The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[Or languages; also in verse 11 ] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, [That is, the Roman province by that name] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’[Joel 2:28-32 ]
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[Or of those not having the law (that is, Gentiles)] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[Psalm 16:8-11 (see Septuagint)]
29 “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’[ Psalm 110:1]
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
NOTES:
2:1–41 Luke’s pentecostal narrative consists of an
introduction (Acts 2:1–13), a speech ascribed to Peter declaring the
resurrection of Jesus and its messianic significance (Acts 2:14–36), and a
favorable response from the audience (Acts 2:37–41). It is likely that the
narrative telescopes events that took place over a period of time and on a less
dramatic scale. The Twelve were not originally in a position to proclaim
publicly the messianic office of Jesus without incurring immediate reprisal
from those religious authorities in Jerusalem who had brought about Jesus’
death precisely to stem the rising tide in his favor.
2:2 There came from the sky a noise like a strong driving
wind: wind and spirit are associated in Jn 3:8. The sound of a great rush of
wind would herald a new action of God in the history of salvation.
2:3 Tongues as of fire: see Ex 19:18 where fire symbolizes
the presence of God to initiate the covenant on Sinai. Here the holy Spirit
acts upon the apostles, preparing them to proclaim the new covenant with its
unique gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38).
2:4 To speak in different tongues: ecstatic prayer in praise
of God, interpreted in Acts 2:6, 11 as speaking in foreign languages, symbolizing
the worldwide mission of the church.
2:14–36 The first of six discourses in Acts (along with Acts
3:12–26; 4:8–12; 5:29–32; 10:34–43; 13:16–41) dealing with the resurrection of
Jesus and its messianic import. Five of these are attributed to Peter, the
final one to Paul. Modern scholars term these discourses in Acts the “kerygma,”
the Greek word for proclamation (cf. 1 Cor 15:11).
2:33 At the right hand of God: or “by the right hand of
God.”
2:38 Repent and be baptized: repentance is a positive concept,
a change of mind and heart toward God reflected in the actual goodness of one’s
life. It is in accord with the apostolic teaching derived from Jesus (Acts
2:42) and ultimately recorded in the four gospels. Luke presents baptism in
Acts as the expected response to the apostolic preaching about Jesus and
associates it with the conferring of the Spirit (Acts 1:5; 10:44–48; 11:16).
2:42–47 The first of three summary passages (along with Acts
4:32–37; 5:12–16) that outline, somewhat idyllically, the chief characteristics
of the Jerusalem community: adherence to the teachings of the Twelve and the
centering of its religious life in the eucharistic liturgy (Acts 2:42); a
system of distribution of goods that led wealthier Christians to sell their
possessions when the needs of the community’s poor required it (Acts 2:44 and
the note on Acts 4:32–37); and continued attendance at the temple, since in
this initial stage there was little or no thought of any dividing line between
Christianity and Judaism (Acts 2:46).
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