Acts of the Apostles

The Coming of the Holy Spirit and the Birth of the Church

Acts 2

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus’ ministry was launched when the Holy Spirit descended upon him as he prayed after his baptism in the Jordan (Luke 3:21–22). Here in Acts, the Church’s ministry now likewise begins when the Holy Spirit descends upon the one hundred twenty men and women gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem. The “promise of the Father” that Jesus instructed his followers to await (Acts 1:4; see Luke 24:49) is now bestowed. The mission of Jesus, to be light for the Gentiles and glory for God’s people Israel (Luke 2:32), is to be perpetuated by his followers, who are now empowered by his Holy Spirit.

Pentecost: The Holy Spirit Comes (2:1–13)

1When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. 2And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were. 3Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them. 4And they were all filled with the holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

5Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem. 6At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd, but they were confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7They were astounded, and in amazement they asked, “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language? 9We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene, as well as travelers from Rome, 11both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs, yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God.” 12They were all astounded and bewildered, and said to one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others said, scoffing, “They have had too much new wine.”

OT: Gen 11:1–9; Exod 19:16–19

NT: Luke 3:16; 1 Cor 12–14

Catechism: Pentecost, 731–41, 1287, 2623; fire as symbol of the Holy Spirit, 696

Lectionary: Acts 2:1–11: Pentecost Sunday (Years A–C); Acts 2:1–6, 14, 22b–23, 32–33: Confirmation

[2:1–4]

Luke’s phrase the time for Pentecost was fulfilled indicates that the Spirit’s coming is the accomplishment of God’s plan of salvation. The term has the same connotation in Luke 9:51: “When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled,” that is, when the moment arrived for Jesus to obey God’s plan by journeying to Jerusalem to complete his saving mission through the cross and resurrection.

The Jewish Feast of Pentecost, or Weeks, fifty days after Passover, was one of the three great pilgrimage feasts of Israel (Deut 16:16). It was originally a harvest celebration but later also became a commemoration of God’s giving of the covenant and the law on Mount Sinai. For Christians, the coming of the Holy Spirit fulfills this meaning of Pentecost. The celebration of the gift of the law now embraces the giving of the new law in the Spirit (Rom 8:2), the writing of the law on the heart (Jer 31:31–34; 2 Cor 3:2–6).

Fig. 2. An image of Pentecost from the Rabbula Gospels, a sixth-century Syrian illuminated manuscript.

Wikimedia Commons

The Spirit came on the disciples when they were all in one place together and united in prayer (1:14). The Spirit’s coming is manifested with observable signs: a noise like a strong driving wind and the appearance of tongues as of fire that rested on each of them. Throughout Scripture, wind is often a sign of the Spirit, since the same word (pneuma in Greek) means both wind and spirit. The loud noise, wind, and fire evoke the †theophanies on Mount Sinai to Moses (Exod 19:16–19) and Elijah (1 Kings 19:11–13). The sign of fire especially recalls the Baptist’s prophecy that the One to come “will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16). Yet Luke most emphasizes the sign that they were all filled with the holy Spirit so that they began s to speak in different tongues. In this context the Greek word glossai, literally, “tongues,” is better translated as “other languages” (NRSV), since it was the ordinary word used for languages.

[2:5–10]

The listeners are astounded, because they all understand the Galilean speakers in their respective languages: “Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans? Then how does each of us hear them in his own native language?” The countries mentioned cover most of the world that was known to first-century Palestine and symbolize the fact that the Church will embrace the whole world, transcending all barriers of race, class, and nation. They include the regions of Israel’s historic enemies, Mesopotamia (the center of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires) and Egypt, fulfilling God’s promise that Israel’s oppressors would one day turn and acknowledge the God of Israel as the true God (Ps 87:1–4; Isa 19:22–25).

The list refers to Jews from the †Diaspora who have relocated to Jerusalem, or Jews who have come there on pilgrimage for the Feast of Pentecost. Jesus promised his apostles that they would be his witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8), as had been prophesied concerning the Servant of the Lord in Isa 49. Their witnessing to God’s mighty acts in many languages is an initial fulfillment of this promise.

[2:11]

The fact that Jews from many different nations all heard the disciples speaking in our own tongues of the mighty acts of God portends that the ancient tragedy of Babel (Gen 11:1–9) is now being reversed. The people at Babel had arrogantly tried to “make a name” for themselves by building a tower to the heavens—symbolizing the human attempt to seek power, wealth, and security without any reference to God. In consequence God confounded the universal human language into many different languages, which made it impossible for them to complete that tower. Instead, they were scattered throughout the world as separate nations, each with its own language. At Pentecost, the Spirit-given ability of Jesus’ disciples to speak in various languages signifies that God is beginning to overcome human divisions. Now the Spirit has miraculously enabled Jesus’ followers to speak and be understood in many languages from all over the known world. The unifying power of the Spirit will be frequently demonstrated throughout Acts as people who would never before have associated with one another—Jews and Gentiles, slaves and prominent people, the upright and the formerly impious—share a common life of brotherhood and sisterhood in the Church.

images

Speaking in Tongues at Pentecost and in Corinth

The tongues reported at Pentecost appear to be a unique phenomenon, different from the gift of tongues that St. Paul discusses in 1 Cor 12–14, and probably also from tongues in Acts 10:46; 19:6. At Pentecost the disciples are able to speak and be understood in many other languages. In contrast, Paul indicates that in common prayer at Corinth, speech in tongues is not understood by others without an additional gift of interpretation (1 Cor 14:2, 6–9, 13–19, 27–28). Paul affirms tongues as a charism for prayer and praise (1 Cor 14:4–5, 18), but since such a tongue is unintelligible and therefore not useful to the listeners, he urges the Corinthians to prefer the gift of prophecy, declaring messages that can strengthen the faith of others. The event of tongues at Pentecost is actually a form of prophecy, since it is proclaiming “the mighty acts of God”—what God has done in Jesus Christ—in a way that the listeners can understand (Acts 2:11).

[2:12–13]

This puzzling linguistic phenomenon causes the listeners’ bewilderment and even garners some mocking comments: “They have had too much new wine.” But there is irony in this mockery. In the Old Testament, new wine, or sweet wine, symbolized the joy and abundant blessings that God would give his people in the messianic age (see Joel 4:18 LXX;[1] Amos 9:13–14 LXX). Jesus hinted that he himself would give the “new wine” of divine life (Mark 2:22; see John 2:10). At Pentecost it becomes clear that the new wine is the Holy Spirit, the gift of God’s love poured into human hearts (see Rom 5:5).

Although the whole crowd hears the diverse languages coming from a group of Galileans, their reactions differ widely, from being astounded and bewildered, to questioning, to scoffing accusations that the believers are drunk. Miraculous signs are an invitation to faith but often require an explanation of what they signify. Such an explanation is what Peter’s speech will provide (Acts 2:14–36).

Reflection and Application (2:1–13)

This inspiring account of the Church’s inception is a model for contemporary Christians. Christian identity today is likewise grounded in our receiving the Holy Spirit in baptism and confirmation. Christians are sometimes tempted to think they can be saved by their determination to cultivate virtue, by doctrinal orthodoxy, or by scrupulously following rules and commandments. The Pentecost event reminds us how indispensable the Holy Spirit is to our faith and salvation. The indwelling Holy Spirit bestows on us the theological virtues of faith, hope, and love, from which all other Christian virtues and actions follow (Catechism 1812–13). The Spirit produces a particular kind of fruit in us (Gal 5:22–23), the character of Jesus.

images

The Sober Intoxication of the Spirit

The ironic accusation that the disciples at Pentecost are “filled with new wine” (Acts 2:13) was a favorite theme for the Fathers of the Church. St. Cyril of Jerusalem explained to a group of catechumens,

They are not drunk in the way you might think. They are indeed drunk, but with the sober intoxication which kills sin and gives life to the heart and which is the opposite of physical drunkenness. Drunkenness makes a person forget what he knows; this kind, instead, brings understanding of things that were not formerly known. They are drunk insofar as they have drunk the wine of that mystical vine which affirms, “I am the vine, you are the branches” (John 15:5).a

St. Ambrose exclaimed in a hymn, “Let us drink with joy the sober intoxication of the Spirit!” and said to the newly baptized, “He who becomes intoxicated with wine staggers, but he who becomes intoxicated with the Holy Spirit is rooted in Christ. How truly excellent is this intoxication which produces the sobriety of the soul!”b

St. Augustine, preaching to the newly baptized at Easter, said,

The Holy Spirit has come to abide in you; do not make him withdraw; do not exclude him from your heart in any way. He is a good guest; he found you empty and he filled you; he found you hungry and he satisfied you; he found you thirsty and he has intoxicated you. May he truly intoxicate you! The Apostle said, “Do not be drunk with wine which leads to debauchery.” Then, as if to clarify what we should be intoxicated with, he adds, “But be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart” (Eph 5:18–19). Doesn’t a person who rejoices in the Lord and sings to him exuberantly seem like a person who is drunk? I like this kind of intoxication. The Spirit of God is both drink and light.c

For these patristic writers, it is evident that the new wine of the Holy Spirit outpoured at Pentecost continues to be given in the Church, especially through the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.

a. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, 17.19, quoted in Raniero Cantalamessa, Sober Intoxication of the Spirit, trans. Marsha Daigle-Williamson (Cincinnati: Servant, 2005), 2–3.

b. Ambrose, On the Sacraments 5.3.17.

c. Sermons 225.4.

Fig. 3. The nations of Pentecost (Acts 2:9–11).

International Mapping

The descent of the Spirit at Pentecost transformed the first followers of Jesus, who had previously hidden in fear from those responsible for Jesus’ crucifixion and were unable to understand God’s plan for a crucified Messiah (Luke 9:44–45; John 20:19). After the Holy Spirit’s coming, they understood God’s saving plan and were able to proclaim it boldly, even at the cost of beatings, imprisonment, and martyrdom. The charisms of prophecy and of speaking in tongues, as well as healings and miracles in the name of Jesus, were abundantly evident. The disciples were filled with joy and continual praise, even in the face of persecution. Today the Spirit is likewise needed to empower Christian life and ministry and to make it fruitful in bringing others to salvation.[2] Without the Holy Spirit, there are no Christians. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no Church.

Peter’s Pentecost Speech (2:14–21)

14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “You who are Jews, indeed all of you staying in Jerusalem. Let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15These people are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17‘It will come to pass in the last days,’ God says,

‘that I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

your young men shall see visions,

your old men shall dream dreams.

18Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids

I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days,

and they shall prophesy.

19And I will work wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below:

blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke.

20The sun shall be turned to darkness,

and the moon to blood,

before the coming of the great and splendid day of the Lord,

21and it shall be that everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.’

OT: Joel 3:1–5; Num 11:29

NT: Luke 21:7–28; Acts 2:36; 3:19; 21:9

Catechism: prophecies of the Holy Spirit, 715; calling on the name of Jesus, 432, 2666

[2:14–18]

As spokesperson, Peter stood up with the Eleven. Chrysostom explains, “They expressed themselves through one common voice, and he was the mouth of all. The Eleven stood by as witnesses to what he said.”[3] Peter begins by refuting their mistaken impression that the exuberant speech in many languages is a sign of drunkenness—a view that the early morning hour renders unlikely. Rather, these Pentecost phenomena fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Joel.

Peter adjusts a quotation from Joel. In place of “it shall come to pass” (Joel 3:1), he says in the last days, a phrase used by other biblical prophets.[4] Thus Peter explicitly declares that the outpouring of the Spirit signals the arrival of the last days, the †eschatological fulfillment toward which all Old Testament prophecies point. God promised that in the final days, “I will pour out a portion of my spirit upon all flesh.” With the Israelites, God had poured out his Spirit on individual prophets, judges, and kings, but not on the whole people. In the wilderness, when God bestowed a portion of the Spirit on seventy elders, Joshua complained that two others had also received the Spirit and were prophesying even though they were not with the designated group. Moses responded, “Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all the people of the LORD were prophets! Would that the LORD might bestow his spirit on them all!” (Num 11:29). Centuries later, Joel and other prophets foretold that in the end times God would fulfill Moses’ desire and bestow his Spirit on all the people.[5] Peter quotes Joel to announce that what the crowd is witnessing is indeed the longed-for outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh. Later in Acts it becomes clear that “upon all flesh” extends even beyond the people of Israel to include all nations.

Here is the observable result of this outpouring of God’s Spirit, Peter claims: “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, / your young men shall see visions, / your old men shall dream dreams. / Indeed, upon my servants and my handmaids / I will pour out a portion of my spirit in those days.” Joel prophesied that the Spirit would be bestowed on every category of people: men and women, old and young, slaves and free, who will all manifest prophetic words, visions, and dreams. Peter adds a phrase not found in Joel: “and they shall prophesy,” which is how he interprets the disciples’ inspired speech in tongues. Later Luke will go out of his way to demonstrate that Christian prophets include women as well as men, such as Philip’s “four virgin daughters gifted with prophecy” (Acts 21:9). This is part of Luke’s pattern of including references to both men and women. God’s Holy Spirit lives within every Christian and makes each one a son or daughter of God, empowered to act as God’s servant in word and deed.

[2:19–20]

Joel prophesied that cosmic signs would accompany the Spirit’s outpouring in the end times. Again the quotation in Acts adds words to Joel’s prophecy. Peter emphasizes that the signs will be both cosmic signs in the heavens and earthly signs here below by adding above and below to Joel 3:3: “And I will work wonders in the heavens above / and signs on the earth below.” Earthly “wonders” and “signs” recall the miracles that God worked through Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Exod 7:3; Deut 4:34) and the miracles worked by Jesus in his public ministry (v. 22). Wonders in the heavens are typical in biblical prophecies of the last day, the day when God would intervene in history to destroy evil and restore the fortunes of his people (Isa 13:10; Ezek 32:7; Rev 6:12).

Before the day of judgment, Joel describes images of destruction such as blood, fire, and a cloud of smoke and cosmic signs in the heavens such as the sun being turned to darkness, / and the moon to blood. These details are similar to those in Jesus’ end-times discourse: “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves” (Luke 21:25). After these end-times cosmic signs, Joel foretells, there will be the great and splendid day (RSV “manifest day,” NJB “terrible Day”) of the Lord. The speech thus clearly distinguishes the final day (singular) of the Lord (v. 20) from the extended period of final days (plural) with which the speech began (v. 17). The final days are the days in which Peter and his hearers (and Luke’s readers) are living. The final day, the day of judgment, is still to come.

images

The “Final Days” before the “Final Day” of the Lord

Luke’s version of Jesus’ end-times discourse (Luke 21:7–28) differentiates four stages: (1) a period of persecution and of testimony by the disciples (reported in Acts); (2) the destruction of Jerusalem (in AD 70, after the end of Acts); (3) the “times of the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24); and (4) the return of the Son of Man in judgment, accompanied by cosmic signs.

The period described in Acts, during which Jesus’ first followers give testimony when persecuted (Luke 21:12–19), precedes the destruction of Jerusalem and the “times of the Gentiles,” when “Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles” (Luke 21:24). With many scholars, I think that Luke and Acts were written after the fall of Jerusalem, so that Luke’s readers were living in these “times of the Gentiles” after Jerusalem’s fall but before the cosmic signs that accompany the end of time (vv. 25–27). Since these cosmic signs have not yet occurred even in our days, we too are living in the “times of the Gentiles.” According to Peter’s speech in Acts 2, this entire period, from Pentecost until the final day, is the extended epoch of fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Both the apostles after Pentecost and we today, therefore, are living in the “final days.”

[2:21]

On the day of judgment, the day of the Lord, Peter proclaims, still quoting Joel, “Everyone shall be saved who calls on the name of the Lord.” At this point in the speech, Peter has not yet argued that Jesus is the Lord (see Acts 2:36). However, readers already know that “the Lord,” which in the Old Testament means the God of Israel, now refers to the risen Jesus. On the day of judgment, those will be saved from condemnation who in faith call on the name of Jesus, the Lord who is now fulfilling his promises to reconcile his alienated people.

Peter’s Argument from Scripture That Jesus Is the Christ (2:22–32)

22You who are Israelites, hear these words. Jesus the Nazorean was a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs, which God worked through him in your midst, as you yourselves know. 23This man, delivered up by the set plan and foreknowledge of God, you killed, using lawless men to crucify him. 24But God raised him up, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it. 25For David says of him:

‘I saw the Lord ever before me,

with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

26Therefore my heart has been glad and my tongue has exulted;

my flesh, too, will dwell in hope,

27because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,

nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.

28You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

29My brothers, one can confidently say to you about the patriarch David that he died and was buried, and his tomb is in our midst to this day. 30But since he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne, 31he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. 32God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.

OT: Deut 18:15; Pss 16; 110

NT: Mark 15:34; Luke 22:42

Catechism: Jesus’ signs and wonders, 547–50; culpability for Jesus’ death, 591, 597–99; Jesus’ body preserved from corruption, 627

Lectionary: Third Sunday of Easter (Year A); Monday of the Octave of Easter

[2:22–24]

Peter addresses his listeners as Israelites, rather than Jews, to emphasize their membership in the people of God, to whom God’s promises belong. He makes two proofs from Scripture. First he argues from Ps 16 that Jesus is the †Christ, the promised Messiah who would restore Israel, but not in the political manner often expected. Next he proves from Ps 110 that Jesus is the Lord. Peter begins by referring to Jesus of Nazareth as a man commended to you by God with mighty deeds, wonders, and signs. This reference to Jesus’ miracles recalls the “signs and wonders” that God worked through Moses (Exod 7:3; Deut 7:19). Peter emphasizes Jesus’ humanity by attributing the mighty deeds to God: “which God worked through him in your midst.” Since God had also worked miracles through prophets like Moses and Elijah, Peter’s argument so far demonstrates only that Jesus is God’s servant.

Peter indicts his listeners for having crucified Jesus through lawless men (Roman Gentiles) even though God had endorsed him by these miraculous signs. Jesus’ resurrection confirms that his death was part of the set plan and foreknowledge of God, as Jesus himself had foretold in his passion predictions (Luke 9:22, 44; 18:31–33). Luke repeatedly emphasizes that the death of the Messiah was always part of God’s plan to save his people.[6] But Jesus’ life was not to end with his death. God raised him, releasing him from the throes of death, because it was impossible for him to be held by it.

[2:25]

Peter uses Scripture to demonstrate for his Jewish audience that Jesus is the Messiah. He cites Ps 16, a psalm in which David expressed his trust and confidence in God:[7] “I saw the Lord ever before me, / with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.” As Peter points out below (vv. 29–31), in this psalm it is actually Jesus the Messiah who is speaking through the mouth of David. Jesus suffered anguish in anticipation of his passion. But after his struggle in the garden, when he submitted his human will to the Father’s plan (Luke 22:42–44), he no longer was “disturbed” but exhibited serenity and courage, knowing that the Father would deliver him.

[2:26–28]

Psalm 16 expresses Jesus’ confident hope even during his passion that he would be raised from the dead: “My flesh, too, will dwell in hope.” The reason for his hope follows: “because you will not abandon my soul to the netherworld, / nor will you suffer your holy one to see corruption.” The Jewish view was that physical decay began on the fourth day after death, as illustrated in Martha’s comment that there would be an odor because Lazarus had been dead four days (John 11:39). But Jesus was raised on the third day—a sign that this prophecy that God’s holy one “would not see corruption” was fulfilled in him! The psalm continues, “You will fill me with joy in your presence.”

[2:29–31]

As Peter points out, Ps 16 cannot apply to David himself, because his tomb is in our midst to this day. This is in sharp contrast to Jesus’ tomb, which was known to be empty (Luke 24:1–8). David’s prophecy in Ps 16:10 quoted by Peter, “You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld,” could not have applied to himself since he had been dead and buried for a thousand years. But because David was a prophet and knew that God had sworn an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants upon his throne (see Ps 132:11–12), he spoke rather of his descendant, Jesus: he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah.

[2:32]

If Jesus’ body had, like David’s, been known to still be in his tomb, Jesus’ resurrection could have been easily disproved. But Peter’s listeners do not dispute the fact that his tomb was empty. The empty tomb is necessary evidence of Jesus’ resurrection though it is not in itself sufficient to prove it.[8] Belief in Jesus’ resurrection depends on the apostles’ eyewitness testimony that he is alive: of this we are all witnesses.

Peter’s Argument from Scripture That Jesus Is Lord (2:33–36)

33Exalted at the right hand of God, he received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father and poured it forth, as you [both] see and hear. 34For David did not go up into heaven, but he himself said:

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand

35until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

OT: Ps 110

NT: John 7:37–39; 20:19–23; Acts 1:6–8; 1 Cor 15:22–28

Catechism: Jesus at God’s right hand, 659; Jesus is Lord, 446–51, 746; culpability for Jesus’ death, 591, 597–98

Lectionary: Acts 2:14a, 36–41: Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A)

[2:33]

Peter’s argument that Jesus is Lord (vv. 33–36) is parallel to his argument that Jesus is the †Christ (vv. 22–32). Although Peter’s quotation of Ps 16 did not include the last line of the psalm, his audience undoubtedly knew what it said: “delights at your right hand forever” (Ps 16:11). Thus Peter continues to interpret the psalm when he says that Jesus’ ascension is his glorification at the right hand of God, in heaven next to God and sharing his divine authority.[9]

Because Jesus received the promise of the holy Spirit from the Father in his own glorified human nature, he has now become the instrument for God’s outpouring of the Spirit on humanity. Before Christ came, human beings were alienated from God by sin and could not receive the indwelling Spirit of God. But through Jesus’ atoning death and resurrection, the gift of the Holy Spirit becomes possible (see John 7:39; 16:7). Jesus instructed the disciples to await the promised Holy Spirit in Jerusalem (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4). Now, exalted with the Father, he has poured it forth, as you [both] see and hear. Thus Peter explains the sights and sounds that the crowd experiences: the Lord Jesus, seated in divine glory at the Father’s right hand, is pouring out the Holy Spirit on his disciples. The phrase “what you see and hear” emphasizes that the coming of the Spirit is a visible, unmistakable reality.

[2:34–35]

In verses 25–32 Peter argued that the prophecy of Ps 16, that the “holy one” would not “see corruption,” applied not to David but to his descendent, Jesus the Messiah. Here he argues similarly from Ps 110. It is obvious that David did not go up into heaven to be at God’s right hand because he is still in his tomb. But in this psalm David declares that the Lord (God) will tell my Lord, “Sit at my right hand.” Peter observes that the psalm promises that not David but David’s Lord, the Messiah, would sit at God’s right hand “until I make your enemies your footstool.” The risen Jesus is the Lord spoken of in the psalm, whose enemies are being placed under his feet by God. The early Church understood this last verse as a reference to Jesus’ victory over all his enemies—sin, Satan and death—at the end of time (1 Cor 15:22–28; Heb 10:12–13).

[2:36]

Peter’s combined conclusion to his arguments from Psalms 16 and 110 is that God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah. The †synoptic Gospels all feature Jesus’ question to his disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” (Luke 9:20), and Peter’s climactic confession of faith in response: “You are the Messiah.” Messiah (Hebrew Mashiakh), or Christ (Greek Christos), means “anointed one.” Although the Jews expected that the Messiah would restore the kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6), God’s plan was that his Anointed would exercise a far greater kingship and bring a far superior salvation both to Jews and Gentiles (Luke 2:29–32).

The title “Lord” (Greek kyrios) is used throughout the Greek Old Testament to translate God’s sacred name, Yahweh, which the Jews avoided pronouncing out of reverence. The New Testament continues to call God “the Lord.” But the New Testament reveals something new: “the Lord” is also the risen Jesus, who as the Son shares in God’s power and authority over the whole universe. In the Roman Empire, where “the lord” was a title for Caesar, the Christian confession that Jesus is Lord meant that Jesus alone, and not Caesar, is owed absolute loyalty and submission. Thus this confession of allegiance to a higher authority had cultural and political consequences and resulted in persecution for the early Christians, as for Christians in many parts of the world today.

Reflection and Application (2:33–36)

The early Church’s confession of faith is summed up in the statement “Jesus Christ is Lord” (see Phil 2:11; 3:8). Jesus is Lord because he is risen and has conquered death forever! To confess that Jesus is Lord is to say that he is my Lord, my Savior, my King; that I have placed my life under his authority and that my whole destiny belongs to him. Thus St. Paul declares, “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the holy Spirit” (1 Cor 12:3). Paul expresses his own boundless joy and gratitude at this discovery: “I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8). For many Christians, Jesus is only a figure from the distant past. But the existential knowledge that Jesus is Lord, a living presence in our lives, is meant to be the inheritance of every Christian.

The People’s Response to Peter’s Witness (2:37–41)

37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38Peter [said] to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit. 39For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

OT: Deut 32:5; Ps 78:8

NT: Matt 12:39; 28:18–20; Mark 1:15; Luke 3:15–16; Acts 1:4–5

Catechism: repentance and baptism, 1226, 1240, 1427

Lectionary: Acts 2:14a, 36–41: Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A); Tuesday of the Octave of Easter; Acts 2:14a, 36–40a, 41–42: Christian initiation apart from the Easter Vigil

[2:37–38]

Listening to Peter’s speech, the people are cut to the heart—a sign that the Holy Spirit has convicted their consciences of sin and opened their hearts to believe Peter’s message. To their question what they are to do, Peter responds: “Repent and be baptized”—summing up the Christian call to conversion, which is grounded in Jesus’ own message, “Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Similar instructions will be given by Ananias at Paul’s conversion: “Now, why delay? Get up and have yourself baptized and your sins washed away, calling upon his name” (Acts 22:16). Even though one aspect or the other may not be explicit, throughout Acts the response that the gospel requires is threefold: faith, repentance, and baptism.

In the New Testament, forgiveness of sins is closely linked with repentance. God desires to forgive all sinners, but his respect for human freedom necessitates that we accept his forgiveness by admitting and repenting of our guilt. This parallels a fact of human experience, that when a wrong has been committed but not acknowledged and renounced, even if the person who suffered the wrong is willing to forgive, reconciliation remains incomplete.[10]

Like the whole New Testament, Peter affirms that entrance into Christ’s Church is through baptism, at least for everyone after the initial 120 on whom the Spirit first descended. A useful comment is offered by Raymond Brown: “Baptism as a public action is important. . . . Peter is portrayed as asking people to make a visible and verifiable profession of their acceptance of Jesus. This is tantamount to asking people to ‘join up.’ The basic Israelite concept is that God chose to save a people, and the renewal of the covenant on Pentecost has not changed that. There is a collective aspect to salvation, and one is saved as part of God’s people.”[11]

Christian converts are to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Although some commentators hold that this expression is an alternative to the Trinitarian formula of baptism “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19), I regard it less as a ritual formula than as Luke’s emphasis on the converts’ consecration to Christ, in distinction from John’s baptism of repentance toward God (see Acts 18:25; 19:3–4).[12] To be baptized “in the name of Jesus” means to acknowledge that he is Lord and place one’s life under his authority. Throughout Acts the apostles invoke the powerful name of Jesus in preaching (5:40; 9:27), healing (3:6; 9:34), casting out demons (16:18), and baptizing new believers (10:48).

Through baptism converts receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of the holy Spirit (see Col 2:12–13; 1 Pet 3:21). With this statement Peter establishes the link between baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit. The way to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, as were the first disciples at Pentecost, is by being joined to Christ through baptism. Unlike John’s baptism in water, which signified repentance for forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:3; Acts 19:4), baptism in the name of Jesus also bestows the Holy Spirit, as John had prophesied, “He will baptize you with the holy Spirit and fire” (Luke 3:16; see Acts 1:5).

[2:39]

Peter ends his address by speaking of the promise (as in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4; 2:33) referring to God’s gift of salvation expressed in the gift of the Spirit. God had promised through the prophets[13] to bestow his Spirit on Israel—to you and to your children—but now, Peter declares, it reaches to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call. God’s plan of salvation extends beyond his chosen people to Gentiles, whom God also intends to call. Although Peter invites his audience to respond, he here reminds them that God is the One who has taken the initiative in offering salvation.

[2:40]

The reference to many other arguments indicates that Luke has given us only a summary of Peter’s address—a standard approach in ancient historical reports of speeches. The speech climaxes in Peter’s exhortation to his listeners: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” The phrase “this corrupt generation” means the bad influences of a society that had in many ways turned away from God (see Deut 32:5; Ps 78:8).[14] The classic Old Testament example of a corrupt generation was the rebellious Israelites who perished in the desert after the exodus from Egypt. In the Gospels, Jesus compares his contemporaries who rejected him as Messiah to that disobedient desert generation (Luke 9:41; 11:29–32, 50–51).

[2:41]

The baptism of about three thousand persons is an impressive event that Luke presents as a marvelous beginning of the restoration of Israel under its risen Messiah. Luke later records another considerable growth to about five thousand Christians (4:4) and mentions further increase.[15] The continuous growth of the Church is sometimes described as the spread of “the word” (Acts 6:7; 13:49; 19:20), which implies that the primary way the Church grows is through the Spirit-filled proclamation of God’s word, awakening faith in those who hear it.

Reflection and Application (2:14–41)

Peter’s speech illustrates the importance of both faith and reason in the spread of Christianity. The startling transformation in Peter, from denying Jesus before a servant girl (Luke 23:56–57) to proclaiming him boldly to thousands in Jerusalem, is due to the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. To be shared with others, Christian faith must also be persuasively explained with the help of reason and argument, which is also done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s speech illustrates an attractive mixture of testimony to his own experience and faith in God’s word. It uses reasonable arguments to persuade listeners that the crucified Jesus is truly the Messiah and Lord promised in Scripture. Is our witness to friends and neighbors grounded in the power of God’s Spirit, in personal experience of Jesus, in biblical revelation, and in reasonable explanation?

First Summary: Early Communal Life under the Apostles (2:42–47)

42They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. 43Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. 46Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

OT: Deut 34:11

NT: Acts 4:32–37; 5:12–16; 1 Cor 11:17–26

Catechism: apostles’ teaching, 857; communal life, 949–53; breaking of bread, 1329, 1342; prayer, 2624–25

Lectionary: Second Sunday of Easter (Year A)

[2:42]

Those who believe and are baptized form a community. Acts 2:42–47 is the first of three summaries that describe the beginnings of the church in Jerusalem (with 4:32–35; 5:12–16). They depict an idyllic foundational stage in the Church’s life intended to serve as an example.[16] This first summary portrays the Christian community after Pentecost as centered around the teaching of the apostles, which continues to be the foundation of Christian doctrine to this day. The new community is also founded on the communal life or fellowship (koinōnia) with one another, which is experienced especially through the breaking of the bread—the Eucharist and communal meals—and prayers together. This spiritual sharing is in turn the foundation for the material sharing of goods (vv. 44–45). As the Letters of Paul indicate, life in the church is a life of close brotherhood and sisterhood, which includes caring for one another’s needs, celebrating joys together, and supporting one another in sorrow (see 1 Cor 12:25–26; Gal 6:1–2; Eph 5:18–20; Phil 2:3–4)—all of which is a crucial part of the Christian witness to the world. These four elements remain crucial for the life of the Church in future generations: the “teaching of the apostles,” care for one another in community, “the breaking of the bread,” and prayers.

[2:43]

Luke emphasizes the powerful impression the Christians made on others. Awe or reverent fear came upon everyone, especially because of the wonders and signs worked through the apostles. Like the teaching of Jesus (Acts 2:22), the teaching of his apostles is accompanied by mighty deeds that confirm the message. The wonders and signs done by the apostles are in fact done by the risen Jesus, who acts through them. They are signs because they signify the truth of the good news preached by the apostles, that Jesus is alive and is bringing about the kingdom of God. They are wonders because they call forth a response of awe, wonder, praise, and gratitude. They also recall the many signs and wonders that God worked through Moses during the exodus (Deut 34:11; Acts 7:36), indicating that in Jesus, God is accomplishing a new and greater act of deliverance.

[2:44–45]

All who believed were together, which indicates that they gathered often in settings such as their homes and the temple (2:46). That they had all things in common indicates that their intense spiritual unity led to a sharing of material possessions. This sharing, in direct contrast to the human tendency toward possessiveness, is a powerful testimony to the presence of the kingdom inaugurated by Jesus.

Luke’s portrayal of the early Christian community later became an inspiration for communal ownership of goods in monastic communities, in which monks literally surrender all worldly goods to the common account. Luke, however, does not indicate that all Christians practiced such strict sharing of goods. When Peter rebukes Ananias’s dishonest claim about his land sale, he says, “While it remained unsold, did it not remain yours? And when it was sold, was it not still under your control?” (see Acts 5:4). Luke’s words echo a well-known Hellenistic proverb about friendship: “Friends hold all things in common.” The proverb declares that friends are willing to share all things when there is need, although usually they do not literally do so.[17] What did happen in the early Christian community was that some wealthy members would sell their property and possessions, as Barnabas did in Acts 4:36–37, to divide them among all according to each one’s need. That is, those who had extra goods sold them to provide for the needs of the poor, especially widows and orphans (Acts 6:1). Among all the members was a bond of “friendship,” mutual care, that was astounding and powerfully attractive to those who observed it.

[2:46]

The believers, who continued to consider themselves devout Jews, gathered to pray in the temple area, and they also broke bread in their homes. The breaking of bread refers to shared meals with fellow Christians, probably including the Eucharist, which were characterized by exultation and sincerity of heart. Before churches were built, Christians celebrated the Eucharist in homes, usually in connection with a common meal (see Paul’s discussion of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Cor 11:17–34).

[2:47]

The Christian community enjoyed favor with all the people, in this case the Jewish people. This emphasis on the positive impression Christians made on outsiders (see also Acts 4:33) brings to mind the boy Jesus, who advanced in “wisdom and age and favor before God and man” (Luke 2:52). This good reputation contributed to the growth of the Church as every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (see Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30–31). Acts depicts the community life of the first Christians as having a powerful evangelizing impact.

Reflection and Application (2:42–47)

Luke’s description of the early Church lays a challenge before us. To what degree do our parishes resemble the early Christian community in Jerusalem? Do our Sunday gatherings for the Eucharist express a communal life characterized by praying together, mutual support, shared meals, and other forms of fellowship? Does our parish spiritual life extend beyond Mass to sharing our lives with one another in small groups, Bible studies, and social and evangelistic outreaches? Such communal life leads to joy and an intense awareness of the presence of the Lord in our midst, which culminates in a rich celebration of the liturgy.

The example of the Jerusalem church teaches us to share our time, money, and goods with Christian brothers and sisters in need. Nor ought Christian generosity stop with Church members: it should extend to non-Christians as well. Paul says it well: “Let us do good to all, but especially to those who belong to the family of the faith” (Gal 6:10). Christian love, service, and generosity attract people to Jesus and the Church today just as they did in the Church’s youth. The more Christians today live a Spirit-filled life, the more we can also expect signs and wonders of all kinds to take place among us.

Luke’s summary of early Christian communal life portrays the beginnings of a Christian culture—a society and way of life founded on God’s word and animated by the Holy Spirit. As recent Church teaching has emphasized, the goal of evangelization is that the good news would not only reach individuals but also penetrate and transform cultures, purifying and elevating those elements in them that are compatible with the gospel.[18] Today’s Christianity, however, is often very individualistic. Even in some countries with large numbers of believers, there is a lack of Christian influence on laws and institutions, education, the sciences, entertainment, sports, or the arts. As Pope John Paul II stated, “A faith that does not affect a person’s culture is a faith not fully embraced, not entirely thought out, not faithfully lived.”[19] Indeed, “the split between the Gospel and culture is without a doubt the drama of our time. . . . Therefore, every effort must be made to ensure a full evangelization of culture.”[20]