Acts2

On the day of Pentecost, the disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking in diverse tongues, which amazed a multitude of devout Jews from many nations. Peter then preached, explaining that this event fulfilled Joel's prophecy and proclaiming Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Lord and Christ. This sermon led about three thousand people to repent, be baptized, and join the nascent church, which then devoted itself to apostolic teaching, fellowship, and communal living.

Listen to this chapter

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place.

And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven.

And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speaking in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying, Behold, are not all these that speak Galilæans?

And how hear we, every man in our own language wherein we were born?

Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judæa and Cappadocia, in Pontus and Asia,

in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

Cretans and Arabians, we hear them speaking in our tongues the mighty works of God.

And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

But others mocking said, They are filled with new wine.

Peter Addresses the Crowd

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spake forth unto them, saying, Ye men of Judæa, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and give ear unto my words.

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose; seeing it is but the third hour of the day;

Fulfillment of Joel's Prophecy

but this is that which hath been spoken through the prophet Joel:

And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh: And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams:

Yea and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

And I will show wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath; Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come, That great and notable day:

And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

The Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus

Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know;

him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay:

whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

For David saith concerning him, I beheld the Lord always before my face; For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope:

Because thou wilt not leave my soul unto Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption.

Thou madest known unto me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance.

Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us unto this day.

Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne;

he foreseeing this spake of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he left unto Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.

This Jesus did God raise up, whereof we all are witnesses.

Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear.

For David ascended not into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.

Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.

Response, Repentance, and Baptism

Now when they heardthis, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do?

And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.

And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this crooked generation.

They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.

Life in the Early Christian Community

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all, according as any man had need.

And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,

praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to them day by day those that were saved.

Study Notes for Acts 2

Verse 1

Pentecost (Shavuot) was a major Jewish harvest festival occurring fifty days after Passover, ensuring that devout Jews from the Diaspora were present in Jerusalem, maximizing the impact of this divine event.

Verse 2

The sound of the 'rushing mighty wind' (pneuma) is symbolic of the Spirit's presence, echoing God's activity in creation and prophecy (cf. Ezek. 37).

Verse 3

The 'cloven tongues like as of fire' symbolize divine purification and presence, recalling the giving of the Law on Sinai and confirming the personal empowering of each believer.

Verse 4

The 'other tongues' (heterais glossais) here refers to recognizable human languages (Vv. 6, 8), fundamentally reversing the confusion of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9) and demonstrating the universality of the gospel.

Verse 5

This diverse assembly of 'devout men' from the Jewish diaspora highlights Luke's theme that the gospel is immediately intended for the entire world.

Verse 13

The mocking accusation shows the confusion of those who did not understand the divine miracle. Peter must first refute this charge before presenting the gospel message.

Verse 14

Peter, who had previously denied Jesus, now stands publicly as the chief spokesman for the apostles, demonstrating the transformative power of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 16

Peter interprets the current events not as drunkenness, but as the fulfillment of the eschatological promise found in Joel 2:28-32, marking the arrival of the 'last days.'

Verse 17

The Spirit is poured out 'upon all flesh,' signifying a radical expansion of God's covenant work beyond a select few, including men, women, young, and old alike.

Verse 21

This verse provides the ultimate hope and conclusion of the prophecy: salvation is universally available to 'whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord.'

Verse 22

Peter begins the kerygma (proclamation) by establishing Jesus’ identity through his documented miracles, appealing to the crowd's personal knowledge of Jesus' ministry.

Verse 23

This verse introduces the profound theological paradox: while Jesus was executed by human 'wicked hands,' his death occurred according to the predetermined, sovereign plan of God ('determinate counsel and foreknowledge').

Verse 24

God’s action in raising Jesus broke the power of death ('loosed the pains of death'). Peter argues the necessity of the resurrection based on the nature of Christ—it was impossible for death to hold God's Messiah.

Verse 25

Peter shifts the argument to Scripture, quoting Psalm 16:8-11. The core of his subsequent argument is that David could not have been speaking about himself, as David died and saw corruption.

Verse 27

'Hell' (Hades) refers to the realm of the dead. The crucial claim is that God would not permit his 'Holy One' (the Messiah) to experience physical decay, proving the resurrection was necessary.

Verse 29

Peter confirms that David’s tomb is still present, proving that the prophecy in Psalm 16 could not have been fully fulfilled in David himself.

Verse 30

Peter identifies David as a prophet who foresaw the resurrection of his promised descendant (the Christ/Messiah) who would sit on his throne.

Verse 33

The outpouring of the Spirit (Vv. 2-4) is presented as the direct evidence of Jesus' exaltation and installation as Lord at the right hand of God, fulfilling the promise he received from the Father.

Verse 34

Peter uses Psalm 110:1—the most frequently quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament—to prove that David recognized a superior 'Lord,' confirming Jesus' divine status and heavenly enthronement.

Verse 36

This is the theological climax of the sermon: the crucified Jesus has been definitively appointed by God as both Lord (divine authority) and Christ (Messiah).

Verse 37

To be 'pricked in their heart' indicates conviction by the Holy Spirit. The question 'what shall we do?' shows they accepted Peter's conclusion regarding their guilt and Jesus' identity.

Verse 38

Peter provides the essential path to salvation: repentance (a change of mind), baptism (public identification with Christ), and the promise of forgiveness and receipt of the Holy Spirit.

Verse 39

The scope of the promise is universal—extending beyond the immediate crowd to their descendants and 'all that are afar off' (a phrase often used to include Gentiles, though the immediate audience is Jewish).

Verse 41

The immediate conversion of 'about three thousand souls' marks the founding and explosive initial growth of the Christian church on the day of Pentecost.

Verse 42

This verse defines the four core commitments of the nascent church: theological instruction, communal fellowship, the Lord's Supper ('breaking of bread'), and prayer.

Verse 44

The believers shared possessions voluntarily, demonstrating radical communal solidarity and selfless commitment to ensuring no member of the body lacked basic necessities.

Verse 46

They maintained devotion both publicly in the Temple and privately in homes, showing continuity with Jewish piety while establishing distinct Christian practices (like the Lord's Supper).

Verse 47

The growth of the church was attributed directly to the Lord's action ('The Lord added'), emphasizing that numerical increase is a result of divine favor and work.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Acts2

The Coming of the Holy Spirit

Peter Addresses the Crowd

Fulfillment of Joel's Prophecy

The Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus

Response, Repentance, and Baptism

Life in the Early Christian Community

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options