Speaking with tongues is important, but prophesying is more important. Speaking with tongues is a gift from the Holy Spirit, with which man turns completely towards God, thanking, praising, and praying, without understanding usually his own words. But the true prophesying pricks the hearers’ hearts and makes them stand in God’s presence.
When the astonished Jews had heard the apostles praising with tongues of joy and praise, the Holy Spirit’s sermon from Peter’s mouth pricked their hearts, for the apostle testified to them clearly that the Spirit of God had appeared evidently, and showed the reason for his coming.
Peter did not stand alone before the crowd to shine with eloquence and fascinate the hearers, but all the twelve apostles came together, and were like a group of prayers around the speaker. Peter probably felt that it was difficult to speak to the crowd without preparedness, but the Spirit of the truth calmed his thoughts, and encouraged his heart, though he had lived only a few days ago with the disciples behind locked doors for fear of the Jews. Now that God’s power had come into them, and made their tongues fluent, the word of the Holy Spirit hit the hearts, and god spoke through his apostles. Peter did not go into a trance before the hearers, but stood before them and spoke to them calmly and respectfully.
First Peter answered the scoffing Jews saying to them briefly that it was improbable that anyone would, in such a religious city, be drunk at nine o’clock in the morning, for his neighbors would not bear that. Moreover this should subject the drunkard to severe punishment.
Then the fisher of men turned to those who were open to his preaching, and asked them to listen, and open their ears that the Spirit of God might come into them. Peter began to preach the crowd neither through a tearful, sensitive, and psychological effect, nor through severe orders for yielding and moving man’s will, but by bringing the prophecies of the Old Testament with their accomplishment at their time. He offered an explanation of what had occurred before their eyes using words from the Holy Bible, and declared to them that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, which they had seen, was only the fulfillment of God’s promise and word.
Thus the most forward among the apostles had the courage to say the well-known statement: “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” This prophecy had been accomplished, realized, and become tangible, present, uncovered, and heard. The Holy Spirit is now in the world. We do not have to bring him down again, but to receive him as a child receives a present, and thank the Lord for him. This Spirit jumps from the words of the gospel to our eyes, just as the sermon about Christ converts us and renews our thoughts. Neither fasting, nor asceticism and severe self-discipline make our bodies a fountain of the good Spirit. Yet, this divine element is present and is expecting us to receive him, and open our hearts to him without toil, faithfully, joyfully, and thankfully, according to Jesus’ saying to his apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Joel the prophet foretold from the old that men, women, young men, young women, and servants, both men and women would receive God’s Spirit. The Jews were not the only chosen ones to receive the Promise in Christ. This prophecy is a great miracle to the Jews, for it cancels, in spiritual consideration, all the differences between the man and the woman, the parents and the children, the free and the slave, the Jews and the Gentiles. Today all men can enter into God’s pleasure. God’s joy reigns in the whole world, and becomes realized in the brokenhearted that believe in him who was crucified.
God also says through the prophet Joel and through Peter, the apostle that the outpouring of this Holy Spirit is a distinct indication of the ends of the days. God had tolerated wicked men patiently for thousands of years. Yet on the cross, the Son of God forgave all the sins, and therefore the Spirit could come with power without any prevention. He, who receives him prophecies, knows God, praises him, and glorifies Christ; but he who does not receive God’s Spirit falls into judgment. Judgment does not come only in the Last Day, but it has begun since the outpouring of the Holy Spirit who absolves from sin all those who long for their Lord. He who does not receive everlasting life is condemned, but he who opens himself to the Spirit of God becomes prophesying. He recognizes God, and grows in the knowledge of his will. Moreover, he in whom the Holy Spirit dwells becomes a son of the holy God.
The good news of this grace is accompanied with fearful pictures about the passing away of the universe, where the atmosphere of our globe is darkened through gases and dust, rivers of blood shed in world wars, the earth torn down by earthquakes, and the devils burst out like destructive smoke to tempt all those who were not sealed with Christ’s Spirit.
Then comes the Day of the Lord, the last hour, and Christ appears in a luminous cloud as lightning in the darkness. Then it becomes clear that the earth trembled for fear of the Coming One, and hell got ready for the last battle against God before its fall. It is necessary to learn with certainty that the knowledge and the teaching about the Day of Judgment and its signs are of the ascertained fundamentals of the New Testament.
Yet he who has God’s Spirit in himself had passed through heavens, for he had had God’s life in his mortal body. He can pray an answerable prayer, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer who puts the name of Christ on our tongues that we may call on his name, and pray to God, and he will certainly answer us. He who prays in the power of the Holy Spirit sprinkled with the blood of Christ is immediately saved. This is our comfort, certainty, and guarantee in the Holy Spirit that Christ will show the solidity of his salvation in the Last Judgment, protecting his followers in the flame of God’s anger.