Session 2
Acts 2:5-16,36-38
Memory Verse: Acts 2:36
The Holy Spirit has many different roles. These roles include the inspiration of Scripture and the illumination of individual believers to understand the meaning of Scripture. Some of His roles apply primarily to the individual believer, while other roles focus on the life of the church as a body.
Toward the end of His earthly life, Jesus prayed that His followers would be one-just as the Father and the Son are one (John 17:21). In Acts 2, we see that prayer answered. The Spirit’s movement united believers as the church was born.
As you reflect on Acts 2, consider your own dependence on the Holy Spirit. You can try to do things in your own strength; but, at some point, you will hit a wall. Evaluate what you’re doing on your own and where you need to lean into the Spirit more. Pray that He will speak through you as you encourage the adults in your group to live in His power as well.
A small congregation averaged twenty people on Sundays-mainly senior adults. Worshiping in a small back building without street visibility, they wondered how they could make an impact for Christ. They needed divine empowerment, and they saw it happen. Without widespread talent, the members simply used their God-given abilities to serve. Without the strength of numbers, attractive demographics, or financial wealth, the church ministered to multitudes of families throughout their neighborhood. Their authority rests in the Scripture and Christ’s commission-and that is enough. They are still small but are seeing God at work. (PSG, p. 19)
At the beginning of Acts 2, the apostles were still in Jerusalem. The Eleven had gathered to appoint Matthias as a replacement for Judas, and they remained after his appointment in obedience to Jesus’s instructions to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came on them with power.
The language for “arrived” in verse 1 means something like “fulfilled,” and Luke seemed to imply that the days of waiting noted in Acts 1:4 were drawing to a close. As the days moved toward their completion, Jesus’s promise of the Holy Spirit moved closer to becoming a reality.
The text says that the early believers were spending time “in one place” (Acts 2:1). In addition to the apostles, the crowd included others. In fact, Luke mentioned one hundred and twenty Christ followers were praying together (1:14-15). The passage also makes it clear that their waiting was not passive. Instead, they were actively seeking the Lord.
As Jesus’s followers waited and prayed together, a miracle happened. The Holy Spirit came on them in power-just as Jesus had promised. As evidence of this divine work, they started “to speak in different tongues” as the Spirit led them (2:4).
Meanwhile, other Jews from around the known world were also gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost. Pentecost is a one-day Jewish festival that celebrates the annual harvest. It is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Weeks because it occurs seven weeks after Passover. The word “Pentecost” is derived from the Greek word for fifty-since it occurs on the fiftieth day after seven weeks of seven days.
Accounting for the time that the resurrected Jesus spent with his followers before His ascension, the events recorded in Acts 2 occurred just a few days after the ascension of Jesus and after Matthias had been appointed to replace Judas. As the apostles and the other believers spoke in different languages, those gathered could hear God’s message in their own dialect.
The Jewish tradition at Pentecost was to bake two loaves of bread and present them to the Lord as an offering. These two loaves were the first items made from the grain harvest (the “firstfruits”). By presenting them as offerings to God, the people expressed their dependence on the Lord of the harvest to provide for them.
In Acts 2, the Father’s role as the Lord of the harvest gains deeper and fuller meaning. While He provided a physical harvest of grain, He also was establishing the body of Christ to gather a harvest of souls into His kingdom.
Read Acts 2:1-40. Notice how Peter interspersed His sermon with Scripture. When sharing Christ, how can believers rely on the Spirit and the Bible in witnessing? (PSG, p. 20)
EXPLORE THE TEXT
5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs ?- ?we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”
Pentecost
The Jews had been celebrating Pentecost long before the birth of the church in Acts 2. After leading His people out of Egyptian bondage, God established three pilgrim feasts/festivals. Pentecost was the second of the three (preceded by Passover and followed by Tabernacles). The name “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for “fifty” because it was celebrated fifty days after Passover. However, the Jews called it the Festival of Weeks (Ex. 34:22; Deut. 16:9-10) since it took place seven weeks after Passover. It was also known as “the day of firstfruits” (Num. 28:26-31) because the people brought the initial produce from the barley/wheat harvests as an offering. The celebration explains why so many Jews from so many parts of the world were in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit arrived (Acts 2:5).
(v. 6) This sound: While the Jews were celebrating God’s provision, they picked up on an unfamiliar sound. Verses 2-4 note that the sound was caused by the Holy Spirit. It was described initially as a powerful wind (v. 2). The crowd grew more confused since they heard Galileans talking about God in a variety of languages.
(v. 6) Speaking in his own language: The Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to talk about the things of God. However, it is unclear if they were speaking foreign languages, or the people in the crowd were hearing their own language. Either way, this would be an incredible miracle.
Luke’s focus was on the communication taking place. Whether through tongues or ears, the miracle enabled people to hear the gospel in a way that they could understand. This would allow them to respond appropriately.
If one assumes this is a manifestation of tongues, it seems clear that God used this gift to institute a new order and a new creation. Some view this as a reversal of the curse of Babel in Genesis 11. At Babel, people used their shared language for their own glory. At Pentecost, people experienced a diversity of languages as God revealed His own glory.
(vv. 12-13) Astounded and perplexed . . . sneered: These terms describe how the Jews at Pentecost responded to the Spirit’s movement. They also reveal how people often respond to God’s work today. As we seek to live in obedience to Christ and His Word, we can expect a variety of responses, both positive and negative. These responses neither validate nor invalidate our witness. Our responsibility is to share the message. Each person will be responsible for their own response.
14 Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. 16 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:”
(v. 14) Peter: When we see Peter in the Gospels, he is often tripping over himself, making mistakes, sticking his foot in his mouth, and speaking without thinking. He famously denied Jesus three times just weeks before Pentecost.
However, in Acts 2, Luke portrayed a Peter who had been transformed by the Holy Spirit and was becoming the “rock” that Jesus envisioned. Rather than denying Jesus, Peter boldly proclaimed the work of God. Peter was again quick to speak; but, unlike the in past, he was speaking the words of God instead of being the voice of Satan (Matt. 16:23).
Some in the crowd had accused the gathered believers of being drunk (v. 13), but Peter told them that they weren’t seeing the effects of alcohol. They were getting a firsthand experience with the movement of God’s Spirit-which had been prophesied centuries earlier.
(v. 14) The Eleven: By mentioning that Peter addressed the crowd with the Eleven, Luke confirmed that Peter was not acting alone. He was speaking on behalf of all the apostles. Peter had become the clear leader of this group, and much of what Luke recorded in the early chapters of Acts underscored Peter’s influence in the early days of the church.
(v. 14) Fellow Jews: Peter knew that he was addressing a Jewish audience, so appealing to an Old Testament prophet like Joel would help them connect something that they knew to be true to this new experience.
(v. 14) Pay attention: Luke stated that Peter both raised his voice and proclaimed the message of salvation to the crowd of people who had gathered. Each of those ideas suggests a serious tone and gravity to the situation. In addition, he urged them to pay attention to what he was trying to tell them. He grabbed their attention before the scoffers had any more opportunities to distract people from the truth.
(v. 15) Nine in the morning: By Jewish reckoning, this would have been the third hour of the day. To use a contemporary idiom, it was “first thing in the morning.” No Jew would get drunk so early in the day. What’s more, this was the Jewish hour for prayer, so drunkenness at that time would have been particularly frowned upon-especially on a major festival day. Yet, while the people were wrong, Peter used their misunderstanding as a springboard into his sermon.
Joel
During his sermon, Peter pointed the people to the prophet Joel to introduce his message. Little is known about this Old Testament prophet, whose name means “Yah is God.” Many scholars believe he probably lived in Jerusalem, which is highlighted in his interest in the city and his consistent calls to proper worship among the people. While scholars debate the date of Joel’s prophecies, the unifying theme is a locust plague that is either literal or a symbol of a vast army that would come to destroy the land.
Whatever position one holds in terms of Joel’s date and meaning, it is clear that Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 was based on an interpretation and application of God’s Word: What was spoken. Illustrations, stories, and testimonies can be useful tools in witnessing to the lost. However, the surest way to communicate the gospel is to point people to Scripture.
36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be 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.”
(v. 36) Whom you crucified: Peter pulled no punches in this sermon. He clearly proclaimed that the people of Jerusalem-along with their leaders-were guilty of crucifying Jesus. Of course, these people did not physically nail Jesus to the cross or issue the death penalty. The Roman government did that. However, their rejection of Jesus and demand for Barabbas made them culpable (Luke 23:18-25). Our sins make us just as culpable since He died in our place.
(v. 36) Lord and Messiah: Even though the people were guilty in their actions, God was using those same actions to bring salvation to the world. Jesus is called both Lord and Messiah. These two words have overlapping meanings. “Lord” indicates that He is the Master of all creation, including people. “Messiah” means that He is the promised One about whom the prophets spoke. All of Scripture points to Jesus and is fulfilled by Him (2 Cor. 1:20).
(v. 37) Pierced to the heart: The proclamation of the gospel is not primarily an intellectual argument aimed at convincing someone to embrace principles or doctrines. The gospel is reasonable, and the Christian worldview is rational. But the proclamation of the gospel aims at the heart and the head. The Jews who heard Peter were convinced (head) and convicted (heart) by the Holy Spirit working through his words.
(v. 37) What should we do?: In addition to the heart and the head, the gospel aims to transform our desires, our will, and our actions. When people truly understand the gospel, they recognize their sin and their need for a Savior. The Jewish audience’s question demonstrated hearts and minds that were being transformed by the Holy Spirit. Peter’s response had nothing to do with trying harder or following the law more closely. Instead, he challenged them to place their faith and hope in Christ alone.
Repent and be baptized
Peter called on his audience to repent and to be baptized. Repentance is turning from sin and turning to God by trusting in the sacrifice of Christ. Repentance is not an act of penance. It is the admission that we are sinners who need a Savior.
While baptism is not necessary for salvation, it is the first step of obedience. Baptism is an external symbol of an internal transformation. Through baptism, individuals testify that they have died to sin, been raised to new life in Christ, and commit to walking with Christ until He returns.
Believers can, and should, invite others to respond to the work of God.
(v. 38) Gift of the Holy Spirit: Receiving the Holy Spirit is synonymous with coming to saving faith in Christ. A lot of ink has been used debating the order of salvation, and those debates can be helpful in their place. However, Luke’s concern in reporting Peter’s sermon was to assure people who had received salvation through repentance of sins and faith in Christ. This is the only solution to the problem of sin and death.
Read Acts 2:36-38, focusing on the question the crowd asked Peter. Take some time to thank God for the salvation He provides through Jesus. Ask Him how you should respond: accept His salvation through repentance, follow Him in baptism, or share your faith through evangelism.
God and Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. (See John 15:26; 16:7-14.)
Take seriously all biblical commands for Christian living.
The task of missions and evangelism is to communicate the gospel to people in such a way that they are able to hear and understand. Read through today’s focal passages again and reflect on these questions: How did the Holy Spirit work to make sure people could understand? How did Peter’s use of the Old Testament help listeners understand what they were seeing? Why is it important to “speak” to people in a language they understand when sharing the gospel? Spend time in prayer, asking God to help you effectively communicate the gospel to others.