What were Peter and the other eleven apostles proclaiming at Pentecost, and in what languages?
At Pentecost Peter and the other eleven apostles proclaimed the Gospel—that Jesus was the Christ. They spoke in languages that everyone present could understand, so the crowd heard the message of salvation. This miraculous speaking was the work of the Holy Spirit and served a divine purpose.
Les teaches that Peter and the other eleven men were promoting the Gospel—that Jesus was the Christ—and they were doing it in languages everyone could understand. The miraculous speaking was the work of the Holy Spirit, and its purpose was to bring salvation to those hearing. Les emphasizes that this had a divine purpose, matching the whole purpose of Scripture: that mankind might hear the plan of salvation. He also points out that the next time this happens is in Acts 10, when Peter is at the house of Cornelius, the Roman Gentile, where God again reveals His purpose to go out to the Gentile world.
More Questions
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.