Chapter 2 Acts 2
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost (vv. 1-13)
When the day of Pentecost a came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind b blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. c 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire d which spread out and touched each person e there. 4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit f and began to talk in other languages, g as the Spirit enabled them to speak.
5 There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious men who had come from every country h in the world. 6 When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because each one of them heard the believers talking in his own language. 7 In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, “These people who are talking like this are Galileans! i 8 How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages? 9 We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia, 10 from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, 11 both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, j and some of us are from Crete and Arabia – yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!” 12 Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, “What does this mean?”
13 But others made fun of the believers, saying, “These people are drunk!”
Interesting Stuff:
a This festival was celebrated on the 50th day after Passover (Lev 23:15-16) (pentekostos being the Greek word for ‘50th’). Among the Hebrew and Aramaic-speaking Jews, it was known as the Feast of Weeks (Dt 16:10), the Feast of Harvest (Ex 23:16), or the ‘day of firstfruits’ (Nu 28:26).
It was known as the Feast of Weeks because it came after a period of seven weeks of harvesting that began with the offering of the first barley sheaf during the Passover celebration. It was also called the Feast of Harvest because on that day the first fruits of the wheat harvest were presented to God.
It was one of the three great festivals where every Jewish male must make the yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem to celebrate. The other two were the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles.
By the 1st century A.D., it was also observed as the anniversary of the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai and was a time for the annual renewal of the Mosiac covenant.
b Breath or wind is a symbol of the Spirit of God (Ez 37:4-10; Jn 3:6-8). Ezekiel had prophesied of the wind as the breath of God blowing over the dry bones in his vision and filling them with new life. It was this wind of God’s Spirit that the Jews were looking forward to as the ushering in of the final age of the Messiah. Thus one sign of the Spirit’s coming was a sound like that of wind.
Pentecost was particularly appropriate for the coming of the Holy Spirit because:
i) More Jews and others from other lands were present in Jerusalem at this feast than at the Passover or Feast of Tabernacles.
ii) This festival celebrated the gathering in of the harvest. Now through the Holy Spirit, there would be a harvest of people into what would become the Church of God.
iii) It was also regarded as a commemoration or remembrance of the giving of the Law at Mt Sinai. Now God’s Law would be written in the heart through the Holy Spirit.
c God’s Spirit had come upon them in a way more personal and powerful than they had ever experienced before. His presence filled the whole house where they were gathering.
d Fire as a symbol of God’s presence was well-known among the Jews. The OT records God’s presence as shown by the burning bush (Ex 3:2-5), the pillar of fire that guided Israel by night through the desert (Ex 13:21), and the consuming fire on Mt. Sinai (Ex 24:16-17). John the Baptist linked the coming of the Holy Spirit with fire (Lk 3:16). The manifestation of the Spirit’s presence was not only audible; it was also visual. What looked like tongues of fire was the visible representation of the overshadowing presence of the Holy Spirit of God.
e Although under the old covenant the divine presence rested on Israel as a whole, or on leaders or prophets for special purposes, under the new covenant, the Spirit now rested upon each believer individually.
f This was the fulfilment of what Jesus said to them before he was taken up to heaven (1:4-5). The gift of the Holy Spirit as promised by the Father was now given to them.
g The Holy Spirit came, not just with the outward signs of wind and fire, but also in an inward, invisible reality as shown in the effects He had upon the disciples. In OT times, when the Spirit of God came upon men and women, they prophesied. Here they spoke in other languages or ‘tongues’ (the Greek word is glossolalia) as other versions have translated it. Verses 6, 8 and 11 show that human languages were meant here. The disciples were enabled to speak in languages that were recognised by those living in Jerusalem who had come from different parts of the world as the mother tongue or dialect of their native lands.
h Luke’s world was the Greco-Roman world situated around the Mediterranean Sea, and not literally the world as we understand it. His ‘every country’ referred to every nation there in which there were Jews living. This was an international, multi-lingual Jewish crowd which gathered around the believers.
Luke does not draw attention to what he is doing, but in his own subtle way, he is saying that on the day of Pentecost, the ‘whole world’ was there in the representatives of the Jews from the various nations.
i The Galileans had a reputation of being uncultured. They also had difficulty pronouncing certain sounds and had the habit of swallowing syllables when speaking. Thus they were looked down upon by the people of Jerusalem as country bumpkins.
j The term used in some translations is ‘proselyte’. A proselyte was a Gentile by birth who was converted to Judaism. Such a person undertook to keep the Jewish law in its entirety, including circumcision. Because of the circumcision requirement, full proselytisation was more common among women than men. Many men were content with a looser attachment to Judaism and were indicated by the term ‘God-fearers’.
Questions:
- When did the Holy Spirit come upon the believers (v. 1)?
2. Where were they when this happened (vv. 1-2)?
3. Describe what happened when the Holy Spirit came upon them (vv. 2-4).
4. What did the Jews living in Jerusalem who had come from other parts of the world do when they heard the noise (vv. 5-6)?
What were their responses to what they heard (vv. 7-13)?
Summary of Section:
- When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in a house.
- Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing and it filled the whole house.
- Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there.
- They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.
- There were Jews from Jerusalem and religious men who had come from every country in the world.
- When they heard the noise, they gathered together as a large crowd. They were all excited because each of them heard the believers talking in his own language about the great things God had done.
- They were amazed and wondered how these Galileans could speak the languages of so many different areas of the world from which they all came.
- Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other what this meant.
- Others, however, made fun of the believers and accused them of being drunk.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Without the Holy Spirit, Christian discipleship would be unthinkable and even impossible. Luke was well aware of this, and of the four Gospel writers, it was he who laid the heaviest emphasis on the Spirit. In his Gospel, he shows how indispen- sable the Spirit’s enabling was – he descended upon Jesus so that he entered his public ministry ‘full of the Holy Spirit’, ‘led by the Spirit’, ‘in the power of the Spirit’ and ‘anointed by the Spirit’.
- The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost brought to the disciples the equipping they needed for their special role as Jesus’ primary and authoritative witnesses. Pentecost was the birth of the new era of the Spirit as prophesied in the OT.
- The coming of the Spirit of God was accompanied by three supernatural signs – sound (noise like the blowing of the wind), sight (what looked like tongues of fire) and strange speech (disciples began to speak in other tongues or languages). These three signs could be said to represent the new era of the Spirit which had begun and the new work which he had come to do.
- The crowd that gathered around the 120 believers were from different parts of the world and spoke different languages but yet they could under- stand what the believers were saying. The Spirit had given them the super- natural ability to speak in languages which were foreign to them but which the people could understand as their own native language.
Peter Addresses the Crowd (vv. 14-42)
14 Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and in a loud voice began to speak to the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me and let me tell you what this means. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose; it is only nine o’clock in the morning. k 16 Instead, this is what the prophet Joel spoke about: l
17 ‘This is what I will do in the last days, m
God says:
I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. n
Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message; o
your young men will see visions, and your old men will have dreams.
18 Yes, even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those day and they will proclaim my message.
19 I will perform miracles in the sky above and wonders on the earth below. p
There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke;
20 the sun will be darkened, and the moon will turn red as blood, before the great and glorious Day of the
Lord q comes.
21 And then, whoever calls out to the Lord for help will be saved.’
22 “Listen to these words, fellow Israelites! Jesus of Nazareth was a man whose divine authority was clearly proven to you by all the miracles and wonders r which God performed through him. You yourselves know this, for it happened here among you. 23 In accordance with his own plan God had already decided that Jesus would be handed over to you; and you killed him by letting sinful men crucify him.s 24 But God raised him from death, t setting him free from its power, because it was impossible that death should hold him prisoner. 25 For David said about him, u
‘I saw the Lord before me at all times;
he is near me, and I will not be troubled.
26 And so I am filled with gladness, and my words are full of joy.
And I, mortal though I am, will rest assured in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me in the world of the dead;
you will not allow your faithful servant to rot in the grave.
28 You have shown me the paths that lead to life, and your presence will fill me with joy.’
29 “My brothers, I must speak to you plainly about our famous ancestor King David. He died and was buried, and his grave is here with us v to this very day. 30 He was a prophet, and he knew what God had promised him: God had made a vow that he would make one of David’s descendants a king, just as David was. 31 David saw what God was going to do in the future, and so he spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah w when he said, x
‘He was not abandoned in the world of the dead;
his body did not rot in the grave.’
32 God has raised this very Jesus from death, and we are all witnesses to this fact. 33 He has been raised to the right side y of God, his Father, and has received from him the Holy Spirit, as he had promised. What you now see and hear is his gift that he has poured out on us. 34 For it was not David who went up into heaven; rather he said, z
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit here at my right side
35 until I put your enemies as a footstool under your feet.’
36 “All the people of Israel, then, are to know for sure that this Jesus, whom you crucified, is the one that God has made Lord and Messiah!” a’
37 When the people heard this, they were deeply troubled b’ and said to Peter and the other apostles, “What shall we do, brothers?”
38 Peter said to them, “Each one of you must turn away from his sins c’ and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, d’ so that your sins will be forgiven; and you will receive God’s gift, the Holy Spirit. 39 For God’s promise was made to you and your children, and to all who are far away e’ – all whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
40 Peter made his appeal to them and with many other words he urged them, saying, “Save yourselves from the punishment coming on this wicked people!” f’ 41 Many of them believed his message and were baptised, and about three thousand people were added to the group that day. 42 They spent their time in learning from the apostles, g’ taking part in the fellowship, h’ and sharing in the fellowship meals i’ and the prayers. j’
Interesting Stuff:
k On a festival day such as Pentecost, a Jew would not break his fast until at least 10 o’clock in the morning. Thus it was extremely unlikely that the group of men would be drunk at this early hour.
l This comes from Joel 2:28-32. In quoting this passage, Peter was saying that the day of the fulfilment of God’s purposes as prophesied by the prophet Joel had arrived.
m Peter interpreted this passage as referring specifically to the latter days of the new covenant in contrast to the former days of the old covenant. The age of Messianic fulfilment had arrived with the coming of the Spirit.
n The word used is ‘on all flesh’, which is translated to mean the whole human race. This means everyone, irrespective of age, sex and rank, and not just the prophets, priests and kings, as had been the case in OT times.
o Other versions have translated this as ‘will prophesy’. The evidence of the Spirit’s outpouring will be seen in prophecies, visions and dreams.
In OT times, prophecy (speaking messages given directly from God) were regularly associated with the coming of the Spirit upon particular persons for special purposes. However, with the pass- ing of the last of the prophets after the period of Israel’s exile, the speaking of prophecies had ceased. The Jews thus believed that God now spoke to His people only through the Torah or the Law (which consists of the first five books of the OT) as interpreted by the teachers of the Law (refer to ‘The Old Testament’, p. xxv).
But they expected that with the coming of the Messianic Age, there would be a special outpouring of the Spirit. This was what Peter said had taken place among Jesus’ followers. See chap 11, note q for further details.
p One interpretation is that Peter was referring to the signs in the future that would signal the end of the world when Jesus comes again.
q This refers to the Day of Judgment, when Jesus returns in glory. Before then, there will be a long period of opportunity during which the gospel of salvation will be preached by his people so that whoever calls on his name will be saved.
r The mighty works done by Jesus were signs that the Messiah had come.
s The same event, the death of Jesus, was attributed simultane- ously both to the purpose of God and to the wickedness of men. Although God had already purposed that Jesus should die for the sins of the world, the people who carried out His purpose were responsible for the choice they made to execute Jesus.
t This became the key point that was stressed time and again by the first preachers of the gospel. They did not attempt to prove that the resurrection had happened. They simply proclaimed it and bore witness to it.
u This is from Ps 16:8-11 which is accepted as written by David. Peter used this psalm to affirm the truth of Jesus’ resurrection because he said that it was already foretold in the psalm. Peter’s argument is that the psalm could not have referred to David himself because he died and was buried. David was inspired by the Spirit to prophesy regarding the Messiah, who would be descended from his family line. This prophecy, Peter claimed, was fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth.
v It was a matter of public knowledge in and around Jerusalem that David died and was buried and had never been raised from the tomb where he lay to the south of the city, near Siloam. His tomb is mentioned in Ne 3:16.
w ‘Messiah’ is the Hebrew word for ‘Christ’ which comes from the Greek word Christos meaning ‘Anointed One’. In ancient Israel, both objects and people, e.g., priests and kings, which were set apart for special or sacred services, were anointed with oil. The Jews were expecting that God would one day send a very special deliverer who would chase out their conquerors and establish once again a kingdom like the kingdom of David. He would not simply be an anointed one, but would be ‘the’ anointed one – the Christ or the Messiah.
x This is from Ps 16:10, as quoted in v. 27.
y Jesus has now been exalted to a position of supreme power, honour and authority by God, his Father. He has now received the same Spirit who empowered him in his ministry and is now pouring out this gift of the Spirit on his followers.
z This is taken from Ps 110:1. Peter continued his argument that this Davidic psalm was again not addressed to David himself, but to the Messiah. David addressed his descendant with great
respect because he, through the inspiration of the Spirit, recognised how great and divine his descendant would be. Not only was he to be resurrected (vv. 31-32) but he was to be exalted to God’s right hand (vv. 33-35). The invitation to share the throne of God and His supremacy over the whole universe was addressed not to David but to the son of David. Now this prophecy had found its fulfilment in the person of Jesus.
a ‘ During his earthly ministry, Jesus was reluctant to accept the acclaim of Messiah and Lord. Now that he had accomplished his messianic mission in life and death, and had been exalted by God, the two titles of Messiah and Lord are legitimately his.
Out of respect for the holiness of God, the Jews do not pronounce His name. In reading Scripture, they will replace God’s revealed name YHWH (Yahweh) with the divine title of ‘Lord’. The title ‘Lord’ is thus not just a title in name only. It describes the bearer as ‘the name which is above every name’ (Php 2:9). To a Jew, there is only one name ‘above every name’, that is the sacred and indescribable name of God. Peter was thus acknowledging Jesus as Messiah and God.
b ‘ Some versions translate this as ‘cut to the heart’. The idea is that of being broken-hearted and deeply convicted of sin and belief in Jesus.
c ‘ Repentance was called for: a complete change of heart and a complete turn around of their lives.
d ‘ The Jews generally looked upon baptism as a rite only for Gentile converts, the proselytes. It symbolised the break from their Gentile past and the washing away of their past ‘unclean- ness’. For those who were familiar with the preaching of John the Baptist, baptism follows the call to repentance.
There are now, however, two new features in this rite of baptism for those who believe in Jesus: it is done in the name of Jesus Christ and it is associated with the giving of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
e ‘ The promise of the gospel was extended not only to those present on that occasion but to their descendants as well. It was
also extended not only to the people of Jerusalem but to those of distant lands as well. For Luke, as will be seen later, this also included the Gentiles.
f ‘ Some versions translate this as ‘crooked or perverse generation’. ‘Perverse generation’ is an OT phrase for the people of Israel who rebelled against God in the wilderness. Jesus used it to apply to those who rejected him (Lk 9:41; 11:29).
g ‘ The traditional translation is ‘apostles’ teaching’. It refers to a collection of material considered as authoritative because it was the message about Jesus proclaimed by the apostles who had been with him. It probably included a compilation of the words of Jesus, some accounts of his earthly ministry, passion (suffering) and resurrection, and a declaration of what all this meant for the salvation of mankind.
h’ The Greek word is koinonia (from the word meaning ‘common’). It means to ‘share a common life together’. This was expressed by the believers in a number of ways, two of which are mentioned in v. 42 – the breaking of bread and the prayers. It also found expression in how they loved one another and shared their possessions and goods, and generously gave to everyone who had needs (vv. 44-47).
i ‘ Other versions translate this as ‘breaking of bread’. It refers to the act with which a Jewish meal opened. This had probably gained a deep significance for Jesus’ followers in view of what he did at his last supper with his disciples. Most scholars believe that it probably denotes more than just the sharing of a meal together and that the Lord’s Supper or communion seems to be indicated here as well.
j ‘ This probably referred to formal prayers, either following the Jewish set prayers or their own united prayers together or both.
Questions:
- How did Peter respond to the crowd’s claim that they were drunk (vv. 14-15)?
2. Describe briefly what Peter said to the crowd (vv.14-36).
3. How did the crowd respond to his message (v. 37)?
4. What did Peter tell them that they must do (v. 38)?
5. To whom had God made His promise (v. 39)?
6. What resulted from Peter’s urging of the crowd to save themselves from the coming judgment (v. 41)?
7. What did the believers do together (v. 42)?
Summary of Section:
- Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles and spoke in a loud voice to the crowd.
- He explained to them that they were not drunk because it was only nine o’clock in the morning. Their behaviour was due to God pouring out His Holy Spirit upon them as prophesied by the prophet Joel.
- Joel’s prophecy was that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit and His people would then proclaim God’s message, see visions and dream dreams. God would perform His miracles in the sky and on the earth before the Day of the Lord comes and anyone who calls on God’s name will be saved.
- He proclaimed to them that Jesus of Nazareth whose divine authority they had witnessed was put to death by sinful men according to God’s plan. But God raised him from death and exalted him to His right side.
- This was already prophesied by their ancestor King David in his psalms. He spoke of God raising a descendant from his family line who would be the Messiah and whose body would never decay.
- Peter argued that this prophecy had been fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ who was crucified by them and now raised from death by God.
- God had made Jesus both Lord and Messiah.
- When the people heard all this, they were deeply troubled and asked Peter and the apostles what they should do.
- Peter told them that they must turn away from their sins and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they would receive forgiveness for their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- This promise of God was made to them and to their children, and to those far away whom the Lord calls to Himself.
- Peter then urged them to save themselves from the judgment that would come on this wicked people.
- Many of them believed his message and about 3000 were added to their group that day.
- They spent their time learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellow- ship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Speeches occupy a very prominent part of the book of Acts. Acts contains no fewer than nineteen significant speeches or addresses – there are eight by Peter, one each by Stephen and James, and nine by Paul.
- The best way to understand Pentecost was not through OT prophecies but through the NT fulfil- ment in Jesus. In this first speech, Peter thus focused on Christ and told Jesus’ story in six stages.
i) He was a man, though his divinity was shown through miracles, wonders and signs
ii) He was put to death by wicked people, though according to God’s purpose
iii) He was raised from the dead, as the prophets had foretold and the apostles had witnessed
iv) He was exalted to God’s right hand, and received from Him the Holy Spirit
v) He now gives forgiveness and pours out the Spirit to all who repent, believe and are baptised
vi) He then adds them to his new community - The NT writers were firmly convinced that Jesus brought about the last days or the Messianic age and that the final proof of this was the outpouring of the Spirit.
- The word ‘repent’ means a change of direction in a person’s life rather than simply a mental change of attitude or a feeling of guilt. It means a turning away from a sinful and godless way of life to turn to God.
- For John the Baptist, baptism was a baptism of repentance from sin. The early Christians took over the same rite but its meaning was enlarged. Baptism was now performed in the name of Jesus, signifying that the person has faith or believes in what Jesus has done for him and he enters into a commitment with Jesus. Then he would receive two free gifts of God – the forgiveness of his sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- Luke records what happened to the new converts as they formed the first Christian community. There were four activities which characterised a Christian gathering in the early church – there was teaching given by the apostles, fellowship (probably holding of a common meal together), taking the Lord’s Supper, and prayers.
Life Among the Early Believers (vv. 43-47)
43 Many miracles and wonders k ‘ were being done through the apostles, and everyone was filled with awe. 44 All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another. 45 They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed. l ‘ 46 Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, m ‘ and they had their meals together in their homes, n ‘ eating with glad and humble hearts, 47 praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord o ‘ added to their group those who were being saved.
Interesting Stuff:
k ‘ These two words ‘miracles and wonders’ were those also used to describe the mighty works of Jesus. The apostles were
thus doing what Jesus himself had been doing.
l ‘ Within the Christian community in Jerusalem, the believers’sense of spiritual unity expressed itself in their closeness of relationship and the sharing of their possessions with one another. It appears that the selling of one’s possessions was a voluntary matter (see 4:32-37).
m ‘ This is the Temple in Jerusalem where the Israelites go to worship God and to offer their sacrifices. This was built by Herod the Great (refer to ‘The Temple’, p. xxvi). Their devotion to the Lord was seen in their daily lives together. This meeting together in unity could mean that they used the courtyard of the Temple as a meeting place or that they took part in the daily worship of the Temple.
n ‘ At the same time, they also met in one another’s homes, eating together and probably celebrating the Lord’s Supper as well in a spirit of intense and sincere joy.
o ‘ Note that it was the Lord himself who added people to His church.
Questions:
- What was happening through the apostles (v. 43)?
What was the reaction of those around them (v. 43)?
2. Describe the community life of the early believers (vv. 44-47).
3. What resulted from the way they lived their lives (v. 47)?
Summary of Section:
- The apostles performed many miracles and wonders and caused everyone to be filled with awe.
- All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another.
- They would sell their property and possessions and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed.
- Day after day they met together as a group in the Temple and in their homes.
- They shared their meals together in their homes with glad and humble hearts, praising God, and enjoying the favour of all the people.
- Thus God added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- One effect of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work in the early church was a sense of fear or awe on the part of the people around them. The early church showed the follow- ing marks of a Spirit-filled community:
i) They were a learning church – they devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles. God’s word had first priority in their life as a church.
ii) They were a loving, caring and sharing church – they persevered in fellowship, supporting each other and meeting the needs of the poor.
iii) They were a worshipping church – they worshipped God in the Temple, in the home, in the Lord’s Supper and in the prayers, with joy and reverence.|
iv) They were an evangelistic church – through the preaching of the apostles, the witness of church members, the impressive love of their common life together, and their joyful worship of God, God added to their numbers.
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