II. The Church in Jerusalem Established (2:1-47)
A. The Apostles are filled with the Holy Spirit (vv. 1-4)
v.1 The Jews had three great feasts each year, the Passover,
Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles.
1) Passover- commemorated salvation of the first-born in Egypt.
2) Pentecost- the beginning of harvest
3) Tabernacles- the children of Israel's sojourn in the wilderness.
Since Pentecost is a Greek word meaning 50 it is not found in
the OT There, Pentecost is referred to as 1) "Feast of Harvest"
Ex. 23:16; 2) "Feast of First-Fruits" Lev.
23:17 3)"Feast of Weeks" Ex. 34:22. Pentecost
always came 50 days after the Passover and always was on a Sunday.
There were probably more Jews in Jerusalem for this day than any
other day of the year.
The" ones come together in one place" were the Apostles.
This can be seen by reading ch. 1:26 and ch. 2:1 together.
v.2 Not a wind, but the sound of wind. The sound is what filled the room.
v.3 Tongues like fire, not fire. It sat on each apostle to show that they would be able to speak in foreign tongues.
v.4 Filled with the Holy Spirit. This makes the third event. This happened only to the Apostles. They are the ones who then began to speak in foreign tongues. I t is not clear as to whether each Apostle could speak just one foreign tongue or each Apostle could speak each tongue. The fact that more than 12 nationalities were present make the second choice more likely.
B. The effect on the multitude (vv. 5-13)
v.5 Why were these foreign Jews in Jerusalem?
v.6 What was noised abroad? The circumstances as a whole: that is, the sound (as wind), the sight (as fire), being filled with the Holy Spirit (made manifest through the speaking in foreign tongues). The miracle was in the speaking, not in the hearing.
v.7 What caused the confusion and astonishment? That the Galileans could speak in 15 or more foreign languages.
v.8 Confirms that foreign languages were being spoken.
vv.9,10 See Boles pp.35,36 and maps in Halley's Handbook p. 561
v.11 The pronouns "we" and "our" refer to the foreigners, "them" refers to the Apostles.
v.12 Confounded, amazed, perplexed, and awe-struck. The multitude was definitely in a state of shock. "What meaneth this," is the question God wanted asked. The multitude would stay around to find out what was going on. Acts-13.
v.13 Today when someone does not understand something, they often resort to ridicule or pass it off as a joke or a trick.
C. Peter's sermon (vv. 14-40)
1. introduction: the miracle explained (vv. 14-21)
v.14 Peter becomes the spokesman for the other eleven.
v.15 Peter denounces the supposition that the Apostles were drunk. Even if they were given to using intoxicating wine it was only 9:00 A.M.
v.16 Peter begins his lesson with a quote from the prophet Joel. Joel 2:28-32
v.17 The "last days" refer to the closing days of the Jewish dispensation. "Upon all flesh"- when would this prophecy come true? Acts 10, the household of Cornelius. Then the Spirit would have been poured out on all flesh, that is: Jew and Gentile.
v.18 "Sons and daughters prophesying" fulfilled in Acts 21:9.
vv.19,20 Reference here is to events recorded in Mt. 27:45, Mk. 15:33, Lk. 23:44,45. Many of the Jews who were in Jerusalem for the Passover and had witnessed the crucifixion, were still on hand on the day of Pentecost.
v.21 To call- includes obedience, to adore, worship, to do His will.
2. Jesus proclaimed as Christ the Lord (vv. 22-36)
a. his resurrection declared (vv. 22-24)
v.22 The miracles of Christ proved He was of God. Many of those present had witnessed these signs.
v.23 Jesus was to die by the foreknowledge of the Father, Lk. 22:22, Rev. 13:8, Mt. 26:53,54. The Jews were guilty of Christ's death because they were free moral agents as was Judas and Pilate. Foreknowledge is not predestination.
v.24 The Jews et al had crucified Jesus- God had raised him up. Peter declares that Jesus has been resurrected.
b. the resurrection predicted by David (vv. 25-31)
v.25 David' s prophecy of Ps. 16:8-11 recounted
v.26 What was this hope?
v.27 Christ's soul was not to be left in the land of the disembodied spirits (Hades). His body would not decay.
v.28 This passage must refer to Christ
v.29 David was dead and buried and still in his tomb, therefore his prophecy could not refer to himself.
v.30 But it could apply to the fruit of his loins, namely Christ. The throne is spiritual in nature, Ps. 132:11
v.31 David therefore prophesied of Christ!