Acts 2

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

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

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

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

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

Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

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:

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

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

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:

And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

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

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:

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

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

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

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.

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,

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

What does Acts 2:1 mean?

Explanation

The verse Acts 2:1 describes a significant moment in the Christian faith known as the day of Pentecost, which is celebrated as the birth of the Christian Church.

On this day, according to the narrative in the Book of Acts, the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ who were gathered in Jerusalem.

"They were all with one accord in one place," signifies that the followers were unified in purpose and intention, gathered together in a single location.

This gathering marks a pivotal moment for the Christian community, as it precedes an event where the Holy Spirit empowers the apostles to speak in various tongues, allowing them to preach the teachings of Jesus to people of different languages and cultures.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Pentecost was originally a Jewish feast known as Shavuot, which celebrated the wheat harvest in Israel and also commemorated the anniversary of the day God gave the Torah to Israel on Mount Sinai. It occurred fifty days after Passover.

The term "Pentecost" comes from the Greek "Pentēkostē," meaning fiftieth. The followers of Jesus were likely gathered to observe this feast when the events described in Acts 2:1 occurred.

It was during this time of high religious significance that the early Christian community received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Theological Insights

Theologically, this verse encapsulates several key insights:

Fulfillment of Jesus' Promise: The descent of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Jesus' promise to send a "Comforter" or "Advocate" (John 14:26, 15:26).
Birth of the Church: This event is considered the genesis of the Christian Church, marking the moment when the message of Christ was to be proclaimed to all nations.
Unity in Faith: The reference to being "with one accord" underscores the importance of unity among believers, a central theme in the Christian faith.
Enablement for Ministry: The empowerment by the Holy Spirit is seen as a divine enablement for the disciples to carry out their missionary work.

Practical Applications

Acts 2:1 can be applied in daily life as an encouragement for individuals and faith communities to:

Seek unity and harmony when gathering for worship or fellowship. 2.

Remain open to experiencing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives. 3.

Celebrate and remember the foundation of their faith's history and its significance. 4.

Be willing to share their faith across cultural and linguistic barriers.

Cross-References

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."
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."

Language Study

Key Greek words in Acts 2:1 include:

"Pentēkostē" (Pentecost): referring to the fiftieth day after Passover.
"Homothumadon" (with one accord): from "homos" (same) and "thumos" (passion), it suggests having the same passion or being of one mind.
"Epi to auto" (in one place): meaning being in the same location physically, also indicating solidarity in purpose.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The event of Pentecost in Christian tradition parallels some aspects of other cultural or religious experiences:

Shavuot, as mentioned, is the Jewish feast of weeks with its own significance in Judaism.
In other religions, festivals like the Hindu Diwali or the Islamic Eid al-Fitr also represent times of communal gathering and celebration of faith.

Scientific Perspectives

While the event described in Acts 2:1 is of a spiritual nature, modern psychology might study the effects of collective experiences and heightened emotional states during significant religious events, or the impact of such events on social cohesion and group identity.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians have offered various interpretations of Acts 2:1:

Some emphasize the importance of unity in the early Church. 2. Others focus on the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (Joel 2:28-32) and Jesus' promises regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit. 3.

Many commentaries delve into the significance of Pentecost as a reversal of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), where language divided humanity, while here, language becomes a means to unite and spread the Gospel.

Acts 2

Acts 2

What does Acts 2:1 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Acts 2:1 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?