Last Thursday, 上周四，we talked about the greatest turning point in human history dividing BC and AD,我们讨论了人类历史上划分公元前和公元的最大转折点，which was because of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. 是因耶稣的出生、受死和复活。What would you say was the greatest turning point in history for Christianity? 你认为基督教历史上最大的转折点是什么呢? 

Yes of course, it must be “Pentecost”, 当然一定是“五旬节”！when the outpouring power of the Holy Spirit,那天圣灵的能力大大浇灌下来，formed the early church, 初期教会形成了，believers became the dwelling place of the Spirit, 信徒成为圣灵的居所，and they were empowered to reach out. 并被赐予能力去传扬神的福音。Today, we are looking at Act 2:1-13今天我们来看使徒行传2：1-13节。 

1, The gift of speaking in tongues in the outpouring of the Spirit.V.1-4神借着圣灵的浇灌赐下说方言的恩赐。1-4节： 

From v.1 we know从1节我们知道，that it was the day of Pentecost, 那天是五旬节。what is Pentecost? 到底什么是五旬节?  

Pentecost occurred 50 days after Passover, 五旬节发生在逾越节50天后，in Leviticus 23:9-22, 在利未记23:9-22,we see it can be called the “Feast of Firstfruits” or Pentecost, 我们看到它可以被称为“初熟的盛宴”或五旬节，when Jews celebrated the agricultural harvest, 犹太人庆祝农业丰收,and now in Acts 2, 在使徒行传第二章，Jewish people from all over the world had gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate this festival, 犹太人从世界各地聚集在耶路撒冷庆祝这个节日, which would have been on a Sunday. 是在一个星期天。 

What happened at Pentecost? 五旬节发生了什么? When they were all gathering together in one place, 当众人聚集在一处时， suddenly the promised Holy Spirit poured out like a big wind and fire. 突然神所应许的圣灵如大风大火般浇灌下来，They were filled with the Holy Spirit,他们被圣灵充满，and spoke in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them (v.1-4). 并按着圣灵所赐的口才说起别国的话来(1-4节)。 Isn’t that amazing? 这是何等奇妙！The work of God in the promise of the outpouring of the Spirit through the death and the resurrection of Christ started to be fulfilled on the day of Pentecost! 藉著基督的死和复活，神所应许的圣灵浇灌的工作，在五旬节这天成就了! 

That’s a great day for Christian history, 这是基督教历史上伟大的一天，that believers were filled with the Holy Spirit, 信徒被圣灵充满，which would have been a dream for the OT believers, 这是旧约信徒的梦想，and the early church was formed afterwards. 从此初期教会开始被建立起来。How many of us desire to experience the work of God in this way? 我们当中有多少人渴慕这样经历神的奇妙作为?  However, 然而，we must understand我们必须明白， why God enabled the disciples to speak in different languages as a result of the demonstration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 为什么神要使门徒说不同的语言，来作为圣灵浇灌下来的彰显的结果。 

V. 1,Amazingly, 令人惊奇的是，the Spirit came onto the apostles, 圣灵降临在使徒的身上，miraculously enabling them to speak other native languages. 奇迹般地使他们能讲别国的语言。 And everyone heard the wonders of God simply proclaimed in each person's mother tongue. 众人都听见有人用自己的母语来宣讲神的奇事，Just as if, 就好像，suddenly you could speak Mandarin, 你突然会说普通话，and I could speak Tagalog, 而我会说 菲律宾语，or Indian dialects. 或印度方言。That’s super amazing! 这真是超级神奇!But due to most of our people having experienced speaking in tongues, 但是因我们多数人都有过说方言的经历，firstly, 首先，we have to talk a little bit about how to discern speaking in tongues. 我们简单谈谈如何辨别说方言。 

Here,这里，they didn’t speak or pray in “tongues” in an unrecognizable language which sounded like nonsense. 他们讲的方言并不是讲一些人听不懂的话或祷告，Although the bible tells us,虽然圣经告诉我们，that there are tongues of angels which we don’t understand, 天使的方言我们也听不懂，there are still tongues of demons, 但也有魔鬼的方言。that’s why the bible warns us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (see 1 Jn 4:1). 这就是圣经为什么要警戒我们说，"总要试验那些灵是出于神的不是。"(约一4:1) In fact, 事实上，you can find many videos on Youtube 你可以在Youtube上找到很多视频，where church people who spoke in demonic tongues看到有信徒说魔鬼的话语，were cast out demons.从他们身上有鬼被赶出来。 

 I personally heard a preacher praying in “tongues”, 我曾听过一个传道人用“方言”祷告， in which he said a filthy word that began with “F” in English,他说了一个英文中以“F”开头的污秽词，for he didn’t know English, 因他并不懂英文，so he sinned against God yet he didn’t realise, 所以他得罪了神自己还不知道，and he insisted that he was speaking in tongues by the Holy Spirit. 还坚持他说的就是从圣灵来的方言。I’m not saying that every unknown tongue is demonic, 我不是说所有未知的语言都是从魔鬼来，what I’m saying is that we must test them. 我想说的是，我们必须试验它们！ 

If you get offended at someone who denies your tongue, or warns you to allow God to prove whether it is from God, 如果有人否定你的方言，或提醒你求神显明这方言是否出于祂，你就对那人恼怒，and you have no strength to deny the self,并且你无力否定自己，and to wait for Jesus to prove whether it is from Him, 也不等候神来显明是出于祂的不是，instead, you will turn to unforgiveness or hatred ,相反，你陷入不饶恕和仇恨中，or talk badly behind his back, 背后说那提醒你的人的坏话，that is dangerous, 这是危险的。for the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, peace, joy…因圣灵所结的果子是爱,和平,喜乐…and the fruit of the flesh is pride,而肉体的果子是骄傲，self-righteousness,自义，selfish ambition, 自我彰显，competition, 争竞，jealousy, 嫉妒，slander and judgement, 毁谤和论断and so on.等等。Thus, 如此，you can examine yourself by the fruit. 你就可以从果子来检验你自己。If we desire more of God’s grace, 如果我们渴慕更多得着神的恩典，we need to empty ourselves more, 我们需要更多倒空自己，for the emptier the vessel, the greater the filling. 因为器皿越多倒空，就越多充满。 

Furthermore, 此外，concerning the confusing problem of speaking in tongues which happened in the church of Corinth, 论到哥林多教会有关方言迷惑人的问题，we are given this principle by the bible: 圣经又给了我们这样的原则：‘for this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say.’‘27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to God. 1 Cor 14:27-28.  

所以那说方言的，就当求着能翻出来（林前14:13）。若有说方言的，只好两个人，至多三个人，且要轮流着说，也要一个人翻出来。若没有人翻，就当在会中闭口。只对自己和神说，就是了。（林前 14:27-28） 

The bible clearly teaches us, 圣经清楚地教导我们，that if there is no interpreter, 如果没有翻译，we are banned from speaking in an unknown tongue when we gather together, 我们聚会时不可说 人听不懂的话，but we can speak to ourselves and to God. 但我们可以对自己和神说。Do you know why? 为什么呢？The book of 1 Corinthians tells us哥林多前书告诉我们that the purpose for giving the manifestation of the spiritual gifts is for the common good (1Cor 12:7). 属灵的恩赐显在各人身上的目的，是为叫人得益处！（林前12:7）So the same applies to speaking in tongues, it is for the common good of the church, not for our own happiness.  说方言的恩赐也是一样，是为了教会的益处，并非为我们自己喜欢。 

Then, some may ask how come God’s people speak demonic tongues? 那么，有人可能会问神子民怎么会说魔鬼的方言呢？ Do they have a demon inside of them? 他们里面住着个邪灵吗？The bible clearly says, 经上说，‘Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? Romans 6:16  岂不晓得你们献上自己作奴仆，顺从谁，就作谁的奴仆吗？或作罪的奴仆，以至于死；或作顺命的奴仆，以至成义。(罗马书 6:16) 

We are slaves of the one we obey! 我们顺从谁，就是谁的奴仆。In other words, 换句话说，our choice of whom to obey determines whether we are slaves of the truth, 我们的选择，决定了我们是真理的奴仆 or of lies. 还是谎言的奴仆In practice, 在实际操练时，if we obey the truth, purity, humility, forgiveness, 我们如果顺从真理、清洁、谦卑、饶恕，and follow the way of Christ by counting ourselves dead to sin, 看自己向罪是死的，这样跟从基督的，we are slaves of the Holy Spirit. 就是圣灵的奴仆。The emptier we are, 倒空自己越多，the more of God's fullness we experience.所得着神的丰满就越多。 

But if we in practice obey vanity, 但我们如果在操练中顺从虚荣，pride, 骄傲，jealousy, 嫉妒，lies, 谎言，self-righteousness, 自义、strife, 纷争、hatred仇恨，and follow the way of the flesh, 跟从肉体的道路，if we give ourselves to lies, 如果我们把自己交给谎言，and fall to the temptation of Satan, 在撒旦的试探中跌倒，we are slaves of lies. 我们就是罪的奴仆。Unless we repent by dying to the self and follow Christ’s way, 除非我们向己死，悔改跟从基督的道路，otherwise, we expose ourselves to attack by the evil power.否则就会把自己暴露在黑暗权势的攻击之下。 

But how do you test it? 我们怎样查验？It is easy.很简单。 For the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace…圣灵所结的果子是爱、喜乐、和平……while false tongues lead people to the flesh, 而假方言将人引向肉体， which causes pride, 生出骄傲、jealousy, 嫉妒、selfish ambition, 野心、judgement, 论断、 dissension and division, 引起纷争和分裂、and so many sins. 等等的许多罪。 If someone warns you (or me) who speak an unknown language that you need to test it, 如果你或我讲不知道的方言，有人警戒说，总要试验是否出于神……but you arrogantly refuse, 但你或我却傲慢地拒绝了，or get offended immediately and turn to unforgiveness或者立刻受伤害，就不饶恕，and talk badly behind his back, 于是在背后说他坏话，instead of going to the Lord to seek vindication from God humbly而不是谦卑到神面前寻求神的显明，and leave room for God to judge, 并让神来判断，the fruit has indicated where it comes from.那么果子就显明了这是出于什么了。 

2, God’s plan among the nations is to form the church.v.5-13神在万国中的旨意是建立教会（5-13） 

Let’s come to the point回到正题，the Holy Spirit came as promised by Jesus, 圣灵如耶稣所应许地降临了。When Jewish people living in other nations came to Jerusalem to celebrate their religious feast, 当普天下散在列国的犹太人来到耶路撒冷庆祝宗教节日时，the outpouring of the Holy Spirit came onto them. 圣灵就降临在他们身上。Why did God choose this time to demonstrate His power by giving this specific gift of speaking in tongues to the apostles? 为什么神选择在这个时候彰显祂的大能，将讲方言这种特殊恩赐赐给使徒呢? 

Just ten days before Pentecost Jesus had said, 在五旬节之前的十天，耶稣就嘱咐他们：“Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”. Acts 1:4-5  “不要离开耶路撒冷，要等候父所应许的，就是你们听见我说过的。约翰是用水施洗，但不多几日，你们要受圣灵的洗。”(使徒行传 1:4-5) Then in Acts 1:8, 接下来到（徒1：8）， Jesus explained why we need the power of the Holy Spirit? 耶稣解释为什么需要圣灵的能力？It is for the purpose of being His witnesses. 是为了作祂的见证， “you receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses”.但圣灵降临在你们身上，你们就必……，作我的见证。”(使徒行传 1:8) 

God’s plan among the nations was to form the church.神在万国中的旨意是建立教会。We still remember that Jesus had told Peter that He would build His church on the rock, 我们还记得主曾对彼得说，祂要把教会建在磐石上，and the gates of hell would not overcome it (Matt 16:18). 阴间的权柄不能胜过它（太16：18）。And in v. 5, 到第5节，it says that the people who heard the apostles speaking their native languages were God-fearing Jews from all nations under heaven!听到使徒讲方言的，是从天下各国来的敬虔的犹太人！So they were from all nations. 这里说，他们来自各国。 

The apostles were witnesses of the risen Lord Jesus, 使徒们见证了耶稣死里复活，they demonstrated the resurrection power of Christ by speaking foreign languages, 并以讲方言的方式证明基督复活的大能，so that the people were amazed at God’s work by saying, 以至于这些犹太人惊讶地说：“are they drunk?” v.12-13他们是喝醉了吗？（12-13节） 

In fact, 事实上 at the first Pentecost第一个五旬节期间，only 120 believers had grown to 3120 people just within a few hours, after witnessing the power of God in the manifestation of speaking in tongues.在见证神以方言显明的大能之后的几小时内，信徒人数就从120人迅速增长到3120人。That’s remarkable!惊人的速度！The early church was formed.初期教会形成了。We want it! 我们也想要！ 

But we must understand that God has His own will to do things. Also, the way God works differently in different people 我们必须知道 上帝在不同的人群中做事的方式不同，although He is the same yesterday, today, and forever! 虽然祂是昨日今日到如今不改变的神 ！Those people were all Jews from all nations, 这些人是从万国来的犹太人，which indicates that God’s salvation is first to the Jew,这见证了神的救恩先是给犹太人，then to the Gentile (Romans 1:16), 后是外邦人 （罗1：16） and from Jerusalem the good news must be spread to all nations. 并且福音从耶路撒冷传向万国。  

v. 8-11, 第8-11节，we see that the apostles were enabled to speak different languages from many nations. 使徒被赋予能力，可以说各国的方言。This reminds us of the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11. 这让我们想起 创世纪11章 里记载的巴别塔的故事。God judged the proud men by confusing their languages, 神审判人的骄傲，变乱他们的语言，so that they couldn’t fulfil their proud plans, 让人骄傲的计划不能达成，because since then, they were unable to understand each other anymore.因自那以后，他们就不能理解对方了。How important it is for us to understand each other! 彼此理解何等重要！ 

Although we can’t understand all the different dialects, 我们虽不能理解各种不同地方的方言，we are commanded to hold gentle hearts in Christ to understand each other, 但神吩咐我们存温柔的心，and to understand the difference between backgrounds, cultures, or anything that God has done differently in our lives. 在基督里互相理解，理解不同的背景、文化、或任何神在我们各自生命中的不同的带领作为。 

We need to allow God to do the reconciliation work among us, 我们需要神在我们当中做和睦的工作，so that we will not clash with one another with an arrogant attitude by saying, 以使我们不至于以傲慢的态度彼此碰撞，说“why are they not doing what I’m doing? “你为什么不像我这样做？”I’m more spiritual than they are, for they are doing things according to the flesh…”“我比他们更属灵，他们都是照着肉体行事……”之类的话。 If we do so, 如果这样，we are opening doors for Satan and putting ourselves in a dangerous place. 我们就在给撒旦开门，把自己放在危险之地。To keep the unity in Christ begins with understanding the differences between each other, and trusting in Jesus’ way.   要想在基督里合一，起点就是要相互理解各自的差别，并信靠耶稣的道路。 

Now we see that by Jesus’ sacrificial death, and resurrection and the grace of God, 现在我们看到，因着耶稣的受死、复活和神的恩典，just on the day of Pentecost, 就在五旬节那天，God turned the curse of the confusion of tongues that caused disunity into a miracle of diversity and unity, 神把混乱语言造成分裂的诅咒变成了多样化和统一性的奇迹，the gift of speaking in tongues enabled the apostles to take the gospel to all nations.用方言说话的恩赐让使徒们能够把福音传到万国。  

Praise the Lord!赞美主！We really want it.我们真的很想要这样的恩赐。 But we can’t limit God’s work by what we want, 但是我们不能用我们想要的来限制神的工作，for God’s purpose is to save, reconcile and heal, 因为神的目的是拯救，和好和医治，not to make us like magic performers.而不是让我们像表演魔术一样。Even since then, 即使从那时起，missionaries (even Pentecostal missionaries) still struggle to learn foreign languages in the place they go.传教士(甚至五旬节派传教士)当他们要去宣教，也要与学当地语言的难处来抗争。 

 For example, 例如，I was miraculously called to start my ministry here, 神用神迹奇事来呼召开始这里的事工，I’ve been asking God to enable me to speak good English just to sharing His truth with all nations, 我一直祈求神使我能说很地道的英语，只为了与万国万族分享他的真理，but God replied to me many times, 但神多次对我说：“Let your actions speak louder than your words…“行道更胜语言…My way is higher than yours我的道路高过你的道路“…” Now I’m still spending lots of time to work out a sermon in English, 现在我仍然花很多时间写英语讲章，but this is the way God planned for me before I was born, 但这是神在我出生前为我预定的方式，and it is a way for me to taste the fullness of Christ, 也是让我来品尝基督丰盛的一种方式，that I must  trust in His timing by dying to my impatient self through His grace, 我必须信靠祂的时间，借祂的恩典治死自己的急躁，and allow my actions to speak louder than my words.并让我所行的道来见证祂同在。 

God works differently for each of us according to His will, 神按着祂的旨意，在每个人身上的工作是不一样的，there is no comparison between they and us, or you and me.在他们与我们，或你与我，是没有比较性的。 Although He remains the same yesterday, today, and forever.尽管他昨日，今日，永不改变。 

We pray “God, we want to see what happened for the early church to happen here.我们向神祷告，初代教会发生的事情，我们这里也要发生。” But we can’t manipulate God, but obediently accept what God has assigned to us.“但我们不能操纵神，只当顺从地接受神量给我们的。 

In Ephesians 3:18, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 在以弗所书3：18中，能以和众圣徒一同明白基督的爱是何等长阔高深，What he tries to say is that we don’t have to be the same, 保罗想说的是，我们不需要都一样，we are all different in the body of Christ, 我们在基督里各为肢体，and we must have different experiences of God’s grace, 我们必须有不同的经历来认识神的恩典，so when we witness the difference in Christ, 因此，当我们见证基督里的不同经历时，we therefore may grasp how wide and long and high and deep the love of Christ is.我们便会明白基督的爱是何等的长阔高深。  

All are from Jesus our God, by Jesus, and for Jesus.一切都是出于耶稣我们的神，借着耶稣，并为耶稣。  

In Acts 2, 在使徒行传第二章中，the point here is that the Risen Christ and His good news is not just for Jews, 这里的要点是复活的基督和福音不仅对犹太人，but for all nations. 而是对万国万民。The Spirit-filled Apostles speaking in foreign languages is a great sign to reveal God’s heart that His saving plan is for all nations!被圣灵所充满的使徒讲他国方言是在表明 神的心意是要拯救万国万民。  

In summary, the Holy Spirit is not just a power.总之，圣灵不仅仅是一种能力。 He is God Himself, 他是神自己，our God is three in One, 我们的神是三位一体，and the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.圣灵是三位一体的第三个位格。 On the day of Pentecost, 在五旬节那天，the apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit, 使徒们被圣灵赋充满，满有能力，and they were changed from the fear of man to boldly preaching and testifying to men that Jesus is risen,他们从对人的惧怕转变为大胆地传道 和向人证明耶稣复活了，and He is the Lord.他就是主。 

The first church was formed from people who are from all nations by the outpouring power of the Holy Spirit.第一间教会是来自于万国的人，借着圣灵能力的彰显而建立的。The power of the Spirit isn’t given just to make you and me happy or comfortable.圣灵的能力并不仅仅是为了让你我快乐或感觉舒服。It is given to make us holy and whole like Christ the Son, 圣灵内住，使我们像基督一样圣洁完全，so that our lives and our words bring glory to God as we bear witness to His saving grace, 使我们的生命和言语给神带来荣耀，就像我们见证他的拯救恩典一样，and be able to share the good news to the nations.并能将这好消息分享给万国。That should be the meaning of Pentecost for you and me.这应该是真正的五旬节对你我的意义。