Option #1 - An ole time, Holy Ghost campmeeting with shouting & Speaking in Tongues,, Praising God and having a good ole time
Option #2 - The most effective missionary outreach in the history of the church
I choose #2 and here is why...
Not one time are we told anyone was Praise God on this day.. there is nothing about Magnifying God or any sign whatsoever that this was a church service...
Here's what I see..... of course you will tell me where I'm wrong.. good
Here is where the story begins:
Luke 24:47 - And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
This is Jesus speaking to his followers about their upcoming mission... they are to preach the gospel to ALL NATIONS.. which will happen or begin at Jerusalem
In the course of conversation with Jesus, they must have felt the burden of this heavy responsibility, after all they did not speak the languages of the nations.... Jesus knowing their fear says this to them
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
They were told to go and wait in Jerusalem until they recieved ABILITY (the original for power in this scripture) they would receive a supernatural ability to reach the nations at Jerusalem and this ability would come to them from on high... delivered unto them by the Holy Ghost
So, what happens next? they went and they waited.. this was a time of waiting.. I can only imagine their wondering how they would be able to speak to all the nations about the gospel......
BUt God was up to something.. there was only ONE TIME a year when all the nations gathered at Jerusalem... for the Feast of Pentecost... and GOD KNEW that this would be the time to affect the most people with the gospel...
So they wait and wait... until they heard a sound and languages rested upon them (tongues in the original is languages) so languages of fire rested upon them.....
and immediatly we see that they began to speak in foreign languages that they had never learned... they were ecstatic I am sure to see the ABILITY come upon them to obey the words of Jesus, supernaturally...
Please note they were not speaking in tongues as Pentecostals do because Paul said "if one speaks in tongues he speaks unto God and not unto man and NO MAN could understand him:" but these men gathered around and UNDERSTOOD THEM...
So what did these foreigners hear these disciples saying? They were preaching of the wonderful works of God,, which was the death burial and ressurection of Jesus Christ,.,,, they were testifying of these works supernaturally in other languages.. there was no one shouting and screaminga and rolling in the floors......
finally when they couldn't figure out how these diciples had gained this ability to break the language barrier. they attribute this to some kind of new wine and then Peter.... stood to deliver the theology of the situation as he told them of Joels prophecy and once they understood they came to know Christ....
Is this not the correct understanding of
Acts 2?