Last time, we saw that Judas was replaced by Matthias. This raises an important question: in Acts 12:1–2, Apostle James (the son of Zebedee) was martyred, yet he was not replaced. Why was Judas replaced, but not James?
The answer is that Judas was never a true apostle in heart—he was a false apostle and a betrayer. His replacement was necessary so that a faithful apostle would take the place of the false one. But when the faithful apostles later died, they were not replaced, because the apostolic office was unique and foundational. As their generation came to an end, the office itself came to an end (Ephesians 2:20).
After His resurrection, Jesus remained on earth for forty days.
He taught them concerning the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is not merely a future earthly kingdom—it is God reigning in His people. It is the reign of God within us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Regeneration is the beginning of the Kingdom of God in the believer.
To belong to God’s Kingdom means that God imputes to us the righteousness of Christ and begins the work of holiness within us.
See Acts 1:1–3.
Jesus commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father—the coming of the Holy Spirit.
See also:
John 14:16–18
John 14:25–26
John 7:38
A common question arises:
In John 20:22, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” Yet in Acts 2, the Spirit comes at Pentecost. Is this a contradiction?
No.
John 20:22 was an anticipation—a foretaste—of what would fully happen in Acts 2.
It was like a down payment or advance sign of the fullness to come.
An example would be the raising of Lazarus, which anticipated the greater resurrection of Christ Himself.
John 20:22 was private, given only to the disciples.
Acts 2 was public, visible, and marked the full outpouring of the Spirit upon the Church.
Jesus says:
“You shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Who is the Baptizer?
See Luke 3:16.
Jesus is the Baptizer.
The Holy Spirit is the agent or means of baptism.
The Father gives the promise.
The Son pours it out.
The Spirit is the One given.
See Acts 2:33.
All three Persons of the Godhead are involved.
The mention of fire points to refining, purging, and cleansing—not destruction for God’s people, but purification for holy service.
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me…”
The purpose of the Spirit is not entertainment.
It is not emotional excitement.
It is not earthly prosperity.
It is this:
The Greek word for “witness” is closely related to the word martyr—one who willingly suffers and even dies for the truth.
The center of Christian testimony must always be Christ—not ourselves.
Sadly today, many testimonies focus more on the person than on Jesus. But true witnessing points away from self and toward Christ.
The heart of witness is Jesus.
Jesus said:
“You shall receive power…”
He did not say:
“You shall receive money…”
Today many churches place great emphasis on finances, saying money is necessary for ministry. But the apostles were not rich men. They were poor, yet they turned the world upside down because they trusted in the power of God.
Money is never the priority.
God Himself provides according to His sovereign grace.
The word for power in Greek is dunamis, from which we get the English word dynamite.
See Romans 1:16.
The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
This power breaks hearts of stone.
It brings dead sinners to life.
Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem.
There were about 120 gathered.
What were they doing?
Laughing?
Joking?
No.
They were praying.
Acts 1:14 tells us they were continually in prayer.
The Greek shows persistent, constant prayer.
They prayed with one accord—one mind, one purpose, one focus.
They were waiting upon God for the promised Spirit.
This is the pattern of the early church.
There came suddenly from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind.
It was not necessarily wind itself, but the sound like wind.
This symbolized the powerful, sovereign movement of the Spirit of God.
They saw what appeared to be divided tongues as of fire.
See Luke 3:16.
Fire represents purification.
God’s people are not consumed by the fire—they are refined by it.
The Spirit comes to cleanse and prepare believers for the work of God.
There must be cleansing where the Spirit dwells.
This is one of the most controversial passages in the modern church, especially concerning Pentecostal teaching on Spirit baptism.
Some teach that after conversion and water baptism, believers need a second experience called “baptism in the Holy Spirit” in order to become stronger Christians, and that speaking in tongues is the necessary evidence.
But this creates confusion.
It divides Christians into two classes:
ordinary Christians
Spirit-filled Christians
But Scripture does not teach this.
If Acts 2:4 was the final baptism of the Spirit, then why in Acts 4:31 were they filled again?
Did the Spirit leak out?
Of course not.
The truth is:
When someone becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in them permanently.
That is a one-time act.
But believers need repeated fillings of the Spirit for strength, boldness, and ministry.
“They began to speak with other tongues…”
The Greek word is glōssa, meaning language.
Speaking in tongues here means speaking real human languages.
This becomes clear in Acts 2:5–11.
People from many nations heard the disciples speaking in their own native languages.
This was not meaningless ecstatic speech.
It was understandable language.
Because it was Pentecost.
Jews from many nations had come to Jerusalem to observe the Jewish feast.
Pentecost occurred fifty days after Passover.
From Israel’s deliverance out of Egypt to the giving of the Law was fifty days.
Now, on Pentecost, God gives not merely tablets of stone, but the Holy Spirit to write His law upon hearts.
This was divine timing.
In Genesis 11, at the Tower of Babel, sinful humanity sought unity in rebellion against God.
God judged them by confusing their languages and scattering them.
Division came through sin.
Now in Acts 2, through Christ and the Holy Spirit, the nations are being united again—not in rebellion, but in redemption.
What Babel divided, Pentecost begins to restore.
Whether American, Filipino, Chinese, Russian, or any other nation—we are one in Christ through the Gospel.
Tongues were a gift for Gospel proclamation, as a result gospel is preached in different languages all across the world.
Pentecost gave power from heaven to preach Christ to every creature.
Pentecost happened once for all.
It is not correct to pray for “a new Pentecost.”
That would be like praying for a new atoning death of Christ.
Pentecost was a redemptive-historical event.
It happened once.
Its effects continue, but the event itself is not repeated.
At Pentecost, the language was unknown to the speaker but known to the hearer.
They declared:
“The wonderful works of God.”
The focus was not personal experience.
The focus was God.
The object of praise was God.
The vehicle of praise was tongues.
The greatest wonder of God is not feelings, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
See Acts 2:23–24.
Also see:
Acts 10:44–46
Acts 19:6
Tongues were connected to praise, worship, and proclamation of God’s mighty works.
Acts 2 shows the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.
The “last days” began with the outpouring of the Spirit.
See:
Hebrews 1
Isaiah 44:3
Romans 5:5
Titus 3:6
Ezekiel 11:19
Mark 16:20
Hebrews 2:4
The New Covenant age had begun.
God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.
Men and women.
Young and old.
Servants and free.
Jew and Gentile.
See:
Galatians 3:28
1 Corinthians 7:22
Colossians 3:11
Isaiah 56
This is the glory of the Gospel.
Prayer meetings are where the people of God confess sin, humble themselves, and seek divine power for ministry.
Jesus clothed them with power.
And what a transformation followed.
Common fishermen became mighty messengers of God.
Timid Peter became bold as a lion.
Unlearned men spoke wisdom greater than philosophers and kings.
Why?
Because the Holy Spirit came upon them.
There is a supernatural power from the Third Person of the Trinity.
Today many churches have many ministries, but very few attend prayer meetings.
The early church was energized by prayer.
We desperately need the same.
If we neglect prayer meetings, we should not be surprised when we lack spiritual power.
Jesus transforms character.
Education alone cannot change the heart.
If education could save character, politicians would all be honest.
But corruption proves otherwise.
Only the Holy Spirit can change the soul.
He can turn the lion into a lamb.
The raven into a dove.
Sinners into saints.
That is true transformation.
Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord, was sinless.
He kept every commandment we have broken.
He fulfilled the Law we failed to keep.
He took the sinner’s place.
The eternal Son of God left the highest glory and entered the deepest humiliation.
He became the Man of Sorrows.
He who knew no suffering bore suffering.
He who knew no sin bore sin.
He was crucified like a criminal.
The wrath due to sinners was poured upon Him.
His soul was crushed under divine judgment.
Yet on the third day, He rose.
He conquered sin.
He conquered death.
He conquered the grave.
Because of these mighty works of God, we must praise Him—not merely with words, but with our lives.
See 2 Corinthians 5:17:
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”
Come, sinner—come to Christ.
He gives eternal life.
Everything for the believer is in Christ.
We are saved in Christ.
We worship in Christ.
We sing in Christ.
We preach in Christ.
We pray in Christ.
We witness in Christ.
We fellowship in Christ.
We die in Christ.
We go to heaven in Christ.
We are inseparably united in Christ.
Let us love one another in Christ.
Let us labor together in Christ.
Let us live for Christ.
And let us die in Christ.