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.
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The Coming of the Holy Spirit

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And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ​
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And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ​
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And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. ​
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And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. ​
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And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. ​
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Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
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And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
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And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
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Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
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Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
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Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
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And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
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Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. ​

Peter Addresses the Crowd

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

Fulfillment of Joel's Prophecy

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But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; ​
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And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out 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: ​
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And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
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And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
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The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
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And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. ​

The Resurrection and Exaltation of Jesus

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Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: ​
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Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: ​
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Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. ​
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For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: ​
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Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
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Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. ​
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Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
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Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. ​
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Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; ​
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He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
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This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
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Therefore 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. ​
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For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, ​
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Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
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Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ​

Response, Repentance, and Baptism

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Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? ​
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Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. ​
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For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ​
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And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
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Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. ​

Life in the Early Christian Community

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And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ​
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And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
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And all that believed were together, and had all things common; ​
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And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
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And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, ​
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Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be 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.

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