Acts 2

If you were unsure of what my blogging would look like, we are in good company, even now. I anticipate it will not be consistent in format. But for now, if you would care to join me on my journey through Acts, I'll put a copy of the chapter I read in my post. And now, back to business.

Last night, while contemplating whether to actually be a "blogger", my dashing husband proposed we read Acts chapter 2 together. So we did.

I love the amplified version of the Bible. It seems more like Jane Austen or something. More rich and full, or complete. But I digress.

Verse 44 says, "And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;"

Wow. Talk about unity. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit breaks down barriers and brings quite the measure of peace if people suddenly "have everything in common". I think I'll take some of that myself. And if my theological understanding is correct, that same outpouring that came on Pentecost is the same one alive and well in me, right now.

I started thinking about how I put barriers up and that there is disunity in my life largely resulting from my own attitude problems and issues and that I should just knock it all off. I wonder how on earth I should go about doing that. But I don't think that's the point here. I don't think the early Christians were trying to bring down barriers or fix themselves. It sounds more like it was a bi-product of what God was already doing. Whew for me. The last thing I need is one more goal to accomplish or standard to strive for. However, I am acutely aware of my need for the Holy Spirit to minister to me on a daily basis, to change me and help me.

Jesus, thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to minister to me, to comfort me, to change me. Minister to, comfort and change me today. You are good Jesus. I love you.

Acts 2

¹And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place,

²When suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting.

³And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them.

⁴And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit ^[a]kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].

⁵Now there were then residing in Jerusalem Jews, devout and God-fearing men from every country under heaven.

⁶And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together and they were astonished and bewildered, because each one heard them [the apostles] speaking in his own [particular] dialect.

⁷And they were beside themselves with amazement, saying, Are not all these who are talking Galileans?

⁸Then how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own (particular) dialect to which we were born?

⁹Parthians and Medes and Elamites and inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and [the province of] Asia,

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and the transient residents from Rome, both Jews and the proselytes [to Judaism from other religions],

¹¹Cretans and Arabians too--we all hear them speaking in our own native tongues [and telling of] the mighty works of God!

¹²And all were beside themselves with amazement and were puzzled and bewildered, saying one to another, What can this mean?

¹³But others made a joke of it and derisively said, They are simply drunk and full of sweet [intoxicating] wine.

¹⁴But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: You Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be [explained] to you so that you will know and understand; listen closely to what I have to say.

¹⁵For these men are not drunk, as you imagine, for it is [only] the third hour (about 9:00 a.m.) of the day;

¹⁶But [instead] this is [the beginning of] what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

¹⁷And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [^[b]telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (^[c]divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [^[d]divinely suggested] dreams.

¹⁸Yes, and on My menservants also and on My maidservants in those days I will pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy [^[e]telling forth the divine counsels and ^[f]predicting future events pertaining especially to God's kingdom].

¹⁹And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and smoking vapor;

²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the obvious day of the Lord comes--that great and notable and conspicuous and renowned [day].

²¹And it shall be that whoever shall call upon the name of the Lord [^[g]invoking, adoring, and worshiping the Lord--Christ] shall be saved.^(A)

²²You men of Israel, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man accredited and pointed out and shown forth and commended and attested to you by God by the mighty works and [the power of performing] wonders and signs which God worked through Him [right] in your midst, as you yourselves know--

²³This Jesus, when delivered up according to the definite and fixed purpose and settled plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and put out of the way [killing Him] by the hands of lawless and wicked men.

²⁴[But] God raised Him up, liberating Him from the pangs of death, seeing that it was not possible for Him to continue to be controlled or retained by it.

²⁵For David says in regard to Him, I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state].

²⁶Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue exulted exceedingly; moreover, my flesh also will dwell in hope [will encamp, pitch its tent, and dwell in hope in anticipation of the resurrection].

²⁷For You will not abandon my soul, leaving it helpless in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor let Your Holy One know decay or see destruction [of the body after death].

²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life; You will enrapture me [diffusing my soul with joy] with and in Your presence.^(B)

²⁹Brethren, it is permitted me to tell you confidently and with freedom concerning the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

³⁰Being however a prophet, and knowing that God had sealed to him with an oath that He would set one of his descendants on his throne, [II Sam. 7:12-16; Ps. 132:11.]

³¹He, foreseeing this, spoke [by foreknowledge] of the resurrection of the Christ (the Messiah) that He was not deserted [in death] and left in Hades (the state of departed spirits), nor did His body know decay or see destruction.^(C)

³²This Jesus God raised up, and of that all we [His disciples] are witnesses.

³³Being therefore lifted high by and to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father ^[h]the promised [blessing which is the] Holy Spirit, He has made this outpouring which you yourselves both see and hear.

³⁴For David did not ascend into the heavens; yet he himself says, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand and share My throne

³⁵Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.^(D)

³⁶Therefore let the whole house of Israel recognize beyond all doubt and acknowledge assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ (the Messiah)--this Jesus Whom you crucified.

³⁷Now when they heard this they were stung (cut) to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles (special messengers), Brethren, what shall we do?

³⁸And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

³⁹For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is to and for you and your children, and to and for all that are far away, [even] to and for as many as the Lord our God invites and bids to come to Himself.^(E)

⁴⁰And [Peter] ^[i]solemnly and earnestly witnessed (testified) and admonished (exhorted) with much more continuous speaking and warned (reproved, advised, encouraged) them, saying, Be saved from this crooked (perverse, wicked, unjust) generation.

⁴¹Therefore those who accepted and welcomed his message were baptized, and there were added that day about 3,000 souls.

⁴²And they steadfastly persevered, devoting themselves constantly to the instruction and fellowship of the apostles, to the breaking of bread [including the Lord's Supper] and prayers.

⁴³And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).

⁴⁴And all who believed (who adhered to and trusted in and relied on Jesus Christ) were united and [together] they had everything in common;

⁴⁵And they sold their possessions (both their landed property and their movable goods) and distributed the price among all, according as any had need.

⁴⁶And day after day they regularly assembled in the temple with united purpose, and in their homes they broke bread [including the Lord's Supper]. They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts,

⁴⁷Constantly praising God and being in favor and goodwill with all the people; and the Lord kept adding [to their number] daily those who were being saved [from spiritual death].