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 2:4 mean?

Explanation

Acts 2:4 recounts a pivotal moment in Christian history known as Pentecost, when the apostles were imbued with the Holy Spirit.

The "Holy Ghost" is a title for the Holy Spirit, signifying the third person of the Christian Trinity.

Being "filled with the Holy Spirit" suggests a profound spiritual empowerment.

The speaking in "other tongues" refers to the ability to speak languages that the apostles did not previously know, enabling them to communicate God's word to people of various linguistic backgrounds.

This event indicates the enabling power of the Spirit to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers for the purpose of spreading the gospel.

Top Rated Acts Books

Historical Context

The event described in Acts 2:4 occurs during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, which celebrated the wheat harvest and also commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.

This occurred not long after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.

The early Christian community was in Jerusalem, and the apostles were among the followers of Jesus who remained together.

Pentecost became a foundational moment for Christianity, as it marks the beginning of the church's mission to spread the message of Jesus through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Theological Insights

Different Christian denominations interpret this verse in Acts with varying theological implications.

For example:

Catholic and Orthodox views often see Pentecost as the birth of the Church, with the Holy Spirit bestowing not only the gift of tongues but also sanctifying the apostles for their mission.
Mainline Protestant interpretations might emphasize the spread of the Gospel and the breaking down of linguistic barriers as a sign of the inclusivity of God's message.
Pentecostal and Charismatic perspectives focus heavily on the aspect of speaking in tongues as a sign of being filled with the Holy Spirit, often considering this as a sensual and continuing experience available to believers today.

Practical Applications

Acts 2:4 can be applied in daily life in various ways:

Encouraging believers to be open to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for service and witness.
Motivating Christians to seek and celebrate diversity within the body of Christ, recognizing the unifying work of the Spirit across different languages and cultures.
Reminding communities of faith that the message of the Gospel is universal and should be shared with all people groups.

Cross-References

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;"
1 Corinthians 12:10: "To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:"
1 Corinthians 14:2: "For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries."

Language Study

In the original Greek, key words include:

"Filled" (πλήθω / plēthō): Implies being made complete or fully supplied.
"Holy Ghost" (Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον / Pneuma Hágion): Translates to "Holy Spirit," denoting divine presence and power.
"Other tongues" (ἑτέραις γλώσσαις / heterais glōssais): "Other" signifies different, and "tongues" means languages, referring to languages not previously known to the speaker.
"Utterance" (ἀποφθέγγομαι / apophtheggomai): Means to speak out or articulate, often with a connotation of inspired speech.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures, there are myths and stories of gods enabling heroes or prophets to speak or understand multiple languages.

For example:

In Greek mythology, Hermes was the god of language and a divine messenger.
In some Native American traditions, the ability to communicate with other tribes or the spirit world often required a special endowment by the spirits.

However, the Christian interpretation is unique in its soteriological purpose, the gift of languages at Pentecost directly facilitates the evangelistic mission of the church.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientifically, the phenomena of speaking in tongues, or glossolalia, is studied in the context of religious experience and psychology. Neuroscientific studies have examined brain activity during glossolalia, finding altered states of consciousness in some practitioners.

However, the ability to spontaneously speak in a language previously unknown to the speaker, as described in the Acts passage, falls outside the purview of scientific explanation and is usually interpreted as a miracle.

Commentaries

Biblical scholars and theologians provide various interpretations of Acts 2:4:

John Stott, an Anglican cleric, suggested that the miracle of Pentecost was as much about the hearing as the speaking, emphasizing the hearer's ability to understand the apostles.
**Craig S.

Keener**, a biblical scholar, comments on the social impact of Pentecost in breaking cultural boundaries and forming a diverse church community.

**Gordon D.

Fee**, a Pentecostal theologian, argues for the spiritual empowerment that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit, which is evident through signs such as speaking in tongues but also includes many other manifestations for effectively witnessing to the world about Christ.

Acts 2

Acts 2

What does Acts 2:4 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 2:4 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?