The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 2
Vs. 1 According to the Jewish calendar of feast days it is the Feast of Pentecost.
The word Pentecost means 50 days after Passover.
The Jewish believers have come together in a room. They are waiting praying
to see what God has for them. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came to them. And that the Holy Spirit will “baptize” them.
When John baptized a person in water, he put them down under the water and lifted them back up. So if a person is “baptized” in the Spirit there is the idea that the person will be completely covered by the Holy Spirit.
Paul says that the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us.
John 16:7-14 Jesus tells the people that He (Jesus) must go away so that the Holy Spirit will come. But than when Jesus returns to heaven, he will send the Holy Spirit.
In these verses, Jesus tells what the Holy Spirit will do when he comes.
He will show the world (the people) that they have sin. He will show what is right.
He will guide the believer into all truth.
He will not speak of himself or pull attention to himself. He will put all the glory to the Jesus.
He will show you things that are to happen in the future.
The purpose (reason-job) of the Holy Spirit is:
to give courage, power to the believer so he can be a witness and tell others about Jesus.
show people their sin.
guide believers. He will show them what is true—-warn them what is false.
show us things that will happen in the future.
He will always put all the glory to Jesus. (This is a good “measuring stick” for things, or teachings of people—–does the thing, or teaching give glory to Jesus. If it does not—-be careful—-things and teachings that do not glorify Jesus are not true.)
Jesus is the key word.
Many religions some who call themselves “Christian” do not think or teach that Jesus is God’s only Son that Jesus is the only One who can save us from our sins.
Some religions or groups teach that Jesus is a “lesser” god. That He is less than the Father. Some teach that Jesus and Satan were once brothers. Some teach Jesus is just a prophet. Many teach that you must do something (other than believing) to get salvation.
All glory must go to Jesus. Jesus must be believed to be the only Son of God. Jesus must be believed to be the only One who can save us from sin.
If the group does not believe this they are not teaching what the Bible teaches about Jesus.
One of the “jobs” of the Holy Spirit is to show us the truth that includes warning us in our spirit about things that are wrong.
Vs. 2 About 120 believers are together in this room. Suddenly there came a sound from the sky (heaven) it came down upon them. It sounded like a big fast wind—like a windstorm. It filled the house where they were sitting.
Vs.3 Then a little flame of fire sat on the top of each of their heads. The fire did not burn anything—it was just there in the air over their head.
Do you remember when Moses was the in desert (wilderness) he saw a bush burning with fire but the bush did not burn up? Then God spoke to Moses from the fire of the bush.
God’s spirit is sometimes showed by a burning fire.
Vs. 4 Then the people started speaking all of them but they were not speaking in their own language they were speaking each one in a different language.
These people did not know these languages. The Holy Spirit was making them speak and moving their mouths as they yielded to Him and out of their mouth was coming a language that they had not learned.
Vs. 5 Outside the house there were people who could hear all of these 120 people all talking in all these languages. They began to tell others standing around what they were hearing. More and more people began to gather around outside to listen and to wonder what was happening. Some of the people were from other places and nations but they heard these Jews speaking in their language.
Vs. 7 They were all surprised. They asked each other—-how do they know my language?
Vs. 9-11 There are about 15 different places (languages) that are named.
Vs. 12 They are just amazed.
Vs. 13 Some of the people said they must be drunk. They did not have any way to explain it so they said they are drunk.
Vs. 14 But Peter stood and began to talk to all those people listening. He said “They are not drunk. Think about it. It is morning. People do nt get drunk in the morning. “ Peter said “What you see happening here was told it would happen by the prophet Joel.” Joel was a prophet 900 years before Jesus was born.
Joel said: “It will happen, in the last days, says God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people, your sons and daughters will prophecy. Your young men will see visions, your old men will have dreams. On my servants, and on the women servants I will pour out my spirit and they will prophecy. I will show wonders in the heavens, and signs in the earth. There will be blood, fire, smoke. The sun will be dark, the moon will be blood (red). This will happened before that great day that the Lord will come. And whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Joel 2:28-32
Vs.22-36 Peter keeps on talking, He tells of Jesus’ life, his miracles, his death, his resurrection. He tells how it is the fulfillment of what the Old Testament had said would happen.
(Vs.5) said that most of these standing outside the house were Jews from many other lands. So these people knew the Old Testament. They knew the prophecies about the Messiah coming. So when Peter was talking, they were understanding what he was saying.
Vs. 37 As they listened they felt in their heart that Peter was saying the truth.
So they asked Peter “What shall we do?” Peter told them, “Repent! And be baptized in the name of Jesus. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
As these people were listening to Peter speak the Holy Spirit was speaking to their minds and spirits that this was the truth. The men felt “pricked” in their hearts.
They felt “convicted”. They felt they were wrong and what they were hearing was the truth.
This is one of the “jobs” of the Holy Spirit. When people speak the truth about Jesus the Holy Spirit speaks to the person’s heart that this is truth. The Holy Spirit pulls the person to come to the truth and receive it.
The person has a will so he has to decide to accept the truth or not.
These people listening to Peter have decided to believe what Peter has said and they want to know what to do about it.
Peter said: “Repent.” Repent means to turn around and go the other way. When a person understands that what they have been doing or believing is wrong, they need to confess their sin and wrong to Jesus and ask for forgiveness. Then they need to change and walk and believe differently.
Peter told them to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.
Baptizing by itself does not wash away your sin. You must believe in Jesus and confess your sin. Jesus washes away your sin. Being baptized shows that you have believed in Jesus.
Then Peter said for them that they could receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter was saying that this experience that they were seeing happen in that house could happen to them, too, if they believed in Jesus.
Peter was telling them that they, too could have this experience of speaking in another language as the Holy Spirit moved them.
The Holy Spirit does not come into a person who is not “clean” from sin. The Holy Spirit does not live in persons who keep living in sin and doing sinful things.
The Holy Spirit lives in a person who keeps himself free from sin. The person must believe in Jesus, ask for forgiveness, plan to practice pleasing Jesus and follow his teachings of how to live.
The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to help the believer give glory to Jesus in his life and how he lives.
If a person has no desire to live as Jesus said the Holy Spirit has no reason to be in that person. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is to bring glory to Jesus.
The Holy Spirit will come to that person to try to get them to do right.
But the Holy Spirit is not going to “live in” “in-dwell” in a person who is determined to keep sinning.
Peter tells the people listening that this promise of the Holy Spirit is for them because Joel said that is was for you and your children the promise goes on and on to every generation.
Vs. 39 It is for “even as many as our God shall call.” The promise of the Holy Spirit
is for all now and in the future to as many as God calls to believe in Jesus.
Peter tells us in a book he wrote that God does not want to see any one die or perish eternally that He wants everyone all to come to repent. II Peter 3:9
Vs. 40 Peter continues to warn the people about the sins of the people and how they need to live differently than they were doing.
Vs. 41 Those who believed what Peter said asked to be baptized and they were “added to the group of believers” that day.. There were about 3000 people who believed and accepted what Peter said that day.
Vs. 42 They continued to have fellowship with other believers breaking of bread and of prayers. Breaking of bread could mean two things. They shared meals.
And it could mean they shared the bread in the way Jesus did at the last supper. Jesus had said to do that to remember him.
Vs. 43 Fear came upon all of them and many wonders, miracles were done by the disciples. In other words, They all had great respect for the Holy Spirit/God/Jesus and they walked in a way that showed that respect and honor. Other people around them felt and saw this. People felt the power of the Holy Spirit on these believers. And because the believers were so full of the Spirit and the power of the Spirit the Holy Spirit worked through them to do miracles.
Vs. 44 The believers joined together and shared what they had. They sold things so that they could share with the others.
My thought is that the disciples were not fishing or doing the work they usually did.
When they were with Jesus there were people who gave them offering money or food, etc to help them. Jesus is gone now. Some of those people who helped them before may not be helping them now. But the disciples still need to live and take care of their families. So the believers decided to make a group to support each other so all are taken care of so some of them can preach and teach and go out to tell others.
Vs. 46 They continued to go about living they still went to the Jewish temple.
They went from house to house. People shared their meals. They shared in fellowship and encouragement.
Vs. 47 They praised God. They were liked by the people. And everyday, the Lord brought people to believing and they were added to the group.