INTRODUCTION
In some measure, Acts 2 lies at the very heart of the message or theology of Acts.  We recognize that the theology of Acts is multifaceted, expressing several significant aspects of the Gospel and the Church,  but we see all of this in microcosm in Acts 2.

Read Acts 2 through carefully, and take note of the major emphases, and especially what the Apostle Peter says to the Jews question, "Men and brethren, what must we do..."

In this pivotal chapter we will find the Apostles following Jesus instruction to wait in Jerusalem for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the beginning of their witnessing when the Holy Spirit empowers them.  Just as Jesus had instructed the Apostles, the message of the kingdom was preached first in Jerusalem.  We learn the content of the Apostolic witnessing (preaching), what people were told to do as they responded to that message, and how in Jerusalem the first audience reacted when they heard the Apostolic message. 

In the Lesson 1 we drew attention to two fundamental emphases of Acts; 1) that a major purpose of Acts was to explain the world wide nature of the kingdom of God, and;  2) Jesus' instruction to the Apostles to be his witnesses to (to preach) throughout the world.  Lesson 2 introduced us to the nature or focus of the Apostolic preaching: namely Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection.  In this lesson we learn of the beginning of that kingdom which would break in in an unusual manner with the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and the Apostles' witnessing to Jesus.  We learn also of the establishment and mission of a new community of believers which would be called the church, and which would be centered on faith in Jesus as the Messianic king.

IMPORTANT EMPHASES TO LOOK FOR IN ACTS 2
1.   The impact and role of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
2.   The Apostolic preaching.
3.   The content of that preaching.
4.   The immediate response to that preaching.
5.   The establishment of a new community of believers Luke calls the church.

THE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (ACTS 2:1-14)
Click here to go to Acts 2:1-14
Read this text carefully.

Luke tells us that it was the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles.  Pentecost was one of the three great annual feasts of the Jews.  I was called Pentecost because it fell on the fiftieth day after the great feast of the Passover (pentekoste in Greek meaning fiftieth day).  In Hebrew it was called the feast of weeks (Deut 16:10), and was also called the day of the first fruits (Num 28:26).  Jerusalem would have been full of Jewish pilgrims who had come to celebrate this harvest feast.

Several thoughts stand out concerning this event:
1.   It was a remarkable impressive supernatural event.
2.   The sound of the mighty wind revealed the presence of the Holy Spirit spoken of
      by both John and Jesus.
3.   Tongues of fire, indicating the purifying nature of the message of Christ about to be
      proclaimed by the Apostles, accompanied this outpouring.
4.   The remarkable empowering of the Apostles by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as
      they spoke in tongues was a divine sign of their commission.
5.   The Messianic kingdom (reign) began with supernatural power, not human effort.

In Matt 3:11, 12 and parallel Gospel passages John the Baptist had proclaimed that although he had baptized with water as a sign of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Lk 3:3, Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.  Much has been made in some religious movement concerning this baptism with the Holy Spirit which goes far beyond the intent of both John, Jesus, and Luke-Acts!  We should try at this point to limit our thinking and theology to what John and Luke had to say about this event, and to notice the content of their teaching!

John's preaching was in the context of baptism indicating repentance for the forgiveness of sins under the Mosaic system of animal sacrifices.  It was in the context of repentance and forgiveness and an indication that Jesus would proclaim a new message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

In Acts 1 Jesus had instructed his Apostles to wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as an indication of the arrival of the kingdom of God and the beginning of a new message of witnessing (preaching) that would begin in Jerusalem but which would extend to the ends of the earth.  This preaching would extend form the outpouring of the Holy Spirit until the coming of Jesus.

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit was to be a sign indicating that the time for the Messianic kingdom had come, and a charge to begin the Messianic witnessing to all the world!  We will learn from Acts 10 and 11 that it took a similar outpouring of the Holy Spirit to convince Peter to preach the message of salvation through Jesus to the Gentile, Cornelius in fulfillment of Jesus' instruction to preach the message to all the earth. 

The presence and activity of the Holy Spirit in Acts was a sign that salvation in Jesus for all the world, and the Messianic kingdom, were a present reality!  We know from Acts 10, 11 how difficult that was for the Peter and the  Jews to accept.  It took something as dramatic as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to establish the Messianic ministry and kingdom in the mind of the Jewish disciples.  We will notice later in this chapter the relationship of the Holy Spirit to repentance, baptism, the forgiveness of sins, and the rebirth of individuals in the Messianic kingdom.

Luke records that each of the Apostles (the antecedent of they in Acts 2:4 and 1 is the 12 Apostles mentioned in Acts 1:26) began to speak in other tongues (Greek glossa - tongue, language) as the Spirit empowered them.  Devout pilgrim Jews from all over the world were witnessing this remarkable event.  The tongues spoken , were known, recognizable languages (see Acts 2:6, 7 where those present heard the message in their own language (Greek dialectos - dialect, language) and own native language (Greek dialectos - dialect, language)  The miracle was not on the hearing, but in the telling in our own tongue (Acts 2:12).  This was not some esoteric, secret experience of ecstatic utterances which only a few enjoyed or which needed translation!  The miracle they were witnessing was known languages or dialects.

What an event!  The supernatural sound of wind, tongues of fire, Apostles speaking in many languages!  Surely something great was about to happen or in fact already happening!  The Messianic message was beginning to be proclaimed to all the world!  The Messianic kingdom was breaking in in an unusual manner!

However, many of the hardened Jews who had been responsible for Jesus' crucifixion did not believe and were not impressed.  They charged the Apostles with being drunk with new wine! (Acts 2:13).

WHAT THEY WERE TOLD - THE FIRST WITNESSING (Acts 2:14-36)

Jesus had promised Peter that he would be given the keys to the kingdom (Matt 16:19), indicating that it would be Peter who would initiate the preaching of the message and "open" the kingdom to both Jews and Gentiles.  Here we see Peter doing just that!  In Acts 10 and 11 we see Peter doing the same for the Gentiles as he preached to Cornelius, the Roman centurion.

Standing up with the other eleven Apostles (indicating again that it was the twelve Apostles who were speaking in different languages (dialects) on the day of Pentecost) and addressed the charge that the Apostles were drunk.  Peter quoted an Old Testament text that was fundamental to the Jewish Messianic and kingdom expectation, Joel 2:28 following.  Peter reminds the Jews that Joel had predicted that in the last days God would pour out his Spirit on their sons and daughters in a miraculous manner.  Peter claimed that what they were experiencing on the day of Pentecost was a fulfillment of that prophecy.  This was an indication that the long expected restoration of the kingdom and restoration anticipated by the Jews was being fulfilled.  He closed the quotation from Joel with the promise made by God that "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."  Calling on the name of the Lord to the Jew meant several tings, including believing, obeying, and worshipping the Lord.

Immediately, Peter launched into a sermon claiming that God had made Jesus both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36)  He began by telling them that this same Jesus to whom God had testified through mighty works, wonders, and signs, they had crucified.  But God had raised this Jesus from the dead in accordance with prophetic statements made by David in the Psalms.  Now exalted to the right hand of God, this Jesus had poured the promised Holy Spirit out on them, indicating that the kingdom was now open to the Jews who would believe in him.

What had been promised by Joel and predicted by John had now been fulfilled!  Redemption and the kingdom were present in the person of Jesus!

WHAT THEY DID!  (Acts 2:37-42)

Although at first many were skeptical, the message of Peter touched at last 3,000 on that day!  They were convicted by Peter's preaching and according to Luke "were cut to the heart", indicating that they believed his message.  They had taken the first step toward salvation and the kingdom, they believed in Jesus!   When they asked The Apostles what they needed to do Peter instructed them to "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins."  Peter added that when they did this they would "receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Several significant thoughts arise from Peter's instruction! 

First, we learn something about faith.  Faith is trusting in what God was doing through Jesus, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah of God's kingdom, believing that Jesus died for our sins, that he was raised from the dead, and that through the death of Jesus God was working our salvation.  Faith is both trusting in what God was doing in Jesus, and trusting in the power of Jesus himself.

Second, we learn that saving faith in Jesus must result in repentance.  Repentance is a change in mind or thinking, a change in life focus, that leads to a change in lifestyle.  Repentance is a commitment to re-orient one's life from self to God.  Without repentance John refused baptism to the Jewish leaders (Matt 3:7-10).

Third, we learn that baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.  Peter instructed the Jewish believers to "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 2:38).  Baptism in the name of Jesus indicates by the authority of Jesus.  Jesus himself had commanded the Apostles to make disciples by teaching and baptizing them (Matt 28:19, 20).  Now the Apostles were carrying out that commission!  Baptism for the forgiveness of sins was not something the Apostles thought up, it was the teaching of Jesus himself.  To refuse or decline baptism was what the lawyers and Pharisees did, thus rejecting the purpose of God!  The connection of baptism with forgiveness is standard practice in the New Testament!  See Mk 16:15, 16, Acts 22:16, 1 Pet 3:21, and elsewhere.  No matter what we think, Peter instructed the Jewish believers (every one of you Acts 2:37) to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins!

Fourth, we learn from this passage that forgiveness of sins is not simply by believing, nor simply by repenting, nor imply by being baptized, but by a faith that cause one to repent and be baptized.  A faith that does not motivate one to repent and be baptized is simply not a trusting, saving faith!

Fifth, we learn that the new birth that takes place at conversion or salvation is not simply our action, it is the result of the working of God and the rebirth through the Holy Spirit!  The presence of the Holy Spirit is essential for forgiveness and rebirth.  Remember John 3:3-5 where Jesus told Nicodemus that unless he was born again by water and spirit her could not enter the kingdom!  Paul informs us in 2 Cor 3:6 that it is the Holy Spirit who gives life!  Again in Titus 3:5 Paul teaches that one is saved by "the washing of regeneration and the renewal in the Holy Spirit."  In similar vein Paul taught the Thessalonians that God had chosen "them to be saved through the sanctification of the Spirit and belief in the truth" (2 Thess 2:13).  The gift of the Holy Spirit in baptism is the activity of the life giving power of the Holy Spirit that brings about the new birth of every Christian.  From the beginning of creation it has been God's Spirit that has been the life giving power of all birth, especially the new birth.

Peter continued his message, exhorting the Jews to "save themselves from this crooked generation" (Acts 2:40).  By this he was encouraging them to repent and be baptized in order to be saved.  No one else could repent and believe for them.  The needed to do this themselves.  Those who believed (received) his word of instruction were baptized and added to the number of believing disciples.  Three thousand believed and were baptized!

Luke adds that the new baptized believers were devoting themselves to the Apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).  We have here the first indication of Christian worship, Apostolic preaching and teaching, assembly in fellowship and sharing, celebration of the Lord's Supper or communion, and praying together in community.

As the Apostles continued their preaching and performed many wonderful signs, the disciples were moved by awe (fear) and respect for God.  Out of concern for one another they sold their possessions so the poor and needy could be cared for.  The communed with one another in their home, enjoyed common meals in their homes, and praised god for his salvation.  Such was their devotion that many were attracted to the new movement we later cal the church.

Indicating their continued mission to take the Gospel message of salvation to all the world, souls were being added to their number ever day (Acts 2:43-47).

MAJOR POINTS TO LEARN FROM THIS LESSON
1.   The day of Pentecost was an annual harvest festival for the Jews and one of three
      major religious feasts on the Jewish calendar.  Jews would have been present
      from all over the world.

2.   Jesus had instructed his Apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to be
      poured out on them before they began preaching (witnessing).  They would receive
      power from the Holy Spirit and this would be a sign of the kingdom breaking in in
      an unusual manner.

3.   The Holy Spirit fell on them, there were dramatic supernatural happenings (wind
      and tongues of fire) the Apostles spoke in tongues, and Peter began preaching.

4.   Many Jews thought the Apostles were drunk.  Peter responded that they were not
      drunk, and that the strange phenomenon they were witnessing was a fulfillment of
      the Joel's prophecy in Joel 2.

5.   The tongues spoken were not ecstatic utterances but known languages or
      dialects.

6.   Peter's sermon was on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

7.   Many Jews believed Peter's message, and were troubled over the action of the
      Jews in crucifying Jesus.  They asked the Apostles what they should do.

8.   Peter instructed them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.  He
      promised them that the Holy Spirit would accompany their obedience.

9.   The Holy Spirit is involved in the new birth of every Christian.

10.  Many Jews followed Peter's instruction and were baptized.  About 3000 baptized
      saved persons were added to the number of the disciples in Jerusalem.

11.  The new group of Christians formed a new community of believers and began
       worshipping and working together.  The first church in Christendom was
       established and functioning!  

Summary and Discussion
1)  Briefly summarize in your own words what Acts 2 is all about.
2)  In Acts 1 Jesus told the apostles to wait in Jerusalem before they began their
     witnessing, and to wait until something special happened.  What was this
     something?
3)  From passages such as John 3:3-5, Titus 3:3-5, 2 Thess 2:3, and 2 Cor 3:6, what
     role does the Holy Spirit play in salvation?  It has something to do with birth!
4)  What was the core of Peter's sermon to the Jews gathered on the day of
     Pentecost?
5)  In relation to Jesus' instruction to the apostles in Acts 1, what was Peter doing,
     (the word begins with W) and how did this relate to what Jesus had said about the
     beginning of their preaching?
6)  What did the Jews ask Peter and the apostles?
7)  Why did they ask this?
8)  What did Peter tell them to do?
9)  What was the purpose of Peter telling them this?
10) What did they do and what resulted from their obedience to the gospel?