1Nastal den letnic a všichni byli společně pohromadě. 2Najednou se ozval z nebe hukot, jako když se přižene silný vítr, a naplnil celý dům, kde se zdržovali. 3A ukázaly se jim jazyky jako z ohně, rozdělily se a nad každým z nich se usadil jeden. 4Všichni byli naplněni Duchem svatým a začali mluvit cizími jazyky, jak jim Duch vnukal, aby promlouvali. 5V Jeruzalémě bydleli zbožní židé ze všech možných národů pod nebem. 6Když se ten zvuk ozval, hodně lidí se sběhlo a byli ohromeni, protože každý z nich je slyšel, jak mluví jeho vlastní řečí. 7Žasli, divili se a říkali: »Ti, co tak mluví, nejsou to všichni Galilejci? 8Jak to tedy, že každý z nás slyší svou mateřštinu? 9My Parthové, Médové, Elamité, obyvatelé Mezopotámie, Judska a Kapadokie, Pontu a Asie, 10Frýgie a Pamfýlie, Egypta a libyjského kraje u Kyrény, my, kteří jsme připutovali z Říma, 11židé i proselyté, Kréťané i Arabové: slyšíme, jak našimi jazyky hlásají velké Boží skutky.« 12A všichni žasli a v rozpacích se ptal jeden druhého: »Co to má znamenat?« 13Ale jiní říkali posměšně: »Jsou plní sladkého vína!« 14Tu vystoupil Petr s ostatními jedenácti apoštoly a slavnostně k nim promluvil: »Židé a všichni jeruzalémští obyvatelé, ať je vám to známo: pozorně vyslechněte mou řeč! 15Tito lidé nejsou opilí, jak se domníváte, vždyť je teprve devět hodin dopoledne! 16Ale to se splnilo, co řekl prorok Joel: 17V posledních dnech, praví Bůh, 'vyliji ze svého Ducha na všechny lidi. Pak budou vaši synové a vaše dcery prorokovat, vaši mladí muži budou mít vidění, vaši starci dostanou ve snu zjevení. 18Vyliji v těch dnech ze svého Ducha i na své služebníky a na své služebnice, a budou prorokovat. 19A způsobím divy nahoře na nebi a znamení dole na zemi: krev a oheň a sloupy dýmu. 20Slunce se obrátí v temnotu a měsíc v krev, dříve než přijde veliký a slavný den Páně. 21A každý, kdo bude vzývat jméno Páně, bude zachráněn.' 22Izraelité, poslyšte tato slova! Bůh vám dal svědectví o Ježíši Nazaretském mocnými činy, divy a znameními, které, jak víte, konal Bůh skrze něho mezi vámi. 23A on byl vydán, jak to Bůh předem rozhodl a předpověděl, a vy jste ho rukama bezbožníků přibili na kříž a zabili. 24Ale Bůh ho vzkřísil, zbavil bolestí smrti, protože nebylo možné, aby zůstal v její moci. 25David přece o něm říká: 'Mám Pána před očima stále, je mi po pravici, abych se neviklal. 26Proto se raduje mé srdce a můj jazyk jásá. Ano i mé tělo odpočine v naději, 27neboť nevydáš mě podsvětí napospas, nedopustíš, aby tvůj Svatý podlehl porušení. 28Oznámils mi cesty života, naplníš mě blahem před svou tváří.' 29Bratři, budiž mi dovoleno, abych k vám bez okolků promluvil o praotci Davidovi. Ten umřel a byl pohřben, a jeho hrob máme u nás až dodneška. 30Byl to prorok a věděl, že Bůh mu přísahou slíbil, že na jeho trůně usadí jednoho z jeho potomků. 31Viděl tedy do budoucnosti, a když řekl, že nebude ponechán v podsvětí a jeho tělo že nepodlehne porušení, mluvil o Kristově zmrtvýchvstání. 32Toho Ježíše Bůh vzkřísil, a my všichni jsme toho svědky. 33Byl povýšen po pravici Boží, od Otce přijal slíbeného Ducha svatého, vylil ho, jak vidíte a slyšíte. 34David na nebe nevystoupil, ale prohlásil: 'Řekl Hospodin mému Pánu: Posaď se mi po pravici, 35dokud ti nepoložím tvé nepřátele jako podnož k nohám.' 36Ať je úplně jasno celému izraelskému národu toto: Pánem a Mesiášem ustanovil Bůh právě toho Ježíše, kterého jste vy ukřižovali.« 37Když to uslyšeli, proniklo jim to srdce a ptali se Petra i ostatních apoštolů: »Bratři, co máme dělat?« 38Petr jim odpověděl: »Obraťte se! A každý z vás ať se dá pokřtít ve jménu Ježíše Krista, aby vám byly odpuštěny hříchy, a jako dar dostanete Ducha svatého. 39Vždyť to zaslíbení platí vám i vašim dětem, ale také všem, kdo jsou ještě daleko, které si povolá Pán, náš Bůh.« 40Ještě mnoha jinými slovy je zapřísahal a vybízel: »Zachraňte se z tohoto zvráceného pokolení!« 41Ti, kdo jeho slovo ochotně přijali, byli pokřtěni. A ten den se k nim přidalo na tři tisíce lidí. 42Setrvávali v apoštolském učení, v bratrském společenství, v lámání chleba a v modlitbách. 43Všechny naplňovala bázeň, poněvadž se prostřednictvím apoštolů dělo mnoho divů a znamení. 44Všichni, kteří přijali víru, drželi pevně pohromadě a měli všechno společné. 45Prodávali všechen svůj majetek a dělili ho mezi všechny, jak kdo potřeboval. 46Každý den zůstávali svorně v chrámu, po domech lámali chléb a jedli pokrm v radosti a s upřímností srdce, 47chválili Boha a těšili se všeobecné oblibě. A Pán rozmnožoval den co den počet povolaných ke spáse a církvi.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 DESCENT OF THE SPIRIT--THE DISCIPLES SPEAK WITH TONGUES--AMAZEMENT OF THE MULTITUDE. (
Acts 2:1-
Acts 2:13)
when the day of Pentecost was fully come--The fiftieth from the morrow after the first Passover sabbath (
Lev 23:15-
Lev 23:16).
with one accord--the solemnity of the day, perhaps, unconsciously raising their expectations.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, &c.--"The whole description is so picturesque and striking that it could only come from an eye-witness" [OLSHAUSEN]. The suddenness, strength, and diffusiveness of the sound strike with deepest awe the whole company, and thus complete their preparation for the heavenly gift. Wind was a familiar emblem of the Spirit (
Ezek 37:9;
John 3:8;
John 20:22). But this was not a rush of actual wind. It was only a sound "as of" it.
3 cloven tongues, like as of fire, &c.--"disparted tongues," that is, tongue-shaped, flame-like appearances, rising from a common center or root, and resting upon each of that large company:--beautiful visible symbol of the burning energy of the Spirit now descending in all His plenitude upon the Church, and about to pour itself through every tongue, and over every tribe of men under heaven!
4 they . . . began to speak with . . . tongues, &c.--real, living languages, as is plain from what follows. The thing uttered, probably the same by all, was "the wonderful works of God," perhaps in the inspired words of the Old Testament evangelical hymns; though it is next to certain that the speakers themselves understood nothing of what they uttered (see on 1Co. 14:1-25).
5 there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation--not, it would seem, permanently settled there (see
Acts 2:9), though the language seems to imply more than a temporary visit to keep this one feast.
9 Parthians, &c.--Beginning with the farthest east, the Parthians, the enumeration proceeds farther and farther westward till it comes to Judea; next come the western countries, from Cappadocia to Pamphylia; then the southern, from Egypt to Cyrene; finally, apart from all geographical consideration, Cretes and Arabians are placed together. This enumeration is evidently designed to convey an impression of universality [BAUMGARTEN].
14 PETER FOR THE FIRST TIME, PUBLICLY PREACHES CHRIST. (Acts 2:14-36)
Peter, standing up with the eleven--in advance, perhaps, of the rest.
15 these are not drunken--meaning, not the Eleven, but the body of the disciples.
but the third hour--nine A.M. (see
Eccl 10:16;
Isa 5:11;
1Thess 5:17).
17 in the last days--meaning, the days of the Messiah (
Isa 2:2); as closing all preparatory arrangements, and constituting the final dispensation of God's kingdom on earth.
pour out of my Spirit--in contrast with the mere drops of all preceding time.
upon all flesh--hitherto confined to the seed of Abraham.
sons . . . daughters . . . young men . . . old men . . . servants . . . handmaidens--without distinction of sex, age, or rank.
see visions . . . dream dreams--This is a mere accommodation to the ways in which the Spirit operated under the ancient economy, when the prediction was delivered; for in the New Testament, visions and dreams are rather the exception than the rule.
19 I will show wonders, &c.--referring to the signs which were to precede the destruction of Jerusalem (see on
Luke 21:25-
Luke 21:28).
21 whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved--This points to the permanent establishment of the economy of salvation, which followed on the breaking up of the Jewish state.
22 a man approved of God--rather, "authenticated," "proved," or "demonstrated to be from God."
by miracles . . . which God did by him--This is not a low view of our Lord's miracles, as has been alleged, nor inconsistent with
John 2:11, but is in strict accordance with His progress from humiliation to glory, and with His own words in
John 5:19. This view of Christ is here dwelt on to exhibit to the Jews the whole course of Jesus of Nazareth as the ordinance and doing of the God of Israel [ALFORD].
23 determinate counsel and foreknowledge--God's fixed plan and perfect foresight of all the steps involved in it.
ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain--How strikingly is the criminality of Christ's murderers here presented in harmony with the eternal purpose to surrender Him into their hands!
24 was not possible he should be holden of it--Glorious saying! It was indeed impossible that "the Living One" should remain "among the dead" (
Luke 24:5); but here, the impossibility seems to refer to the prophetic assurance that He should not see corruption.
27 wilt not leave my soul in hell--in its disembodied state (see on
Luke 16:23).
neither . . . suffer thine Holy One to see corruption--in the grave.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life--that is, resurrection-life.
thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance--that is, in glory; as is plain from the whole connection and the actual words of the sixteenth Psalm.
29 David . . . is . . . dead and buried, &c.--Peter, full of the Holy Ghost, sees in this sixteenth Psalm, one Holy Man, whose life of high devotedness and lofty spirituality is crowned with the assurance, that though He taste of death, He shall rise again without seeing corruption, and be admitted to the bliss of God's immediate presence. Now as this was palpably untrue of David, it could be meant only of One other, even of Him whom David was taught to expect as the final Occupant of the throne of Israel. (Those, therefore, and they are many, who take David himself to be the subject of this Psalm, and the words quoted to refer to Christ only in a more eminent sense, nullify the whole argument of the apostle). The Psalm is then affirmed to have had its only proper fulfilment in JESUS, of whose resurrection and ascension they were witnesses, while the glorious effusion of the Spirit by the hand of the ascended One, setting an infallible seal upon all, was even then witnessed by the thousands who stood listening to Him. A further illustration of Messiah's ascension and session at God's right hand is drawn from
Ps 110:1, in which David cannot be thought to speak of himself, seeing he is still in his grave.
36 Therefore--that is, to sum up all.
let all the house of Israel--for in this first discourse the appeal is formally made to the whole house of Israel, as the then existing Kingdom of God.
know assuredly--by indisputable facts, fulfilled predictions, and the seal of the Holy Ghost set upon all.
that God hath made--for Peter's object was to show them that, instead of interfering with the arrangements of the God of Israel, these events were His own high movements.
this same Jesus, whom ye have crucified--"The sting is at the close" [BENGEL]. To prove to them merely that Jesus was the Messiah might have left them all unchanged in heart. But to convince them that He whom they had crucified had been by the right hand of God exalted, and constituted the "LORD" whom David in spirit adored, to whom every knee shall bow, and the CHRIST of God, was to bring them to "look on Him whom they had pierced and mourn for Him."
37 pricked in their hearts--the begun fulfilment of
Zech 12:10, whose full accomplishment is reserved for the day when "all Israel shall be saved" (see on
Rom 11:26).
what shall we do?--This is that beautiful spirit of genuine compunction and childlike docility, which, discovering its whole past career to have been one frightful mistake, seeks only to be set right for the future, be the change involved and the sacrifices required what they may. So Saul of Tarsus (
Acts 9:6).
38 Repent--The word denotes change of mind, and here includes the reception of the Gospel as the proper issue of that revolution of mind which they were then undergoing.
baptized . . . for the remission of sins--as the visible seal of that remission.
39 For the promise--of the Holy Ghost, through the risen Saviour, as the grand blessing of the new covenant.
all afar off--the Gentiles, as in
Eph 2:17), but "to the Jew first."
40 with many other words did he testify and exhort--Thus we have here but a summary of Peter's discourse; though from the next words it would seem that only the more practical parts, the home appeals, are omitted.
Save yourselves from this untoward generation--as if Peter already foresaw the hopeless impenitence of the nation at large, and would have his hearers hasten in for themselves and secure their own salvation.
41 BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. (
Acts 2:41-
Acts 2:47)
they that gladly received his word were baptized--"It is difficult to say how three thousand could be baptized in one day, according to the old practice of a complete submersion; and the more as in Jerusalem there was no water at hand except Kidron and a few pools. The difficulty can only be removed by supposing that they already employed sprinkling, or baptized in houses in large vessels. Formal submersion in rivers, or larger quantities of water, probably took place only where the locality conveniently allowed it" [OLSHAUSEN].
the same day there were added to them about three thousand souls--fitting inauguration of the new kingdom, as an economy of the Spirit!
42 continued steadfastly in--"attended constantly upon."
the apostles' doctrine--"teaching"; giving themselves up to the instructions which, in their raw state, would be indispensable to the consolidation of the immense multitude suddenly admitted to visible discipleship.
fellowship--in its largest sense.
breaking of bread--not certainly in the Lord's Supper alone, but rather in frugal repasts taken together, with which the Lord's Supper was probably conjoined until abuses and persecution led to the discontinuance of the common meal.
prayers--probably, stated seasons of it.
43 fear came upon every soul--A deep awe rested upon the whole community.
44 all that believed were together, and had all things common--(See on
Acts 4:34-
Acts 4:37).
46 daily . . . in the temple--observing the hours of Jewish worship.
and breaking bread from house to house--rather, "at home" (Margin), that is, in private, as contrasted with their temple-worship, but in some stated place or places of meeting.
eat their meat with gladness--"exultation."
and singleness of heart.
47 Praising God--"Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy works" (
Eccl 9:7, also see on
Acts 8:39).
having favour with all the people--commending themselves by their lovely demeanor to the admiration of all who observed them.
And the Lord--that is, JESUS, as the glorified Head and Ruler of the Church.
added--kept adding; that is, to the visible community of believers, though the words "to the Church" are wanting in the most ancient manuscripts.
such as should be saved--rather, "the saved," or "those who were being saved." "The young Church had but few peculiarities in its outward form, or even in its doctrine: the single discriminating principle of its few members was that they all recognized the crucified Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah. This confession would have been a thing of no importance, if it had only presented itself as a naked declaration, and would never in such a case have been able to form a community that would spread itself over the whole Roman empire. It acquired its value only through the power of the Holy Ghost, passing from the apostles as they preached to the hearers; for He brought the confession from the very hearts of men (
1Cor 12:3), and like a burning flame made their souls glow with love. By the power of this Spirit, therefore, we behold the first Christians not only in a state of active fellowship, but also internally changed: the narrow views of the natural man are broken through; they have their possessions in common, and they regard themselves as one family" [OLSHAUSEN].