New Life Bible Chapel - Friday Bible Study - The book of Acts

In Acts 1 we saw how Jesus promised His apostles the Holy Spirit and Matthias was appointed as an apostle. Acts 2 I Pneumas (Holy Spirits) Arrival (Acts 2:1-13) a. v.1 We are at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, that is around 50 days after Passover (Jesus resurrection) and the believers are there. Most probably the same 120 we saw in the first chapter of Acts. b. v.2-3 Then 2 things happened/came from heaven: - Audibly - A sound like a mighty rushing wind - Visually - An appearance of divided tongues AS OF fire, rested on them. Luke says AS OF and this indicates that they were not literal flames but something that resembled fire very closely and so flames was the best description to what was seen. In the OT, fire was often used to make aware, to the people at that time and the reader, the presence of God. It shows Gods burning holiness and purity, consuming everything that is impure.1 Exodus 3:2, And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. Exodus 13:21, And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. Exodus 19:18, Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. c. v.4 Once that happened, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. This was prophesied by Jesus in Acts 1:5, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. and we see it being fulfilled here at the Day of Pentecost. Next, we see that they began to speak in other tongues and the Spirit gave them utterance. I see the Spirit giving them utterance as the Holy Spirit giving them power. And this power was also prophesied by Jesus in Acts 1:8 which I see as a 2 part-prophecy, But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Them getting this power is the first part and soon in v.14 onwards they are going to be witnesses of Jesus, which is the second part. The word tongues (in Greek, glssa, plural) can also be translated as languages and most probably is the usage used here in Acts 2:4. The other tongues they spoke are indirectly mentioned by listing the areas the languages were spoken. List is in Acts 2:9-11. d. v.5-8 Most of the Jewish men in Jerusalem were pilgrims from the various lands of the dispersion (Primarily from Egypt, Asia Minor and Italy) and they came to the holy city for the reason stated in v.1, it was the Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks (Lev 23:15). So on hearing the sound from v.2, this large group of people came together and they were extremely
1 E.S.V. Study Bible Notes

astonished and confused. The definition of the Greek word is to disturb the mind. They were confused because, even though all those men were from different language-speaking lands, they all heard their own language being spoken by these believers. e. v.9-11 Here is a list of areas that the Jewish people came from. The map below puts it all in a better perspective.

Parthia, Media, Elam (Elymais) and Mesopotamia, as can be seen in the map above, lies to the east of River Euphrates and the Jews located there spoke Aramaic. This is where, at the earliest dispersion, the exiles from the 10 northern tribes of Israel were deported by the Assyrians in the 8th and 7th centuries. f. v.12-13 There were some people who were genuinely astonished and amazed as to what they were hearing. These Galilean men speaking in all these other languages about the mighty works of God. And as usual in every good bunch of grapes you have your share of sour ones as you can see some people stating that these people were drunk with a new type of wine. APPLICATION QUESTION 1: (Read Genesis 11) In what ways was the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost different than what happened at Babel? What can be understood/learnt from these 2 situations? APPLICATION QUESTION 2: What was the importance/need for different languages being spoken by the believers when they were filled by the Spirit? II Peters Sermon (Acts 2:14-41) a. This sermon is a very important sermon as it is the first Christian sermon. v.14a Here we see that from the 12 Apostles, Peter is the one who lifted his voice to address the multitude of people who were gathered there. What stood out to me here is that there were equally qualified Apostles present there but the Holy Spirit prompted Peter in this situation.

An APPLICATION for us from this instance is that, we all may be qualified to do a particular job but sometimes it might not be our opportunity to do the work God needs done. God will use who he sees fit. So if we see someone else do something that we think we should be doing, do not be discouraged.Remember that God knows best and is in control of everything. He will give you your chance when His time is right. Ephesians 1:11, In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will APPLICATION QUESTION 3: (Read Acts 2:14-41)What showed unity among the Apostles when Peter stood to speak? APPLICATION QUESTION 4: (Read Joel 2:28-32; Psalm 16:8-11; Psalm 110:1)In Peters sermon, like in many places, there were many references to OT passages: a. What was the PURPOSE of using OT Scripture? b. What was the POINT he was trying to make/explain using Scripture? b. v.14b-15 In the following verses we can see that before Peter goes on to deliver the gospel message, which is based on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, he explains the phenomenon that caused every one's perplexity and gathering in one place. First he dismisses the reason of the men being filled with wine arguing that it was only 09:00. c. v.16 Then he goes on to quote from the Prophet Joel, Joel 2:28-32, to explain 2 points. First he was explaining to the people that what they heard was prophesied about a long time. d. v.17-21 When Peter quotes these verses he is in effect stating that the last days, which God had spoken through his Prophet Joel, have arrived.2 The term, last days was referred continuously throughout the OT, by the prophets, to the coming time of the Messiah. The OT prophets did not know of any NT church, which some people even call the age of grace. If you read the OT, there is no mention of the NT church. The prophets only saw or prophesied about the Messiah coming and setting up His Kingdom. For them, it was one event. One such example from OT Scripture is from Isaiah 9:6, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. First it says to us, for to us a child is born and immediately it says, and the government shall be upon his shoulder. There was no indication for the prophets of anything in between the coming of the Messiah and the government being on his shoulders. Now we can better understand why the Apostles asked the question in Acts 1:6, So when they had come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?3 In the writers view, a special use made of an OT prophecy does not annul its meaning as fixed by the original context.4 So on closer study of Joels prophesy, we can see that the prophet speaks of the pouring out of the Spirit on all flesh as the climax of Gods blessings on restored Israel. And like most prophetic books, there is a series of signs that follow such encouraging words from God through
2 Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of Acts, NICNT. Grand Rapids, MI :Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 3 MacArthur, J (1972). Peters Sermon: Explaining Pentecost (Code: 1705). Panorama City, CA: Grace To You 4 Howley, G. C., Bruce, F. F., Ellison, H. L.(1976). A New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan :Zondervan Publishing House

his prophets. There is a reminder of coming judgement in the last days (Joel 3) and a promise that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Joel 2:32). But the signs prophesied about in Joel did not happen yet at the time of Acts 2 and the pouring of the Holy Spirit on just the 120 believers does not fulfill the complete prophesy of outpouring on all flesh. So the point here is that Joels prophecy was not completely fulfilled (might be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom5) but the 2nd point of Peter quoting Joel 2 was that he uses the prophecy to show that what had happened at that Pentecost was part of the beginning of the fulfilment of OT prophecy regarding the last days. e. v.22-32 Here we see Peter move to the main topic of his sermon, Jesus Christ. We can see that early apostolic preaching (including Peters sermon), had 4 parts and not necessarily in the same order6: - Announcing the age of fulfilment is at hand - Explaining the ministry, death and triumph of Jesus - Quoting of OT Scripture which proves that they all point forward to Jesus as the Messiah - Call to repentance In v.22 Peter does not explain in detail the mighty works and wonders that Jesus did, because it was still fresh in their minds. And he goes on to explain that all they saw Jesus do was in fact done by God through Jesus. And people who witnessed Jesus mighty works even agreed that God has visited his people! (Luke 7:16) In v.23 Peter calls the men gathered there, lawless men and explains that Jesus death through crucifixion, which was done by them, was in fact according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God. It shows that God had both foreordained and foreknown that Jesus would be crucified by the hands of these lawless people. It could be probable that Peter was hinting to the fact that even though all that took place, concerning Jesus death, was according to Gods plan, it did not excuse the people who instigated and contributed to His death. When Peter says, lawless men he is not only talking about the Jewish people but also about the gentiles involved. Even though it was according to Gods plan (as can be seen in OT Scripture) for the Messiah to suffer and die, it was for the benefit of all His people, His Church. We can see from v.24 that God raised Jesus up because it was not possible for death to hold Him.There was a silver lining Peters message. The silver lining was the new way that was made for the removal of sin and the assurance of pardon. But Peter chose to refrain from saying it at this point because he wanted the people there to be convicted of their sin. In v.25-28 Peter goes on to explain in one way a prophecy regarding death not able to hold Jesus. He goes on to quote Psalm 16:8-11 where the Lord prophetically speaks of His resurrection through David. In v.29-32 Peter explains to the Jewish men there that they all know the patriarch David died, was buried and his tomb is with them at that time (His tomb was remembered in Preexilic times [Nehemiah 3:16]). Basically stating that there was proof that David died. Peters argument was that if David had died, and Psalm 16 was talking mostly about himself, who was Psalm 16:8-11 talking about? It was talking about Jesus the Messiah, the great Davids greater Son, whos resurrection, witnessed by the
5 MacArthur, J (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible. Nashville, TN :Thomas Nelson, Inc. 6 Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of Acts, NICNT. Grand Rapids, MI :Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Apostles, fulfilled these prophetic words from Psalm 16 and no one else. Therefore Peter was giving a valid explanation to Jesus being the prophesied Messiah. [SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: A tomb is a resting place for someone who has died and usually people regard it as a memorial place as they remember the person whenever they look upon that resting place. Davids tomb was known to them because he was resting there after the life he had lived. Jesus tomb cannot be pointed out with certainty, like Davids, because Jesus no longer rests in His tomb.] f. v.33-41 In v.34-35 Peter continues with the idea of Davids Psalm not talking about himself but prophesying about the coming Messiah, i.e. Jesus. He quotes Psalm 110:1 and states that David did not ascend into heavens (v.33) but David still writes, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.(Psalm 110:1 ESV) Another validation for this verse is Jesus Himself quoting this verse in Mark 12:35-37. In v.36 Peter concludes and validates a part of the good news message, about Jesus being Lord and Christ, through the use of the witness account of the apostles and the fulfillment of OT prophecy concerning Jesus as the Messiah. Here Peter brings about the contrast in judgement He received. God exalted Him as Lord and Christ, and man crucified Him as a blasphemer and enemy. APPLICATION QUESTION 5: (Read John 16:7-11) What happened to the multitude of people in Acts 2:37? Who was responsible for what happened to them?

g. v.37-41 Here we can see the effect Peters sermon had on the people who listened to the words he spoke through the help of the Holy Spirit. His words convicted them of their sin and only when Peter saw that they were convicted with guilt did he tell his hearers about the silver lining mentioned earlier. The good news of the fine being paid for them in Christ.7 They then asked Peter what they were to do. This shows that they were receptive to the gospel message and were ready to repent. Peters reply is clear, to the point and reassuring, in the sense that even in their predicament, there was still hope left for the Jewish people. He says that they have to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. This verse does not imply that people can be saved without faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. To repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus itself implies the need to believe in Him. Here it is clearly understood that the willingness to be baptised outwardly is an expression of the inward repentance and faith in Christ. Peter also says that along with the baptism for the forgiveness of sins, they would get the gift of the Holy Spirit which does not mean a specific gift the Holy Spirit gives but having the gift of Him indwelling in you as a believer. In v.39 a clear statement is made that the promise of the gospel, ultimately, is for everyone whom the Lord calls into a personal relationship with Him. Those who call upon the name of the Lord are those whom the Lord himself has called-called effectively.8 In v.40-41 we see Peter continued to strongly encourage them (maybe a continuation of his sermon) and there were about 3000 souls who were added that day to the initial body of 120 believers.
7 Comfort, R. (2011). The Evidence Bible (NKJV). Alachua, Florida :Bridge-Logos Publishers 8 Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of Acts, NICNT. Grand Rapids, MI :Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

III Peoples Fellowship (Acts 2:42-47) In this section we can see Luke portraying to us an ideal picture of Christian fellowship. In v.44-45 we see that all those who believed the gospel message, i.e. believers, were all gathered together. An APPLICATION for us is that when we need to fellowship, as Christians, it should be in the company of other believers. Not in the company of people who are of the world. In v. 45 They were all so deep in unity in the Spirit that they did not care for their personal wealth but gave it up/sold it so that the proceeds from the sale of the different possessions were distributed amongst the other believers, as the need arose. In v.46 during the days following the Pentecost, the believers would worship at the temple daily and would break bread at different believers homes. And all the while they were doing their daily activities, they were constantly praising God and were enjoying a great relationship with people other than in their new community. And as we can see in the concluding verse, v.47, God was constantly adding to the number of believers, more people who were saved, every day. An APPLICATION for us here is that the increase in the number of believers in the early church was the result of the spiritual state of the church.9 APPLICATION QUESTION 6: (Read Acts 2:42-47) What were some of the things the new believers were doing that should reflect a Christians life?

9 Howley, G. C., Bruce, F. F., Ellison, H. L.(1976). A New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan :Zondervan Publishing House