Bible Commentaries
Acts 2

Introduction

CHAPTER 2

:-. DESCENT OF THE SPIRIT—THE DISCIPLES SPEAK WITH TONGUES—AMAZEMENT OF THE MULTITUDE.

Verse 1

1-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come—The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (Leviticus 23:15; Leviticus 23:16).

with one accord—the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.

Verse 2

2. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, c.—"The whole description is so picturesque and striking that it could only come from an eye-witness" [OLSHAUSEN]. The suddenness, strength, and diffusiveness of the sound strike with deepest awe the whole company, and thus complete their preparation for the heavenly gift. Wind was a familiar emblem of the Spirit (Ezekiel 37:9 John 3:8; John 20:22). But this was not a rush of actual wind. It was only a sound "as of" it.

Verse 3

3. cloven tongues, like as of fire, &c.—"disparted tongues," that is, tongue-shaped, flame-like appearances, rising from a common center or root, and resting upon each of that large company:—beautiful visible symbol of the burning energy of the Spirit now descending in all His plenitude upon the Church, and about to pour itself through every tongue, and over every tribe of men under heaven!

Verse 4

4. they . . . began to speak with . . . tongues, c.—real, living languages, as is plain from what follows. The thing uttered, probably the same by all, was "the wonderful works of God," perhaps in the inspired words of the Old Testament evangelical hymns though it is next to certain that the speakers themselves understood nothing of what they uttered (see on :-).

Verse 5

5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation—not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see :-), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.

Verse 9

9-11. Parthians, c.—Beginning with the farthest east, the Parthians, the enumeration proceeds farther and farther westward till it comes to Judea next come the western countries, from Cappadocia to Pamphylia; then the southern, from Egypt to Cyrene; finally, apart from all geographical consideration, Cretes and Arabians are placed together. This enumeration is evidently designed to convey an impression of universality [BAUMGARTEN].

:-. PETER FOR THE FIRST TIME, PUBLICLY PREACHES CHRIST.

Verse 14

14-21. Peter, standing up with the eleven—in advance, perhaps, of the rest.

Verse 15

15. these are not drunken—meaning, not the Eleven, but the body of the disciples.

but the third hour—nine A.M. (see Ecclesiastes 10:16; Isaiah 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Verse 16

14-21. Peter, standing up with the eleven—in advance, perhaps, of the rest.

Verse 17

17. in the last days—meaning, the days of the Messiah (Isaiah 2:2); as closing all preparatory arrangements, and constituting the final dispensation of God's kingdom on earth.

pour out of my Spirit—in contrast with the mere drops of all preceding time.

upon all flesh—hitherto confined to the seed of Abraham.

sons . . . daughters . . . young men . . . old men . . . servants . . . handmaidens—without distinction of sex, age, or rank.

see visions . . . dream dreams—This is a mere accommodation to the ways in which the Spirit operated under the ancient economy, when the prediction was delivered; for in the New Testament, visions and dreams are rather the exception than the rule.

Verse 18

14-21. Peter, standing up with the eleven—in advance, perhaps, of the rest.

Verse 19

19. I will show wonders, &c.—referring to the signs which were to precede the destruction of Jerusalem (see on :-).

Verse 20

14-21. Peter, standing up with the eleven—in advance, perhaps, of the rest.

Verse 21

21. whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved—This points to the permanent establishment of the economy of salvation, which followed on the breaking up of the Jewish state.

Verse 22

22-28. a man approved of God—rather, "authenticated," "proved," or "demonstrated to be from God."

by miracles . . . which God did by him—This is not a low view of our Lord's miracles, as has been alleged, nor inconsistent with :-, but is in strict accordance with His progress from humiliation to glory, and with His own words in :-. This view of Christ is here dwelt on to exhibit to the Jews the whole course of Jesus of Nazareth as the ordinance and doing of the God of Israel [ALFORD].

Verse 23

23. determinate counsel and foreknowledge—God's fixed plan and perfect foresight of all the steps involved in it.

ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain—How strikingly is the criminality of Christ's murderers here presented in harmony with the eternal purpose to surrender Him into their hands!

Verse 24

24. was not possible he should be holden of it—Glorious saying! It was indeed impossible that "the Living One" should remain "among the dead" (Luke 24:5); but here, the impossibility seems to refer to the prophetic assurance that He should not see corruption.

Verse 25

22-28. a man approved of God—rather, "authenticated," "proved," or "demonstrated to be from God."

by miracles . . . which God did by him—This is not a low view of our Lord's miracles, as has been alleged, nor inconsistent with :-, but is in strict accordance with His progress from humiliation to glory, and with His own words in :-. This view of Christ is here dwelt on to exhibit to the Jews the whole course of Jesus of Nazareth as the ordinance and doing of the God of Israel [ALFORD].

Verse 27

27. wilt not leave my soul in hell—in its disembodied state (see on :-).

neither . . . suffer thine Holy One to see corruption—in the grave.

Verse 28

28. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life—that is, resurrection-life.

thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance—that is, in glory; as is plain from the whole connection and the actual words of the sixteenth Psalm.

Verse 29

29-36. David . . . is . . . dead and buried, &c.—Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, sees in this sixteenth Psalm, one Holy Man, whose life of high devotedness and lofty spirituality is crowned with the assurance, that though He taste of death, He shall rise again without seeing corruption, and be admitted to the bliss of God's immediate presence. Now as this was palpably untrue of David, it could be meant only of One other, even of Him whom David was taught to expect as the final Occupant of the throne of Israel. (Those, therefore, and they are many, who take David himself to be the subject of this Psalm, and the words quoted to refer to Christ only in a more eminent sense, nullify the whole argument of the apostle). The Psalm is then affirmed to have had its only proper fulfilment in JESUS, of whose resurrection and ascension they were witnesses, while the glorious effusion of the Spirit by the hand of the ascended One, setting an infallible seal upon all, was even then witnessed by the thousands who stood listening to Him. A further illustration of Messiah's ascension and session at God's right hand is drawn from :-, in which David cannot be thought to speak of himself, seeing he is still in his grave.

Verse 36

36. Therefore—that is, to sum up all.

let all the house of Israel—for in this first discourse the appeal is formally made to the whole house of Israel, as the then existing Kingdom of God.

know assuredly—by indisputable facts, fulfilled predictions, and the seal of the Holy Ghost set upon all.

that God hath made—for Peter's object was to show them that, instead of interfering with the arrangements of the God of Israel, these events were His own high movements.

this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified—"The sting is at the close" [BENGEL]. To prove to them merely that Jesus was the Messiah might have left them all unchanged in heart. But to convince them that He whom they had crucified had been by the right hand of God exalted, and constituted the "LORD" whom David in spirit adored, to whom every knee shall bow, and the CHRIST of God, was to bring them to "look on Him whom they had pierced and mourn for Him."

Verse 37

37-40. pricked in their hearts—the begun fulfilment of Zechariah 12:10, whose full accomplishment is reserved for the day when "all Israel shall be saved" (see on Zechariah 12:10- :).

what shall we do?—This is that beautiful spirit of genuine compunction and childlike docility, which, discovering its whole past career to have been one frightful mistake, seeks only to be set right for the future, be the change involved and the sacrifices required what they may. So Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:6).

Verse 38

38. Repent—The word denotes change of mind, and here includes the reception of the Gospel as the proper issue of that revolution of mind which they were then undergoing.

baptized . . . for the remission of sins—as the visible seal of that remission.

Verse 39

39. For the promise—of the Holy Ghost, through the risen Saviour, as the grand blessing of the new covenant.

all afar off—the Gentiles, as in Ephesians 2:17), but "to the Jew first."

Verse 40

40. with many other words did he testify and exhort—Thus we have here but a summary of Peter's discourse; though from the next words it would seem that only the more practical parts, the home appeals, are omitted.

Save yourselves from this untoward generation—as if Peter already foresaw the hopeless impenitence of the nation at large, and would have his hearers hasten in for themselves and secure their own salvation.

:-. BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

Verse 41

41-47. they that gladly received his word were baptized—"It is difficult to say how three thousand could be baptized in one day, according to the old practice of a complete submersion; and the more as in Jerusalem there was no water at hand except Kidron and a few pools. The difficulty can only be removed by supposing that they already employed sprinkling, or baptized in houses in large vessels. Formal submersion in rivers, or larger quantities of water, probably took place only where the locality conveniently allowed it" [OLSHAUSEN].

the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls—fitting inauguration of the new kingdom, as an economy of the Spirit!

Verse 42

42. continued steadfastly in—"attended constantly upon."

the apostles' doctrine—"teaching"; giving themselves up to the instructions which, in their raw state, would be indispensable to the consolidation of the immense multitude suddenly admitted to visible discipleship.

fellowship—in its largest sense.

breaking of bread—not certainly in the Lord's Supper alone, but rather in frugal repasts taken together, with which the Lord's Supper was probably conjoined until abuses and persecution led to the discontinuance of the common meal.

prayers—probably, stated seasons of it.

Verse 43

43. fear came upon every soul—A deep awe rested upon the whole community.

Verse 44

44. all that believed were together, and had all things common—(See on :-).

Verse 45

41-47. they that gladly received his word were baptized—"It is difficult to say how three thousand could be baptized in one day, according to the old practice of a complete submersion; and the more as in Jerusalem there was no water at hand except Kidron and a few pools. The difficulty can only be removed by supposing that they already employed sprinkling, or baptized in houses in large vessels. Formal submersion in rivers, or larger quantities of water, probably took place only where the locality conveniently allowed it" [OLSHAUSEN].

the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls—fitting inauguration of the new kingdom, as an economy of the Spirit!

Verse 46

46. daily . . . in the temple—observing the hours of Jewish worship.

and breaking bread from house to house—rather, "at home" (Margin), that is, in private, as contrasted with their temple-worship, but in some stated place or places of meeting.

eat their meat with gladness—"exultation."

and singleness of heart.

Verse 47

47. Praising God—"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works" ( :-, also see on Acts 8:39).

having favour with all the people—commending themselves by their lovely demeanor to the admiration of all who observed them.

And the Lord—that is, JESUS, as the glorified Head and Ruler of the Church.

added—kept adding; that is, to the visible community of believers, though the words "to the Church" are wanting in the most ancient manuscripts.

such as should be saved—rather, "the saved," or "those who were being saved." "The young Church had but few peculiarities in its outward form, or even in its doctrine: the single discriminating principle of its few members was that they all recognized the crucified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. This confession would have been a thing of no importance, if it had only presented itself as a naked declaration, and would never in such a case have been able to form a community that would spread itself over the whole Roman empire. It acquired its value only through the power of the Holy Ghost, passing from the apostles as they preached to the hearers; for He brought the confession from the very hearts of men (1 Corinthians 12:3), and like a burning flame made their souls glow with love. By the power of this Spirit, therefore, we behold the first Christians not only in a state of active fellowship, but also internally changed: the narrow views of the natural man are broken through; they have their possessions in common, and they regard themselves as one family" [OLSHAUSEN].