Pentecost Brings the Holy Spirit
Acts 2Now when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the rushing of a violent wind came from the sky, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. Tongues like fire appeared to them, separated, and rested on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them speech.
Now there were devout Jews from every ethnic group under heaven living in Jerusalem. When this sound occurred, the crowd came together and was bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in their own language. They were all amazed and marveled, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? How is it that we hear them in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our tongues about the mighty works of God!” They were all astounded and nonplussed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocked them, saying, “They’re drunk on new wine!”
Peter Preaches from Joel
Then Peter, stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and spoke out to them, “Fellow of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, y’all should listen carefully to my words and let me explain this. It’s not what y’all think—these people aren’t drunk. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Y’all’s sons and y’all’s daughters will prophesy. Y’all’s young men will see visions. Y’all’s old men will dream dreams. Even on my male servants and female servants, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will display wonders in the heavens above, and signs on the earth below: blood, and fire, and clouds of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord [YHWH] comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [YHWH] will be saved.’+Joel 2:28-32“People of Israel, y’all listen to these words! Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to y’all by God with miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through him among y’all, just as y’all already know. This man was handed over by the marked out plan and foreknowledge of God, and y’all executed him using lawless people to nail him to the cross. But God raised up, releasing him from the agony of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. For David says about him,
‘I saw the Lord [YHWH] always before my face, because ʜᴇ is on my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad, and my tongue rejoices. Indeed my flesh will live in hope, because you will not abandon my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay. You made known to me the paths of life. You will fill me with the gladness of your presence.’+Psa 16:8-11“Siblings, it is right for me to speak confidently to y’all about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. So then, since he was a prophet and he knew that God had sworn an oath to him that ʜᴇ would place one of his biological descendants on his throne, David foresaw this and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he wasn’t abandoned to Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay. God has raised this Jesus, and we all are witnesses to this. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out what y’all now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, and yet he says,
‘The Lord [YHWH] said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’+Psa 110:1“Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom y’all crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter said to them, “Y’all must repent and be baptized, every one of y’all, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your* sins. And y’all will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to y’all and y’all’s children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Y’all must be saved from this crooked generation!”
Then those who received his word were baptized, and about three thousand souls were added to their number that day.
The Pentecost Community
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayer. Awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles. All the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property, and distributed them according to those who had need. Every day, they devoted themselves to being of one mind in the temple, and breaking bread in homes. They ate their food with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.