Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (Matthew 3:5-12)
Chapter | Region | Who | Tongues | Sign |
---|---|---|---|---|
Acts 2 | Jerusalem | Jews | human languages | Sign to waiting disciples that the promise of the Father had come. Sign to visiting and local Jews: judgment of Israel, turning to foreigners. Endorsement of Peter and those who were Spirit-baptized. |
Acts 8 | Samaria | Samaritans | ? | Sign to Samaritans: "salvation is of the Jews" (John 4:22). |
Acts 10 | Caesarea (beginning of "ends of the Earth") | Gentiles (Italians in Caesarea) | human language | Sign to Jews: Gentiles given salvation (Acts 11:15-18). |
Acts 19 | Ephesus (more "ends of the Earth") | Disciples of John the Baptist | human language | Sign to John's disciples: authority of Paul, Spirit baptism by Christ now supersedes water baptism by John. |
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
The story is told of a man who came to Dr. Harry Ironside one night and said, 'I have just come from a great tarrying meeting. Hundreds have been tarrying for many days in San Jose, California, waiting for the Holy Ghost.' Ironside asked by what authority they were doing this. 'Why Jesus said, tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.' To this Ironside replied with quick wit and straight theology, 'Well, my friend, are you not confounding the location and time? You are over 10,000 miles too far away, and over 1,900 years too late.'4
Endnotes:
1. | “Sukkah continues by describing the unique use of water in this festival [the Feast of Tabernacles]. On the first day of the feast a procession led by priests brought water to the temple from the Pool of Siloam; trumpets were blown at the city gate as the procession entered. Each day priests circled the altar while the worshipers waved their lulabs. The Hallel (Ps. 113-18) was recited or sung on each of the eight days. The officiating priest ascended the altar ramp and, using two silver bowls, one for water, the other for wine, poured out the libation. . . . In John 7 Jesus arrives in Jerusalem during the latter part of the Festival of Booths . . . Given the time (the Feast of Tabernacles), the place (the temple), and the theme (water), such a declaration was bold and dramatic. Little wonder that in the following verses people debate whether Jesus might be the Messiah.” Ref-1200, p. 161 |
2. | Time doesn't permit exposition of Gen. 2:10; Ex. 17:6; Pr. 10:11; 16:22 or fully exploring the analogy with the river of blood flowing from numerous sacrifices at the temple. |
3. | Ref-0618, #2852 |
4. | Ref-0004, pp. 23-24 |
Sources:
Ref-0004 | Ronald E. Baxter, Charismatic Gift of Tongues. |
Ref-0618 | James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament), electronic ed. (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997). |
Ref-1200 | J. Julius Scott Jr., Jewish Backgrounds of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1995, 2007). ISBN:978-0-8010-2240-1b. |