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Acts 2

The risen Jesus pours out the Holy Spirit, and the proclaimed gospel gathers a people devoted to God and one another.

Jesus’ followers are gathered in Jerusalem at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fills them and enables them to speak other languages. Jews from many nations hear God’s mighty works in their own tongues. Peter addresses the crowd, explaining the event through Joel’s prophecy and proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation through David’s words. About three thousand receive his message and are baptized. The account closes with believers sharing meals and possessions, devoted to the apostles’ teaching and prayer.

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1Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2Suddenly there came from the sky a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3Tongues like fire appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them.
4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other languages, as the Spirit gave them the ability to speak.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under the sky.
6When this sound was heard, the multitude came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language.
7They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Behold, aren’t all these who speak Galileans?
9Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,
10Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,
11Cretans and Arabians—we hear them speaking in our languages the mighty works of God!”
12They were all amazed and were perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?”
13Others, mocking, said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.
15For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.
17‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams.
18Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
19I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.
20The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
21It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
22“Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him among you, even as you yourselves know,
23him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;
24whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
25For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
26Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced. Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope,
27because you will not leave my soul in Hades, neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
28You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
29“Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.
30Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,
31he foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay.
32This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
33Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear.
34For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand
35until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
36“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
40With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
42They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
43Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.
44All who believed were together, and had all things in common.
45They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need.
46Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of heart,
47praising God and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.
World English BibleRead in NIV in Psalmlog →Highlighted verses are the most connected.
Key verses
Acts 2:17Peter identifies Pentecost with God’s promised outpouring, extending the Spirit’s prophetic work across differences of age and sex.
Acts 2:38Peter answers the crowd’s distress with a call to repentance and baptism, joining forgiveness with the promised gift of the Spirit.
Acts 2:39The promise reaches beyond those present to their children and those far away, with God’s call defining its reach.
Where this chapter reaches

Peter quotes Joel’s promise of the Spirit’s outpouring and passages from Psalm concerning deliverance from decay and enthronement at God’s right hand. John shares the promise of the Holy Spirit, while Romans shares the declaration that those who call on the Lord will be saved.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

How does Peter’s account of Jesus explain what the crowd sees and hears at Pentecost?

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Which part of the believers’ shared life raises questions about your own church life, and why?

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Questions people ask about Acts 2

What were the tongues spoken in Acts 2?

The chapter describes languages recognized by the people gathered in Jerusalem. Hearers from many regions identify their own native languages as the speakers declare God’s mighty works. The Spirit gives the ability to speak, and the crowd’s astonishment centers on hearing these Galileans speak in languages familiar to them.

What does Acts 2:38 mean?

Peter answers people distressed by his proclamation that the Jesus they crucified is Lord and Christ. He calls each hearer to repent and be baptized in Jesus Christ’s name, connecting this response with forgiveness and receiving the Holy Spirit. Christians differ over baptism’s precise relation to forgiveness; the verse holds these together.

Did the believers in Acts 2 sell everything they owned?

Acts 2 says believers held possessions in common and sold property and goods to meet needs. It does not say that every believer sold every possession. The emphasis falls on shared life and distribution according to need. Meals in homes and gatherings in the temple remain part of the account.

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Acts · 28 chapters

Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).