The Day of Pentecost
1 When the day ofPentecost had come, they were all together in one place,
2 and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
3 There appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were being distributed [among them], and they rested on each one of them [as each person received the Holy Spirit].
4 And they were all filled [that is, diffused throughout their being] with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in othertongues (different languages), as the Spirit was giving them the ability to speak out [clearly and appropriately].
5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devoutandGod-fearing men from every nation under heaven.
6 And when this sound was heard, a crowd gathered, and they were bewildered because each one was hearing those in the upper room speaking in his own languageordialect.
7 They were completely astonished, saying, “Look! Are not all of these who are speaking Galileans?
8 Then how is it that each of us hears in our own languageornative dialect?
9 [Among us there are] Parthians, Medes and Elamites, and people of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus andAsia [Minor],
10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and the visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes (Gentile converts to Judaism),
11 Cretans and Arabs–we all hear them speaking in our [native] tongues about the mighty works of God!”
12 And they were beside themselves with amazement and were greatly perplexed, saying one to another, “What could this mean?”
13 But others were laughingandjokingandridiculing them, saying, “They are full of sweet wineandare drunk!”
Peter’s Sermon
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be explained to you; listen closelyandpay attention to what I have to say.
15 These people are not drunk, as you assume, since it is [only] the third hour of the day (9:00 a.m.);
16 but this is [the beginning of] what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:
17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ says God,
‘ThatIwill pour outMySpirit upon all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see[divinely prompted]visions,
And your old men shall dream[divinely prompted]dreams;
18 Even onMy bond-servants,both men and women,
Iwill in those days pour outMySpirit
And they shall prophesy.
19 ‘AndIwill bring about wonders in the sky above
And signs(attesting miracles)on the earth below,
Blood and fire and smoking vapor.
20 ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of theLord comes.
21 ‘And it shall be thateveryone who calls upon the name of theLord[invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord Jesus]shall be saved(rescued spiritually).’
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accreditedandpointed outandattested to you by God with [the power to perform] miracles and wonders and signs which God worked through Him in your [very] midst, just as you yourselves know–
23 thisMan,when handed over [to the Roman authorities] according to the predetermined decision and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross and put to death by the hands of lawlessandgodless men.
24 But God raised Him up, releasing Himandbringing an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in death’s power.
25 For David says of Him,
‘Isaw theLord constantly before me;
ForHe is at my right hand,so thatIwill not be shaken[from my state of security].
26 ‘Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope[that is, will encamp in anticipation of the resurrection];
27 ‘ForYou will not forsake meandabandon my soul toHades(the realm of the dead),
Nor letYourHolyOne undergo decay[after death].
28 ‘You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will fill me[infusing my soul]with joy withYour presence.’
29 “Brothers, I may confidentlyandfreely say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30 And so, being a prophet and knowing fully that God had sworn to him with an oath thatHe would seatoneof his descendants on his throne,
31 he foresaw and spoke [prophetically] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), that He was not abandoned[in death]toHades(the realm of the dead),nor didHis bodyundergo decay.
32 God raised this Jesus [bodily from the dead], and of that [fact] we are all witnesses.
33 Therefore having been exaltedto the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured out this [blessing] which you both see and hear.
34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, yet he himself says,
‘TheLord[the Father]said to myLord[the Son],
“Sit atMy right hand,
35 UntilImakeYour enemies afootstool forYour feet.”’
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (Messiah, Anointed)–this Jesus whom you crucified.”
The Ingathering
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart [with remorse and anxiety], and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?”
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.”
40 And Peter solemnly testified and continued to admonishandurge them with many more words, saying, “Be saved from this crookedandunjust generation!”
41 So then, those who accepted his message were baptized; and on that day about3,000 souls were added [to the body of believers].
42 They were continuallyandfaithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of the apostles, and to fellowship, toeating meals together and to prayers.
43 A sense of awe was felt byeveryone, and many wonders and signs (attesting miracles) were taking place through the apostles.
44 And all those who had believed [in Jesus as Savior]were together and had all things in common [considering their possessions to belong to the group as a whole].
45 And theybeganselling their property and possessions and were sharing the proceeds with all [the other believers], as anyone had need.
46 Day after day they met in the temple [area] continuing with one mind, and breaking bread in various private homes. They were eating their meals together with joy and generous hearts,
47 praising Godcontinually,and having favor with all the people. And the Lord kept adding to their number daily those who were being saved.