Peter’s sermon in Acts 2 is critically important since it demonstrates how the apostles interpreted the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, including the Ascension. Peter uses the Old Testament in this sermon and cites texts which were fulfilled in the events of Jesus’ life, but also in the events of Pentecost.
Peter first explains the significance of the Holy Spirit (2:14-21). Beginning with a prophecy from Joel 2:28-32, Peter states that the presence of the Spirit in the apostles at that moment is what Joel predicted. In short, it is proof that the New Covenant has begun! Several other texts from the Hebrew Bible indicate that the Spirit of God would fall upon his people when the New Age begins (Isa 32:14-15, 44:3; Ezek 11:19, 37:14).
Second, Peter explains that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the purpose of God in his death and was vindicated by God in his resurrection and ascension (2:22-35). The life of Jesus is summarized simply by stating that Jesus was from Nazareth and he was confirmed by God through many miracles. Since this is a summary of the actual sermon, it is entirely possible Peter illustrated this point with his personal experience and witness. Remember that the main theme of chapter one was that the twelve were to be witnesses of these events!
There are several words used to describe the miracles (signs and wonders). Signs is the most significant, since σημειον (semeion) typically refers to a miracle done to prove some sort of point, to make some sort of revelation. Peter states that God did the miracles through Jesus, not that Jesus himself did the miracles. He adds “as you yourselves know,” indicating that at least some of the crowd were witnesses to the miracles of Jesus. It is equally likely that the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans as a rebel was well known by the crowds in Jerusalem.
But Jesus is not dead – God raised him from the dead in fulfillment of prophecy. Peter goes about proving the resurrection quite a bit differently than we do today. He does not mention the empty tomb or challenge the Pharisees to produce a body to prove that Jesus was really dead. Rather than pursue modern logical arguments, he turns to the Psalms and shows that David does not exhaust the meaning of the text. Since the messiah is to be a new David, the psalms Peter cites are turning into prophecies of Jesus’ resurrection.
Before looking at Peter’s use of the Psalms, I want to pause and think a bit about what Peter is claiming here. He is clearly saying that the messianic age has in some way already begun. The Spirit has been poured out on those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. The dead have already been raised. Miracles are in fact happening. Remember that the crowd assembled to hear this sermon are religiously observant Jews who are spending time in the Temple during a religious feast. Peter is claiming that the age anticipated in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and the Twelve is beginning at that moment!
If this is on the right track, what might a religiously observant and biblical educated Jew in the first century have expected, if the messianic age was beginning? I suspect the crowd had a more than a few people with rather fervent messianic hopes. They might have expected Israel to be re-gathered from the nations to Mount Zion to worship the Lord. It is not a surprise, then, to find that Jews from all over the world who believe in Jesus as Messiah settle in Jerusalem to prepare themselves for his soon return.
Are there other elements of this sermon which contribute to the idea that Pentecost is the beginning of the eschatological age?
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is an important event validating the prophecy of Joel and the beginning of the New Covenant. Before further in depth study, I believed the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to be of average importance. This is because I always knew that the Holy Spirit was an important event in the New Testament because it gave people from all over the world the ability to hear the wonders of God. But before further study I did not realize that it also fulfilled Joel’s prophecy regarding the New Age. This is because like what is stated in this post, “The spirit of God would fall upon his people when the New Age begins.” The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is an event that is so significant in the validation of Joel’s prophecy because it proves that the new covenant has began because before this time the Spirit of God had not been given to man. However, because of Jesus and what he did on the cross the spirit of God has now been given to man and the old covenant is done and gone and the new covenant is now living and active. Personally, I think that this is so significant because now it is evident that the new covenant brings change because now anyone that calls upon the name of the Lord is saved through the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:21). I find this so interesting and impactful because since the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has occurred we can now enjoy a personal relationship with God, and the ability to call on him and be saved.
Acts 2 talks about how the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost. It first talks about tongues. I have done some studies on speaking in tongues and the “tongues” they are speaking in this chapter is not what people so today in church. But it is pretty amazing. The Holy Spirit made it so that everyone, no matter what language they spoke, could talk to each other and understand each other in their own language. The Holy Spirit did a work in that place. When Peter addresses the crowd he was lead by the Holy Spirit. I like verses 29-40 talking about how God raised Jesus from te dead. Jesus is alive a well to this very day! An how God has promised to send the Holy Spirit. The verses 42-47 is what Christianity should look like today. Being in fellowship, and under the Holy Spirit, they grew together and became strong in their faith. They helped the needy and more an more people were getting saved.
Stumbling upon this site and post in research for my curriculum updates. Just a quick response to the statement, “and the “tongues” they are speaking in this chapter is not what people so (speak?) today in church”….. As a professor, my first question would be… “And, how did you arrive at that conclusion?”…. Best Regards, Dr. L
Tongues in Acts 2 refers to real languages, people from all over the Empire hear the preaching of the apostles in their own languages (Acts 2:5-6). The people hearing the Apostles understand the language themselves. Tongues in 1 Corinthians need interpretation, as is the case most modern charismatic churches with which I am familiar.
Thank you for the explanation. I am enjoying the reading of your blog,and have provided links to my students. In any event, a few quick thoughts. Firstly, to state that the tongues spoken today is not that of a known language is assuming a “kind of knowledge” that is humanly impossible to possess. It implies “Omniscience”. This is an attribute only possessed by God. Is it accurate to make such a categorical statement? If there is contrary evidence, how then does the statement change in response? For example, as a professor, I have heard tongues spoken in Hebrew and French by believers who do not know these languages. Each one speaking about the “Wonders of God”. Also, there are such occasions experienced by my Christian professor friends too. They have declared the “Wonders of God” in the native languages of others. Most recently, an English speaking friend and fellow professor was spoken to in English by a Christian whose only learned language was that of an Eastern European dialect. This was repeated on multiple occasions. Also speaking about the “Wonders of God”. Another incident, that of two sisters ministering to a Korean woman as her father lay dying. Right there, in perfect Korean, both sisters spoke in the Korean tongue. Korean was not a learned language for either sister. Words of comfort were spoken about Jesus to this grieving daughter in her only learned language, Korean. Again, these are persons known to myself. In short, as a finite being, I can state that I have been an eyewitness to Christian tongues speaking in the languages to which I am personally acquainted. Also, that I am privy to others who share the same experiences of Christian tongues speaking in a modern vernacular. In conclusion, is the statement in question, a personal belief? Perhaps given in that way for emphasis? Or, based on a different presupposition, but expressed in the manner of the related posting? Would you be so kind as to clarify? Best Regards Dr. L.
The people who heard Peter’s sermon that day each heard them speaking in their native language. The groups that were there each had a different native language. Peter wasn’t actually speaking in their language, he was probably speaking Hebrew. Peter was a unlearned fisherman, so it is unlikely that he knew and fluently spoke all the languages of that day. Peter was speaking in Hebrew, and the people listening were able to hear it, not in Hebrew but in their native language, this was done supernaturally by the Holy Spirit. Peter wasn’t speaking part of his message in one language, then part in another language, and another part in still another language, because if he had some of the people would not have understood him. Peter delivered his entire message in Hebrew, but the listeners heard it in their own language.
In churches today, when a message is given in tongues, someone else gives the interpretation, because it is given in a language not understood by the people hearing it. The example you gave, of the women speaking Korean to a man who’s native language was Korean, was the work of the Holy Spirit, but still, messages given in tongues usually require interpretation, so it is different today than what happened during Pentecost.
Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus taught about the future kingdom saying that it was coming soon (Matt. 4:17). It was prophesied in Matthew 2:6 that He would rule. Peter had studied the scriptures, and he knew that Joel had prophesied of when the Holy Spirit would come upon people and the nation of Israel would be restored. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, Peter was excited. In Peter’s sermon to the Jews, he restates Joel’s prophecy in Joel 2:28-31 saying that “this is that” (Acts 2:16). He truly believed that now was the time that God would restore Israel. He wanted the other disciples and Jews to know that the “great and notable day of the Lord” was coming (Acts 2:20). He challenged the people by saying, “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Peter confirms that Jesus was raised from the dead. “God raised him from the dead in fulfillment of prophecy” (“Peter’s Sermon” post). Peter says that because of Jesus’ resurrection, the beginning of the ecological age is coming. Peter’s speech about the end times was motivational to the Jews because in Acts 2:37, many people were “cut to their heart,” and they asked Peter “what shall we do?” He told them to “repent and be baptized…” (Acts 2:38).
The first part of the post that I would like to touch on was that Peter referenced the Old Testament. Marylyn Hickey spoke on the 20th that many people lessen the importance of the OT because it is under the old government. However, Peter and Hickey show the importance of the Old Testament even in the new government. Peter did this by touching on the prophets in the old testament and showing that their prophesies were coming to fruition in the current age.
Peter also highlights the importance and the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. The Holy Spirit gives power to Christians, but the most significant item brought about by the Holy Spirit was the signal that the New Government has begun thus fulfilling Joel’s prophecy.
I like that Peter talks about his own personal experience and how the crowd “already knows” Jesus miracles that he was talking about. This points to the fact that some people in the crowd already have seen the miracles Jesus has performed and he is speaking to an educated crowd. I like that small detail in the Bible that I have never seen before and legitimizes the whole text for me because it shows that there was history not included in the Bible. If the Bible included every shred of history from that time, it would be impossibly large. The crowd still had strong beliefs in how they felt about Jesus and his legitimacy. Peter was speaking to a hostile crowd that believed strongly one way or another.
I like how Peter did not use logical facts to argue that Jesus was the messiah. Clearly, people were not looking at the facts right in front of their faces or there would have been no dispute in the first place. Peter uses David in the Psalms to provide another argument that the crowd possibly had not thought of before.
Nick Van Loo
As others have stated already it’s interesting and also kind of inspiring to see Peter stand up and recite a prophecy from the book of Joel. It seems like this could have been a very well known prophecy among educated Jews because of the implications within. Nevertheless, the bible makes it look like he quoted it in the middle of his sermon. Not only did he do this with this passage but also with a couple Psalms as well. Even though this is impressive, its important to acknowledge that the fulfilling of these prophecies is incredibly more significant. This fulfilling of prophecies through Jesus Christ along with the stating of Jesus’ miracles, wonders, and signs are arguably the more important aspects to Peter’s sermon, especially concerning that this event was the beginning of the eschatological age. However it’s remarkable that Peter presents the gospel in his sermon and tells his audience what they need to do in order to receive the Holy Spirit and salvation. As Anna stated, “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). He told them exactly what their response should look like and the steps they needed to take. Verse 40 possibly adds another element that contributes, which may not be very theological, but more of an affirmation. “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (Acts 2:40). This idea of “warning” and “saving yourselves” reveals that there is something that is to come in the future that is not very appealing. It is going to be so bad that you need to be saved and rescued right now. This was not just a passing statement, there was obviously a sense of urgency as the Scripture said Peter pleaded with his audience.
Peter’s use of Old Testament before all the Witnesses was a perfect fit instead of arguing about where the Pharisees could have hid the body because all the Jews that were gathered to hear him were devoted to studying the law, and would have known the passages in Psalms that Peter was referring to. He is preaching specifically on these passages to prove that these well-known prophecies were coming true through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter talks about the many “signs” that God has done through Jesus and restates that all of these are fulfillment of scripture. He is trying to make clear to these devout Jews that the Messianic age has started. Near the end of the chapter in verse 41 it says that many believed and that 3000 joined the number of believers that day. They understood and in believing they devoted themselves anew to teaching, and breaking of bread. Verse 47 also says that God kept adding to their number day by day. through Peter’s sermon and teaching, God was bringing the Jews to him and shows him an answer to why the Twelve disciples were told to stay in Jerusalem instead of going out everywhere to preach, connecting chapters one and two.
Jesus had gone about, with His disciples doing many signs and miracles. So if Peter did not refer back to O.T. scripture what was keeping the people from thinking it was just another one of their miracles that they could perform. In order for there to be redemption, the law must be fulfilled. Jesus came to fulfill that law. Peter and his sermon explained that Jesus came to meet the requirements of the law in order that we would not have to. For the Jews and people of that age and time this would have been the most awkward time to live in… just imagining these people had to totally change the way they were ‘atoned’… but thats just it, Jesus came to take away any ritual of religion and make it a relationship. Okay, back to the point. The day of Pentecost was a time to rejoice, to come before the Lord and bring Him gifs/sacrifices out of love and not out of duty. Now looking to Acts 2 where Perter had preached that we no longer have rituals, but instead an intercessor for our sins, the Jews, and believers of that day would have been totally shocked.
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
What you believe about Jesus matters. And I believe that Peter believed the same thing when he looked out into his audience before he gave his sermon in Acts 2. Something that I was really able to take out of this was when Peter quoted King David’s prophecy of the resurrection. Peter knows that the power of Jesus Christ and the hope in putting faith in him shows truth in the resurrection. Without the resurrection, there is no Christianity. A big part of sermon preparation and the delivery of the sermon is to know your audience. With King David being such a highly respected figure in the faith, telling how even he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ (Acts 2:31). Leading up to Peters sermon I thought it was interesting that the believers were filled with the spirit and speaking in tongues. A lot of charismatic Christians use to justify speaking in tongues today as speaking a heavenly language however in this context, it is strictly them speaking a foreign language. I also think that it’s interesting that Peter’s sermon quotes Joel, another Old Testament prophet where he testifies the future of the Holy Spirit. What amazes me the most about this is that Peter starts off in verse. 17 saying “in the last days”. Peter and the disciples believed that Jesus could have come back at any moment (which he could have) therefore believed the Holy Spirit coming was an indicator for the end times. Hindsight is 20/20 but looking back at Peters sermon here in 2019, I see this sermon being a great presentation to the early believers of Christ’s deity while I see Peter feeling a need to prepare the early believers for Christ’s return.
Peter’s sermon is a vital part of the journey of the early church as it unites and builds up the believers to be baptized in the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit enters the believer and the blessings that come from those that seek and find purpose in God. These gifts that are gifted in Acts 2, are the stepping stones of the body of believers using the talents God has shared with them. (Acts 2:38-39). They are to build up the body and help in the ways that God has placed in their journey of faith. The body has many parts, and each has a purpose that it is needed to do that allows it to be the most efficient that it can be. They saw or experienced the wonders that God working out for them to see the power and wonder of himself to these people. They had to surrender to Christ all that they were in the past for him to move in their lives and children’s lives. (2 Peter 1:3). Just as Peter was gifted to speak and lead from God. He used his gift with the 3,000 people who became new believers, he did not do it on his own words or thoughts but through Christ and God using him as a tool to reach people. (Acts 2:40-41). God seeks those willing to serve, He doesn’t call the equipped, he equips the called. Just as many in Acts did not know that their gifts at the time they felt called to be a part of something greater.
One of my favorite aspects of this entire sermon was the fact that Peter calls out all those who willingly wanted Jesus crucified after all he had done. Peter is sharing accountability and forgiveness. Most of the people didn’t know what it was that they did, but for others it was a reminder that they did know and ignored it. Peter himself was one of those people that denied Christ and with his conviction seeking forgiveness. The promise of the Holy Spirit is the hope that we are going to forever have the same power in us that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. In the book of John, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And i will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-16). Jesus tells us that we are given a helper and that we are going to be able to the same works that he has done and more. Peter is confirming that this helper is coming and i would also like to think that he is sharing a everything from his own personal experience. This man has had his ups and downs but stayed strong in his faith. Peter gives so much encouragement in this sermon that no matter what we are going through this promise and gift was for everyone. We can leave the worldly lives we want to be a part of and be a part of something so much bigger that God has planned for each one of us to do with building his Kingdom.
We can see from the miracle right before the sermon (v. 1-13) that the Holy Spirit had come down and allowed the people to speak in tongues. They were all speaking different languages, but they all understood in their own language (v. 6-7). While some mistook it for them being drunk, they were under the power of the Spirit. Peter then goes on at the start of his sermon to explain that this is a miracle (as well as v. 33). At this point, Christ’s sacrifice had been fulfilled and He’d been raised from the dead and ascended into Heaven. Because of this, the Law was no longer binding. Peter says to repent and be baptized, and they will receive the Spirit (v. 38). So, Peter isn’t just explaining Christ’s Messiahship, but also telling those present for his sermon how to receive salvation and eternal life. 3000 were saved and added to the Body that day.
Many today tend to misconceive what is meant to be baptized. It requires an inward change of heart and a genuine repentance of sins in the name of Christ. There’s no outward work required to be saved, yet so many seem to think that if they do good things and work well, they’ll be good enough to be saved. It’s also interesting to see the division in the church that has come about over time. Believers at this time were deeply rooted in fellowship with each other, sharing all they had with each other. While we don’t necessarily have to do that today (I can’t imagine that going over well with some), we can learn something about the fellowship that they had and apply it to our lives as Christians today. We should be willing to do anything for our brothers and sisters in Christ to help them grow.
Peter does not go at these people lightly, he calls them out for their mistake in crucifying Jesus, putting Him to death, and killing the Messiah sent to save them. It is powerful when Peter uses phrases such as, “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.” (Acts 2:23) The power comes from the fact that Peter is calling them out, cutting them straight to the core for murdering Jesus, an innocent man, the Son sent to them by the Father to restore. I do believe that this incident, the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, was the beginning or start of the eschatological age because Jesus promised when He ascended that He would/will return again, and it was said in Joel and Ezekiel that the Spirit of God would fall upon His people when the New Age begins, and the descending of the Holy Spirit like fire at Pentecost was the fulfillment of those prophesies which were set to be after the Messiah. Therefore, the eschatological age, the Second Coming, and the progressive revelation over time has begun and the new era is in full swing due to the divine revelation and miraculous signs at Pentecost in Acts 2.
This is really a great passage where we can find great material on how the disciples viewed the life death and resurrection of Jesus, and even see how the normal followers of Jesus viewed the resurrection. I like the point that you made about how Peter in his message was assuming a lot of the people had seen Jesus do miracles. also how you were saying the proposals had all seen Jesus do miracles before his death and resurrection as well. it is just a sort of nice thing that we have as Christians, that the people that wrote the book that we read actually saw Jesus be raised from the dead. Also, the point that you were making about how this passage is not normally what we are thinking of when we think of the resurrection. this fact just tels me that we in our modern day church are not looking at scripter enough, we should always be in our Bible and learning.
thank you so much for this its very helpful for me right now because im in grade 8 and im doing religion and it kinda hard for me sometimes
I would like to look into what peter was saying in his speech a I know it does already say that but i need more information
Peter’s sermon in this chapter is very powerful. I found it very intriguing that he dives right into the Old Testament declaring that it is not drunkenness that lead to the speaking of tongues, but rather it was the Holy Spirit, foretold by Joel and is the beginning of a new age. Peter knew the crowd he was speaking to, that is why he used so many Old Testament passages in his sermon to convey his point – that he and all those gathered are witnesses to the new eschatological age that is beginning.
I think one expectation that the Jews could have related to the new age is the gathering of many Jews from so many far away places. Because Pentecost brought so many Jewish people to Jerusalem, I think this was definitely a spark that told them this new age was beginning. Just as P. Long pointed to in his text above, “that many Jews settled in Jerusalem to prepare themselves for his return.”
I love this chapter because the Holy Spirit is now alive and active in the hearts of those who believe. When Christ ascended into Heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father he did not leave us here alone, but he sent the intercessor who is the Holy Spirit. In verse 38 Peter finishes his sermon by saying “repent and be baptized.” This phrase is so powerful, because it is the beginning of the new age which is a relationship with God built on faith. The ESV study bible states, “Genuine faith always involves repentance, and vice versa” (2008, p. 2085). The people genuinely wanted to know how to have a relationship with God. This was totally new to them, because they were so used to the Law and the rules they had to follow. I cannot imagine the joy in their hearts, when they remembered through Peter’s sermon, that Christ was the Messiah who died and rose again and now they no longer are chained by sin, but through true repentance are free.
Most will argue that the resurrection of Jesus was – quite obviously – the most important event in the history of mankind. At that moment, the indomitable plan of God was fulfilled, and the daily life of the Jewish people was dramatically changed. God used the Mosaic Law to show Israel the impossibility of being holy so that they could be decidedly grateful when those intense rules were lifted. Peter and the disciples become the first modern Christians when the Spirit of the Lord descends upon them as it had descended into the Tabernacle and Temple (verse 4). Upon realizing these things, Peter gives a rousing sermon (and surely the others were speaking as well, though Peter’s sermon was the only one recorded) where he delivers these divine revelations to all the Jews and circumcised Gentiles celebrating Passover (verse 14). Within a short time, three-thousand individuals became Christians (verse 41), and they were freed from the burden of the Law; freed from the necessity of ritual cleanliness. They were baptized with water, as is good, and also baptized in the Holy Spirit, as is necessary (verse 41). Peter’s sermon is also important as it marks a turning point in Christology. The Messiah was long expected to be the new David; the new king of Israel who would forever establish the Jewish people as the most powerful group on earth. The new Christians received revelation (which, in this case, was also hindsight) that the Messiah was instead the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (like those delivered by Joel which are quoted in Peter’s sermon) and the building of a bridge, not a kingdom. The bridge gave a safe path above the waters of ritual holiness, rigorous purity, and harsh punishment, and allowed Christians to cross into a new covenant of forgiveness, grace, and faith.
In Acts 2 Peter is ruthless when he is addressing the people. He is calling them out for wanting Jesus crucified even after seeing everything he has done for others. “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men” (Acts 2:23). By Peter saying this it gives the message meaning and power because it is showing the people that they are responsible for the murder of Jesus. Now I do not believe that the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the start of the eschatological age because Jesus has a promise of returning. It is said in Joel that that the Spirit of God would fall onto His people which is why I believe Peter used that section from Joel because the prophecy was being filled. Another passage that has led me to believe of the eschatology age is starting is Acts 2:40 which states, “’Save yourself from the crooked generation’”. By Peter stating this it is giving insight to the listeners that something bad is coming in the future. This verse is allowing for the people to save their soul through Jesus because of what comes after.
One of the passages Long mentions as prophecies of the New Age is Ezekiel 11:19, where, other than a new spirit, it talks about removing a heart of stone, replacing it with a heart of flesh, and giving Israel one heart. Acts 2:37 shows that Peter’s audience “were cut to the heart”, which gives me the notion of a sensitive heart and not a heart of stone. But Peter tells them to “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (emphasis added). This might indicate openness for repentance on the part of the audience, but the giving of one heart, a new spirit, and a heart of flesh replacing the heart of stone would only happen after repentance and devotion to Christ. The initial giving of the Spirit was for the apostles who already believed and did not have hearts stones [anymore] and that already marked one element of the beginning of a new eschatological age as already explained by Long. Perhaps, another subtle element that points to the beginning of this new era not mentioned yet, but also not directly mentioned in Peter’s sermon, is the actual context of the sermon. Pentecost provided a context for Jews from many countries to gather together, and many of the prophetic Scripture that pointed to the New Covenant spoke on terms of God gathering them from the countries they have been scattered to (Ezekiel 11:17, 37:12-13). So, while Peter does not specifically address this element, it is possibly to observe the presence of this element in the context of his sermon.
I think it would be fair to say that he is right when saying that the messianic age was beginning. Because you can look at the work the Holy spirit did in Acts 2 and see how it allowed everyone to understand each other and hear the words of God through Peter. This goes to show that this exact moment was very important. And as mentioned in the post it led to Jews from all over coming together in preparation for the messiah to return. And the timing of this event was perfect because it allowed real believers and educated people to hear these things so that they could be vessels for God and teach others about what they saw and heard.
When reading through Peter makes the claim in his speech that the messianic age was beginning, I do not know if I would have totally believed Him. When I read the quoted scripture passage from Joel, I would assume all the apocalyptic end of the world type activity would also be occurring with the arrival and descendance of the Holy Spirit. I can see where the religious Jewish people would be confused. After reading and hearing the prophesy that was in Joel chapter 2, it makes sense that they might all happen together. Peter included the whole prophesy from Joel even though not all of it had yet been fulfilled (Polhill, 2008, p. 2084). This also includes the coming of the Lord. It is not until Peter explains more by connecting Jesus to the other prophesies of David that things started to click for the people. “Rather than pursue modern logical arguments, he turns to the Psalms and shows that David does not exhaust the meaning of the text” (Long). He uses the Old Testament prophesies to try to prove to those gathered at Pentecost that Jesus is the messiah that they have all been waiting for. That the Holy spirit is now with them. And they can be saved if they call upon the Lord.
I was very intrigued with the part talking about how Peter claims the messianic age was upon them because the way I would have reacted would have been like those who came to settle in Jerusalem in hope of Jesus soon return. I would also have been preparing for the end of the world with all the apocalyptic things to come and that would have scared me. I am also confused why Peter would not use the easy signs of Jesus being risen from the dead? Why not? When Peter is talking about what Joel said, I feel it is such a powerful and really cool and important part of Acts. Giving proofs that Jesus can do miracles based on his experiences as well as claiming Jesus as the messiah. I also love this chapter because I feel it can do two things really well. It can bring joy and hope to those who believe in Christ. It can also strike fear into those who are against or do not believe in Christ. I also thought it was awesome to read in the notes that following the sermon, there was repentance as well as baptism.
We all are Amazed, when we see things we have never seen or not known before. If we do not know how to name it, we just gave the closest name of what we have known. In Acts 2, people from many different citizens heard voices that they have never heard. The voices came from the room and they started gathering and figured out what it was. What amazed them was, people from different places understood the voice (languages) with their own languages. But they have no idea what to call, and how to name it. So they said in verse 13, ‘’They are filled with new wine’’ for they do not know how to give the name. Because when someone drinks so heavily, we don’t understand what they are saying. But Peter’s explanation was so clear. He reminded them with the prophecy of Joel what they’d known, He pointed out what they had been witness for (Jesus’s Miracles), and told them what they had done (unbelieving in Christ). We all know Peter is a fisherman, not really sure he was well educated. I don’t think he took a speech class and knew how to engage with the audience. By His short sermon, three thousand people changed their life. It means we need not be educated. Mentioning the works of the Holy Spirit. Even though we are educated too much, we can not see Jesus but only know about him. The Holy Spirit is the one who can help us see Jesus (John 15:26).
Peter was the disciple who was known for getting into trouble, being very zealous, and speaking before thinking (Mark 8:33). Although Peter hit rock bottom when he denounced Jesus, right after claiming he would never do such a thing (Matthew 26:33), Peter then is able to stand before a large crowd and preach his first ever sermon. As Long stated, this sermon was the starting point for major key elements of the church and of the history of Christianity. What is intriguing about this sermon in Acts 2 is how well Peter knew the Scriptures. For someone who came from humble beginnings as a fisherman (Matthew 4:18). By quoting Joel, David in the Psalms, and also preaching about how Jesus fulfilled many prophecies in Scripture, his knowledge is quite extensive, causing me to question whether this knowledge was taught to him by Jesus during his ministry, possible training Peter might’ve had, or a work of the Holy Spirit. However it came about, Peter’s sermon was very convicting as many as three thousand accepted Jesus that day (Acts 2:41).
The importance of the implication of Jesus’s resurrection from Peter is important in Acts 2. As readers, we have to remember that Jesus’s death had such a large impact on the world and that Paul is preaching to the people about the crucifixion of Jesus and how death could not bear to hold Jesus Christ. It is also important to make note that Peter is preaching to Jews who are celebrating the festival of Pentecost so the crowd that Peter is preaching to already has knowledge in being religious. Knowing that Peter was reading from the Old Testament book of Joel to explain that Joel predicted the miracles that the apostles are performing was something that I personally did not understand fully until I had re-read Acts 2 for the second time. This part of Acts 2 proves that God is good because he works his miracles, signs, and wonders to grow his kingdom and to empower the apostles to share the gospel with those who need saving. Peter proved that he personally believed that Jesus was the son of God because God worked miracles through Jesus such as Jesus “healing the blind man” (John 9:1-7), “walking on water” (John 6:16-24), and “feeding the 5,000” (John 6:5-14). The importance of Jesus and the disciples performing miracles is the idea that there is a God and he is working through human individuals to spread the word of him.
After reading Acts 2 I think it is quite evident that there are a few signs of the coming kingdom of God. Firstly,
Acts chapter 2 talks about how the holy spirit rushed upon the speakers, allowing everyone in the room to understand what they were saying. This in and of itself is truly a miracle at work. In no way could all of these different people groups have understood one another as they were all from different areas and spoke different languages. This showed the people that the time of the holy spirit was at hand and God was present in the form of the holy spirit. Jesus’ walking on earth as a man was to be no longer for the time being. However, this is just a glimpse of what is to come, further into chapter two in verse 17, it states: “And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” God is clearly pouring out his spirit to these people, and thus it is truly the beginning of the last days to come. However, it is quite evident that many of the signs are yet to come as well, the moon has still turned to blood, and the sun has not been darkened. I think it is amazing to think about the coming of the lord, Truly I do think that this instance in Peter is the beginning of the end times, and now in the world today we are still living this out. God is still working in us and through us as human beings to spread the great word, and we are to fulfill our purpose as Christians before he comes back.
Reading through Acts 2 and reading along with your perspective on Peter’s sermon was super interesting. The guided study of your blog is helpful to fully understand what the text is pointing at. The base of the apostle’s interpretation of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is shown through the sermon that Acts 2 talks about. It’s interesting to think about the apostles as a whole when we are looking directly at Peter’s sermon because my first thought would be that this interpretation would be only Peter’s. The blog post opened my eyes to know how close the apostles are and how most if not all of their interpretations are the same/ if they had disagreements then they would most likely discuss that disagreement. Looking deeper into your blog post I love the deeper understanding of the word miracle. The word most commonly used to describe these miracles is to prove some point. This turns my understanding from the viewpoint that miracles are rooted in the love of God to the understanding that they are trying to show people who God is and that he is the one true God. These two points can come together though because God is love.
The use of the Psalms in the book of Acts is such a unique and interesting part of Peters speech in Acts 2. It shows that Christ and his death and resurrection have been in front of us the whole time in the Old Testament. As a Christian we have been made very aware of the prophecies but to not understand what we know now. When looking at the Psalms written by David, I cannot help but be amazed by the exact detail that so clearly describes Christ. How in Psalms we see that David speaks of being seated at the right hand of the Father (Psalms 132). A promise that God fulfilled all this time later in his son Jesus Christ. What an amazing display of God’s unfathomable wisdom. We also see in this section of the Psalm that David predicted the resurrection of Christ and that he was a prophet (Polhill, 2008, 2085). Knowing that David and this Psalm are signs to the Messiah make things come together for this Old Testament passage. Christ is the only one worthy to be placed in that honorary seat that David speaks of. David although a great man of God, is still not worthy to be placed next to the Lord. Some opinion as well, I think that this connection would not have been made unless the prompting of the Holy Spirit was present in Peter. We find the Lord providing wisdom all over the Bible at certain times. Now that the Spirit dwells within us that wisdom should be even more present, and I believe we can see that as Peter speaks and connects to the Psalm.
We can see from the miracle right before the sermon that the Holy Spirit had come down and allowed the people to speak in tongues and different languages. They were all speaking different languages, but they all understood in their own language which is remarkable. Within a brief time, three-thousand individuals became Christians, and they were freed from the burden of the Law; freed from the necessity of ritual cleanliness. They were baptized with water, as is good, and in the Holy Spirit, as is necessary. Peter’s sermon is also important as it marks a turning point in Christology. The Messiah was long expected to be the new David; the new king of Israel who would forever establish the Jewish people as the most powerful group on earth. The new Christians received revelation (which, in this case, was also hindsight) that the Messiah was instead the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies (like those delivered by Joel which are quoted in Peter’s sermon) and the building of a bridge, not a kingdom. Overall, the bridge had given a safe path above the waters of ritual holiness, rigorous purity, and harsh punishment, and allowed the Christians to cross into a new covenant of forgiveness, grace, and faith under God.
What stands out the most from here is the fact mentioned of Peter not proving/ explaining Jesus’s resurrection in the same way we do today. I think that concept goes beyond just the scripture that we use being different. What I mean by that is the answer that Peter gave to tell of Jesus’ resurrection was simple. He simply referred to scripture. I feel like today, at least in western Christianity, we over-complicate scriptural truths and debate over scripture until our heads fall off, as if scripture doesn’t defend itself. All scripture is “God-breathed,” and God is NOT the author of confusion (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Corinthians 14:33). Scripture does need to be taught and explained, but it does not need to be argued and twisted in order for the humble heart to receive it and believe it. While Peter may not have had the same verses of scripture I mentioned above, I think that this example of him using the psalms to speak of Jesus’s resurrection shows that he grasped that truth.
In Acts 2, Peter preached to the people that Jesus is our savior and we must trust him. He also preaches about repenting and being baptized after we repent. At Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples and believers were given the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and they also preached. Peter preached the love of God to the people, and he told them to repent from their sins and be baptized. It was very wonderful because when Peter preached, over three thousand people accepted Jesus Christ as their savior. Peter told them that God would forgive them if they repented and that they would also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter claimed that Jesus was dead, but he rose again from the dead. He overcame death, and death could not hold him. In Acts 2:24, it says, ” 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.” The Bible taught us that people have a sin nature and have to repent of their sins and follow Christ. Peter also warned them that the end of the judgment is near and that people must repent so that they would be saved and get their salvation.
One of the important things or facts spoken about in Acts 2 was Peter’s sermon. The most important part of this sermon is the fact that this is where the apostles are interpreting Jesus’ most empowering moments. PLong states in his blog that they are gaining knowledge about his life, death, and resurrection. Another important piece to this sermon is learning about the holy spirit. I believe that it was very important to bring up the prediction from Joel and the new covenant. Another important aspect is the fact that PLong brings up the importance of being a witness. Going back to Acts 1 we do learn about witnesses and the importance of having that bird’s eye view. One thing that I did find interesting was the fact that Peter did not portray Jesus being raised from the dead like we do today. We talk about the empty tomb and other traditional things that have happened but Peter does not. Long does a good job of putting Peter’s thoughts into perspective for us to understand. Another piece of this vlog that I find very interesting is that “the spirit has been poured out on those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah. And also that the dead have already been raised. So I took this as those who are believers are the ones who are gathered around for this sermon.