Acts 2
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 2
The Coming of the Spirit. 1 [a]When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.(A) 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.(B) 3 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,[c] which parted and came to rest on each one of them.(C) 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.(D)
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?(E) 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.”(F) 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.”(G)
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.(H)
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.’(I)
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.(J) 23 This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him.(K) 24 But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.(L) 25 For David says of him:
‘I saw the Lord ever before me,(M)
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.(N)
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,(O) 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.(P) 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.(Q) 34 For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand(R)
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.”(S)
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?”(T) 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.(U) 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.”(V) 40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”(W) 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.(X)
Communal Life.[h] 42 (Y)They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers.(Z) 43 Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.(AA) 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common;(AB) 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 initial stage there was little or no thought of any dividing line between Christianity and Judaism (Acts 2:46).
Acts 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 1 The Apostles 4 filled with the holy Ghost 8 speak with divers tongues: 12 They are thought to be drunk, 15 but Peter disproveth that. 34 He teacheth that Christ is the Messiah: 37 And seeing the hearers astonied, 38 he exhorteth them to repentance.
1 And [a]when the day of Pentecost was [b]come, they were [c]all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing and mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they sat.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the holy Ghost, and began to speak with [d]other tongues, as the [e]Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, men that feared God, of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised, the multitude came together and were astonied, because that every man heard them speak his own language.
7 And they wondered all, and marveled, saying among themselves, Behold, are not all these which speak, of Galilee?
8 [f]How then hear we every man our own language, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the inhabitants of Mesopotamia, and of Judea, and of Cappadocia, of Pontus, and Asia,
10 And of Phrygia, and Pamphylia, of Egypt, and of the parts of Libya, which is beside Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, and [g]Jews, and Proselytes,
11 Cretes, and Arabians: we heard them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 [h]They were all then amazed, and doubted, saying one to another, What may this be?
13 And others [i]mocked, and said, They are full of new wine.
14 ¶ But Peter standing with the eleven, [j]lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and ye all that inhabit Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken unto my words.
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, since it is but the [k]third hour of the day.
16 But this is that, which was spoken by the [l]Prophet (A)Joel,
17 [m]And it shall be in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon [n]all [o]flesh, and your sons, and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 And on my servants, and on mine handmaids I will pour out of my Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and tokens in the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and the vapors of smoke.
20 The Sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.
21 [p]And it shall be, that whosoever shall [q]call on the Name of the Lord, shall be saved.
22 [r]Ye men of Israel, hear these words, JESUS of Nazareth, a man [s]approved of God among you with great works, and wonders, and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, I say, being delivered by the determinate counsel, and [t]foreknowledge of God, after you had taken, with wicked [u]hands you have crucified and [v]slain.
24 [w]Whom God hath raised up, and loosed the [x]sorrows of death, because it was impossible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David saith concerning him, (B)I beheld the Lord always before me: for he is at my right hand, that I should not be shaken.
26 Therefore did mine heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad, and moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope,
27 Because thou wilt not [y]leave my soul in grave, neither wilt suffer thine Holy one to see corruption.
28 Thou hast [z]showed me the ways of life, and shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, I may boldly speak unto you of the Patriarch David, (C)that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher remaineth with us unto this day.
30 Therefore, seeing he was a Prophet, and knew that God had (D)[aa]sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins he would raise up Christ concerning the flesh, to set him upon his throne.
31 He knowing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that (E)his soul should not be left in grave, neither his flesh should see corruption.
32 [ab]This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Since then that he by the [ac]right hand of God hath been exalted, and hath received of his Father the promise of the holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into heaven, but he saith, (F)The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,
35 Until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
36 Therefore, let all the house of Israel know for a surety, that God hath [ad]made him both Lord, and Christ, this Jesus, I say, whom ye have crucified.
37 Now when they heard it, they were pricked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and the other Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 [ae]Then Peter said unto them, Amend your lives, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins: and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost.
39 For the [af]promise is made unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 [ag]And with many other words he besought and exhorted them, saying, Save yourselves from this [froward] generation.
41 [ah]Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized, and the same day there were added to the Church about three thousand souls.
42 [ai]And they continued in the Apostles’ doctrine, and [aj]fellowship, and [ak]breaking of bread, and prayers.
43 ¶ [al]And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles.
44 [am]And all that believed, were in one place, and had all things common.
45 And they sold their possessions, and goods, and parted them to all men, as everyone had need.
46 [an]And they continued daily with one accord in the Temple, and breaking bread at home, did eat their meat together with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and had favor with all the people: and the Lord added to the Church from day to day, such as should be saved.
Footnotes
- Acts 2:1 The Apostles being gathered together on a most solemn feast day in one place, that it might evidently appear to all the world, that they had all one office, one Spirit, one faith, are by a double sign from heaven authorized, and anointed with all the most excellent gifts of the holy Ghost and especially with an extraordinary and necessary gift of tongues.
- Acts 2:1 Word for word, was fulfilled: that is, was begun, as Luke 2:21. For the Hebrews say that a day, or a year is fulfilled or ended, when the former days or years are ended, and the other begun, Jer. 25:12. And it shall come to pass, that when seventy years are fulfilled, I will visit, etc. For the Lord did not bring home his people after the seventieth year was ended, but in the seventieth year. Now the day of Pentecost was the fiftieth day after the feast of the Passover.
- Acts 2:1 The twelve Apostles, which were to be the Patriarchs as it were of the Church.
- Acts 2:4 He calleth them other tongues, which were not the same which the Apostles used commonly, and Mark calleth them new tongues.
- Acts 2:4 Hereby were understood that the Apostles used not now one tongue, and then another by haphazard and at all adventure, or as fantastical men used to do, but with good consideration of their hearers: and to be short, that they spake nothing but as the holy Ghost governed their tongues.
- Acts 2:8 Not that they spake with one voice, and many languages were heard, but that the Apostles spake with strange tongues: for else the miracle had rather been in the hearers, whereas now it is in the speakers, Nazianzen in his oration of Whitsunday.
- Acts 2:10 By Jews, he meaneth them that were both Jews by birth, and Jews by profession of religion though they were born in other places: and they were Proselytes, which were Gentiles born and embraced the Jews’ religion.
- Acts 2:12 God’s word pierceth some so, that it driveth them to seek out the truth, and it doth so choke others, that it forceth them to be witnesses of their own impudency.
- Acts 2:13 The word which he useth here, signifieth such a kind of mocking which is reproachful and contumelious: And by this reproachful mocking we see, that there is no miracle so great and excellent, which the wickedness of man dareth not speak evil of.
- Acts 2:14 Peter’s boldness is to be marked, wherein the grace of the holy Ghost is to be seen, even straight after the beginning.
- Acts 2:15 After the sun rising, which may be about seven or eight of the clock with us.
- Acts 2:16 There is nothing that can dissolve questions and doubts, but testimonies taken out of the Prophets: for men’s reasons may be overturned, but God’s voice cannot be overturned.
- Acts 2:17 Peter setting the truth of God against the false accusations of men, showeth in himself and in his fellows, that that is fulfilled which Joel spake concerning the full giving of the holy Ghost in the latter days: which grace also is offered to the whole Church, to their certain and undoubted destruction, which do contemn it.
- Acts 2:17 All without exception, both upon the Jews and Gentiles.
- Acts 2:17 That is, men.
- Acts 2:21 The chiefest use of all the gifts of the holy Ghost, is to bring men to salvation by faith.
- Acts 2:21 This word, Call on, signifieth in holy Scriptures, an earnest praying and craving for help at God’s hand.
- Acts 2:22 Christ being innocent, was by God’s providence crucified of wicked men.
- Acts 2:22 Who is by those works which God wrought by him, so manifestly approved and allowed of, that no man can gainsay him.
- Acts 2:23 God’s everlasting knowledge going before, which can neither be separated from his determinate counsel, as the Epicureans say, neither yet be the cause of evil: for God in his everlasting and unchangeable counsel, appointed the wicked act of Judas to an excellent end: and God doeth that well which the instruments do ill.
- Acts 2:23 God’s counsel doth not excuse the Jews, whose hands were wicked.
- Acts 2:23 The fault is said to be theirs, by whose counsel and egging forward it is done.
- Acts 2:24 Christ (as David foretold) did not only rise again, but also was in the grave void of all corruption.
- Acts 2:24 The dead that was full of sorrow both of body and mind: therefore when death appeared conqueror and victor over those sorrows, Christ is rightly said to have overcome those sorrows of death, when as being dead, he overcame death, to live forever with his Father.
- Acts 2:27 Thou wilt not suffer me to remain in grave.
- Acts 2:28 Thou hast opened me the way to the true life.
- Acts 2:30 Had sworn solemnly.
- Acts 2:32 Peter witnesseth that Jesus Christ is the appointed everlasting King, which he proveth manifestly by the gifts of the holy Ghost,and the testimony of David.
- Acts 2:33 Might and power of God.
- Acts 2:36 Christ is said to be made, because he was advanced to that dignity: and therefore it is not spoken of his nature, but of his state and dignity.
- Acts 2:38 Repentance and remission of sins in Christ, are two principles of the Gospel, and therefore of our salvation: and they are obtained by the promises apprehended by faith, and are ratified in us by Baptism, wherewith is joined the virtue of the holy Ghost.
- Acts 2:39 The word that is used here, giveth us to understand that it was a free gift.
- Acts 2:40 He is truly joined to the Church which separateth himself from the wicked.
- Acts 2:41 A notable example of the virtue of the holy Ghost: but such as are of age, are not baptized before they make confession of their faith.
- Acts 2:42 The marks of the true Church of the doctrine of the Apostles, the duties of charity, the pure and simple administration of the Sacraments, and true invocation used of all the faithful.
- Acts 2:42 Communicating of goods, and all other duties of charity, as is showed afterward.
- Acts 2:42 The Jews used thin loaves, and therefore they did rather brake them than cut them: So by breaking of bread, they understood that living together and the banquets which they used to keep. And when they kept their love feasts, they used to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which even in these days began to be corrupted, and Paul amendeth it, 1 Cor. 11.
- Acts 2:43 So oft as the Lord thinketh it expedient, he bridleth the rage of strangers that the Church may be planted, and have some refreshing.
- Acts 2:44 Charity maketh all things common concerning the use, according as necessity requireth.
- Acts 2:46 The faithful came together at the beginning with great fruit, not only to the hearing of the word, but also to meat.
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