Acts 2
2
1 And when the days of Pentecost were completed, they were all together in the same place.
2 And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven, like that of a wind approaching violently, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared to them separate tongues, as if of fire, which settled upon each one of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they began to speak in various languages, just as the Holy Spirit bestowed eloquence to them.
5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, pious men from every nation that is under heaven.
6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together and was confused in mind, because each one was listening to them speaking in his own language.
7 Then all were astonished, and they wondered, saying: "Behold, are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?
8 And how is it that we have each heard them in our own language, into which we were born?
9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya which are around Cyrene, and new arrivals of the Romans,
11 likewise Jews and new converts, Cretans and Arabs: we have heard them speaking in our own languages the mighty deeds of God."
12 And they were all astonished, and they wondered, saying to one another: "But what does this mean?"
13 But others mockingly said, "These men are full of new wine."
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and he spoke to them: "Men of Judea, and all those who are staying in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and incline your ears to my words.
15 For these men are not inebriated, as you suppose, for it is the third hour of the day.
16 But this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel:
17 'And this shall be: in the last days, says the Lord, I will pour out, from my Spirit, upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. And your youths shall see visions, and your elders shall dream dreams.
18 And certainly, upon my men and women servants in those days, I will pour out from my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will bestow wonders in heaven above, and signs on earth below: blood and fire and the vapor of smoke.
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord arrives.
21 And this shall be: whoever shall invoke the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22 Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene is a man confirmed by God among you through the miracles and wonders and signs that God accomplished through him in your midst, just as you also know.
23 This man, under the definitive plan and foreknowledge of God, was delivered by the hands of the unjust, afflicted, and put to death.
24 And he whom God has raised up has broken the sorrows of Hell, for certainly it was impossible for him to be held by it.
25 For David said about him: 'I foresaw the Lord always in my sight, for he is at my right hand, so that I may not be moved.
26 Because of this, my heart has rejoiced, and my tongue has exulted. Moreover, my flesh shall also rest in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to Hell, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life. You will completely fill me with happiness by your presence.'
29 Noble brothers, permit me to speak freely to you about the Patriarch David: for he passed away and was buried, and his sepulcher is with us, even to this very day.
30 Therefore, he was a prophet, for he knew that God had sworn an oath to him about the fruit of his loins, about the One who would sit upon his throne.
31 Foreseeing this, he was speaking about the Resurrection of the Christ. For he was neither left behind in Hell, nor did his flesh see corruption.
32 This Jesus, God raised up again, and of this we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the Promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured this out, just as you now see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend 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, may the entire house of Israel know most certainly that God has made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
37 Now when they had heard these things, they were contrite in heart, and they said to Peter and to the other Apostles: "What should we do, noble brothers?"
38 Yet truly, Peter said to them: "Do penance; and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the Promise is for you and for your sons, and for all who are far away: for whomever the Lord our God will have called."
40 And then, with very many other words, he testified and he exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this depraved generation."
41 Therefore, those who accepted his discourse were baptized. And about three thousand souls were added on that day.
42 Now they were persevering in the doctrine of the Apostles, and in the communion of the breaking of the bread, and in the prayers.
43 And fear developed in every soul. Also, many miracles and signs were accomplished by the Apostles in Jerusalem. And there was a great awe in everyone.
44 And then all who believed were together, and they held all things in common.
45 They were selling their possessions and belongings, and dividing them to all, just as any of them had need.
46 Also, they continued, daily, to be of one accord in the temple and to break bread among the houses; and they took their meals with exultation and simplicity of heart,
47 praising God greatly, and holding favor with all the people. And every day, the Lord increased those who were being saved among them.
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Acts 2
2
A Sound Like a Strong Wind
1-4When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were blown away. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
12Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”
13Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”
Peter Speaks Up
14-21That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I’ll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they’ll prophesy.
I’ll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved.”
22-28“Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:
I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side.
I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you’ll never dump me in Hades;
I’ll never even smell the stench of death.
You’ve got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around.
29-36“Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—‘no trip to Hades, no stench of death.’ This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,
God said to my Master, “Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet.”
“All Israel, then, know this: There’s no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross.”
37Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?”
38-39Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”
40He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
* * *
43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.
46-47They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.