Tongues of fire and 3,000 baptised: the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2

Ghana and Nigeria are home to some of the largest Pentecostal churches in the world. The movement takes its name from one day in Jerusalem, described in the second chapter of the book of Acts.

Waiting and the fire

Before His ascension, Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father: “ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” They waited and prayed. Pentecost was a Jewish harvest festival, fifty days after Passover. Jews from many nations came to Jerusalem for it. When the day came, the disciples were together. “Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house.” Cloven tongues like fire appeared and sat on each of them.

Other tongues

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” A crowd gathered. People from Parthia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Arabia and elsewhere each heard the disciples speaking in their own language. They were amazed. Others mocked, saying the disciples were drunk.

Peter's message

Peter, who weeks earlier had denied knowing Jesus, stood up and preached. He said they were not drunk, since it was only the third hour of the day, and explained that this fulfilled the prophecy of Joel: “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh.” Peter declared that Jesus, whom they had crucified, had been raised by God and made both Lord and Christ.

The crowd was “pricked in their heart” and asked what to do. Peter answered: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ.”

Three thousand

About three thousand people were baptised that day. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer, and shared their possessions. In the twentieth century, Pentecostal and charismatic movements, emphasising the work of the Holy Spirit, spread across the world, and Africa became one of their strongest centres. At Babel, languages divided people. At Pentecost, many languages carried one message. For a continent with hundreds of languages, that picture of the gospel spoken in every tongue has special meaning.