Unusual to the World

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. (Acts 2:5-15)

This moment in Acts 2 is so remarkable to the world that the crowd attempted to explain it with the simplest natural explanation they could think of. They said, “These men are full of new wine.” The miracle of tongues was not just private prayer in the upper room; it became a public spectacle in the street. Devout men from every nation heard Galileans speak in their own language. God did two things at once: He filled believers and reached the nations through them.

The Spirit-filled life is not meant to stay confined within a church service; it is meant to move into the world as a witness to God’s power. Some people were amazed, some confused, and some mocked what God was doing. That remains true today. When God's power is at work, it can create hunger in some and criticism in others. That’s why Peter stood up. He wasn't apologizing for what God was doing; he explained it through the Word. He said, “This is not what you think it is,” then based it on Scripture. Faith is never afraid to be explained. 

Practical Application

When you are filled with the Holy Ghost, it changes how you respond to pressure, giving you a boldness that others might misunderstand.

Isaiah 28:11; 1 Corinthians 14:23