This is That

The opening paragraph of Peter's sermon in Acts 2 indicates that the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh is the fulfilment of the Old Testament promise made in the book of Joel.

But are we supposed to understand this to be a one-day event, completely contained within the happenings of Pentecost? The biblical evidence points to the understanding that this is the beginning of an age that will continue until the final consummation - that these last days are days marked by the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh.

The next difficulty comes with the question of what Peter means when he says that the result of the Spirit's coming will be that 'they shall prophesy'. We find some unexpected help from John Calvin and Matthew Henry in understanding that it is not our experience of the Spirit that is somehow lacking, but our expectation of what is meant by the idea of prophecy.

Our expectation should not be that all with the Spirit will speak 'scripture' but that all will know and understand God.