4. The Universal Gospel
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: "Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" (Acts 2:4-11)
The first chapter of Acts tells us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was to be a universal one – to spread outward from Judea into all countries (Acts 1:8). When we read the story of the gift of the Spirit of God, given on the Day of Pentecost, we see the initial empowerment toward the fulfillment of this goal as the disciples were enabled to speak in many languages – in fact, the languages of "every nation under heaven" where there were "God-fearing Jews," including both Jewish born and Gentile proselytes (Acts 2:5). Luke catalogs these nations, moving essentially from East to West – from the area of modern Iran across the Near East and through the Mediterranean world, including much of North Africa and southern Europe. From an ancient perspective this was essentially the whole of the known civilized world, and certainly most every part of the world in which Jews might be found at that time.
That the "speaking in tongues" exhibited by the disciples was speaking in known languages rather than just the uttering of meaningless syllables is clear in that "each one heard their own language being spoken" (Acts 2:6, 8). The miracle must indeed have been an astounding one (vs. 12), but its surprising nature tends to overshadow other aspects of what happened that day regarding the universal message of the Gospel.
If we read a little further we find that the apostle Peter, in addressing the crowds who had witnessed this miracle, gave an impromptu sermon in which he explained what had happened using words from the prophet Joel:
"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18). If we read these verses quickly we notice the obvious parallel that Peter makes with the promised pouring out of the Spirit and the resultant prophesying – just as the crowds had witnessed that day. But we may overlook that true universality was also a clear theme of this text.
First we see that the promise was for the Spirit to be poured out on "all people" – racial and ethnic equality. Next we see that the Spirit would be poured out on "your sons and daughters" – gender equality. Then, on "young men" and "old men" – age equality. Finally, we see the promise to "servants … both men and women" – social equality. To us today, none of this may seem surprising, but in the ancient world these were revolutionary concepts. The fact that this kind of equality is so widely accepted and presumed in the modern world is to a great degree the result of the spread of Christianity.
In the ancient world there had perhaps never been such a full acknowledgement of the equality of all peoples. Throughout Israel's history, there had never been such a full acceptance of all peoples in a direct relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Those verses from the Book of Joel had been there all along, but they had traditionally been interpreted by their Jewish hearers as applying within the confines of Judaism at some future time. By including Joel's words in his message that day, Peter showed their intent to be far wider – that they applied to peoples "in every nation under heaven."
Acts tells us that Peter continued his sermon "with many other words" (Acts 2:40), but the final words Luke records of this revolutionary message are, fittingly: "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call" (Acts 2:39, emphasis added).
The universal nature of Peter's sermon also reminds us that the calling we receive involves not just a personal responsibility to hear the message of the gospel, but also an implied responsibility to help carry that message to others.
The promise, Peter said, to those who would soon be returning to their families and communities in their home areas, was to "you and your children" and to "all who are far off." Who else would carry the message to their children but them? Who else would be carrying the message to "all who are far off" but them?
Today, who else will carry the message but those of us who hear it?