As an introduction to this study, I would like to use a quote from David Guzik’s commentary quoting A. N. Sherwin-White, an expert in Graeco-Roman history from Oxford, regarding the historical accuracy of this book.
“The historical framework is exact. In terms of time and place the details are precise and correct . . . As documents these narratives belong to the same historical series as the record of provincial and imperial trials in epigraphical and literary sources of the first and early second centuries AD…For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming…Any attempt to reject its basic historicity even in matters of detail must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted.”
Ray Stedman adds: “If the book of Acts were taken out of our New Testament, we would never understand the rest of it….When you close the record of the gospels, you see nothing but a handful of Jews in the city of Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life, talking together about the kingdom for Israel. When you open the book of Romans…you discover that a man whose name is never mentioned in the gospels is writing to a group of Christians in Rome of all places, the center of Gentile culture….obviously, something has happened in between.” Acts provides a bridge between the gospels and the epistles.
This book was written by Luke as a continuation of the record begun in the gospel of Luke. The two books comprise about 30% of the New Testament. Paul identifies Luke as “the beloved physician” and one of his most faithful companions.
Colossians 4:14 “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.”
2 Timothy 4:10–11 “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.”
In the introduction to both books Luke addresses them to a man named Theophilus for the express purpose of affirming the truth about Jesus and His teachings.
Luke 1:1–4 “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.”
That Luke addresses the recipient as “most excellent Theophilus” seems to indicate that he was a man of high position. Eerdman’s Dictionary states that he is “possibly a man of considerable financial means who helped fund the publication of Luke’s writings.”
Acts 1:1 ¶ The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
Acts 1:2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
“The former treatise” is a reference to the gospel of Luke, as shown from the excerpt quoted above in the introduction. That gospel was written to affirm the works and teachings of Jesus until the time that He visibly ascended to heaven to return to the Father. Point is made that before His ascension He gave ample proof of His resurrection by appearing visibly to His followers several times over a period of forty days. Each gospel records specifics associated with some of these visits. The Apostle Paul also testifies to the truth of Luke’s account in his letter to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 15:3–8 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.”
Jesus also commanded His specifically chosen apostles as to their ongoing ministry in sharing the gospel message and opened their understanding through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:44–47 “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Luke makes a point that Jesus spoke about things pertaining to “the kingdom of God.” I believe this is a reference to the realm where Jesus/God rules as King. Though we know that God is sovereign in power and authority, He chose to delegate authority over the world to man. Man, however, ceded that authority to Satan when he chose to reject God’s authority with disobedience and sin. Since the resurrection, God’s kingdom exists in the church, the body of true believers. Man’s authority over planet earth will be restored when Jesus establishes His kingdom at His second coming. I believe that the kingdom will finally come in fullness when evil is judged and the new heaven and earth usher in eternity. At that time, all of creation will be in submission to and eager to serve their Creator.
I liked this application from Courson: “That’s always the divine order—doing first then teaching. If you want to impact your children, if you want to have power in ministry, follow this simple principle: Do it before you teach it.”
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
Luke again affirms the closing words of his gospel.
Luke 24:48–49 “And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.”
Jesus instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for “the promise of the Father.” The coming “promise of the Father” is a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples to effectively declare the good news of salvation. The gospel record of John affirms that Jesus had taught His disciples that after He returned to the Father, He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to teach them and guide them into “all truth” by reminding them of all He had taught them.
John 14:16–17 “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.”
John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 16:13–15 “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you.”
Luke compares the coming experience to baptism. Baptism is a public testimony to one’s acceptance of Jesus as Savior. The baptism of the Holy Ghost was given as a public testimony to the power of God at work in the lives of those that had accepted His gift of salvation in Jesus. The Greek for the word “baptized” makes reference to being “immersed…to make whelmed (i.e., fully wet).” I think that just as one is made completely wet with water in baptism, Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit will completely fill the believer with the power of God. In fact, without the indwelling Spirit we cannot be part of the family of God.
Romans 8:9 “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
Acts 1:6 ¶ When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Acts 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
These are some interesting verses in light of my studies on end time prophecies. I could not find a parallel statement in the gospels. I am reminded that we always need to consider the whole of scripture and not just isolated texts.
Luke is saying that the disciples had asked Jesus if He was now going to re-establish the kingdom—as was expected of the Messiah according to the prophets.
Jeremiah 23:5–6 “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Ezekiel 11:17–20 “Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.”
Micah 4:6–7 “In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.”
Luke then records that Jesus told them that it was not for them to “know the times or the seasons” that God has purposed for the fulfillment of His plan. The Greek for both “times” and “seasons” makes reference to fixed or set times. Taken in context with other scriptures regarding the disciples’ interest in this subject, I believe this is a reference to knowing an exact date for the establishment of the kingdom.
In other scriptures Jesus taught His disciples concerning signs that would identify the fact that His return is near, e.g., Matthew 24. Scripture also records that He chastised the religious leaders of His day for not recognizing Him as the Messiah in light of the signs that fulfilled the prophecies of scripture concerning Him.
Matthew 24:33 “So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.”
Matthew 24:42–44 “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”
Matthew 16:1–3 “The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?”
I think these verses in Acts are just another affirmation that though we cannot know the exact date of His return to establish the kingdom, we can recognize that the time is near based on the signs of the times as prophesied in scripture.
Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Jesus told His disciples that the coming of the Holy Ghost would empower them to witness of Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the rest of the Gentile world. This book basically follows church history in that flow, beginning at Jerusalem.
I think there is a principle being established here. Our first responsibility is to witness first to those where we live and then continue broadening our witness as possible to others further and further away from us. We are all witnesses, but the question is—What kind of witness am I?
John MacArthur: “…you don’t decide to be a witness. You just decide what kind you are going to be. You are one, either good, bad or indifferent.”
It is also important to note that our witness is empowered to be effective through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through us (cf John 14:16-17 above). In and of ourselves we can accomplish nothing.
John 15:5 “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
It has certainly been a motivation to me to know that I have an opportunity like no generation before me to declare the truth of God’s word throughout the world via the worldwide web. Only in my lifetime has it been possible for individual believers to have such a far-reaching influence.
Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
Acts 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Acts 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Acts 1:12 ¶ Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.
Again, Luke reiterates the closing message of his gospel as he transitions into a history of the growing body of believers, the birth of the church.
Luke 24:50–51 “And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.”
Bethany was the home of Lazarus and was located about two miles east of Jerusalem on the Mt. of Olives according to Easton’s Dictionary.
Point is made that Jesus ascended to heaven visibly, disappearing into a cloud. I can just imagine being there and not quite able to take my eyes away from the place he disappeared from sight.
Two men in white apparel (obviously angels in my opinion) spoke to the crowd that witnessed the ascension and broke their concentration. They reminded the disciples that “this same Jesus” (God in flesh) would one day return just as visibly as they saw Him go up to heaven.
Acts 1:13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brotherof James.
Acts 1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
Acts 1:15 ¶ And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
Luke now records that the disciples were obedient to the LORD’s command to tarry in Jerusalem. There was evidently a large room in the place where they were staying—a place that would accommodate 120 people. Point is made to record the names of the remaining eleven apostles. Luke also notes that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a part of the group; she was just another disciple—not the leader. She was praying along with the rest; they weren’t asking her to intercede on their behalf. It is also significant to note that other women were a part of the gathered group of disciples; scripture often notes that there were faithful women as well as faithful men serving the LORD Jesus during His ministry. Also interesting to note is that Jesus’ brothers were part of the group; they had finally become believers.
John 7:1–5 “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.”
While they waited, they prayed. I especially liked this comment from David Guzik: “Already, we see three important steps in making godly decisions: The disciples were in obedience, they were in fellowship, and they were in prayer.”
Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
Acts 1:17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
Acts 1:18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
Acts 1:19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
Acts 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
During this period of waiting, Peter decided to speak out regarding a replacement for Judas, the disciple that betrayed Jesus. He noted how Judas had been chosen as one of twelve for specific ministry with Jesus. He also added some information regarding what happened when Judas hung himself. It seems that the rope broke causing his body to fall and burst apart (gross!). Evidently, the event became so well known throughout Jerusalem that they named the place of his suicide Aceldama, The field of blood.
It is also significant to note that Peter recognized the writings of David to be inspired by the Holy Ghost and that he understood these verses to have specific application to replacing Judas.
Psalms 109:7–8 “When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; and let another take his office.”
Acts 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
Acts 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
Acts 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
Based on the scripture, Peter proposed that a man be chosen to replace Judas from among the men who had been identified among the disciples of Jesus from the beginning of His ministry (identified as the baptism of John) until His ascension. He must be one who could personally testify as an eyewitness to the physical resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Two men were nominated:
Joseph called Barsabas and surnamed Justus
Matthias
Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
Acts 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
Acts 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Important to note is that the disciples made their decision a matter of prayer. They acknowledged that only the LORD knows the hearts of men, and they wanted Him to reveal His choice as the replacement apostle. The choice was determined by the casting of lots, and Matthias was shown to be the choice. From that time on he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Scripture records that the casting of lots was an accepted way of determining God’s will in biblical times. The casting of lots was used to determine the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement. Joshua cast lots to determine the division of the land among the tribes of Israel. Jonah was identified as the cause of trouble for the ship by the casting of lots.
Proverbs 16:33 “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.”
I have sometimes heard it preached that Peter was overstepping his bounds in leadership at this point and acting outside of God’s will. The fact that the Holy Spirit inspired Luke to record this event based on scriptural principles tells me that he was acting in accordance with God’s will. Even Paul recognized Matthias as one of the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:3–5 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve….”
Acts 2:1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
This chapter opens with a time marker—the day of Pentecost, fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits, a celebration of the initial wheat harvest.
The 120 disciples were of a unified spirit and were patiently awaiting “the promise of the Father,” the Holy Spirit. I am sure they had planned to celebrate the feast of Pentecost together, but little did they know that this would be the most special Pentecost of their lifetimes.
Suddenly, they heard a sound from heaven like a rushing mighty wind. This makes me think of the sound of the powerful winds of some of the hurricanes I have experienced. The sound filled the house and a phenomena that looked like little tongues of fire appeared that seemed to sit upon each of disciples. (I would assume above their heads.) This seemed to be an outward sign that each disciple had been filled with the Holy Spirit to empower him or her to serve God according to His purpose for that individual. This brings to mind the words of John the Baptist.
Luke 3:16 “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire….”
The disciples then began to speak in other languages according to the supernatural enablement of the Spirit. I liked the thought expressed by Adam Clarke: “At the building of Babel the language of the people was confounded; and, in consequence of this, they became scattered over the face of the earth: at this foundation of the Christian Church, the gift of various languages was given to the apostles, that the scattered nations might be gathered, and united under one shepherd and superintendent of all souls.”
Wiersbe: “The baptism of the Spirit means that we belong to His body; the fullness of the Spirit means that our bodies belong to Him. The baptism is final; the fullness is repeated as we trust God for new power to witness. The baptism involves all other believers, for it makes us one in the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:1-6); while the fullness is personal and individual. These are two distinct experiences, and we should not confuse them.”
Sandy Adams (my paraphrase): When Moses dedicated the tabernacle, God sent fire down from heaven to consume the sacrifice. When Solomon dedicated the temple, He did the same thing. Now He appears to be showing His approval of Christians as living sacrifices of His temple.
Acts 2:5 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
Acts 2:8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
Acts 2:9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
Acts 2:10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
Acts 2:11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Luke sets the stage for clear understanding of what is meant by “tongues” by detailing that there were devout Jews from “every nation under heaven” in Jerusalem at this time—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Judeans, Cappadocians, Asians, Phrygians, Egyptians, Libyans, Cyrenes, and others. According to Josephus, the normal population of Jerusalem was about 150,000. At feast times, however, it would swell to one million plus.
It seems that the powerful sound of the coming of the Holy Spirit had caused a crowd to gather outside the building where the disciples were. The disciples evidently wasted no time in taking advantage of their new gift and began declaring the wonderful works of God—the message of salvation—to the crowd. Those in the crowd were amazed because they were hearing people who were obviously Galileans speaking to them in their native languages. To me this is a double miracle because not only did the Spirit empower the disciples to speak in tongues, He ensured that each disciple was speaking in the native language of the particular individuals to whom he or she was speaking.
Acts 2:12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Acts 2:14 ¶ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Acts 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
The crowd just didn’t understand how this could be happening. Some even thought the disciples were drunk. This accusation had to be from those in the crowd that weren’t listening to what was being said. The twelve chosen apostles took a stand of leadership, and Peter spoke out loudly as their representative. What a change from the man that was so fearful of being identified as a follower of Jesus that he denied his relationship to Him three times!
Peter refuted the accusation that the disciples were drunk and pointed out that it was only 9:00 a.m. (the third hour of the day), the hour of prayer.
Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
Acts 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
Peter goes on to explain this miracle by making application of the words of the prophet Joel that describe a supernatural outpouring of the Spirit of God upon His people in the context of events of the last days—all the days since the ascension of Jesus until He once again descends to establish His earthly kingdom.
Joel 2:28–29 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”
To prophesy is to speak God’s word in power, to speak through His inspiration.
Acts 2:19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
Acts 2:20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Peter continues to quote from Joel.
Joel 2:30–32 “And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered….”
I think it highly probable that Peter fully expected to experience the onset of these wonders from heaven and signs in the earth, etc., as prophesied by Joel. He was preaching the message of salvation and deliverance from sin and, I think, was greatly motivated by his expectation of the return of Jesus to establish His kingdom.
Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Acts 2:23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Acts 2:24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
Peter next directed his message to the people of Israel. He turned the focus of his message to Jesus of Nazareth and identified Him as a man approved by God as evidenced by the miracles, wonders and signs that God had performed through Him. He knew that there were many there that were eyewitness to those miracles. I looked at both the Greek and Webster’s to try and distinguish between miracles, wonders and signs.
“miracle” – a wonderful thing; an event or effect contrary to the established constitution and course of things, or a deviation from the known laws of nature; a supernatural event, or one transcending the ordinary laws by which the universe is governed.
“wonder” – a cause of surprise, amazement, astonishment
“signs” – that which furnishes evidence or proof of something
I think it is significant that Peter made a point of the fact that God performed these actions through Jesus. It is another affirmation that Jesus laid aside His divine attributes when He chose to come to earth as a man and qualify as the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sin that man inherited through the action of Adam. Jesus lived on earth as a sinless man in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit as He victoriously confronted the temptations of sin, always remaining obedient to the will of the Father. He succeeded where Adam failed.
Philippians 2:5–8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
Hebrews 4:14–15 “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Peter goes on to clarify that it was this same Jesus that they had killed by crucifixion. However, contrary to what they thought, the crucifixion was a part of God’s plan from the beginning—a plan based on His foreknowledge and omniscience. He formulated His plan by taking into account the choices of sinful men and implementing that plan accordingly.
Jesus was crucified as a man and resurrected to new life as the Son of God in His fullness and over Whom death has no power. This truth is affirmed by the words of the Psalmist, and Peter confidently states that the application was specific to Jesus.
Acts 2:25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
Acts 2:26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
Acts 2:27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Acts 2:28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
Psalms 16:8–11 “I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”
Acts 2:29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Acts 2:30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Acts 2:31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Realizing that his audience might reject the application to Jesus, Peter points out that David is dead and buried; in fact, they could even identify his grave. He reminded them that David was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him that one of his descendants would sit on his throne in an eternal kingdom.
1 Chronicles 17:7–12 “Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts….And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever.”
The reference to “thine Holy One” (v27) whose body would not decay was a prophecy of the Christ, the Messiah, Who would die but would be resurrected to new life in victory over the grave to assume the throne of David.
Acts 2:32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Acts 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
Acts 2:34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Acts 2:35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Peter goes on to emphasize that this large group (120) of Jesus’ followers could all personally testify as eyewitnesses to the fact that God raised Jesus to new life from the grave. That same Jesus was at that time at the right hand of God and had sent them “the promise of the Holy Ghost” just as He had promised. That the disciples could witness to them in their native languages gave proof to the miraculous empowerment of the Spirit among them.
Peter next quoted from another psalm of David. He explained that David was not at the right hand of YHWH; it was the Messiah Whom David identified as his Lord.
Psalms 110:1 “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
Peter goes on to explain that the same Jesus that they had crucified not so long ago is David’s Lord, the Messiah, the One at the right hand of God. The writer of the Hebrews affirms Peter’s message.
Hebrews 10:9–13 “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”
So did the Apostle Paul.
Romans 8:34 “….It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Acts 2:37 ¶ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
It seems that many in the crowd were “pricked in their heart”; they understood that they had crucified their Messiah. The obvious question they had for the Apostles—What can we do? How are we supposed to respond?
Peter doesn’t hesitate; he tells them to repent of their sin and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. This would serve as a public testimony to the fact that they had accepted Him as their Messiah. (Christ = Christos in Greek = the Messiah) Guzik makes a good comment on this section: “Baptism made a clear statement. In that day, Jews were not commonly baptized, only Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. For these Jewish men and women to be baptized showed just how strongly they felt they needed Jesus.”
Peter went on to promise that those who placed their faith in Jesus would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, the gift of the Spirit is given to every person (since that time) that places his or her faith in Jesus as LORD and Savior—no matter where they live.
Peter also stated that those who receive the Spirit in response to their faith are doing so in response to the call of “the Lord our God.” Scripture never contradicts itself, and Peter has already quoted the Prophet Joel in declaring that “whosoever” calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Scripture also declares that God is not willing that any should perish.
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live….”
Peter eventually goes on to affirm this truth in his own epistle.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
I think the Apostle Paul provides the key in his letter to the Romans.
Romans 8:29–30 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
One’s call is based on God’s foreknowledge, His omniscience; He knew every person who would choose the gift of saving faith in the LORD Jesus before creation.
Ephesians 1:3–4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
The fact that God chose to give man the freedom of choice in no way detracts from the fact that He is sovereign and totally in control.
Acts 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
I like the translation of the CJB for verse 40: He pressed his case with many other arguments and kept pleading with them, “Save yourselves from this perverse generation!”
Luke is informing us that he has given us the main part of Peter’s message, not the whole message. The plea for them to save themselves from this perverse generation is a plea for them to repent and place their faith in Jesus as their Savior and avoid the condemnation that comes with rejecting Him.
John 3:17–18 “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
We are told that those who received the truth with pleasure were baptized, and about 3,000 souls were added to the body of believers that day. These are the firstfruits of the harvest of souls for the church that were added on a day also known as The Festival of the Firstfruits. The following excerpt is from Judaism 101 at www.jewfaq.org.
“Shavu'ot, the Festival of Weeks, is the second of the three major festivals with both historical and agricultural significance (the other two are Passover and Sukkot). Agriculturally, it commemorates the time when the first fruits were harvested and brought to the Temple, and is known as Hag ha-Bikkurim (the Festival of the First Fruits). Historically, it celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, and is also known as Hag Matan Torateinu (the Festival of the Giving of Our Torah).”
Courson: “When the law came down, three thousand men died. When the Spirit came down, three thousand souls were saved. The law kills. Move into a legalistic Christianity, and you will reek of death. But allow the Spirit to come upon you, and life will flow from you.”
Acts 2:42 ¶ And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The response of the new believers was to continue taking steps to grow in their faith. They sought to learn from and fellowship with the apostles, participated in communion, and joined with them in prayer.
It is significant to note that the apostles were recognized as possessing correct doctrine since they were directly taught by Jesus.
Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
As with Jesus, the Spirit empowered the twelve apostles to perform signs and wonders to evidence the truth of their message. Their works were such that they caused the people to fear them. I would assume this to be a reaction of awe among the body of believers and outright fear from those outside the body.
Acts 2:44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
Acts 2:45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
In these early days of the growing body of believers in Jerusalem, they shared all their possessions with one another. They were even willing to sell their possessions to make sure that every person was provided for according to his or her need. They continued to gather daily as a unified group at the temple and went from house to house to fellowship with one another and praise God.
The NIV Commentary adds some insight: “As Jews who were Christians and also Christians who were Jews, they not only considered Jerusalem to be their city but continued to regard the temple as their sanctuary and the Law as their law. Evidently they thought of themselves as the faithful remnant within Israel for whose sake all the institutions and customs of the nation existed.”
Luke specifically notes that the way they conducted themselves caused all people to look on them with favor as they observed their unselfish love for one another. Their conduct evidently resulted in others accepting the gift of salvation and being added to the church every day. Note that it is the LORD who grows the church through the ministry of the Holy Spirit through individuals.
Courson: “College professors in the ‘60s and ‘70s who used this verse to say that the early church was Communist missed the ‘Marx’ completely. The early believers were not Communists. They were ‘communists.’ And there’s a big difference. Communism says: What’s yours is mine. ‘Commonism’ says: What’s mine is yours.”