“1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 And tongues, like flames of fire that were divided, appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability for speech.

5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 And they were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs — we hear them speaking the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What could this be?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re full of new wine!”

Acts 2:1-13 

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There used to be a television show called ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ that centered on an Arkansas backwoods family who struck it rich when oil was found on their property. They pack up the whole family and move to the most luxurious area of Beverly Hills in California. Their country living, accents and habits stood in stark contrast to the refined, elegant lifestyles of their neighbors. 

  
No one would have expected Jed, Jethro, Ellie Mae or Granny to have made that move or even try to fit in, but that was the hook for the show. It seemed so ridiculous, unlikely and so it stuck around for several seasons.

What we find here in Acts 2 on the day of Penetecost really isn’t all that different. Peter, Andrew, the Zebedee brothers, and so many of the other disciples were considered to be hillbillies to the people living in Jerusalem. They were backwards, backwater people who were seen as being a little less intelligent, whose accents made them stand out, but not in a good way. 

But here we find Peter and the rest is f the disciples filled with the richness of the Holy Spirit and speaking in a way scripture describes as “not a word of everyday speech but one belonging to dignified and elevated discourse.” That’s the kind of speaking they were doing about “the magnificent acts of God in our own languages.” 

They were breaking out of their so-called social constraints, moving beyond the supposed intellectual barriers and representing the majesty and glory of God in a fitting and proper way. These ‘hillbillies’ weren’t just comically standing in the midst of the elite, but they were rivaling them, surpassing them in their presentation of God’s truth.

No amount of wine could take a backwoods yokel and give them a degree from Harvard with an emphasis in public speaking. Inebriation usually does quite the opposite. 

So the crowd was faced with something they could not deny. These men had suddenly become more than the sum of their parts. They had moved beyond all social constructs and defeated biases in a way that couldn’t be faked. This was no ‘Eliza Doolittle’ transformation, only a brief makeover and some language lessons.

  
This was something new, and it was God-powered, Holy Spirit inspired and it could not be denied. In just a few chapters, we see one of the leading thinkers of the land beginning to reconsider them…and that’s just the beginning of what the Spirit is going to do through these backwoods Apostles. 

As we GoLove people in Jesus’ Name, we must also remember that we go in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit! We need not get timidly or think that we aren’t going to ‘cut it.’ Instead, we go in confidence, knowing that God Himself is empowering and enabling our ministry.