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The Early Believers

One thing that sermons about the early believers at the end of Acts 2 frequently miss is that they were mostly Jews! Albeit many of them living outside Judea. The god-fearers among them (if there were any) were essentially converts to Judaism from the nations. Most of them were Jews who had lived outside Judea so long their mother tongue was Parthian or Arabic or Median (Persian) or whatever. One proof of the fact they were Jews is that they met daily in the temple courtyard, or colonnades, as well as in their homes:

'And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts' 2:46

The book of Acts shows the fulfilment of Jesus' own post-resurrection prophecy that the good news would be preached to the nations, starting in Jerusalem, then spreading out to all Judea, Samaria, and then to the non Semitic nations in the 'ends of the earth' (Acts 1.8).

So when the Samaritans receive the Holy Spirit this is proof of the gospel having reached them. Likewise with the non-Semitic gentile nations. As well as seeing Acts as acts of the Holy Spirit, which it is, we need to see it as support for cross-cultural mission.

So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts of the Apostles 1:6‭-‬8 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.1.6-8.NLT

At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem.
Acts of the Apostles 2:5 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.2.5.NLT

Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
Acts of the Apostles 8:1 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.8.1.NLT

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts of the Apostles 8:14‭-‬17 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.8.14-17.NLT

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.
Acts of the Apostles 10:44‭-‬45 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/act.10.44-45.NLT



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