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acts_2

Acts 2

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Acts 2 tells the story of the beginning of the church in Jerusalem with the events of Pentecost. On this day the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in languages foreign to them (Acts 2:4plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:4

Greek καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαλεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις καθὼς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς. ESV And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. NIV All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
) and preach to a crowd. Peter proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ, and about three thousand became Christians that day.

Pentecost (Hebrew Shavuot) was one of the three main annual Jewish feasts, occurring 50 days after the Passover. Since Jesus was crucified at the Passover, and he remained with his disciples for 40 days after his resurrection, this would mean that his disciples had been waiting about 7 days in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus.

The experience of Pentecost was shared by all the disciples. It began with the sound of a rushing, mighty wind (Acts 2:2plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:2

Greek καὶ ἐγένετο ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας καὶ ἐπλήρωσεν ὅλον τὸν οἶκον οὗ ἦσαν καθήμενοι· ESV And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. NIV Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
) and tongues of fire appearing on them (Acts 2:3plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:3

Greek καὶ ὤφθησαν αὐτοῖς διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι ὡσεὶ πυρός, καὶ ἐκάθισεν ἐφ’ ἕνα ἕκαστον αὐτῶν, ESV And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. NIV They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. NLT Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
). They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages (Acts 2:4plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:4

Greek καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν πάντες πνεύματος ἁγίου, καὶ ἤρξαντο λαλεῖν ἑτέραις γλώσσαις καθὼς τὸ πνεῦμα ἐδίδου ἀποφθέγγεσθαι αὐτοῖς. ESV And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. NIV All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
). In addition to Jews from Judea and Galilee, the crowd included many Diaspora Jews who were in Jerusalem for the feast. These Jews would have spoken the languages of their adopted homelands, and when they heard the disciples speaking in those languages they were amazed (Acts 2:6–11). This speaking in tongues is sometimes described as a reversal of Babel (Genesis 11), showing God breaking down barriers of language and uniting people through the gospel.

The hearers fell into one of two groups: those who wanted to understand what was happening, and those who mocked, saying the disciples were drunk. Then Peter, standing with the eleven, addressed the crowd. This was his first speech in Acts. He explained that these events had been foretold by the prophet Joel (Joel 2:28–32), and that David had spoken of the Messiah’s resurrection and exaltation (Psalm 16 and Psalm 110). Peter’s message reached its climax when he declared that God had made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah (Acts 2:36plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:36

Greek ἀσφαλῶς οὖν γινωσκέτω πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι καὶ κύριον αὐτὸν καὶ Χριστὸν ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε. ESV Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.“ NIV “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.…
).

Peter went on to call the people to respond: “Repent and be baptised, 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” (Acts 2:38plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:38

Greek Πέτρος δὲ πρὸς αὐτούς, μετανοήσατε, φησίν, καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν, καὶ λήμψεσθε τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος· ESV And Peter said to them, “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. NIV Peter replied,…
). That day about three thousand accepted his message, were baptised, and were added to the number of believers. These first converts were Jews, both from Judea and from the wider Jewish Diaspora. They became known as “followers of the Way” (Acts 9:2plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 9:2

Greek ᾐτήσατο παρ’ αὐτοῦ ἐπιστολὰς εἰς Δαμασκὸν πρὸς τὰς συναγωγάς, ὅπως ἄν τινας εὕρῃ ὄντας τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἄνδρας τε καὶ γυναῖκας, δεδεμένους ἀγάγῃ εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ. ESV and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. NIV and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisone…
).

The outpouring of the Spirit had been promised long before. Joel had spoken of it, but so had Moses (Numbers 11:29plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigNumbers 11:29

Hebrew וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה הַֽמְקַנֵּ֥א אַתָּ֖ה לִ֑י וּמִ֨י יִתֵּ֜ן כָּל עַ֤ם יְהוָה֙ נְבִיאִ֔ים כִּי יִתֵּ֧ן יְהוָ֛ה אֶת רוּח֖וֹ עֲלֵיהֶֽם ESV But Moses said to him, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the LORD's people were prophets, that the LORD would put his Spirit on them!” NIV But Moses replied, “ καὶαὐτῷμὴζηλοῖςσύμοικαὶτίςδῴηπάντατὸνλαὸνκυρίουπροφήταςὅτανδῷκύριοςτὸπνεῦμααὐτοῦἐπαὐτούς…
), Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigJeremiah 31:31

Hebrew הִנֵּ֛ה יָמִ֥ים בָּאִ֖ים נְאֻם יְהוָ֑ה וְכָרַתִּ֗י אֶת בֵּ֧ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאֶת בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָ֖ה בְּרִ֥ית חֲדָשָֽׁה ESV “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, NIV “The time is coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. διὰτοῦτοἐπὶὀλολύζετεπάντοθενβοήσατεἐπἄνδρας…
), Ezekiel (Ezekiel 36:25–27 and Ezekiel 37:14plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigEzekiel 37:14

Hebrew וְנָתַתִּ֨י רוּחִ֤י בָכֶם֙ וִחְיִיתֶ֔ם וְהִנַּחְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם עַל אַדְמַתְכֶ֑ם וִידַעְתֶּ֞ם כִּי אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה דִּבַּ֥רְתִּי וְעָשִׂ֖יתִי נְאֻם יְהוָֽה ESV And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the LORD. καὶδώσωτὸπνεῦμάμουεἰςὑμᾶςκαὶζήσεσθεκαὶθήσομαιὑμᾶςἐπὶτὴνγῆνὑμῶνκαὶὅτιἐγὼκύριοςλελάληκακαὶποιήσωλέγεικύριος…
), and John the Baptist, who said that the coming one would baptise with the Holy Spirit. Pentecost was the fulfillment of these promises and the sign that the “last days” had now begun (Acts 2:17plugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigActs 2:17

Greek καὶ ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, λέγει ὁ θεός, ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι ὑμῶν ὁράσεις ὄψονται, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ὑμῶν ἐνυπνίοις ἐνυπνιασθήσονται· ESV “'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;…
).

The chapter closes with a picture of the new community that was formed. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, the breaking of bread, and to prayer. They shared their possessions, cared for one another, and met daily in the temple and in their homes. With joy and simplicity, they praised God, and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:42–47).


Acts 1 ← Acts 2 → Acts 3

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