Acts 2

Ac 2:1-13.

DESCENT OF THE

SPIRIT--THE

DISCIPLES

SPEAK WITH

TONGUES--AMAZEMENT OF THE

MULTITUDE.

1-4. when the day of Pentecost was fully come--The fiftieth from the

morrow after the first Passover sabbath

(Le 23:15, 16).

with one accord--the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously

raising their expectations.

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

(Eze 37:9;

Joh 3:8; 20:22).

But this was not a rush of actual wind. It was only a sound "as

of" it.

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!

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

1Co 14:1-25).

5-11. there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every

nation--not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see

Ac 2:9),

though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep

this one feast.

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].

Ac 2:14-36.

PETER FOR THE

FIRST

TIME,

PUBLICLY

PREACHES

CHRIST.

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

rest.

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

disciples.

but the third hour--nine A.M.

(see

Ec 10:16;

Isa 5:11; 1Th 5:17).

17. in the last days--meaning, the days of the Messiah

(Isa 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.

19. I will show wonders, &c.--referring to the signs which were

to precede the destruction of Jerusalem (see on

Lu 21:25-28).

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.

22-28. a man approved of God--rather, "authenticated," "proved," or

"demonstrated to be from God."

Lord's miracles, as has been alleged, nor inconsistent with

Joh 2:11,

but is in strict accordance with His progress from humiliation to glory,

and with His own words in

Joh 5:19.

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].

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!

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"

(Lu 24:5);

but here, the impossibility seems to refer to the prophetic assurance

that He should not see corruption.

27. wilt not leave my soul in hell--in its disembodied state

(see on

Lu 16:23).

neither . . . suffer thine Holy One to see

corruption--in the grave.

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.

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

Ps 110:1,

in which David cannot be thought to speak of himself, seeing he is

still in his grave.

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."

37-40. pricked in their hearts--the begun fulfilment of

Zec 12:10,

whose full accomplishment is reserved for the day when "all Israel

shall be saved" (see on

Ro 11:26).

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

(Ac 9:6).

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.

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

Eph 2:17),

but "to the Jew first."

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.

Ac 2:41-47.

BEAUTIFUL

BEGINNINGS OF THE

CHRISTIAN

CHURCH.

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!

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.

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

community.

44. all that believed were together, and had all things

common--(See on

Ac 4:34-37).

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.

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"

(Ec 9:7,

also see on

Ac 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

(1Co 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].