Acts Chapter 2

While the focus of Acts chapter one was on "those days," a period of time between the ascension of Christ and the Jewish holy day called Pentecost, the focus in Acts chapter two is centered on the fact of the holy day. The day of Pentecost is one of three days of each year that every Jewish male was required to show up, according to the law of Moses.

Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

So you see the three days. They are the Passover, the Day of Pentecost, which is referred to as the feast of weeks in the verse, and then lastly the feast of tabernacles which is at the end of the Jewish year. That's why Luke writes what he does in verse five:

Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

These Jewish men were devout "according to the law," that is, the law of Moses. They were there in Jerusalem because the Law said for them to be there. This shows that the law of Moses was still very much being observed by the "church which was at Jerusalem" which is what it is called in Acts 8:1.

So chapter two begins:

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

"They" in the verse is a reference back to the 12 men in the last verse of Chapter 1:

Acts 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

So they, all 12 of the Apostles were all with one accord in one place. This is not the same context as what happened during "those days" of Acts chapter one, when there were 120 people, both men and women in an upper room. The focus is on 12 men, the 12 Apostles. The Lord had told to them to "tarry in Jerusalem" and wait for the "promise of the Father" which he had previously taught them about, as in John 14.

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.

There was no rushing mighty wind as some claim. There was a SOUND which filled all the house where the men were sitting. It sounded LIKE wind. It says "as of" a rushing mighty wind. So what filled the house was SOUND and not wind.

Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

There was no fire in the room where they were. The Lord did not tell them they would be baptized with fire. Notice back in:

Acts 1:5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

There is nothing about fire in the verse. What happened was there was an appearance of CLOVEN TONGUES and it says LIKE fire, like as of fire. But on the Jewish holy day called Pentecost there was no wind and no fire. Modern day Pentecostals and Charismatics are confused. What they have done is to take the truth of Matthew 3:11 and try to apply it to what happened here.

Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

There are THREE baptisms in the verse. One is with water. The second is with the Holy Ghost, and the third is with fire. That fire is flaming fire and ultimately it is the lake of fire mentioned in the book of Revelation. So there is no such thing as "the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire."

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.

The word "all" is a reference to all twelve of the Apostles. It is not a reference to the 120 men and women in the upper room a week before. The entire context is focused on 12 JEWISH MEN. You can see that in several other places in the chapter. Notice:

Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

It says "these MEN," not "these ladies and gentlemen." Notice what the crowd says after Peter has preached to them:

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?

So you see Peter and the rest of the Apostles. You see MEN and brethen. Only twelve men were baptized WITH the Holy Ghost on the Day of Pentecost. But to continue with the verses:

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?

Why the emphasis on the fact that all that spoke were Galilaeans? It is because they were "ignorant and unlearned men." Notice:

Acts 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

A person who is unlearned would not have been educated in a foreign languages. That's what TONGUES are. They are languages. As you can see:

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.

All of the men listed there are JEWS. (The only exception would be those who are called "proselytes." The proselytes are Gentiles by nature and not Jews by nature, but they have converted to the Jews religion. They are circumcised and they "call themselves a Jew" and are recognized as such.) They are from all those nations. But they have come back to Jerusalem as they did every year to keep the feast days required by the law of Moses. Pentecost being one of them. And what they are hearing is not muttering and chirping and jibberish. They are hearing the 12 Apostles clearly speak in languages that they have never learned and they are declaring "the wonderful works of God."

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.

Now notice WHO Peter is talking to when he stands up and begins to speak:

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:

He addresses "Ye men of Judaea" and all those other devout Jews from other nations who "dwell at Jerusalem" because of the Jewish feast day. Notice down in verse 22:

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:

He says "Ye men of Israel, hear these words." And then in verse 36:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

He speaks to "All the house of Israel." This is NOT the so-called birthday of the church, the body of Christ. This is strictly Jewish. This is not the beginning of something new. This is the fulfillment of old testament prophecy pertaining to Israel. That can be clearly seen in the things Peter says and in seeing who he is saying them to.

Acts 2:15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

Acts 2:16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

You could search the book of Joel with a magnifying glass and nowhere in it will you find anything at all about "the birthday of the church, the body of Christ." This is not the "first days" of the church, the body of Christ. This pertains to Israel's "last days."

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:

So Peter says THIS is THAT which was spoken of by the prophet Joel. It is happening here and now.

It is also very much worth taking note of the CHANGE in the words from the prophecy in the book of Joel. When you read this prophecy in Joel you find that it says, in Joel 2:28-29, that "I will pour out my spirit..." But here, Peter, is filled with the Holy Ghost. In other words these are not the words of Peter but the words of the Spirit, and Peter says in quoting from Joel, "I will pour out OF my Spirit..." The fact that the Holy Spirit added the word OF when Peter quoted the passages shows that this is not the ultimate fulfilliing of the prophecy. It is a FORESHADOWING of the blessings of the Kingdom. The ultimate fulfilling of the prophecy is at the second coming of Christ. Notice the rest of the prophecy he quotes from Joel.

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 the great and notable day of the Lord come:

Now none of those things happened in the book of Acts. None of those things have happened at any time since the book of Acts. Therefore, the ultimate fulfilling of Joel's prophecy is yet future.

The "day of the Lord" is the tribulation. It is the time of JACOB'S trouble. Not the time of the church's trouble. So from Peter's point of view on the Day of Pentecost he knows absolutely nothing about the church, the body of Christ. He knows nothing at all about a GAP in time called "the dispensation of the grace of God." As far as he can see, as far as Israel is concerned, the next thing on the agenda is tribulation.

Acts 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

In other words, in affliction, in tribulation, Israel, the true believing remnant of Israel will turn to God and will be saved at the second coming of Christ. That is Peter's message. But here, on the Day of Pentecost, Peter is NOT glorying in the cross. He knows nothing of the why of the cross. He is preaching the cross all right, but not as good news. He is preaching the cross as a shame, as a murder charge, against the nation of Israel.

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:

Notice their wicked hands and what they have done? They demanded the crucifixion of Christ. They had said "Away with this man. We have no king but Caesar. Crucify him." Peter is accusing them of murder, the murder of their Messiah. But God has raised him from the dead:

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.

So Peter preaches the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. But certainly not as good news. The only good news is in the fact that God hath raised him up. Notice how he relates this to prophecy:

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.

So he has quoted from prophecies David made pertaining to the resurrection of Christ. It was not about David.

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.

So David is still dead and he is still buried. He says in verse 34 that David is not ascended into heaven. The tomb of David was there. But notice now the REASON Peter gives for the resurrection of Christ.

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;

HIS throne is a reference to the throne of David. Jesus of Nazareth is a direct descendent of David the King of Israel and he is the heir to the throne of David. That is in one accord with the words the angel spoke to Mary:

Luke 1:30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

Luke 1:31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Luke 1:32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

So Peter has just said, as David had prophecied, that God had raised up Christ for that very purpose, to sit on the throne of David.

Luke 1:33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Peter's preaching is in one accord with that which was spoken to Mary by the angel. David had prophecied of Christ's resurrection.

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.

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.

Now notice again the baptism. John baptized WITH water. It was Jesus Christ himself who had just baptized these 12 men WITH the Holy Ghost. Peter said that he, meaning Jesus Christ, SHED FORTH this which ye now see and hear.

That baptism is NOT the same as the baptism BY the Spirit into the body of Christ. These people are not in the church, the body of Christ. They are in a church all right, but it is called the "church which was at Jerusalem." It is the church which was referred to in Matthew 16. It is strictly a Jewish assembly. It is not a joint body of believers made up of Jews and Gentiles, male and female, bond and free that is described by Paul in his epistles to the church, the body of Christ.

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.

So Jesus Christ, today, is not ruling and reigning on the throne of David. He is sat down at the Father's right hand on the Father's throne. So Peter has preached the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. But it is certainly not good news. Notice:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

He is charging the men of Israel with the murder of their Messiah. He says you have crucified him. Notice their reaction.

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?

In other words, Peter, in the light of all that you have just said what is it that we can do? This is not the same question the Philippian jailor asked Paul, "What must I do TO BE SAVED." These men are pricked in their heart by what Peter has said to them. Now the question is 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.

Repent, in the verse, has nothing to do with giving up habits and stop going to the movies and fishing on Sunday and such things. It has to do with a change. Change your mind. They had demanded his death. They now realize their blunder and Peter tells them to change their minds about this man they have crucified. He is your Messiah, he is your King.

He tells them to be IDENTIFIED with their King and the fact that he is their Messiah. They would do that by water baptism. The same baptism preached by John the Baptist. It is the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. If they do that then they will receive a very important gift. They will get the gift of the "power" of the Holy Ghost. The power to suffer. The power to endure unto the end, looking forward to a FUTURE day of Atonement when Christ comes again. Remission is not a cure! The cure will come for Israel when Christ comes and their sins are blotted out.

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.

Now "all that are afar off" are not Gentiles as some suppose. Those that are "afar off" are the same ones Daniel prayed for. They are the scattered people of Israel.

Daniel 9:7 O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee.

So Peter's preaching was powerful that day, being filled with the Holy Ghost. They were pricked in their hearts. They realized they had made a terrible blunder. And Peter continues:

Acts 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

"This untoward generation" was called by the Lord a generation of "vipers and snakes." The majority of Israel simply died in unbelief.

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.

Notice that it doesn't say that three thousand people "got saved and joined the church." None of these people were saved...yet. They received remission of sins looking forward to the Day of Atonement for Israel which is yet future. They were given Holy Ghost power to endure to the end, as in:

Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

The "end" for them was one of two things: The end of their lives or the end of the tribulation. These all died in faith. They will be raised again to enter the Kingdom at the second coming of Christ. The ONE bible exception to that is Annanias and his wife Sapphira in Acts Chapter Five. They "fell away" and died.

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Notice the "apostles' doctrine." Their doctrine was the same as the Lord had taught them in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They were told to sell all that they owned. They were to take no thought for what they would eat or drink or wear. The Lord said, in Luke 12:32 "Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." To be involved in "buying and selling" would be to be involved with the antichrist and the mark of the beast of Revelation.

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.

So they did exactly what the Lord had commanded. Nobody is told to do things like that today. Paul worked with his own hands. He told others to do the same. He said that if a man won't work then he shouldn't be allowed to eat. He said that the parents ought to lay up for the children. So the doctrine to the church, the body of Christ, is different than the Jewish Kindom doctrine to this Pentecostal group of believers. The point being is that A CHANGE occurred. A dispensational change occurred with the salvation of Saul of Tarsus who became Paul the apostle. But this doctrine here, to this group of people is not the same as Paul's doctrine.

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.

Finally, they were "added to the church," not that they "got saved and joined the church." They SHOULD BE saved if they endure unto the end.