Saturday in the First Week of Ordinary Time

Acts 2:14-21

God Pours Out His Spirit

The great revelation that we witness in Acts 2, and which the rest of Acts spells out, is this: That the Father has initiated a new covenant in which the Kingdom of His dear Son and the ministry of the Holy Spirit now take center stage in this new and wonderful time in which we live.  This time has been referred to as A.D., anno domini, meaning, “in the year of the Lord.”  Some have simply called this time, “the year of salvation,” and why not?  Paul said himself, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).  It is the Kingdom of God made real in our time, which yet waits an even greater fulfillment in the future.

And this is what this passage is about.  It is too bad that some people get sidetracked into debates about speaking in tongues or other matters that are peripheral to this passage.  Acts 2 is about the fulfillment of the promise that God made through the Prophet Joel some six hundred years previous, that “in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.”  Peter tells the people the good news that the long awaited time has come – salvation has finally drawn near, and it is predicated upon the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Through faith in him and repentance, one can experience the forgiveness of sins and receive this wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit which they now witness.  This gift is for all who “call upon the name of the Lord,” which in this context means, Jesus Christ.  This is the good news the prophets proclaimed, and which Paul spoke of in another place, that the end of the ages has come upon us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

This is why the New Testament calls the time after the day of Pentecost the “last days.”  We live in this time right now.  That part of the passage which speaks of “wonders in the heavens above” and “the moon turning to blood” speaks to: 1) the magnitude of change the coming of the Holy Spirit brings; and, 2) the future coming of Jesus Christ when these things shall literally come to pass.  In the meantime, we live “in the year of salvation,” and the “last days.”  We are the ones upon whom the end of the ages has come.”  We are the recipients of this wonderful time in which to live – on this side of the cross, and the fulfillment of prophecy, and the gracious revelation of this new covenant: Repent and believe and receive the Holy Spirit.

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist