Pentecost

• For 50 days the disciples were uncertain about the continuation of Jesus' Messianic purpose, despite the resurrection appearances.
• Pentecost was a Jewish festival - celebrating wheat harvest.
• No one was meant to work - there would have been a big crowd.

• Disciples were sitting together.
• Suddenly room was filled with what seemed "like wind."
• Wind was understood as the Spirit of God which had come upon the disciples in power.
• Tongues of fire came upon them and they were able to speak in tongues - represented divince presence.

Hewitt's interpretation:

• Literal meaning - disciples suddenly blessed with the ability to speak in other tongues.
• Most of the crowd were Jews from the Dispersion or Judea - disciples only had to be fluent in Aramaic or Greek.
• Ecstatic speech/glossolalia phenomenon - mutterring incoherently but people interpreted and applied own spiritual meaning.

• Peter giving sermon is work of the Holy Spirit as the one who had denied Jesus now fearlessly proclaims him - Hewitt.
• Dismisses accusations of intoxication.
• Peter referenced Old Testament - God promised to pour out his Spirit - sign of the coming “day of the Lord”.
• Peter encourages people to be baptised in Jesus' name.

Speech follows Kerygmatic Pattern:

• Proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah who lived and performed miracles.
• He was crucified and rose from the dead according to God’s plan (witnessed by the apostles).
• Those who want to be saved should repent and be baptised.

• Around 3000 baptised.
• Repentance was "a complete change of heart" - Bruce.
• Receiving the Spirit was not restricted to apostles - universal.