A Story

(Acts 2:1-47)

It was the day of Pentecost, a harvest festival, and Jesus' Apostles, who met daily, were in a room together.

Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Jude son of James, and also Matthias, who had been selected to take the place of Judas Iscariot.

Suddenly the entire house was filled with the sound of rushing wind, and tongues of fire licked into the room, and came to rest on the head of each man.  Immediately they began speaking to each other in foreign languages, and understanding each other.

In Jerusalem at that time were many religious men from other countries, and they quickly gathered at the house and, to their astonishment, each heard his own language being spoken.  They could find no explanation for this.  A few tried to laugh it off by saying they were drunk. 

Peter told them this was not the case.  Then he talked to the people about Jesus and his crucifixion and as they listened they were deeply touched.  Throughout the day more than 3,000 people came forward to be baptized.  These were the first Christians. 

They set up their own community, sold their possessions and shared the money between themselves providing for each according to his needs.  They went to the temple every day to pray and met in each other's houses to break bread, as Jesus had done at the last supper.

People admired them for their kindness and generosity, and the miracles worked through the Apostles aroused great interest, so that each day more people joined them.