How did people of different languages understand Peter at Pentecost?
At Pentecost, Peter spoke through the power of the Holy Spirit, and Jews from every language or dialect represented in the crowd heard the message in their own language. This miraculous understanding occurred among Jews gathered from all over the then-known world for the Feast of Pentecost.
Les explains that this was the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, one of the seven feasts listed in Leviticus 23. Jews from all over the then-known world had come to celebrate it. On that day, Peter, through the power of the Holy Spirit, was speaking, and everybody from whatever language or dialect they originated heard it in their own language. Les calls this the miracle of it all. He stresses that the crowd was Jewish, the speaker was Jewish, and the message was Jewish—no Gentile ground is mentioned. He also connects Peter’s words to “all the house of Israel,” rejecting the idea of ten lost tribes, since Jews from every tribe were living in Israel by the time of Christ’s earthly ministry.
More Questions
What miracle happened when Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost?
On the day of Pentecost, Peter, speaking through the power of the Holy Spirit, was heard by Jews from every language or dialect, each in his or her own language, and this was the miracle.
What does the Greek word behind 'tongues' in Acts 2 indicate about the miracle of Pentecost?
The Greek word for 'tongues' in Acts 2 is 'dialektos,' the root of our English word 'dialect,' so tongues here means real regional languages brought down to the dialect of individual areas.
What did Peter say the people had to do before they received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost?
Under Peter's Pentecost preaching, the Jewish believers had to repent and be baptized, and then they would receive the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit was not promised before those steps.