The Strength of the Word: Discernment Through Spirit-Led Scripture
Acts 2:4
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance."
The phrase "as the Spirit gave them utterance" suggests the apostles spoke under divine guidance. Which transformed them from fearful followers into bold witnesses. It represents a pivotal moment in the establishment of the Church and the spread of the gospel. And it's very noteworthy that the gift of tongues allowed people from different nations to hear the gospel in their own languages (Acts 2:5-11).
Pentecost, occurring 50 days after Passover, was originally a Jewish harvest festival (Feast of Weeks, Leviticus 23:15-21). In Acts 2, it became the moment when God fulfilled Old Testament prophecies and Jesus’ promise:
Joel 2:28-32
“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls."
Peter quotes from the prophet Joel, demonstrating his Spirit-inspired ability to interpret the events of Pentecost through the lens of Scripture. He's making sense out of these things drawing upon his understanding of God's word. The tongues were not random but purposeful, allowing the apostles to communicate "the mighty works of God" (Acts 2:11) to a diverse crowd. This shows the Spirit’s role in guiding believers to understand and fulfill God’s mission. The Spirit’s active presence signaled the inauguration of the "last days" (Acts 2:17), where God’s guidance would be available to all believers, not just prophets or leaders, and not limited to just the "apostolic age". This work of the Spirit continues today, as the promise is "for you and for your children and for all who are far off" (Acts 2:39). Joel prophesied a future outpouring of God’s Spirit on "all flesh" (Joel 2:28), a promise of universal access to God’s presence and power. Peter recognizes that the tongues, visions, and boldness at Pentecost are the fulfillment of this prophecy.
Peter’s reliance on Scripture shows the importance of grounding our experiences in God’s Word. Speaking in tongues is profound and important, but without understanding and edification, what good is it for you or others. The crowd was bewildered by the tongues, some even mocking the apostles as drunk (Acts 2:13). Peter turns to Joel to explain that this is God’s promised outpouring of the Spirit, fulfilling prophecy and pointing to salvation through Jesus (Acts 2:21, 36). God's prophets bring revelation and understanding to the church for its edification. By rooting the event in Scripture, Peter shows that the Spirit’s work aligns with God’s redemptive plan, not human invention and traditions. This gave the apostles’ message credibility and led to 3,000 conversions (Acts 2:41).
Peter’s example teaches us to test and interpret our experiences; spiritual, emotional, or otherwise, against Scripture. God’s Word provides a foundation to discern truth and avoid confusion.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
The principle is clear: Spiritual gifts like tongues are profound when they serve God’s purpose; building up believers, glorifying Christ, or advancing the gospel. At Pentecost, the tongues were effective because they led to understanding, conviction, and repentance, according to the Spirit's plan (Acts 2:37-41).
Food For Thought:
Yesterday I was watching an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond. In this episode Ray thought he was going to have to explain the birds and the bees to his young daughter. He discovered however that what she really wanted to know was why does God create babies, not how. She was pondering the mysteries of the meaning of life, specifically, "Why are we born? Why does God put us here?". And Ray of course was dumbfounded. He couldn't help her. And neither could any of the Barone family. They frantically tried to conjure up various answers to her questions.
Ray: Expects to discuss biology but is stumped by philosophy.
Frank (Ray's dad) offers his advice: "You’re born, you go to school, you work, you die."
Robert (Ray's brother): Ponders cosmic questions, adding to the confusion.
Debra (Ray's wife): Suggests God put us here to help each other, but Ray questions its depth.
And at one point Marie (Ray's mom) grabs a Bible to find the answers. She begins at "in the beginning", and ends up at Proverbs 14:4:
And Marie reads:
"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but abundant crops come by the strength of the ox."
And she somehow believes this explains the meaning of life and birth. The verse’s focus on crops and labor is comically irrelevant to "Why does God create babies?" Marie’s serious delivery of a practical proverb enhances the humor, as the family expects a profound answer. Proverbs 14:4 indirectly relates to God’s purpose by highlighting work and provision, but it misses the mark for human existence or babies. Yet I can understand why it stood out for her. Marie might interpret it as "God creates us to work and produce families", akin to Frank’s more pragmatic view.
The point of this whole story from my perspective is to note how important our understanding of scripture (or lack thereof) is in the grand scheme of things.
At the end of it all, there has to be a serious discussion and debate about the foundations of truth. Ally’s (Ray's daughter) existential question is the same philosophical question we all should ask ourselves at some point in our lives. Probably at multiple times and on different levels throughout our life as we grow in understanding. Marie’s misapplication shows how misunderstanding Scripture can lead to confusion or ineffective answers, failing to address profound questions like Ally’s. Her faith in the Bible is admirable, but without context, her response misses the mark. How we flesh out the answers to life's challenges filtered through scripture will determine our fate. How we measure truth will determine our destiny. The forms and structures of scriptural wisdom we use, or don't use, will impact our ability to discern and thereby discuss our faith. And that's the ultimate point, answering questions about our faith. Giving witness to the truth.
Knowing sound doctrine is critical to the life of the church. There is a lack of discernment and doctrinal clarity and conviction in the church today. And the obvious reason is they are not seriously involved in learning and knowing God's word. It's absolutely obvious. There is no other reason.
Simple question:
If someone asked you why you're a Christian, what would you say?
Most people nowadays would struggle to explain their faith in a meaningful way, because our churches have removed serious polemics from our teachings.
I asked Grok, (X's Ai), "If someone asked you why you're a Christian, what would you say?"
He (it) answered:
"I’m a Christian because I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for my sins and rose again, offering me forgiveness, purpose, and eternal life. Through Him, I’ve found a relationship with God, confirmed by the truth of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, guiding me to live for His glory."
Great answer Grok!
The reason Grok could pull that off, is because he has the benefit of all the scriptural knowledge and Christian wisdom available to him in a split second. And so, he was able to concisely and succinctly narrow it down to one paragraph for me, his audience. He said what he thought I'd want to hear. He was right. Of course we aren't equipped in that way, and so this means we need to do other things to ensure that we are able to give a similar answer. Things like study and research the scriptures throughout our entire life.
Sound doctrine equips believers for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17) and guards against error (Titus 1:9). Peter’s use of Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:4 shows us how doctrinal clarity, and a knowledge of the scriptures makes the experience of tongues edifying (Acts 2:11) and leading to conversions (Acts 2:41) which is our purpose. Truth and error. The right way and the wrong way to understand God's creation and Christ's covenant. This is why we need to teach Scripture rigorously, fostering polemics to defend the faith.
1 Peter 3:15
" But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect"
Always do this!
This is your purpose and mine.
Asking "Why are you a Christian?" tests our doctrinal conviction. A clear, scriptural answer, like Peter’s sermon, reflects sound doctrine, while vague or confused responses, like Marie’s, reveal the lackluster lukewarm nature of most church goers these days. The Barone family’s struggle: Marie’s irrelevant proverb, Frank’s blunt cycle, Robert's drifting off into needless obscure confusion, and Debra’s vague answer, all shows the failure of unclear doctrine. And Ray...well, Ray is Ray.
Conclusion:
Here's what I want to leave you with today.
Psalm 1:1-6
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Discernment will only thrive in an environment of confrontation, when we (The Church) understand that there is antithesis and thesis, value in knowing black and white, right and wrong, true and false. And the church has a responsibility to know what's right and expose the wrong. And we're not going to be able to do these things if we have no Spirit-led understanding of our Biblical texts. If you don't have the interpretation right, you don't have the truth. By meditating on God’s Word, we ensure doctrinal conviction, answering questions like Ally’s and fulfilling our destiny in Christ.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, Your Word is my delight, as Psalm 1 teaches, equipping me to discern truth from falsehood. Fill me with Your Spirit, as in Acts 2:4, to proclaim Your truth with clarity, avoiding confusion. Renew Your church with sound doctrine, fostering confrontation of right and wrong. Help me articulate my faith, giving witness to Your purpose, and guide me through lifelong questions to fulfill Your plan. Amen.