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.
Acts 2
2
Coming of the Holy Spirit
1When #Lev. 23:15; Deut. 16:9; Acts 20:16; 1 Cor. 16:8the Day of Pentecost had fully come, #Acts 1:14they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it #Acts 4:31filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4And #Matt. 3:11; 5:6; 10:20; Luke 3:16; John 14:16; 16:7–15; Acts 1:5they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began #Mark 16:17; Acts 10:46; 19:6; (1 Cor. 12:10, 28, 30; 13:1)to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
The Crowd’s Response
5And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, #Luke 2:25; Acts 8:2devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound occurred, the #Acts 4:32multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak #Matt. 26:73; Acts 1:11Galileans? 8And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and #1 Pet. 1:1Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” 12So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”
13Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15For these are not drunk, as you suppose, #1 Thess. 5:7since it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17‘And#Is. 44:3; Ezek. 11:19; Joel 2:28–32; (Zech. 12:10; John 7:38) it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
#Acts 10:45That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and #Acts 21:9your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
18And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
#Acts 21:4, 9; 1 Cor. 12:10And they shall prophesy.
19#Joel 2:30I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
20#Is. 13:10; Ezek. 32:7; Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24, 25; Luke 21:25; Rev. 6:12The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
21And it shall come to pass
That #Rom. 10:13whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’
22“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you #Is. 50:5; John 3:2; 5:6; Acts 10:38by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23Him, #Matt. 26:4; Luke 22:22; Acts 3:18; 4:28; (1 Pet. 1:20)being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, #Acts 5:30you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24#(Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 6:14; 2 Cor. 4:14; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12); 1 Thess. 1:10; Heb. 13:20whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25For David says concerning Him:
#Ps. 16:8–11‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
26Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
27For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see #Acts 13:30–37corruption.
28You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’
29“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you #Acts 13:36of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Therefore, being a prophet, #2 Sam. 7:12; Ps. 132:11; Luke 1:32; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, #Ps. 16:10; Is. 50:8; 53:10that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32#Acts 2:24This Jesus God has raised up, #Acts 1:8; 3:15of which we are all witnesses. 33Therefore #Ps. 68:18; (Acts 5:31); Phil. 2:9being exalted to #Ps. 110:1; Mark 16:19; (Heb. 10:12)the right hand of God, and #Luke 24:49; (John 14:26)having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He #Matt. 3:11; 5:6; Luke 3:16; 22:69; John 14:16; 16:7–15; Acts 2:1–11, 17; 10:45; Eph. 4:8poured out this which you now see and hear.
34“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
#Ps. 68:18; 110:1; Matt. 22:44; Luke 23:43; John 20:17; 1 Cor. 15:25; Eph. 1:20; Heb. 1:13‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
35Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
36“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
37Now when they heard this, #(Zech. 12:10); Luke 3:10, 12, 14; John 16:8they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
38Then Peter said to them, #Luke 24:47“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and #Joel 2:28, 32to your children, and #Acts 11:15, 18; Eph. 2:13to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
A Vital Church Grows
40And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42#Acts 1:14; Rom. 12:12; Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2; Heb. 10:25And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43Then fear came upon every soul, and #Mark 16:17; Acts 2:22many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44Now all who believed were together, and #Acts 4:32, 34, 37; 5:2had all things in common, 45and sold their possessions and goods, and #Is. 58:7divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46#Acts 1:14So continuing daily with one accord #Luke 24:53in the temple, and #Luke 24:30; Acts 2:42; 20:7; (1 Cor. 10:16)breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. And #Acts 5:14the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.