Main news for 2 October 2025

King James Version (en)

Acts of the Apostles, Chapter 2, verse 6

¹ The apostles filled with the holy Ghost and speaking diverse languages are admired by some and derided by others

⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

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Wesley's Notes

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2:6 The multitude came together, and were confounded - The motions of their minds were swift and various.

NOTES

Today's reading tells us about that triumph of the Kingdom which Jesus promised His disciples. And this triumph...

Today's reading tells us about that triumph of the Kingdom which Jesus promised His disciples. And this triumph proved to be nothing other than the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, described by the evangelist in such detail (vv. 1-4). At first glance, this description contains all the traditional elements characteristic of the Old Testament prophetic tradition: in ancient times the action of the Spirit of God at times manifested itself as the blowing of wind (2 Sam. 5:22-24), and the presence of God, usually called "glory" in the Bible, often resembled fire or light (Exod. 40:34-38). But now this presence touches not only those who were in the room. It spreads also to those who listened to the apostles in the streets of Jerusalem. And they perceive the apostles' preaching as though the apostles were speaking in the native languages of the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the feast from many different countries (vv. 5-13).

The point, of course, is not that the apostles suddenly acquired some supernatural ability with foreign languages. Even if this had been so, in the streets of Jerusalem during the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) so many nations and languages were represented that the apostles would not have been able to preach to everyone at once, even if each of them had actually begun speaking some foreign language: in the list given by the evangelist, which is plainly incomplete, there are clearly more than twelve. The point, it appears, is that those who listened to the apostles also found themselves in the Kingdom, where there are no language barriers. Here meanings are perceived not through the word but directly, from heart to heart, while their embodiment takes place already in the listener's soul, which naturally expresses what has been received in the words of its native language. Thus the Savior's words about the Kingdom and the Spirit, spoken to the apostles during the Ascension, were fulfilled (Acts 1:8).

But Pentecost was only the beginning of the history of the Kingdom entering the world, and now the apostles understood this perfectly. Thus Peter, on the one hand, speaks of the end of time, which has already come (vv. 14-21), and on the other hand, of the new era that began after the Savior's resurrection (vv. 25-36). The main meaning of his preaching is that it is still not too late to turn and accept the crucified and risen Messiah; although the last day has already arrived, the gates of the Kingdom are still by no means closed. On the contrary, they are thrown wide open for everyone who is ready to enter (vv. 37-40).

Such witness was extremely unusual: according to traditional ideas, only judgment was associated with the end of time, and there was no talk of conversion; it was thought too late to repent on the day of judgment. But now it turned out that the history of salvation was, in essence, only just beginning, and that everyone had a chance for it, even those who were directly or indirectly involved in the death the Savior had to die on the cross (vv. 36-38). Thus earthly history ended and the history of the Kingdom entering the world began.

The apostles' preaching on the day of Pentecost lets us look at the Kingdom from a side that is somewhat unexpected for us, seeing it from within and seeing it through the eyes of those who dwell in it in all the fullness possible for a person not yet transfigured. In particular, it partly opens to us something important about the forms of communication that are possible in the Kingdom.

Of course, both in the Kingdom and in our transfiguring but not yet transfigured world, speech plays an enormous role not only as a means of communication in the strict sense, reduced to the transfer of information, but also as a form of expressing and embodying the meanings we want to convey to another person. And meaning is not limited to informational content alone; it presupposes, as modern psychologists say, an intentional coloring, our attitude toward the information being communicated, without which there can be no talk of meaning. And this attitude, without doubt, needs living language for its expression, with its sound and its outward form.

But, on the other hand, precisely this outward sound form of language often becomes an obstacle not only on the path of communication, but also in the process of expressing and embodying meanings. This includes the diversity of languages and the limited forms of each particular language. It appears that in the Kingdom these obstacles are overcome, not by some transformation of languages as such, but through the direct, immediate transmission of meanings from person to person.

Indeed, the mere number of peoples and tribes listed in the Book of Acts as listening to the apostles forces us to forget the possibility of any ordinary verbal communication: even if the preaching apostles had suddenly been able to speak all the languages of the world, there were too few of them to preach simultaneously in all the languages the audience might have required.

Evidently in this case what took place was precisely a direct, immediate transmission of meanings, which each person then embodied in words himself, and, unsurprisingly, in the words of his own native language.

It appears that in the Kingdom, genuine communion is not hindered by any individual differences, including linguistic differences, which of course remain: there can be no talk of leveling or uniformity in the life of the Kingdom. But when the matter concerns the embodiment of meanings that have been communicated and received, a person is absolutely free: receiving what has been communicated without distortion, he finds a fully adequate instrument for expressing what he has received. Such communion spiritually enriches both the Kingdom and its inhabitants.

Today is a special feast for God: after passing through the horror of losing Her Bridegroom, His Resurrection, and...

FAQ

I have one question that troubles me. It is a question regarding "other tongues". Who can receive "other tongues"? What are "other tongues"? What are they for? Are there two types of "other tongues"?

The gift of "speaking in tongues", "praying in tongues", or simply the "gift of tongues", in Greek "glossolalia" — is one of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit, which is given for edification in the faith and the growth of the Church. In different eras and in different parts of the Church, this gift manifests itself in various ways; at times it may become unnoticeable or noticeably transformed. This is natural, for the gifts of the Holy Spirit are always given with a specific purpose — "for the edification of the Church". Nevertheless, it can be said that in one form or another, this gift is always present in the Church.

We know of at least three main varieties of this gift.

First, there is the gift of speaking in a language unknown to the speaker. This is how the apostles spoke on the day of Pentecost. This is how, quite often, preachers and missionaries speak, and their word reaches the hearts of the listeners. It is essential that this form of glossolalia occurs if and only if a person is speaking about Jesus Christ, His Cross, and Resurrection. At present, this gift is quite rare.

Second, glossolalia may be expressed when a person in prayer praises God in a language that does not exist among the nations of the Earth. This is usually called "tongues of angels". Love for God, reverence before Him, and adoration of Him encompass at this moment not only the person's heart, but also their mind and emotional sphere... And suddenly the prayer is poured out in words incomprehensible to the person themselves. According to the testimony of early Christians, the Holy Spirit simultaneously grants another person the gift of interpretation, so that "the church may receive edification". This gift is currently widespread enough to be a noticeable phenomenon in the Church.

However, in our time, the gift of interpretation is much less common. Perhaps this is related to the fact that the edification of the modern Church is carried out differently than in the ancient one. To understand this gift, it is important to keep a few points in mind. Speaking in tongues of angels is given, as a rule (though not always), through the prayer of other Christians — those who possess this gift. Furthermore, the speaker usually does not understand the meaning of their own words. They are aware only of a certain non-verbal sense of the prayer in which they began speaking in such a language. In different parts of the Church there is a certain continuity, so that by the way glossolalia manifests in a person's prayer, one can quite accurately discern in which Church they received this gift. The glossolalia of Pentecostals is not the same as that of Catholics, and the glossolalia of Lutherans differs from that of the Orthodox. Often, such glossolalia sounds like a language unknown to humanity. Most commonly, this glossolalia (across all denominations) is compared to ancient Hebrew or Aramaic. Perhaps the Holy Spirit engages some aspects of the person's personality that are unknown to us... It is fundamentally important that this form of glossolalia is given during prayer and for prayer, usually — for the glorification of God.

Third, there is another form of glossolalia closely connected to the previous one. This should rather be called non-verbal prayer. The Apostle Paul speaks of this, saying that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. This prayer differs from the previous form in that distinct speech elements (words, phrases) are not always discernible in it, and in that such a prayer is sung rather than spoken. Often it is born as a continuation (and intensification) of our usual prayer and psalmody. In this, the Holy Spirit allows our heart to break out beyond the limits of human language and turn to God in some other, highly personal, yet non-verbal way.

Since ancient times, this prayer-glossolalia predominantly occurred during divine services. It was such an ordinary occurrence that church liturgical rubrics of the second half of the first millennium even designate moments in the service when this gift of the Holy Spirit typically manifests in the community. Some Orthodox typicons, including Russian ones, retained such instructions right up until the end of the 15th century. Generally speaking, however, since the end of the first millennium, this form of glossolalia has largely transitioned into the realm of church musical creativity.

Since the end of the 19th century, in various parts of the Church, the Holy Spirit has begun to explicitly bestow these gifts anew, albeit in different ways. This is likely due to the fact that different Churches have "dried up" to varying degrees in theological theorizing and have lost the experience of a living connection with the Spirit. It is perhaps for our edification in this regard that the Lord renews these gifts of His within us.

It is important to note in conclusion that the only gift of the Holy Spirit that is absolutely indispensable for the life of the Church, without which She cannot exist, is the gift of love. All else is given as the need arises...

Under what conditions can the Holy Spirit be poured out (I mean the manifestations of the Holy Spirit, as with the Apostles)? Must a person be sanctified (holy), free themselves from all vices, etc.? Or did this take place only among the Apostles?

It is hard to imagine (or even believe) that partaking in the gift of the Holy Spirit is the exclusive lot of the apostles and prophets. Yet, on the other hand, it is beyond human comprehension what one must do for tongues of fire to suddenly descend upon you from heaven...

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