_PENTECOST_ ‘And when the day of Pentecost was fully come.’ Acts 2:1 Pentecost is not a splendid bit of past history, the record of a great long-ago event in the history of the Church. It was only the illuminated initial letter of the long and living record of God’s perpetual plan, and of God’s c... [ Continue Reading ]
_FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT_ ‘They were all filled with the Holy Ghost.’ Acts 2:4 When our Lord manifested Himself to His disciples for the last time before His Ascension into heaven, He reminded them that He had promised to send the Holy Spirit to take His place as their Guide and their Strengthener... [ Continue Reading ]
_‘A MESSAGE OF HOPE’_ ‘Your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.’ Acts 2:17 The New Testament exhibits no anxiety to make out a formal literal fulfilment of this promise. In such a sense, the seeing of visions is not a whit more frequent after Pentecost than before; m... [ Continue Reading ]
_REPENTANCE_ ‘Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.’ Acts 2:38 In examining this subject we must first clearly understand what we mean by repentance. I. RESPECTI... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE_ ‘They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.’ Acts 2:42 This verse gives us the earliest information of the essential features of Christian unity. After Pentecost three thousand joined the Church, and this verse tells us in what their membership consisted. The A... [ Continue Reading ]