Acts Chapter  2 Verses 12-21

Acts 2:12 “And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? 13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. 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: 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 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: 18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 

There were some who mocked the speakers saying they were full of new wine.  However, Peter answered and said it is but the third hour of the day and these men are not drunk.  So long as the earth remains there will be mockers who will mock anything that is of God or godly. 

Peter continued to show the people that what was taking place was the fulfillment of prophecy set forth in the book of Joel.  Notice that Peter did not say that this was a portion of that which was spoken by the prophet Joel, but rather he said, “this is that…”  Now Peter did not go into any detail about the significance of all the things in Joel’s prophecy, and therefore, I will not either.  However, Joel’s prophecy was all fulfilled in that day. 

Verses 22-36

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: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

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: 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 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. 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; 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. 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

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. 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, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 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.”

In the above we have the sermon that Peter preached to the people on the day of Pentecost.  Men who preach the gospel have different gifts when it comes to evangelism.  Peter was a net fisher.  He was casting his net into a large pond on the day of Pentecost.  Many men are blessed to fish in much smaller ponds with a single line most of the time. 

“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: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:      Jesus was approved of God by miracles, wonders and signs.  Even the unbelievers and the wicked Pharisees, scribes, and rulers acknowledged that Jesus was performing signs, wonders, and miracles.  Peter to the gathering calls attention to these wonderful works that God did by him in their midst.  Next, Peter tells them that God delivered Jesus by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God into their hands.  Then they, with wicked hands, crucified and slew.  God’s deliverance did not change that what the people did was wicked and murderous.  Thus, Peter accused the people of being wicked and murderous. 

“Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.”  God raised up Jesus whom the people had crucified and slain.  Death could not hold its prey. 

“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: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”  Peter was quoting from Ps. 16:9 “Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”  We see this fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  His soul was not left in hell on the cross and his body saw no corruption in the grave.  The second part Peter quoted from Ps. 21:6 “For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.”

“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.”  That David was dead and buried and his sepulchre being with them unto that day, has the significance that the promise made to David in 2 Sam.7:12 had now been fulfilled in Jesus Christ: “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”  Jesus Christ was the seed of David in which the everlasting kingdom of God was established.

“He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”  Thus, David was not speaking of himself, but was prophesying of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.”  Peter, the other apostles, the women at the grave, and about 500 others were witnesses of the resurrected Christ. 

“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. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.  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 quoted from Ps. 110:1 “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”  Then he concluded by saying: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  Thus Peter’s concluding remarks in the sermon is that the same Jesus that the people had crucified was now Lord and Christ.  The word Lord carries with it a Lord/servant relationship and the word Christ (meaning anointed one) indicates that he is both King and High Priest of the Kingdom of God. 

Verses 37-41 

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? 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. 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. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” 

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart…”  What had pricked their hearts is that they had come to the realization that they had slain the Lord of glory and desired a murderer in His stead.  Also, now this same Jesus is now Lord and Christ.  They had now come to realize that he is now King of the kingdom of heaven. 

“And said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  This is the cry of children of God who have come to the realization that they are sinners and have sinned against the very God of glory and are worthy of everlasting punishment. 

“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 indicates a change of mind and action.  Previously these people had been steeped in law service.  Under the law they now realized their own sinfulness.  The solution for them was to turn from the law service and serve God in his kingdom.  In order to serve God in his kingdom they must turn from the law service and press into the kingdom of God through repentance and water baptism.  Baptism was to be done in the name or authority of Jesus Christ “for” the remission of sins.  The word, “for,” sometimes means “in order to” but most times means “because of.”  The reason for the people to repent and be baptized was “because of the remission of sin.”  The effect of their repenting and being baptized was that they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”  To understand what is the gift of the Holy Ghost we must see what happened when they repented and were baptized.  In verse 47 we read “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”  We can conclude then that the gift of the Holy Ghost was to be added unto the church. 

Some have wondered why Peter said they were to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ whereas Jesus commanded the apostles to baptize “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.”  “In the name of” means “by the authority of.” Thus we are baptized by the authority of Jesus Christ who commanded we be baptized “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.”  

“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.”  The promise of being added to the church wasn’t just to these who at Pentecost heard the gospel message, but it also applied to their children and to all that were afar off.  It was made to as many as the Lord our God shall call.  The only ones who can and will be able to respond to this promise are those whom the Lord our God has called in regeneration. 

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.”  This verse points us to two types of salvation.  The first type is eternal salvation from sin which abundant scriptures tell us is by the grace of God and without the works of man.  However, when Peter told them to save themselves from an untoward generation, he was exhorting them to good works and through their good works to deliver themselves from following after the ways of the world.

"Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”  The church increased in number from 120 before the day of Pentecost to over 3000 on the day of Pentecost. 

Verses 42-47

Acts 2:42 “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 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, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”  By continuing stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine they were continuing in the teachings of the apostles.  That surely teaches us that we should continue stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.  Moreover, they continued stedfastly in fellowship.  To have fellowship we must be agreed in our gospel beliefs.  Moreover, they continued stedfastly in the breaking of bread.  Sometimes the breaking of bread is symbolic of fellowship, but in the use here it has already been stated that they continued stedfastly in fellowship.  In feeding the multitudes of 5000 and 4000 the Lord broke bread and gave to the apostles and the apostles to the multitudes and they ate and were filled.  I suspect that the breaking of bread was in the teaching of the word of God.  Finally, they continued stedfastly in prayers.  Again, this is a wonderful example to be followed by all of us. 

“And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.”  This is consistent with what the Lord said to and about the apostles in Mark 16:17 “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

 “And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.”  What a wonderful examples these early disciples showed to us in their unselfishness and love for one another.

“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, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”  This, to me, teaches us that they were were worshipping God daily and the ministry was teaching the people daily in breaking of bread, from house to house.  I also believe that the eating their meat is not speaking of literal meat but of spiritually partaking of the word of God with gladness and singleness of heart.  The result of all this is that the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.  That is he added to the church daily those who believed the gospel, repented, and were baptized.  These are the ones such as should be saved.  Those who did not believe, or refused to repent or refused baptism, are not the ones that should be saved into the Lord’s church kingdom here on earth.