If there is one point which the author Luke seems intent that the reader
captures in this Pentecost account (Acts 2: 1-21), it is that the Galilean disciples, most
without any formal training and certainly without far reaching linguistic
skill, empowered by the Spirit of God, speak the wonders of God in a wide
enough variety of languages that the many people in Jerusalem from a multitude
of places all hear in their native tongue. Luke makes this point in several
different ways in an attempt to underscore its significance.
What, we may ask, therefore is so significant? Miraculous, sure, but to what is it pointing? There is clearly much going on, but
personally, I think the especial significance is that the first thing that
happens when the Spirit of Jesus is sent to reside permanently in His disciples
is that communication is redeemed. It stands in difference to communication in
the early days of human life, where we read, in Genesis chapter 11, that the
whole world is speaking one language and yet how is this common understanding
used? They try and build a tower – the tower
of Babel – in attempt to reach heaven so that they might “make a name
for themselves”. God’s punishment for this act of humans trying to usurp His
power and strength was the confusion of language.
However, critically, at Pentecost God doesn’t change it back – creating
a new super language known and understand by all. He doesn’t make a new thing,
but makes all things new. He redeems language such that they can understand
each other declaring the wonders of God in their own tongues.
I find this especially encouraging because I think one of the biggest
problems in church growth today is vocabulary. In so many places we have lost a
vocabulary to speak of the things of God. Often we want to be able to share our
faith with others, but feel we don’t know what to say. We want to be able to
reach out to all cultures, but the myriad of sub-cultures is daunting and we
often feel we don’t have the vocab (in the widest sense). And yet the first
thing that our God of understanding and revelation provides by His Spirit at
Pentecost is a vocabulary to express the wonders of God.
We may be hesitant to speak of our faith, we may feel we don’t have a
vocabulary, we may think we are not one of those extroverts for whom it seems
so easy. But at Pentecost God offers us the kind of help that we cannot create
in ourselves. He offers us a connection with others deeper than humankind can
muster, a redeemed vocabulary. May we follow the disciples in trust and prayer
(Pente (50)-cost reminds us of the 50 days of prayer and connection with the
risen Christ the disciples had known before the giving of the Spirit). And,
empowered and equipped by the Spirit of Jesus within us, may we take small
steps in speaking more bolding of the things of God with others – not so pews,
rotas or collections are fuller but so that many more may come to know the
redemption, love and grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ.
