Acts 2

In Acts 1, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit and ascends into heaven, and the disciples, while praying and waiting, appoint Matthias as the twelfth apostle. This chapter depicts the fulfillment of that promise: the Holy Spirit comes, and the church comes into being.

Outline

• Verses 1–4 On the day of Pentecost, as the disciples are gathered in one place, a sound like wind and what appear to be tongues of fire come upon them. All are filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues.
• Verses 5–13 Jews and proselytes from many nations hear the disciples speaking, each in the language of his own region, and are amazed. Some mock them, saying they are drunk with new wine.
• Verses 14–21 Peter stands up with the eleven apostles. He explains that since it is only the third hour of the day (about 9 a.m.), they are not drunk; rather, the prophecy of Joel is being fulfilled.
• Verses 22–36 Peter proclaims the death and resurrection of Jesus and, citing the psalms of David, declares that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ.
• Verses 37–41 He urges the crowd, who are pricked in their hearts, to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. About three thousand are added that day.
• Verses 42–47 The believers devote themselves to the apostles' teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. They hold their possessions in common and meet daily in the temple and in homes.

Key Verses

• Acts 2:4 "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues …" — the central scene of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
• Acts 2:38 "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" — frequently cited as the basic form in which the early church invited people to respond to the gospel.
• Acts 2:42 "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" — widely used as a model for church life.

People and Places

• Peter — preaches on behalf of the apostles.
• Joel — the prophet whose prophecy (Joel 2) Peter quotes.
• David — Psalm 16 and Psalm 110 are quoted as David's words.
• Jerusalem — the place where the events occur.
• Galilee — the crowd is astonished that those speaking are all "Galilaeans."
• Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Rome, Crete, and Arabia — the home regions of the pilgrims. Together they cover a broad area stretching from Mesopotamia in the east to Rome in the west.

Points for Reflection

• Tongues: The text records that the hearers each heard in their own native language. Pentecostal churches view this event as evidence that baptism in the Holy Spirit is still experienced today, and they often emphasize tongues as its sign. By contrast, some in the Reformed tradition regard it as a once-for-all event at the founding of the church and hold that the gift of tongues ceased with the apostolic age (cessationism and continuationism).
• Baptism: Presbyterians, Methodists, and others who practice infant baptism cite the promise given "unto you, and to your children" in verse 39 as one of their grounds. Baptists point to verse 41, "they that gladly received his word were baptized," holding that only those who have professed faith should be baptized (by immersion) (infant baptism debate). Denominations also differ in how they explain the relationship between baptism and the remission of sins in verse 38.
• Sharing of possessions: Many interpreters read verses 44–45 as describing voluntary sharing rather than a mandatory system. This theme continues in Acts 4:32–35 and in the account of Ananias and Sapphira.
• Pentecost and the fulfillment of the promise: Pentecost is the Jewish Feast of Weeks, observed on the fiftieth day after Passover. This chapter depicts the fulfillment of the promise in Acts 1:4–5.

In the Korean Church

• In denominations that follow the church calendar, this chapter is frequently read as a sermon text for Pentecost Sunday.
• Verses 42–47 are commonly used in sermons on small groups, house churches, and discipleship training as a model of the "early church community."
• In Pentecostal churches, the chapter serves as a core text for teaching on the fullness of the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.