(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. Verbs with an asterisk (*) are in the Greek perfect tense.)
Pentecost
- And at the arrival of the Day of Pentecost, they were all together at the same place.
- And a noise like a violently rushing wind suddenly came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- And tongues like fire appeared to them, dividing themselves, and they settled on each one of them.
- And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit was giving them declarations.
- And there were Jews dwelling in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven.
- And after this noise happened, a multitude assembled and was bewildered because each man was hearing them speaking his own language.
- And they were wondering and were marveling, saying: “Behold, aren’t all these men who are speaking Galileans?
- “And how are we each hearing our own language, the one in which we were born?”
- — Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the men dwelling in Mesopotamia, both Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,
- both Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya toward Cyrene, and the Roman men visiting (both Jews and Jewish converts),
- Cretans, and Arabians — They said: “We hear them speaking about the great things of God in our own tongues!”
- And they were wondering and were perplexed, saying one to another: “What is the meaning of this?”fn“What is the meaning of this?” is literally “What desires this to be?”
- But sneering, others were saying: “They’re filled with sweet wine.”fn“sweet wine” this referred to wine that had begun to ferment, but had many of the sugars from the grape juice still present. It was highly alcoholic and thus it was easy for someone to become drunk on it.
Peter’s first sermon
- But having stood with the other eleven, Peter raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea, and men dwelling in all of Jerusalem; let this be known to you, and incline your ears to my words.”
- “For it’s not as you assume, that these men are drunk, for it’s only the third hour of the day.
- “But this is what was *spoken through the prophet Joel:
- “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your elders will dream dreams.
- “And indeed, I will pour out My Spirit even on My male slaves and on My female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy.
- “And I will give miraculous wonders in heaven above, and signs on the earth below; blood, and fire, and smoky vapor.
- “The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
- “And it will be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.fnquotation/allusion to Joel 2:28-32
- “Men, Israelites, hear these words: Jesus the Nazarene — a man *demonstrated to you to be from God by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which God did through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know —
- “this man was betrayed in accordance with the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God; and having nailed Him to a cross through lawless hands, you killed Him.
- “Whom God raised from the dead after He demolished the agony of death, because it wasn’t possible for Him to be held by it.
- “For David says in reference to Him: “I was foreseeing the Lord in my presence continually, because He is at my right hand so that I wouldn’t be shaken.”
- “My heart was gladdened because of this, and my tongue rejoices, and even my flesh will still dwell in hope,
- “because you will not abandon my soulfn“soul” could also be translated “life”. The Greek word here is “ψυχή” (psuché). It literally means “breath” and is usually translated “life”, though sometimes it’s translated “soul”. It refers to the life: the vital force which – together with the body – enables a person to live. It can also refer to mind, will, emotions, and desires, which together make up a person’s identity. to Hades,fn“Hades” is literal. Hades was the name of the Greek god of the underworld, and the word became synonymous with the underworld itself. In Greek mythology, the underworld (Hades) was the place that all departed spirits went, whether good or bad. It is directly equivalent to the Hebrew world “sheol”. nor will you permit your Holy One to see decay.fn“decay” could also be translated “corruption”
- “You made known the ways of life to me, you will fill me with gladness with your presence.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 16:8-11
- “Men, brothers, it’s lawful for me to speak with boldness to you about the patriarch David, that he also died, and was buried, and his tomb is among us until this day.
- “Being a prophet, he therefore also *knew that God swore an oath to him to sit the fruit of his loins upon his throne.fnquotation/allusion to 2 Samuel 7:12-13
- “Having foreseen this, he spoke about the resurrection of the Anointed, that He was neither abandoned into Hadesfn“Hades” is literal. Hades was the name of the Greek god of the underworld, and the word became synonymous with the underworld itself. In Greek mythology, the underworld (Hades) was the place that all departed spirits went, whether good or bad. It is directly equivalent to the Hebrew world “sheol”. nor did His flesh see decay.fn quotation/allusion to Psalm 16:10. Additionally, “decay” could also be translated “corruption”
- “God resurrected this Jesus, of which we are all witnesses.
- “Therefore, having been both exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He poured out this Holy Spirit, which you also are seeing and hearing.
- “For it wasn’t David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says: “The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand
- “until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 110:1
- “Therefore, let all the house of Israel securely know that God made Him — this Jesus whom you crucified — both Lord and the Anointed.”
The response
- And having heard this, they were pierced through the heart. And they said to both Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Men, brothers, what should we do?!”
- “Peter said to them: “Repent, fnSome manuscripts have “he declared” here and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- “For this promise is for you, and for your children after you, and for all the men far off,fn“the men far off” is literally “the men at far off” and as many as the Lord our God might call.”
- And with manyfn“many” is literally “more” other words, he both earnestly testified and was admonishing them, saying: “Be saved from this perversely crooked generation!”
- Therefore, the men who received his word were baptized, and about three thousand souls were added on that day.
- And they were steadfastly devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers.
- And reverent fear was coming on every soul, and many of both wonders and miraculous signs were happening through the apostles.
- And all the men believing were together in the same place, and they were holding all things in common.
- And they were selling their goods and possessions and were distributing them to all, just as anyone was having a need.
- And every day, they were both steadfastly persevering with one accord in the temple and breaking bread at each house. They were partaking of food in both gladness and sincerity of heart,
- praising God and having favor with the whole of the people. And every day, the Lord was adding to the number of the men being saved.
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