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Acts 2

World English Bible

WEB

1Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. 4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak. 5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky. 6When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. 7They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans? 8How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, 10Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!” 12They were all amazed and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.” 14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ 22“Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, 23him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed; 24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. 25For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. 26Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope, 27because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. 28You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ 29“Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31he foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. 32This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses. 33Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear. 34For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand 35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ 36“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” 40With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. 42They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer. 43Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44All who believed were together, and had all things in common. 45They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. 46Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart, 47praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.

World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org

Overview

Acts Chapter 2 marks a pivotal moment in the early church as it describes the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This event fulfills the promise made by Jesus in Acts 1:8, where He instructed His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. As the disciples were gathered together, a sound like a mighty rushing wind filled the house, and tongues of fire rested upon each of them. They began to speak in different languages, enabling them to proclaim the wonders of God to the diverse crowd gathered in Jerusalem for the festival. This miraculous occurrence draws the attention of many, leading to questions and amazement among the onlookers, who are bewildered by the ability of the Galileans to speak in their native tongues, fulfilling #prophecy from Joel 2:28-32 about the Spirit being poured out on all people.

The Apostle #Peter stands up to address the crowd, boldly proclaiming the gospel message. He explains that this event is a fulfillment of prophecy and declares the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter emphasizes that Jesus, whom they crucified, has been made both Lord and Christ. His powerful sermon leads to deep conviction among the listeners, prompting them to ask, "What shall we do?" Peter responds by urging them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, promising the gift of the Holy Spirit to all who believe. This chapter concludes with the establishment of the early church, as about three thousand people are baptized and added to their number, demonstrating the transformative power of the Holy Spirit and the urgency of the gospel message.

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Referenced by

  1. Genesis 11:7v4Genesis 11:7 describes God confusing the language of the people, while Acts 2:4-11 shows the reversal of this confusion at Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit enables the apostles to speak in various tongues.
  2. Genesis 37:5v17Joseph's dreams in Genesis 37:5 are an early example of God communicating through dreams, similar to the prophecy in Acts 2:17 about God pouring out His Spirit and people dreaming dreams.
  3. Exodus 19:16v2Exodus 19:16 describes thunder, lightning, and a thick cloud on the mountain, signifying God's presence. Acts 2:2 describes a sound like a mighty wind at Pentecost, marking the Holy Spirit's arrival.
  4. Leviticus 23:16v1Leviticus 23:16 describes the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), which is fulfilled in Acts 2:1-4 with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, marking the birth of the Church and the empowerment of believers.
  5. 1 Samuel 10:6v41 Samuel 10:6 describes the Spirit of the Lord coming upon Saul, enabling him to prophesy. This is paralleled in Acts 2:4, where the Holy Spirit fills the apostles, empowering them to speak in tongues and prophesy, demonstrating the transformative power of the Spirit.
  6. 1 Chronicles 12:38v461 Chronicles 12:38 describes the unity and single-mindedness of the people in supporting David, similar to the unity of the early church in Acts 2:46. Both passages highlight the power of unity and collective purpose among God's people.
  7. 2 Chronicles 29:36v41The joy and suddenness of the restoration in 2 Chronicles 29:36 is reminiscent of the joy and growth of the early church in Acts 2:41-47, illustrating the power of God's work among His people.
  8. Nehemiah 8:12v46Nehemiah 8:12 describes the people celebrating with great joy, similar to the early Christians in Acts 2:46 who shared meals with gladness and sincerity of heart.
  9. Psalms 16:8v25Psalm 16:8 expresses confidence in God's presence and protection, which Peter cites in Acts 2:25-28 to affirm the resurrection of Jesus, showing that Jesus is the fulfillment of David's hope.
  10. Proverbs 1:23v38Proverbs 1:23 speaks of turning at wisdom's rebuke and receiving the Spirit, which parallels Acts 2:38 where Peter calls for repentance and promises the gift of the Holy Spirit.
  11. Ezekiel 2:2v4Ezekiel 2:2 describes the Spirit entering Ezekiel to empower him for his mission, similar to how the Holy Spirit fills the apostles in Acts 2:4, enabling them to speak and act with divine authority.
  12. Joel 2:28-29v16Joel 2:28-29 prophesies the outpouring of the Spirit on all people, which Peter cites as being fulfilled at Pentecost in Acts 2:16-18.
  13. Zephaniah 3:9v4Zephaniah 3:9 speaks of a pure language given to the peoples, which is echoed in Acts 2:4-11 where the Holy Spirit enables the apostles to speak in various tongues, symbolizing unity and the spread of the Gospel.
  14. John 16:7v33In John 16:7, Jesus promises the coming of the Holy Spirit, which is fulfilled in Acts 2:33 when Peter explains that Jesus, exalted to the right hand of God, has poured out the Holy Spirit.
  15. John 20:22v4In John 20:22, Jesus breathes on the disciples and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit, which is fulfilled at Pentecost in Acts 2:4 when they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
  16. Acts 4:31v4Acts 4:31 describes the believers being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking the word of God boldly, similar to the initial filling of the Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2:4.
  17. Acts 8:14-17v38Acts 8:14-17 shows the apostles Peter and John laying hands on the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, echoing the promise of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 for those who repent and are baptized.
  18. Acts 9:31v47Acts 9:31 describes the church experiencing peace and growth, similar to the early church's growth and favor with all people in Acts 2:47.
  19. Acts 10:44-46v4Acts 10:44-46 describes the Holy Spirit falling on all who heard the word, similar to the event at Pentecost in Acts 2:4, where the Holy Spirit filled the believers, signifying the inclusion of Gentiles in the new covenant.
  20. Acts 19:2v38In Acts 19:2, Paul asks the Ephesian disciples if they received the Holy Spirit when they believed, highlighting the importance of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life, as emphasized in Acts 2:38 where Peter instructs believers to repent and be baptized to receive the Holy Spirit.
  21. Acts 22:16v38Acts 22:16 emphasizes the importance of baptism and calling on the name of the Lord for the forgiveness of sins, echoing Peter's message in Acts 2:38 about repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.
  22. Hebrews 10:25v42Hebrews 10:25 warns against neglecting to meet together, which is exemplified in Acts 2:42 where the early church is described as devoted to fellowship and breaking of bread.

Topics in this chapter

Related chapters

  • Joel 2PentecostEmpowerment
  • Luke 24WitnessesApostlesGreat Commission
  • Acts 1PentecostWitnessesApostles
  • John 14PentecostApostlesEmpowerment
  • Acts 8Gospel SpreadGreat CommissionDiversity
  • Acts 4Economic EqualityGospel ProclamationPeter
  • Acts 10PentecostGreat CommissionDiversity
  • Acts 19TonguesPentecostBoldness
  • Matthew 3New LifeBaptismEmpowerment
  • Romans 10Gospel ProclamationLordshipProclamation
  • Genesis 11BabelLanguages in the BibleDiversity
  • Leviticus 23ShavuotPentecostNew Life

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