The Public Witness of God: Acts 2:1-2; 6
“1) When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2) And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.” “6)And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.” Acts 2:1-2; 6
We are now faced with a dilemma surrounding the text. Where were the believers gathered? Were they gathered in the solitude of the upper room or were they meeting in a more public house closer to the temple grounds? Why do I ask this question?
When the Holy Spirit was poured out and the sound of a violent rushing wind occurred, many people heard the phenomenon. Also, as the believers were speaking in other tongues, the multitudes who came together heard them speaking in their own language. The description sounds very public. This points toward a location other than the privacy of the upper room.
The timing was also significant. It happened during the festival of Pentecost when Jerusalem was filled with visitors from numerous counties. The news of this event was quickly going to spread far and wide.
This might be a trivial point, but the text stresses that what happened was witnessed by many people from many places. Though God does some things in secret, He often works openly and very publicly. In fact, He sometimes shows off His glory and power to shame the adversaries and adorn His glory.
For example, the signs of Moses in Egypt were done openly as a witness to all the people. They affected everyone! God was openly humiliating the gods of Egypt. The miracles of Jesus and most of His teaching were in the open and in public. The crucifixion was very public.
Before we get into the details of what happened on the day of Pentecost, I want to emphasize the point that God wanted it to be known by all people. The Promise of the Father was poured out only on believers, but it was witnessed by crowds of people.
God does not want us to hide the gospel or our testimonies. We are the light of the world and like a city set on a hill. (Matthew 5:14) God wants to be known. God wants you and me to know Him. He wants us to make Him known.
Unless you live under intense persecution, God does not call you to be a “secret agent” as a Christian. He wants you to be real, sincere and open about your faith. He wants people to talk about Him as a result of your witness.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
