Lesson 16 Pentecost! Peter’s Explanation

I ask that as we go through these lessons, that you get your Bible, read it, pray, study, and ask the Holy Spirit of the Living God, to guide you into the truth of his Holy Word.

By comparing scripture with scripture, and comparing spiritual things with spiritual things, we as Christians are able to discern truth from error.

I would like to return to our ongoing study of God’s directions to the disciples in the prophetic program to Israel, compared to the directions in the mystery program as given to the Apostle Paul for the Body of Christ.   

Last lesson we looked at some of the most misused, misunderstood, and at the same time simple to understand verses in the Bible, in lesson 16 we will do the same, and with the help of the Holy Spirit continue our attempt to open the eyes of the misled.

We will pickup at verse 11 of Acts Chp. 2 to get the context, once again we are going to look at the verses, and not try to make them say anything but what they say and teach, we are not going to twist or wrest these verses against themselves, or any other verses. I believe these verses are simple to understand as written.

Acts Chp. 2

[11] Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

The Pentecost Experience happened in the first 4 verses of Acts Chp. 2 and we have seen the Holy Spirit filled the Jewish disciples and believers gathered in Jerusalem. There is always much discussion on this experience mostly focusing around the people speaking in tongues. I believe we clearly have seen the tongues being spoken, were all known languages from different nations of people. 

But more important we are about to learn “what this all means”, and most Christians fail to just read it and believe it, thus overlooking simple Bible Truth.

Acts Chp. 2

[12] And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Verse 12 we see them all amazed and in doubt and they ask a simple question, “What meaneth this?”, they are simply trying to understand what just happened in the previous verses, what does it all mean, nothing more nothing less, they just want to know what’s going on.  

Acts Chp. 2

[13] Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Now in verse 13 we see a group that accuses these men of being drunk, that’s what they thought was going on, they thought all this was brought on by the group drinking too much! It’s that simple.

But in verse 14 Peter is going to clarify what is happening, so pay close attention.

Acts Chp. 2

[14] But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:  [15] For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

Peter stands up with the eleven, lifts up his voice tells everyone that these are not drunk, and points out that they haven’t been up long enough to get drunk, pointing out that it was but the third hour of the day.

Once again pay close attention as Peter is going to tell them exactly what happened, don’t miss this, it is one of the most important things you will learn about the Kingdom Church, versus the Church the Body of Christ that began with the Apostle Paul’s conversion.

Acts Chp. 2

[16] But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Do you see what Peter said happened, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;”

I don’t want to seem rhetorical, but what did Peter say here, he said Pentecost was a fulfillment of prophecy which was spoken by Joel, the Old Testament prophet.

This experience was not a mystery at all, but simply what the Lord Jesus had told Joel to write down for future fulfillment in the Old Testament.

After Peter makes the statement to clarify to everyone who is listening to him tell about the Pentecost experience, he then quotes the verses in Acts Chp. 2: 17-21, from the Old Testament book of Joel Chp. 2 28-31 and half of verse 32. Peter didn’t read all of verse 32, because it was not fulfilled yet, and thus will be fulfilled in the future.

Acts Chp. 2

[17] And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: [18] And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: [19] And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: [20] The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: [21] And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Now to bring in a verse that Peter uses in Chp. 3 to make this point even clearer. What point God’s Prophetic Program contrasted to God’s mystery program?

Peter makes it real clear, the things about Jesus he is preaching hinges on the words of the Old Testament prophets. Notice God spoke those things by the holy prophets since the world began. Can you not see that, they spoke these things since the world began, not a secret or a thing hid!

Acts Chp. 3

[20] And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: [21] Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Now let’s look at what Paul was preaching about Jesus Christ in Romans Chp. 16: 24-25 and see how it lines up with what Peter was preaching.

Romans Chp. 16

[24] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. [25] Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Come on fellow Christians, surely you can see that Peter was preaching words spoken and well known since the world began, and Paul was speaking words that the Lord Jesus gave him that was kept secret since the world began.

Honestly, all you have to do is read it and let the Holy Spirit show you Peter's Gospel of the Kingdom, and Paul's Gospel of Grace are different, and not one in the same!

The simple fact of why so much confusion exists in Christendom today, is due to the Christians failure, or inability, to Rightly Divide the Word of Truth! To take the truth that belongs to believers living in the dispensation of the grace of God, and to not intermingle it with the law or Prophetic Program truth.

Remember Romans 10: [9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

The words of our Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!

2Tim.2 [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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Remember most unsound Bible Doctrine, is sound Bible Doctrine misapplied to the wrong time period, or wrong group of people.

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