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 2:26 mean?

Explanation

The verse Acts 2:26 speaks to the hope and assurance that believers have through faith in God.

In this passage, the speaker (believed to be the Apostle Peter) expresses a deep sense of joy and contentment that stems from his relationship with God.

He acknowledges that his heart rejoices and his tongue is glad, suggesting a profound emotional and verbal response to the spiritual experiences he has had.

Furthermore, the verse indicates a confidence that extends beyond life; "moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope," implies a belief in the resurrection or an afterlife where the body will be at peace because of the hope in God's promises.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

Acts 2:26 is part of Peter's sermon delivered during the Feast of Pentecost after the Holy Spirit had descended upon the apostles.

The overall verses in this section are referencing King David's words from Psalm 16, which Peter uses to affirm the Messiahship of Jesus and the hope of resurrection.

This setting is approximated to be not long after Jesus' crucifixion and the subsequent outpouring of the Holy Spirit (circa AD 30-33), a pivotal time for the early Christian church.

Theological Insights

From a Christian theological perspective, this verse is significant as it demonstrates the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy in Jesus Christ and affirms the belief in resurrection.

The joy and hope expressed by the speaker are seen as fruits of the Holy Spirit.

The theological stance here includes a continuity between Old Testament and New Testament, prophecy and fulfillment, and physical life with spiritual eternity.

Practical Applications

This verse can inspire individuals to embrace a life of joy and hope despite circumstances.

It reassures believers that through faith in God, they can experience an inner peace that correlates with the hope of eternal rest.

Applying this teaching, one might choose to speak words of gladness and live with an attitude rooted in the hope of divine promises.

Cross-References

Psalm 16:9 "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope."
Romans 15:13 "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."

Language Study

The key words in the original Greek text from this verse are:

"heart" (καρδία - kardia): often meant the seat of physical, spiritual, and mental life.
"rejoice" (εὐφραίνω - euphraino): to be glad or to cheer up.
"tongue" (γλῶσσα - glossa): literally the tongue, but also referring to speech or language.
"flesh" (σάρξ - sarx): here it likely refers to the physical body.
"rest" (ἀναπαύομαι - anapauomai): to give rest, refresh, to take ease.
"hope" (ἐλπίς - elpis): expectation of good, hope, in Christian sense joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Similar expressions of hope in an afterlife and the restful peace that accompanies righteousness can be found in other religious and cultural literature of antiquity, such as Egyptian beliefs in an afterlife that reflects one's life on earth, and Greek notions of the soul's immortality as found in the works of philosophers like Plato and Socrates.

Scientific Perspectives

While the verse speaks to spiritual beliefs that are not within the realm of empirical science, modern psychology may align with the idea that hope and positive anticipation, as expressed in this scripture, can have significant positive effects on mental and physical well-being, which are areas of interest in psychosomatic medicine.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians emphasize this verse as an example of early Christian conviction in Jesus' resurrection and the anticipation of their own.

Matthew Henry's commentary, for example, sees this as a confirmation of the soul's happiness and the body's rest in hope of the resurrection.

He views the joy mentioned as stemming from the Holy Spirit and the gladness of the tongue as the ability to speak of God's truths.

These commentaries enrich our understanding of the early Christian community's experiences of divine promises and showcase how the verse reflects core Christian beliefs of resurrection and eternal life.

Acts 2

Acts 2

What does Acts 2:26 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 2:26 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?