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The Day of Pentecost

¹ When ^(C1)the day of ^(F1)Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place,² and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled ^(C1)the whole house where they were sitting.³ There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed among them, and they rested on each one of them as each person received the Holy Spirit.⁴ And they were all ^(C1)filled that is, diffused throughout their being with the Holy Spirit and began to ^(C2)speak in other ^(F1)tongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out clearly and appropriately.

⁵ Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, ^(C1)devout and God-fearing men from every nation under heaven.⁶ And when ^(C1)this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own language or dialect.^7 (C1)They were completely astonished, saying, "Look! Are not all of these who are speaking ^(C2)Galileans?⁸ "Then how is it that each of us hears in our own language or native dialect?⁹ "Among us there are Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and ^(C1)Cappadocia, ^(C2)Pontus and ^(F1)(C3)Asia Minor,^10 (C1)Phrygia and ^(C2)Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around ^(C3)Cyrene, and the ^(C4)visitors from Rome, both Jews and ^(C5)proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism),¹¹ Cretans and Arabs—we all hear them speaking in our native tongues about the mighty works of God!"¹² And ^(C1)they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, "What could this mean?"¹³ But others were laughing and joking and ridiculing them, saying, "^(C1)They are full of sweet wine and are drunk!"

Peter's Sermon

¹⁴ But Peter, standing with ^(C1)the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closely and pay attention to what I have to say.¹⁵ "These people are not drunk, as you assume, ^(C1)since it is only the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);¹⁶ but this is the beginning of what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷ '^(C1)AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' says God,
'THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL MANKIND;
AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY,
AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE divinely prompted VISIONS,
AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM divinely prompted DREAMS;

¹⁸ EVEN ON MY BOND-SERVANTS, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN,
I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR OUT MY SPIRIT
And they shall prophesy.

¹⁹ 'AND I WILL BRING ABOUT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE
AND SIGNS (attesting miracles) ON THE EARTH BELOW,
BLOOD AND FIRE AND SMOKING VAPOR.

²⁰ 'THE SUN SHALL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS
AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD,
BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD COMES.

²¹ 'AND IT SHALL BE THAT ^(C1)EVERYONE WHO CALLS UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus SHALL BE SAVED (rescued spiritually).' ^(VR1)

²² "Men of Israel, listen to these words: ^(C1)Jesus of Nazareth, ^(C2)a Man accredited and pointed out and attested to you by God with the power to perform miracles and ^(C3)wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your very midst, just as you yourselves know—²³ this Man, when handed over to the Roman authorities according to the ^(C1)predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, ^(C2)you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawless and godless men.²⁴ "But ^(C1)God raised Him up, releasing Him and bringing an end to the agony of death, since it ^(C2)was impossible for Him to be held in death's power.²⁵ "For David says of Him,

'^(C1)I SAW THE LORD CONSTANTLY BEFORE ME;
FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN from my state of security.

²⁶ 'THEREFORE MY HEART REJOICED AND MY TONGUE EXULTED EXCEEDINGLY;
MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection;

²⁷ FOR YOU WILL NOT FORSAKE ME and ABANDON MY SOUL TO ^(C1)HADES (the realm of the dead),
^(C2)NOR LET YOUR HOLY ONE UNDERGO DECAY after death.

²⁸ 'YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE;
YOU WILL FILL ME infusing my soul WITH JOY WITH YOUR PRESENCE.' ^(VR1)

²⁹ "Brothers, I may confidently and freely say to you regarding the ^(C1)patriarch David that he both ^(C2)died and ^(C3)was buried, and ^(C4)his tomb is with us to this day.³⁰ "And so, being ^(C1)a prophet and knowing fully that ^(C2)GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH THAT HE WOULD SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, ^(VR1)31 he foresaw and spoke prophetically of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that ^(C1)HE WAS NOT ABANDONED in death TO HADES (the realm of the dead), NOR DID His body UNDERGO DECAY. ^(VR1)32 "^(C1)God raised this Jesus bodily from the dead, and of that fact we are all ^(C2)witnesses.³³ "Therefore having been exalted ^(F1)(C1)to the right hand of God, and ^(C2)having received from the Father ^(C3)the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has ^(C4)poured out this blessing which you both see and hear.³⁴ "For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says,

'^(C1)THE LORD the Father SAID TO MY ^(F1)LORD the Son,
"SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

³⁵ UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A ^(F1)FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."' ^(VR1)

The Ingathering

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart with remorse and anxiety, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, ^(C1)what are we to do?"³⁸ And Peter said to them, "^(C1)Repent change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah and be ^(C2)baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.³⁹ "For ^(C1)the promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and your children and for all who are ^(C2)far away including the Gentiles, as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself." ^(VR1)40 And Peter solemnly ^(C1)testified and continued to admonish and urge them with many more words, saying, "^(F1)Be saved from this ^(C2)crooked and unjust generation!"⁴¹ So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about ^(F1)3,000 ^(C1)souls were added to the body of believers.⁴² They were continually and faithfully ^(C1)devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, to ^(F1)(C2)eating meals together and to ^(C1)prayers.

⁴³ A sense of awe was felt by ^(F1)everyone, and many ^(C1)wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.⁴⁴ And all those who had believed in Jesus as Savior ^(F1)were together and ^(C1)had all things in common considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole.⁴⁵ And they ^(C1)began selling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all the other believers, as anyone had need.^46 (C1)Day after day they met in the temple area continuing with one mind, and ^(C2)breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,⁴⁷ praising God continually, and ^(C1)having favor with all the people. And the Lord ^(C2)kept adding to their number daily ^(C3)those who were being saved.