Correspondence: Acts 2:3 & Mat. 3:11; Rom. 10:6-7; Mat. 16:16-18

From: Young Christian: Volume 34, 1944

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Acts 2:3; Matthew 3:11; Matthew 16:16‑18 • 3 min. read • grade level: 7

Question: What do we learn from the cloven tongues of fire that sat upon each of the disciples when the Holy Spirit came down at Pentecost? (Acts 2:3³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. (Acts 2:3)). Is that the baptism of fire spoken of in Matthew 3:11¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11)?

Answer: The baptism of the Holy Ghost was at Pentecost; the baptism of fire is when the Lord returns with His saints to judge the world, beginning with the unbelieving Jews: then He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

In Matthew 3:16¹⁶And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: (Matthew 3:16), the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove lighting on Him, and the Father’s voice says, “This is My Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” “Him hath God the Father sealed.” (John 6:27²⁷Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27)). The Holy Spirit came upon Him in this form, because of the lowly character He took, “He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets. A bruised reed, shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench” (Matt. 12:19-20¹⁹He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. (Matthew 12:19‑20)). Here all is different. He has finished the work given Him to do, and rejected and crucified on earth, risen and glorified in heaven, and received of the Father the Holy Spirit to send down to earth as His witness (John 15:26-27²⁶But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: ²⁷And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning. (John 15:26‑27)).

The tongues of fire, divided into more than two (the word means “several”), gives us the thought of the power of God in testimony in the Word which was like consuming fire, judging all that comes before it—brings blessing to the believers, and judgment to the unbelievers.

The Lord at Babel (Gen. 11:6-9⁶And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. ⁷Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. ⁸So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. ⁹Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth. (Genesis 11:6‑9)) confounded the language to scatter the people. He was not their center. When the gospel began, He sent it so that every one could hear in their own tongue the wonderful works of God. This message, if received, gathers those who receive it into one with Christ as their Head and Center. Babel was to shut God out. The gospel brings God in, and brings us to God.

Question: What does Romans 10:6-7⁶But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) ⁷Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) (Romans 10:6‑7) mean?

Answer: This chapter begins by showing the foolishness of those who labor to produce a righteousness of their own, who do not therefore submit themselves to the righteousness of God, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believes. Then it shows how the gospel has come right to us, to our hearts; no laboring, no efforts, only resting on God’s precious Word. This is the way Deuteronomy 30:12-14¹²It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? ¹³Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? ¹⁴But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. (Deuteronomy 30:12‑14) is used here. The word was nigh them, in their mouth, and in their hearts. How blessed and precious the good news of God is!

Question: Please explain Matthew 16:16-18¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. ¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. ¹⁸And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:16‑18).

Answer: It was on Peter confessing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, that the Lord expresses His intention to build His church (assembly) on that foundation (see 1 Cor. 3:11¹¹For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:11)).

“Peter” means “a stone,” and it was upon Christ (this rock) that the assembly was to be built. Peter as a stone, was built upon it with the rest of the living stones (1 Peter 2:5⁵Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)). “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” means that the power of death can not destroy the assembly. Individuals die, and are “absent from the body and present with the Lord”; the assembly never dies. The Lord will come and take it up to meet Him in the air to be forever with Him.

“I will build” shows His intention. It was still future. At Pentecost it began. The Lord in glory received the Holy Spirit to send Him down to dwell in all believers (Acts 2:33³³Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. (Acts 2:33); 1 Cor. 6:19; 12:12-13¹⁹What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19)
¹²For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:12‑13)). This is the first time the assembly is mentioned in Scripture.

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