Luke the physician wrote about the disciples, “when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, ...”, and in chapter two and verse eleven of the book of Acts Luke wrote how the multitude said, “we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God” and more where we read:
Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
The verse begins, “Cretes and Arabians, ...” Luke began with the word, “Cretes” which means “Cretans or inhabitants of the island of Crete”, “and Arabians” or “and natives of Arabia”. Luke shared how there were also Jewish people from the area of “Crete” and “Arabia” in the crowd.
The verse goes on to say, “... we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” Luke continued with the words, “we do hear them” or “we, the people from the areas around Jerusalem, have been endowed with the faculty for hearing, perceiving and understanding the people in the upper room” “speak in our tongues” which means “utter, declare, proclaim and articulate sounds with our, the multitudes' own selfsame, language and dialects that are distinct from that of other nations ” “the wonderful works of God” or “the magnificent, excellent and splendid acts and deeds belonging to the Godhead and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”. Luke shared how the people in the multitude were hearing those within the upper room making declarations concerning the “magnificent” acts belonging to “God”.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we learn what the multitude gathered outside the house in Jerusalem were “hearing” as they listened to their own languages coming from the people in the upper room. God desired to have people know about His “wonderful works”, and He presented them through the one hundred and twenty people who were gathered in the upper room. God loves everyone, and because people spoke and understood concepts and ideas with different languages about His “wonderful works”, He made a way for them to “hear”. The “gospel” of Jesus Christ is for people throughout the world, and regardless of their language, dialect or means of communicating, He wants them to receive His Son Jesus to be forgiven of their sins and granted everlasting life with Him. Those who are wise will “hear” the “wonderful works” of Jesus and accept Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”.
Next time Luke shares how the people, “were all amazed, and were in doubt”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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