Chapter 2
The Coming of the Spirit. 1 [a] When the time for Pentecost
was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. 2 And suddenly there came
from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind,[b] and it filled the entire
house in which they were. 3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,[c]
which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues,[d] as the Spirit
enabled them to proclaim.
5 Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem. 6 At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they
were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They
were astounded, and in amazement, they asked, “Are not all these people who are
speaking Galileans? 8 Then how does each of us hear them in his own native
language? 9 We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia,
Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the
districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, 11 both Jews
and converts to Judaism, Cretans, and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our
own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” 12 They were all astounded and
bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others said,
scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”
II. The Mission in Jerusalem
Peter’s Speech at Pentecost. 14 [e]Then Peter stood up with
the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed
all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my
words. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine
o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet
Joel:
17 ‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says, ‘that
I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall
dream dreams.
18 Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids I will pour out
a portion of my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will work wonders in the heavens above and signs on
the earth below: blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to
blood, before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord,
21 and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on
the name of the Lord.’
22 You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the
Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and
signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. 23
This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed,
using lawless men to crucify him. 24 But God raised him up, releasing him from
the throes of death because it was impossible for him to be held by it. 25 For
David says of him: ‘I saw the Lord ever before me, with him at my right hand I
shall not be disturbed.
26 Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has
exulted; my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,
27 because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, nor
will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will
fill me with joy in your presence.’
29 My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the
patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to
this day. 30 But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to
him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, 31 he foresaw and
spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the
netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 God raised this Jesus; of this, we are all witnesses. 33 Exalted at the right hand of God,[f] he received the
promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both]
see and hear. 34 For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:
‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand 35 until I
make your enemies your footstool.”’
36 Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and
they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38
Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized,[g] 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 For the promise is made to you and to your children and
to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified
with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this
corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about
three thousand persons were added that day.
Communal Life.[h] 42 They devoted themselves to the teaching
of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to
the prayers. 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done
through the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in
common; 45 they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among
all according to each one’s need. 46 Every day they devoted themselves to
meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They
ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and
enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number
those who were being saved.
Footnotes
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 the initial stage there was little or no thought of any dividing line between
Christianity and Judaism (Acts 2:46).
Source Catholic Bible: New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)
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