THEY WERE ALL AMAZED

Acts 2:5-8And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, behold, are not all these which speak Galileans, and how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

For national, social, and commercial advantages alone, and at the time this was written, it is reasonable to believe that people embracing the Jewish religion inhabited every nation under heaven. Although they were devout Jews, depending on the nation in which they had permanent residence, they were referred to here as Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians (following Vss. 9-11). All being devout Jews, they journeyed from their homeland and were assembled in Jerusalem, by direct commandment of God (Exodus 12), to celebrate the Feast of the Passover, which was culminating on the fiftieth day of this celebration - the first day of the week, Sunday, the Day of Pentecost.

With the Holy Spirit of God having descended in a form like small flames upon those gathered with one accord in one place (Vs. 1), they began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Vs. 4). Not only were they speaking in languages, which they had never learned, but they were also speaking, not with the wisdom of mankind, but with God's wisdom. They were speaking words having a spiritual meaning they had never been taught before, or was ever known by them. Now when this was noised abroad to all of these different nationalities of Jewish people, they were confounded. They could not understand what was taking place; they could not explain it; they were perplexed, confused, and full of doubt; indeed, they were amazed beyond belief. They were confounded, not at first by what the message delivered by the apostles, but because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

As mankind everywhere tries to explain God's will with human wisdom, so did these Jewish people from all parts of the world. And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, behold, are not all these which speak Galileans? In other words, they could not understand how it was possible that these inhabitants of Galilee could be speaking in all known languages of the world. This area of Israel was known to be a rural, agricultural province that was populated by people generally known as unlearned, and lacking "higher" education. The question by which they were confounded was, And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? As Galileans, speaking in different languages, the multitude of Jews assembled here on this day, just could not believe what they were hearing.

Amazement, in something that had no explanation, gave way to doubt that could be reasoned in human terms. They said, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine (Acts 2:11b-13). Doubting the miraculous ability of these Galileans to speak in other languages, these Jews developed this derisive, contemptuous explanation. They ridiculed Jesus' Galilean apostles by saying that they were intoxicated, being full of new wine. Jesus also faced this same contemptible ridicule during His ministry on earth. After hearing Jesus message of salvation and of things to come, He was referred to as a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners (Matt. 11:19). In ridicule, the Jewish leaders said of Him, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee (John 7:20), and thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil (John 8:48).

Not much is different today from the day when the first message of salvation through Jesus Christ was taught on that particular Day of Pentecost. Today the world is filled with men and women that are amazed and confounded by the teaching of God's inspired word. They refuse to hear and obey its message, and in a contemptuous manner, they ridicule those that do, referring to true Christian beliefs as fanaticism. The first gospel message was confusing to those that knew not God: and those that preached it, were considered fanatics. Take heart Christians. The world is still amazed, perplexed, and confounded by Jesus Christ and His message of eternal salvation - amazed, unwilling to accept, believe, and obey Christ's gospel message of salvation, and will be eternally lost.