TABLE TALKS
Session Three Discussion Guide | Acts 2:1-13

DISCUSSION PART 1:
A. Communication is critical to any relationship. Has anyone at your table ever had a misunderstanding that resulted from miscommunication? In Acts 2, the Spirit empowers everyone to understand what is being spoken. Can you think about other stories in the Bible (in addition to those mentioned in the video) in which speaking plays an important role?

OPTIONAL: SPEAKING IN TONGUES: As the video discusses, the mention of glossolalia —speaking in tongues— in Acts appears to be different than in 1 Corinthians. In Acts, no matter what tongue (i.e., language) someone uses, everyone hears it in his/her own language without the need for an interpreter. Consider consulting 1 Corinthians 14:1-29 (if you do, you may want to break the passage into sections). Notice the differences between the discussion of tongues in Acts and 1 Corinthians 14. What concerns does Paul express about tongue-speaking in 1 Corinthians? What instructions does he set forth for the church if tongues are practiced?

B. Read Genesis 11:1-9. How does what happened at Pentecost resemble AND reverse what happened at Babel?

C. Tongues are a sign of what is happening at Pentecost, not the substance of it. The most important thing that happened at Pentecost is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, just as God promised. Though we often associate the Holy Spirit with signs/wonders/miracles, Jesus tells us about several other things the Spirit does in our lives. Read John 14:15-17 and 25-26; 15:26-27; and 16:8-14. Discuss some of the ways the Holy Spirit ministers to/in/through us.


DISCUSSION PART 2:
A. Consider some of the nations represented at Pentecost? If anyone has a study Bible, consider consulting a map to see where they are located. Can you think of how some of these nations factor into the Biblical story. Why is it significant that these nations are represented in what God did for those present at Pentecost?

B. Interestingly, we see speaking in tongues on a few other occasions in Acts, such as 10:44-48 and 19:1-7. Read these passages. How are they similar to what happened at Pentecost? How are they different? Is there anything significant about the use of tongues in these passages?

C. Why would God use this particular miracle at Pentecost? What does that suggest about the role of speaking in the spread of the Christian faith?


DISCUSSION PART 3:
A. Jesus speaks about new wine in old wineskins in His ministry. You can read about this in Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, and—in greatest detail—in Luke 5:36-39. How do these passages help us understand what God was doing in the early church and how those outside the church responded?

B. In next week’s passage, the same Spirit that empowered everyone to understand also empowers Peter to preach boldly and empowers those present to hear, resulting in three thousand people getting saved. Why are we tempted to regard the first miracle as more noteworthy than the other two? Why is Peter’s boldness so important? Can you think of anything significant about so many coming to faith in Jesus in one day? As your table closes its discussion in prayer, consider how you can live on mission for God in the coming week.