Acts 2

On the Jewish feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is poured out on Jesus’ waiting followers, and the good news is heard in the languages of pilgrims from across the world. Peter explains that this fulfills Joel’s prophecy and proclaims that the crucified Jesus is risen, Lord and Christ. About three thousand repent and are baptized, and the first church takes shape.

Acts 2:1

The disciples were waiting in Jerusalem, as Jesus had told them. Pentecost was a harvest feast held fifty days after Passover, so Jerusalem was crowded. They were gathered in harmony, and God chose this moment to fulfill His promise.

BSA: Pentecost (“fifty days after Passover”): The name simply means fiftieth, and it links this outpouring to the Passover week when Jesus died and rose.

Greek: Πεντηκοστῆς (Pentēkostēs, G4005) — “fiftieth.” The feast was named for its counting, fifty days from Passover. The Spirit arrives right on schedule in God’s calendar.

See also: Acts 1:4-5; Leviticus 23:15-16.

Acts 2:2

The Spirit’s coming was heard before it was seen. A sound like a violent wind came from heaven without warning and filled the whole house. Wind is an old picture of God’s invisible, unstoppable power, and here it fills the room and everyone in it.

BSA: wind (“breath, breeze”): The same word family means both breath and spirit, so the sound points to God’s own breath at work. filled (“completely filled, satisfied”): Nothing in the house was left untouched by the sound of God’s presence.

Greek: πνοῆς (pnoēs, G4157) — “a blowing, breath.” It is close to the word for Spirit (pneuma). Luke says it was a sound like wind, not actual wind, so that it points to the Spirit rather than to weather.

See also: John 3:8.

Acts 2:3

Visible flames appeared, divided out, and rested on each person. The Spirit was not given only to a leader or a few. Each one received Him personally, and the fire pictures God’s holy presence and the power He gives.

BSA: separated (“divided, distributed”): The fire was shared out, so that every believer in the room received it.

See also: Exodus 3:2; Luke 3:16.

Acts 2:4

Every one of them was filled with the Spirit and began to speak in languages they had not learned. The Spirit gave the words. This was the promised power to be Christ’s witnesses, and it began with praise that others could understand.

BSA: tongues (“languages, dialects”): These were real human languages, as the crowd’s reaction in the following verses shows.

Greek: ἀποφθέγγεσθαι (apophthengesthai, G669) — “to speak out, utter.” It describes bold, clear speech. They were not mumbling but speaking out as the Spirit gave them words.

See also: Acts 1:8.

Acts 2:5

Jerusalem was full of devout Jews who had come from all over the known world for the feast. God sent His Spirit when a worldwide audience was present, so that the message would spread outward from this city.

BSA: God-fearing (“devout, reverent”): These were sincere worshipers, already seeking God, and ready to listen.

Acts 2:6

The sound drew a crowd. The people were shaken, because each heard the believers speaking in his own native language. The miracle was aimed at the hearers. It overturned the confusion of Babel by making God’s message understandable to all.

BSA: bewilderment (“confusion, astonishment”): The crowd was stunned, unable to make sense of what they were hearing.

See also: Genesis 11:7-9.

Acts 2:7-8

The listeners knew these speakers were plain Galileans, who were not known for education or for foreign languages. So the crowd’s question was how this could be. The ordinary became the vehicle for the extraordinary, and the hearers knew the miracle could not be explained by natural means.

BSA: Galileans (“from the region of Galilee, Galilean by birth”): Galilee was a country region, so the crowd saw these speakers as unlikely linguists.

Acts 2:9-11

Luke lists peoples from east to west, from Parthia and Mesopotamia to Egypt, Rome and Arabia, and both born Jews and converts. The long list shows how far the message was meant to reach. What they all heard was the wonders of God, which is the theme of true Spirit-filled speech.

BSA: wonders (“mighty works, magnificent deeds”): The speech was about God’s great acts, not about the speakers.

See also: Psalm 145:4-6.

Acts 2:12-13

The crowd split. Some were genuinely puzzled and asked what it meant. Others brushed it off with a joke, that the believers were drunk. The same event can draw honest questions from some and ridicule from others.

BSA: perplexed (“completely baffled, in doubt”): These hearers did not know what to make of it, which left them open to an answer.

Acts 2:14

Peter, who had once denied Jesus, now stands up boldly with the other eleven apostles beside him. He raises his voice and speaks to everyone. The Spirit has changed a frightened fisherman into a clear public witness.

BSA: stood up (“rose to his feet, took a stand”): It shows a deliberate, public stand, not a quiet word.

See also: Luke 22:54-62.

Acts 2:15

Peter answers the mockery with plain common sense. It was only about nine in the morning, and people did not usually start drinking that early on a feast day. Then he turns from the accusation to the real explanation.

BSA: third hour (“a specific time”): Counting from sunrise, this was roughly nine o’clock in the morning.

Acts 2:16

Peter says that what they are seeing is not a strange accident but something God announced long ago. He roots the event in Scripture, in the prophet Joel, so the listeners can see that God is keeping His word.

BSA: prophet (“one who speaks forth God’s will”): Joel was God’s mouthpiece, so his words carry God’s authority.

See also: Joel 2:28-32.

Acts 2:17

God promises to pour out His Spirit on all people, old and young, men and women. Prophecy, visions and dreams were once rare gifts. Now they are shared widely. The last days begin with Christ’s first coming, and Peter says that time has arrived.

BSA: pour out (“liberally, abundantly”): The Spirit is given in generous measure, not in small drops. prophesy (“speak under divine inspiration”): It means to speak God’s message, not only to predict the future.

Greek: ἐκχεῶ (ekcheō, G1632) — “I will pour out.” It is the language of liquid poured freely from a jar. The picture is of abundance, not a trickle.

See also: Ezekiel 36:27.

Acts 2:18

Joel adds that even servants, men and women, will receive the Spirit. Class and social rank do not decide who is included. God’s Spirit comes on the humble as well as the honored.

BSA: maidservants (“female servants, handmaidens”): Women of low standing are named openly among those who receive the Spirit.

See also: Galatians 3:28.

Acts 2:19-20

Joel’s picture of dramatic signs in the sky and on earth points to the great Day of the Lord, when God will judge the world. Peter places the present age as the time leading to that day, a time to respond before it comes.

BSA: wonders (“miraculous, supernatural”): These are marvels only God can produce, pointing to His power.

See also: Matthew 24:29-30.

Acts 2:21

The promise ends with hope. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It is open to everyone, and it means asking for help from the Lord Himself. Peter will go on to show who this Lord is.

BSA: calls (“invokes, appeals to”): It means a real appeal to Him for rescue, not a casual mention of His name. saved (“rescued, delivered from harm”): Salvation is rescue from real danger, including God’s coming judgment.

See also: Romans 10:13.

Acts 2:22

Peter turns to Jesus. He reminds his hearers that God publicly vouched for Jesus of Nazareth through miracles done in front of them. They knew these things had happened. Jesus was fully a man, and God stood behind Him.

BSA: certified (“approved, demonstrated”): God’s miracles were His public proof that Jesus was who He claimed to be.

See also: John 5:36.

Acts 2:23

Jesus’ death was no accident. It happened by God’s settled plan and foreknowledge, yet the people who did it are still responsible. Peter holds both truths together. Wicked men carried out the crucifixion, and God used it for salvation.

BSA: set plan (“determinate counsel, deliberate intention”): The cross was part of God’s deliberate purpose from the beginning. lawless (“wicked, ungodly”): These were men acting outside God’s law, in this case Gentile executioners.

See also: Isaiah 53:10.

Acts 2:24

God reversed the verdict. He raised Jesus and freed Him from death’s pains. Death could not keep its prey, because He was the sinless Son of God. The resurrection is the center of the apostles’ message.

BSA: agony (“pains, labor”): Death is pictured as a painful labor that is ended when Jesus is born out of it.

Greek: ὠδῖνας (ōdinas, G5604) — “birth pains.” The word pictures labor pains. Death is a bond that is loosened, and Jesus comes out of the grave as a child is born.

See also: Revelation 1:18.

Acts 2:25-26

Peter quotes David in Psalm 16. The psalm speaks of someone who always keeps the Lord before him and is not shaken. Peter will show that David was speaking about Christ. The result is joy and a body that rests in hope.

BSA: right hand (“the place of power, honor, and protection”): The Lord stands beside him as a defender, so there is no reason to fear.

See also: Psalm 16:8-11.

Acts 2:27-28

The psalm says God will not leave the speaker’s soul in the place of the dead or let His Holy One decay. Instead He shows the paths of life and fills with joy in His presence. This is a promise of resurrection.

BSA: Hades (“the place of the dead, hell”): It is the realm of the dead, which God does not allow to hold His Holy One. decay (“corruption, destruction”): His body would not rot in the grave.

See also: Psalm 16:10-11.

Acts 2:29-30

Peter argues that David could not be speaking only about himself, because David died and his tomb was well known in Jerusalem. But David was a prophet, and God had sworn to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne.

BSA: on oath (“with a solemn vow, a sacred promise”): God bound Himself with an oath, so the promise cannot fail.

See also: 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 132:11.

Acts 2:31

David looked ahead and saw the Messiah’s resurrection. His words fit Jesus, whose body did not decay, and not David, whose tomb still stood. Peter shows that the Scriptures pointed to a risen Christ.

BSA: resurrection (“a standing up again from death”): It means rising bodily from death, not just surviving as a spirit.

Acts 2:32

Peter states the fact simply. God raised this Jesus, and the apostles saw Him alive. They are witnesses, who tell what they have seen and heard. Their message is not theory but testimony.

BSA: witnesses (“testifying to what we have seen”): They speak as people who saw the risen Lord with their own eyes.

See also: Acts 1:8; Luke 24:48.

Acts 2:33

The risen Jesus is now exalted to the place of highest honor beside the Father. From there He received the promised Spirit and poured Him out. So what the crowd sees and hears is the work of the living, reigning Christ.

BSA: Exalted (“lifted up, elevated to a position of supreme power”): Jesus did not only rise. He was raised to rule.

See also: John 14:26; John 16:7.

Acts 2:34-35

David did not go up to heaven, so he was not speaking of himself in Psalm 110. He spoke of One whom he called his Lord, invited to sit at God’s right hand until all enemies are put down. That Lord is Jesus.

BSA: footstool (“a stool to put your feet on, a sign of subjection”): It pictures enemies completely defeated and brought under Christ’s rule.

See also: Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:13.

Acts 2:36

Peter ends with his main point. The man they crucified is the one God has made both Lord and Christ. It is a hard word to hear, but it is also the way to hope. The One they rejected is Lord of all.

BSA: Lord (“Master, ruler of all”): Jesus holds a rank of full divine authority over everyone. Christ (“the Messiah, anointed one”): He is the promised King that Israel had long waited for.

See also: Philippians 2:9-11.

Acts 2:37

The message struck home. The listeners were pierced in conscience and asked what they should do. This is what real conviction looks like, a heart that sees its guilt and wants a way out.

BSA: cut (“pricked, struck”): The word suggests a sharp stab, an inward pain they could not ignore.

Greek: κατενύγησαν (katenygēsan, G2660) — “they were pierced, stabbed.” It is a strong word for a sudden stabbing pain. The word of God went in like a blade.

Acts 2:38

Peter gives a plain answer. Turn from sin and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness and the gift of the Spirit are promised. Christians understand the exact relation of baptism to forgiveness in different ways, but all agree that repentance and trust in Christ are at the heart.

BSA: Repent (“turn away from sin, change your mind”): It is a real change of mind that leads to a changed direction of life. name (“authority and character”): Baptism in Jesus’ name places the person under His authority and into relationship with Him.

Greek: μετανοήσατε (metanoēsate, G3340) — “change your mind, repent.” It means a deep change of outlook that shows itself in action. It is more than feeling sorry.

See also: Luke 24:47.

Acts 2:39

The promise is wide. It is for those present, for their children, and for people far away, including those not yet born. Nobody is excluded, and God does the calling. All who respond are those He draws.

BSA: far off (“distant, scattered abroad”): The promise reaches beyond Jerusalem to distant people and later generations.

See also: Ephesians 2:13.

Acts 2:40

Luke gives only a summary. Peter said much more, with serious warning and earnest appeal. He urged the crowd to be saved from a crooked age that was heading for judgment, to step out of it and join God’s people.

BSA: corrupt (“crooked, perverse”): The age is twisted away from God’s straight way.

Greek: σκολιᾶς (skolias, G4646) — “crooked, twisted.” It is the opposite of straight. Peter calls the surrounding age bent away from God, and urges them to leave it.

See also: Deuteronomy 32:5.

Acts 2:41

Those who welcomed the message were baptized, and about three thousand joined the believers in one day. Baptism marked a public break from the old life and entry into the new community.

BSA: embraced (“received warmly, accepted”): They did more than hear. They took the message to heart gladly.

Acts 2:42

The new believers settled into four habits: the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Together these show what a healthy church life looks like, in listening, sharing, remembering Christ, and praying.

BSA: devoted themselves (“steadfastly, continually”): They kept at these things firmly and did not give up.

Greek: προσκαρτεροῦντες (proskarterountes, G4342) — “continuing steadfastly.” It carries the sense of staying with something with determination. This was a settled commitment, not a passing burst of enthusiasm.

Acts 2:43

A holy awe settled on the people, and the apostles did many wonders and signs. God was clearly at work, and people sensed His nearness and treated it with respect.

BSA: awe (“fear, reverence”): It was a deep respect for God’s presence, not terror alone.

Acts 2:44-45

The believers shared what they had. Some sold property to meet needs as they arose. This was voluntary and driven by love, not by command. Because they belonged to one another in Christ, no one was left in want.

BSA: in common (“shared by all, unselfishly”): They held their goods as available to the whole family of believers.

See also: Acts 4:32-35.

Acts 2:46

They met every day in the temple courts and ate together in homes, with glad and simple hearts. Faith was lived in public worship and in ordinary meals. Joy and sincerity marked their common life.

BSA: one accord (“united, in harmony”): They were bound together by shared purpose. sincerity (“simplicity, genuineness”): Their hearts were plain and without pretense.

Greek: ὁμοθυμαδόν (homothymadon, G3661) — “with one mind, with one accord.” Luke uses this word often for the early church. It pictures a group moving together with a single purpose.

Acts 2:47

The believers praised God and were well regarded by the people around them. And the Lord Himself kept adding to their number day by day. The growth of the church is His work, and the saved are added to a living community.

BSA: favor (“graciousness, divine influence”): God gave the church a good standing among its neighbors. saved (“delivered from sin, rescued”): Those added were being rescued, and the work was ongoing.

Greek: σῳζομένους (sōzomenous, G4982) — “those being saved.” The word is in a form that suggests ongoing action. People were being rescued continually, day after day.

See also: Acts 5:14.