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BOOK 44 OF 66 · HISTORY · KING JAMES BIBLE

Acts 2

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REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Acts 2 Overview

On Pentecost the Holy Ghost fills the disciples and enables them to speak in other tongues understood by Jews from many nations. Peter explains the event from Joel, proclaims Jesus crucified and risen, identifies Him as both Lord and Christ, and calls his hearers to respond. About three thousand are baptized and added, and the Jerusalem believers devote themselves to doctrine, fellowship, breaking bread, prayers, generosity, and daily witness.

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Before you read Acts 2

Coming from

Luke’s second volume opens with the risen Jesus teaching the apostles, commanding them to wait for the promise of the Father, and defining their coming mission from Jerusalem to the uttermost part of the earth. Jesus ascends, angels promise His return, and the disciples replace Judas with Matthias while waiting together in prayer.

In this chapter

Pentecost publicly launches the Spirit-empowered witness promised in Acts 1 and centers that witness on the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus.

Leads into

Acts 3 shows apostolic signs and another public sermon after Peter heals a lame man at the temple gate.

Key understandingExplore deeper

The tongues are actual languages recognized by hearers from many regions; Luke repeatedly lists the nations and says each man heard in his own language.

Acts 2:38 must be read with the book’s broader salvation teaching. Peter addresses a convicted Jewish audience concerning repentance, baptism, and identification with the rejected Messiah; Acts elsewhere explicitly presents forgiveness and justification through believing in Christ, and baptism follows faith rather than functioning as a meritorious work.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

The Spirit glorifies the risen Christ

Peter’s sermon uses the miraculous event to direct attention to Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation.

The resurrection is the center of apostolic preaching

Peter argues from Scripture and eyewitness testimony that God raised Jesus from the dead.

The new community is teaching-centered

The converts continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine rather than treating conversion as an endpoint.

Christian fellowship has practical expression

Shared life includes meals, prayer, generosity, worship, and public testimony.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Joel 2:28–32

Peter explicitly quotes Joel to explain the Spirit’s outpouring and Day-of-the-Lord horizon.

Psalm 16:8–11

Peter applies David’s words to Christ’s resurrection.

Psalm 110:1

Peter uses the enthronement psalm to proclaim the exalted Lordship of Jesus.

Acts 10:43–48

Cornelius and his household receive the Holy Ghost upon believing before water baptism, an important interpretive control on baptism and forgiveness.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not turn tongues into meaningless ecstatic sounds when Luke says the hearers recognized languages

The miracle is communicative witness.

Do not teach that water baptism earns forgiveness or eternal life

Acts must be read as a whole, including explicit belief-first passages.

Do not equate communal sharing with forced state confiscation

The giving is voluntary and arises from fellowship and need.

Do not collapse Joel’s entire prophecy into Pentecost alone

Peter identifies the outpouring with Joel while the larger Day-of-the-Lord imagery retains a broader horizon.

Read Acts 2 watching for…

The repeated phrase ‘every man heard them speak in his own language.’

Peter’s movement from Joel to Jesus.

The emphasis on resurrection and exaltation.

The audience’s question and Peter’s response.

The practices that characterize the newly added believers.

TWBC REVIEW STANDARD

Plain language. Scripture first. Fact distinguished from inference. No filler. No fake certainty. Designed to help you read the Bible itself.

Chapter outline4 sections
1-13The Holy Ghost fills the disciples at Pentecost and they speak in other tongues14-36Peter preaches that Jesus was crucified, raised, exalted, and made both Lord and Christ37-41The hearers respond, are baptized, and about three thousand are added42-47The believers continue in doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers, and shared life
1

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10

Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11

Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13

Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

14

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15

For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all 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 my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour 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

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

22

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

25

For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

26

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

27

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

28

Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

29

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

30

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

31

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the 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 the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35

Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

37

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, 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 promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

41

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

44

And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45

And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

46

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

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Acts 2:24

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