READING THE BOOK OF ACTS, CHAPTER 2
CONTEXT FOR ACTS, CHAPTER 2
This chapter is essentially about the development of the church of Christ. One hundred and twenty disciples obeyed his command to wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 2-15). After receiving the Holy Spirit the disciples immediately began to share the Gospel with the large crowds of people who had come to celebrate Pentecost. At this time more than three thousand people decided to follow the ways of Christ, believing upon him as the begotten Son of God.
1) Verses 1-13, The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost, MS. DEBBIE
1 When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.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 (both Jews and converts “who had come from throughout the Roman Empire”) — 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.”
Footnotes:
Verse 1 - The day of Pentecost marks the time of the wheat harvest and commemorates the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. Many Jews would travel to Jerusalem for Pentecost or else stay there after Passover to await it.
Verse 4-8 – The tongues (2:4) in which the apostles were miraculously enabled to speak were the various native languages (2:6-8) of the visitors to Jerusalem (not some unintelligible heavenly language). This was the fulfillment of Jesus’s promise that they would receive the Holy Spirit to be his witnesses to the world.
Verse 3 - These divided tongues were symbolic of the languages or "tongues" that have divided human beings since the Tower of Babel. The Spirit’s gift of tongues would now enable the apostles to preach in the languages of every nation under heaven.
Verse 4 - The term "other tongues" simply means languages other than the apostles’ own.
Verse 8 - Each person heard the gospel in his or her own native language because the apostles were speaking those languages (Acts 2:4). The miracle was in the speaking described in verse 4, not in the hearing mentioned here in verse 8. The hearing was normal and natural hearing, but the speaking was a miraculous gift given to the apostles by the power of the Holy Spirit. The miraculous ability to speak in languages one has never learned is known as xenoglossia.
Verse 12 - "They were in doubt" Their amazement (verse 7) was short lived. A measure of disbelief and doubt set in. They asked, "What can this mean?" They started trying to find some explanation that might show that their eyes and ears were being tricked into imagining things. This is a sad reaction, because it reveals their lack of expectation, their unpreparedness for Messiah, their slowness of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken.
SECTION QUESTIONS
1. What happened on the Day of Pentecost?
2. What did the Jews say about the people who were speaking in different languages?
2) Verses 14-28, Peter Addresses the Crowd, Part 1, DESTINY
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: 'Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
22 Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
25 David said about him: ''I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'
Notations:
1)Promises in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ and is the beginning of the last days.
2) Since Jesus Christ is sitting at the right hand of God, he received the authority to pour out the Holy Spirit to all believers.
3) Everyone who placed their faith in Christ must repent of their sin and be baptized with forgiveness.
4) "The Last Days" constitute a time of prophetic witness calling everyone to repent, believe in Christ, and experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
5) Jesus Christ will return to restore the kingdom of God completely.
3) Verses 29-41, Peter Addresses the Crowd, Part 2, MRS. ELNORA
29 Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, ''The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'' 36 Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.' 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, 'Brothers, what shall we do?' 38 Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call.' 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
SECTION QUESTIONS
1. What did Peter tell the crowd?
2. In the prophecy of Joel, what does it say? (Acts 2:17)
3. What does David say about Jesus in Acts 2:27?
4. How did Peter say that Jesus was handed over to the Israelites?
5. What does Acts 2:21 say?
6. What was the oath that God had promised David?
7. Who is the descendent of David that God placed on his throne?
8. What did David say God would do for Jesus?
9. After Peter told the crowd that God had made Jesus both Lord and Messiah, what then did they ask Peter?
10. What did Peter tell the crowd to do?
11. How many people accepted Peter's message?
4) Verses 42-47, The Fellowship of Believers, JEANNIE
Notations:
- They became like a family. Verse 42 says that the broke bread together and prayed. I think that's more than them having a meal together. I believe this is an indication that they proceeded to do as Christ had commanded, breaking and eating the bread which was symbolic of his body which was broken for us.
- The Holy Spirit empowered them to do miracles. We can see evidence of this in verse 43. Everybody was amazed at the miracles they performed.
- If there was anyone in financial or physical need of some sort, they would pull together to sell things to support the family in need. I believe this is different from communism in that they helped one another because of their own choosing. I don't believe they were forced to sell their things to help each other.
- The apostles taught about Jesus. The three thousand converts really didn't have a lot of in-depth knowledge about who Jesus was. They were saved primarily based on Peter's teaching. The affirmation of what Peter taught was affirmed in the signs and wonders performed. Community was developed because of the time they spent together with meals, and the sharing of personal property and finances.
- This is what the church looked like. It's looks very different today in many ways.
SECTION QUESTIONS
1. How were these believers in fellowship with one another?
2. What happened to their numbers daily?
Comments
Post a Comment