritans is recorded in Act_8:14-17. There we read that the following events occurred:
10. They believed.
11. They were baptized in water.
12. The apostles prayed for them.
13. The apostles laid their hands on them.
14. They received the Holy Spirit. In Act_10:44-48 the conversion of Gentiles is in view. Notice the order here:
15. Faith.
16. Reception of the Holy Spirit.
17. Water baptism. A final community of believers is made up of disciples of John the Baptist, Act_19:1-7 :
18. They believed.
19. They were rebaptized.
20. The Apostle Paul laid his hands on them.
21. They received the Holy Spirit. Does this mean there were four ways of salvation in the Book of Acts? Of course not. Salvation was, is, and always will be on the basis of faith in the Lord. But during the transition period recorded in Acts, God chose to vary the events connected with the reception of the Holy Spirit for reasons which He knew but did not choose to reveal to us. Then which of these patterns applies to us today? Since Israel nationally has rejected the Messiah, the Jewish people have forfeited any special privileges they might have had. Today God is calling out of the Gentiles a people for His Name (Act_15:14). Therefore, the order for today is that which is found in Acts 10: Faith. Reception of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism. We believe this order applies to all today, to Jews as well as to Gentiles. This may sound arbitrary at first. It might be asked, When did the order in Act_2:38 cease to apply to Jews and the order in Act_10:44-48 begin? No definite date can be given, of course. But the Book of Acts traces a gradual transition from the gospel’s going out primarily to Jews, to its being repeatedly rejected by the Jews, to its going out to the Gentiles. By the end of the Book of Acts the nation of Israel had been largely set aside. By unbelief it had forfeited any special claim as God’s chosen people. During the Church Age it would be reckoned with the Gentile nations, and God’s order for the Gentiles, outlined in Act_10:44-48, would apply. 2:39 Peter next reminds them that the promise of the Holy Spirit is to them and to their children (the Jewish people) and to all who are afar off (the Gentiles), even as many as … God would call. The very people who had said, His blood be on us and on our children, are now assured of grace for themselves and their children if they will trust the Lord. This verse has often been used mistakenly to teach that children of believing parents are thereby assured of covenant privileges, or that they are saved. Spurgeon answers this effectively: Will not the Church of God know that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? The natural birth communicates nature’s filthiness, but it cannot convey peace. Under the new covenant, we are expressly told that the sons of God are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.The important thing to notice is that the promise is not only to you and to your children but to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. It is as inclusive as the whosoever of the gospel invitation. 2:40 Not all of Peter’s message is recorded in this chapter, but the gist of the remainder was that the Jewish hearers should save themselves from the crooked, perverse generation that rejected and murdered the Lord Jesus. They could do this by receiving Jesus as their Messiah and Savior and by publicly disclaiming any further connection with the guilty nation of Israel through Christian baptism. 2:41 There was a great forward surge of people, desiring to be baptized as outward evidence that they had gladly received Peter’s word as the word of the Lord. There were added to the company of believers that day about three thousand souls. If the best proof of a Holy Spirit ministry is the conversion of souls, then surely Peter’s was that kind of ministry. Doubtless this Galilean fisherman was reminded of the words of the Lord Jesus, I will make you fishers of men (Mat_4:19). And perhaps of the Savior’s saying, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to My Father (Joh_14:12). It is instructive to notice the care with which the number of converts is recordedabout three thousand souls. All servants of the Lord might exercise similar caution in tabulating so-called decisions for Christ. 2:42 The proof of reality is in continuance. These converts proved the reality of their profession by continuing steadfastly in:
22. The apostles’ doctrine. This means the inspired teachings of the apostles, delivered orally at first, and now preserved in the NT.
23. Fellowship. Another evidence of new life was the desire of the new believers to be with the people of God and share things in common with them. There was a sense of being separated to God from the world, and a community of interests with other Christians.
24. The breaking of bread. This expression is used in the NT to refer both to the Lord’s Supper and to eating a common meal. The meaning in any particular case must be determined by the sense of the passage. Here it obviously refers to the Lord’s Supper, since it would be quite unnecessary to say that they continued steadfastly eating their meals. From Act_20:7 we learn that the practice of the early Christians was to break bread on the first day of the week. During the early days of the church, a love feast was held in connection with the Lord’s Supper as an expression of the love of the saints for one another. However, abuses crept in, and the agape or love feast was discontinued.
25. Prayers. This was the fourth principal practice of the early church, and expressed complete dependence on the Lord for worship, guidance, preservation, and service. 2:43 A sense of reverential awe came over the people. The mighty power of the Holy Spirit was so evident that hearts were hushed and subdued. Astonishment filled their souls as they saw the apostles performing many wonders and signs. Wonders were miracles which excited wonder and amazement. Signs were miracles designed to convey instruction. A miracle could be both a wonder and a sign. 2:44, 45 The believers continually assembled together and held all things in common trust. So mightily was the love of God shed abroad in their hearts that they did not look upon their material possessions as their own (Act_4:32). Whenever there was a genuine case of need in the fellowship, they sold personal property and distributed the proceeds. Thus there was an equality. Among those who believed was manifested a unity of heart and interest, in which the natural selfishness of the fallen condition was swallowed up in the fulness of a love which the sense of the divine love had begotten. They were together in such sort that all they had was held in common; not by any law or outward constraint, which would have spoiled it all, but in the consciousness of what they were all to Christ, and what Christ was to each and all of them. Enriched by Him with a blessing which nothing could diminish, but the more they ministered it, the more they had it, they sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, as any one had need.Many argue today that we need not follow the early believers in this practice. One might just as well contend that we should not love our neighbors as ourselves. This sharing of all one’s real estate and personal property was the inevitable fruit of lives that were filled with the Holy Spirit. It has been said, A real Christian could not bear to have too much when others have too little.2:46 This verse gives the effect of Pentecost on religious life and home life. As to religious life, we must remember that these early converts were of Jewish background. Although the church was now in existence, the ties with the Jewish temple were not severed immediately. The process of throwing off the graveclothes of Judaism continued throughout the period of the Acts. And so the believers continued to attend the services in the temple, where they heard the OT read and expounded. In addition, of course, they met together in homes for the functions listed in verse 42. As to their home life, we read that they broke bread, taking their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. Here it seems clear that the breaking of bread refers to the eating of regular meals. The joy of their salvation overflowed into every detail of life, gilding the mundane with an aura of glory. 2:47 Life became an anthem of praise and a psalm of thanksgiving for those who had been delivered from the power of darkness and translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God’s love. At the outset, the believers had favor with all the people. But this was not to last. The nature of the Christian faith is such that it inevitably stirs up the hatred and opposition of the human heart. The Savior warned His disciples to beware of popularity (Luk_6:26), and promised them persecution and tribulation (Mat_10:22-23). So this favor was a momentary phase, soon to be replaced by unrelenting opposition. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. The Christian fellowship grew by conversions each day. Those who heard the gospel were responsible to accept Jesus Christ by a definite act of the will. The Lord’s electing and adding does not rule out human responsibility. In this chapter, then, we have had the account of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter’s memorable address to the assembled Jews, the conversion of a great multitude, and a brief description of life among the early believers. An excellent resume of the latter was given in the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 13th edition, in the article on Church History: The most notable thing about the life of the early Christians was their vivid sense of being a people of God, called and set apart. The Christian Church in their thought was a divine, not a human, institution. It was founded and controlled by God, and even the world was created for its sake. This conception … controlled all the life of the early Christians, both individual and social. They regarded themselves as separate from the rest of the world and bound together by peculiar ties. Their citizenship was in heaven, not on earth, and the principles and laws by which they strove to govern themselves were from above.

The present world was but temporary, and their true life was in the future. Christ was soon to return, and the employments and labors and pleasures of this age were of small concern. … In the everyday life of Christians the Holy Spirit was present, and all the Christian graces were the fruits. A result of this belief was to give their lives a peculiarly enthusiastic or inspirational character. Theirs were not the everyday experiences of ordinary men, but of men lifted out of themselves and transported into a higher sphere. Just to read this article is to realize in some measure how far the church has drifted from its original vigor and solidarity!

EXCURSUS ON THE HOUSE CHURCH AND PARACHURCH ORGANIZATIONS Since the first use of the word church (Greek ekklesia) in Acts is found here (2:47), we pause to consider the centrality of the church in the thinking of the early Christians. The church in the Book of Acts and in the rest of the NT was what is often called a house church. The early Christians met in houses rather than in special ecclesiastical buildings. It has been said that religion was loosed from specially sacred places and centered in that universal place of living, the home. Unger says that homes continued to serve as places of Christian assembly for two centuries. It might be easy for us to think that the use of private homes was forced by economic necessity rather than being the result of spiritual considerations. We have become so accustomed to church buildings and chapels that we think they are God’s ideal. However, there is strong reason to believe that the first century believers might have been wiser than we are. First, it is inconsistent with the Christian faith and its emphasis on love to spend thousands of dollars on luxurious buildings when there is such appalling need throughout the world. In that connection, E. Stanley Jones wrote: I looked on the Bambino, the child Christ in the Cathedral at Rome, laden with expensive jewels, and then walked out and looked upon the countenance of hungry children and wondered whether Christ, in view of this hunger, was enjoying His jewels. And the thought persisted that if He was, then I could no longer enjoy the thought of Christ. That bejeweled Bambino and the hungry children are a symbol of what we have done in putting around Christ the expensive livery of stately cathedrals and churches while leaving untouched the fundamental wrongs in human society whereby Christ is left hungry in the unemployed and the dispossessed. Not only is it inhumane; it is also uneconomical to spend money on expensive buildings that are used for no more than three, four, or five hours during the week. How have we ever allowed ourselves to drift into this unthinking dream world where we are willing to spend so much in order to get so little usage in return? Our modern building programs have been one of the biggest hindrances to the expansion of the church. Heavy payments on principal and interest cause church leaders to resist any efforts to hive off and form new churches. Any loss of members would jeopardize the income needed to pay for the building and its upkeep. An unborn generation is saddled with debt, and any hope of church reproduction is stifled. It is often argued that we must have impressive buildings in order to attract the unchurched to our services. Aside from being a carnal way of thinking, this completely overlooks the NT pattern. The meetings of the early church were largely for believers. The Christians assembled for the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer (Act_2:42). They did not do their evangelizing by inviting people to meetings on Sunday but by witnessing to those with whom they came in contact throughout the week. When people did get converted, they were then brought into the fellowship and warmth of the house church to be fed and encouraged. It is sometimes difficult to get people to attend services in dignified church buildings. There is a strong reaction against formalism. Also there is a fear of being solicited for funds. All the church wants is your money, is a common complaint. Yet many of these same people are willing to attend a conversational Bible class in a home. There they do not have to be style-conscious, and they enjoy the informal, unprofessional atmosphere. Actually the house church is ideal for every culture and every country. And probably if we could look over the entire world, we would see more churches meeting in homes than in any other way. In contrast to today’s imposing cathedrals, churches, and chapelsas well as a whole host of highly organized denominations, mission boards, and parachurch organizations, the apostles in the Book of Acts made no attempt to form an organization of any kind for carrying on the work of the Lord. The local church was God’s unit on earth for propagating the faith and the disciples were content to work within that context. In recent years there has been an organizational explosion in Christendom of such proportions as to make one dizzy. Every time a believer gets a new idea for advancing the cause of Christ, he forms a new mission board, corporation, or institution! One result is that capable teachers and preachers have been called away from their primary ministries in order to become administrators. If all mission board administrators were serving on the mission field, it would greatly reduce the need for personnel there. Another result of the proliferation of organizations is that vast sums of money are needed for overhead, and thus diverted from direct gospel outreach. The greater part of every dollar given to many Christian organizations is devoted to the expense of maintaining the organization rather than to the primary purpose for which it was founded. Organizations often hinder the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Jesus told His disciples to teach all the things He had commanded. Many who work for Christian organizations find they are not permitted to teach all the truth of God. They must not teach certain controversial matters for fear they will alienate the constituency to whom they look for financial support. The multiplication of Christian institutions has too often resulted in factions, jealousy, and rivalry that have done great harm to the testimony of Christ. Consider the overlapping multiplicity of Christian organizations at work, at home, and abroad. Each competes for limited personnel and for shrinking financial resources. And consider how many of these organizations really owe their origin to purely human rivalry, though public statements usually refer to God’s will (Daily Notes of the Scripture Union). And it is often true that organizations have a way of perpetuating themselves long after they have outlived their usefulness. The wheels grind on heavily even though the vision of the founders has been lost, and the glory of a once dynamic movement has departed. It was spiritual wisdom, not primitive naivete, that saved the early Christians from setting up human organizations to carry on the work of the Lord. G. H. Lang writes: An acute writer, contrasting the apostolic work with the more usual modern missionary methods, has said that we found missions, the apostles founded churches. The distinction is sound and pregnant. The apostles founded churches, and they founded nothing else, because for the ends in view nothing else was required or could have been so suitable. In each place where they laboured they formed the converts into a local assembly, with eldersalways elders, never an elder (Act_14:23; Act_15:6, Act_15:23; Act_20:17; Phi_1:1)to guide, to rule, to shepherd, men qualified by the Lord and recognized by the saints (1Co_16:15; 1Th_5:12-13; 1Ti_5:17-19); and with deacons, appointed by the assembly (Act_6:1-6; Phi_1:1)in this contrasted with the eldersto attend to the few but very important temporal affairs, and in particular to the distribution of the funds of the assembly. … All they (the apostles) did in the way of organizing was to form the disciples gathered into other such assemblies. No other organization than the local assembly appears in the New Testament, nor do we find even the germ of anything further. To the early Christians and their apostolic leadership, the congregation was the divinely ordained unit on earth through which God chose to work, and the only such unit to which He promised perpetuity was the church.