Chapter Two

The first Christian Pentecost and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. (1–4). The amazement of the people (5–13). The speech of the Apostle Peter (14–36). The effect of the first sermon (37–42). The inner condition of the first Christian community in Jerusalem. (43–47)

Acts 2:1. When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place with one accord. “When the day of Pentecost arrived.” It pleased the Lord that — just as with Passover — the first Christian Pentecost should coincide with the day of the Jewish Pentecost, signifying nothing less than the abolition and better replacement of both Jewish festivals. Blessed Theophylact speaks of this as follows: “On the day on which the Law was given, it was also necessary to grant the grace of the Spirit; for just as the Savior, being about to endure the holy passion, was pleased to surrender himself to that passion at no other time than the one when the lamb was slaughtered, in order to bind the truth to the very figure, so also the descent of the Holy Spirit, by the good pleasure from above, was granted at no other time, but at the one when the Law was given, in order to show that then the Holy Spirit was also giving law, and now he is giving law... “Since on the day of Pentecost they were bringing sheaves of new fruits, and various persons were coming together under one sky (in Jerusalem): on this same day it was to come about that the firstfruits from every people of all nations living under heaven would be gathered into one sheaf of piety and by the apostolic word brought to God”... “They were all together in one place” — ῆσαν άπαντες ομοθυμαδόν επί το αυτό. Who are “all” and where? The Slavonic translation adds “the apostles,” the Russian — “they,” understanding by “all” not only the apostles but all believers in Christ who were then in Jerusalem (Acts 1:16, cf. Acts 2:14) and had newly arrived for the feast of the Jewish Pentecost. From what follows (v. 2) it is evident that the gathering of these believers in Christ was in a house — probably the same one in which the preceding gathering had been held (Acts 1:13). It can hardly be assumed to have been especially large in numbers, in view of the fact that one would otherwise have to admit that the apostles had at their disposal a house of impossibly large dimensions.

Acts 2:2. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were. “A sound... like a mighty rushing wind.” Consequently there was no actual wind, only the sound (cf. Chrysostom and Theophylact), rushing from above downward, from heaven to the place of the apostles’ assembly — a sound so strong that it drew everyone’s attention (v. 6). “Filled the entire house” — that is, concentrated itself in this house. “Where they were sitting” — more precisely, “where they were seated,” abiding in prayer and devout conversations, awaiting the fulfillment of the promise.

Acts 2:3. And there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and they came to rest on each one of them. “Tongues as of fire.” As the sound without wind, so also the tongues without fire, only resembling fire. “He says well: ‘as of fire,’ ‘as if’ from a rushing wind, so that you do not conceive anything sensory about the Spirit” (Theophylact, cf. Chrysostom). The sound was in this case a sign assuring the descent of the Holy Spirit for the hearing, the tongues — for the sight. Both heightened for the apostles the magnitude of the event and its effect on the soul, which was properly the main subject of this miracle — this promised baptism with the Holy Spirit and fire. “Distributed tongues” — διαμεριζόμεναι γλῶσσαι — “divided tongues.” The impression of the moment of the descent of the Holy Spirit was evidently such that from some invisible but near source — suddenly approaching and filling the house with sound — tongue-like flames began to separate themselves, distributed among all those present, in such a way that throughout this one could feel the same common source of them all. The sound from heaven signified also the mighty power of the Holy Spirit communicated to the apostles (“power from on high” Luke 24:49), while the tongues signified the fiery quality of the preaching, which was to serve as the sole weapon for the conquest of the world at the foot of the Cross of Christ. At the same time the tongues were also a precise indication of the transformation that had occurred in the souls of the Apostles, which expressed itself in the capacity suddenly felt by them to speak in other languages.

Acts 2:4. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them to proclaim. “They were all filled with the Holy Spirit.” “The Holy Spirit,” says Gregory the Theologian (IV, 16), “acted first in the angelic and heavenly powers..., then in the fathers and prophets..., and after all these things he acted in the disciples of Christ, and in them three times — in proportion to their capacity and at three different times: before the glorification of Christ through suffering, after the glorification through the resurrection, and after the ascension into heaven or the establishment (Acts 3:21), as the first shows — the cleansing from diseases and spirits, accomplished certainly not without the Spirit; also, after the completion of the economy — the breathing of Christ, which was evidently divine inspiration; and finally the present distribution of fiery tongues... But the first was not clear, the second more manifest, and the present one more perfect; for no longer by action, as before, but essentially present and — as one might say — ‘co-abiding and co-dwelling is the Spirit.’” “They began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” In explanation of this, St. Cyril of Jerusalem says: “Peter and Andrew — Galileans — speak in Persian and Median; John and the other apostles converse in every language with those who had come from the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit teaches many languages at once, such as those taught by him had never known at all. This is Divine power! What comparison is there between their long ignorance and this all-embracing, many-sided, extraordinary, sudden power to speak in all languages”... St. Theophylact teaches: “Why did the apostles receive the gift of tongues before other gifts? Because they were to be scattered throughout all lands; and just as at the time of the tower of Babel one language was divided into many, so now many languages were united in one person, and one and the same person, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit, began to speak in Persian, in Roman, in Indian, and in many other languages. And this gift was called the ‘gift of tongues,’ because the apostles could speak in many languages”... St. Irenaeus (died 202 AD) speaks of many Christians who in his time possessed “prophetic gifts, spoke in various languages (παντοδαπαῖς γλώσσαις), revealed the secrets of the human heart for edification, and explained the mysteries of God” (Adv. haer. V, 6). In the “Dialogues on the Life of the Italian Fathers” — a work of Gregory the Dialogist — mention is made of a certain youth Armentarius who spoke in foreign languages without having learned them (p. 304). Traces of the ancient understanding of the gift of tongues in its literal sense can be seen also in the fact that Philostratus, describing the life of Apollonius of Tyana — whom he wished to set against Jesus Christ — noted of him that he knew not only all human languages but also the language of animals. In church history, later examples of the miraculous understanding of foreign languages are encountered, for instance in Ephrem the Syrian.

Acts 2:5. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. Apart from the fact that not a few Jewish settlers “from every nation under heaven” already lived in Jerusalem, a great multitude of temporary pilgrims from various countries had gathered there on account of the greatest festival of Pentecost, and these became involuntary witnesses and corroborators of the miracle wrought upon the apostles, when all the visitors heard them speaking in the languages of their countries.

Acts 2:6. When this sound occurred, the crowd gathered and was thrown into confusion, because each one heard them speaking in his own dialect. “Each one was hearing them speak.” “Pause here a moment,” St. Gregory the Theologian instructs, “and think how to divide the speech, for in the utterance there is an ambiguity, removed by a punctuation mark. Did they hear in such a way, each in his own dialect, that — so to speak — one voice went forth but many voices were heard, on account of such a vibration in the air, or, to put it more clearly, did many voices proceed from one voice? Or — stopping at the word ‘heard,’ should the words ‘speaking in their own voices’ be referred to what follows, so that the meaning is: speaking voices that were native to those listening — and this means, voices in foreign languages? I agree more with the latter, because the former would be a miracle that pertained more to those listening than to those speaking, who are indeed accused of being drunk, from which it is clear that by the action of the Spirit they themselves were performing the miracle in the utterance of voices”...

Acts 2:7. And all were amazed and marveled, saying to one another: are not all these who are speaking Galileans? “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?” — that is, first, from a certain part of Palestine where one particular dialect is spoken; and second, from that very part which was especially not renowned for its learning. Both factors, expressed in the name Galileans, magnified the greatness of the miracle and the amazement of its witnesses.

Acts 2:9. Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, “Parthians and Medes and Elamites” — that is, Jews who had come to Jerusalem for the festival from Parthia, Media, and Elam — provinces of the formerly powerful kingdoms of Assyro-Babylonia and Medo-Persia. These lands lay between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. To these places the inhabitants of the kingdom of Israel were first transported after its destruction by the Assyrians, some 700 years before Christ, and then the inhabitants of the kingdom of Judah as well, after its destruction by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar — about 600 years before Christ. Many of them returned under Cyrus to Palestine, but even more remained in the lands of settlement, unwilling to part with their profitable enterprises. “Residents of Mesopotamia” — of the vast plain along the courses of the Tigris and Euphrates. Here was once the main region of the Assyro-Babylonian and Persian kingdoms, and here too there were especially many Jews transplanted by Nebuchadnezzar. “Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia” — all provinces of Asia Minor, which formed part of the then Roman Empire. In particular — “Asia,” by the Roman reckoning of provinces, was the name for the entire western coastline of Asia Minor, where the provinces of Mysia, Caria, and Lydia were located; its principal city was Ephesus.

Acts 2:10. Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, Jews and proselytes, “The parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene.” Libya is the region to the west of Egypt, representing an immense steppe inhabited only in its northern part along the Mediterranean coastline, where the chief city of the region — Cyrene — was also located. This coastline is what is called here the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene or Cyrenaica. Both here and throughout Egypt there were very many Jews. They had even a special temple there. Here for their use was also made the translation of their sacred books into the commonly accepted Greek language of the time. In Cyrene an entire quarter of the inhabitants were Jews. “Visitors from Rome” — those who had arrived for the festival from Rome, or generally from the cities of the Roman west, where Jews were likewise scattered everywhere. In Rome itself, a whole special quarter was occupied entirely by Jews. “Jews and proselytes” — that is, native Jews and pagans who had adopted the Jewish faith, of whom there were also a considerable number everywhere in the localities listed.

Acts 2:11. Cretans and Arabians — we hear them speaking in our own tongues about the great deeds of God? “Cretans” — inhabitants of the island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea, who spoke a dialect somewhat different from Greek. “Arabians” — inhabitants of Arabia, to the southeast of Palestine, whose language — Arabic — while having some similarities, also had considerable differences from Hebrew. “We hear them speaking in our tongues” — a clear indication that the apostles were indeed speaking in various languages and dialects. “Speaking of the mighty works of God” — τά μεγαλεῖα τοῦ Θεού — that is, about everything that God has shown and shows as great in the world, especially with the coming of the Son of God. In proportion to the greatness of such a subject of discourse, the speech itself was to have the character of sublimity, solemnity, and rapture — generally of inspired glorification and thanksgiving to God.

Acts 2:12. And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another: what does this mean? Acts 2:13. But others, mocking, were saying: they are filled with sweet wine. Acts 2:14. But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them: men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem! let this be known to you, and give ear to my words: “But Peter, standing with the eleven.” As previously, at the deliberation about the election of the twelfth apostle, “Peter served as the mouth of all (says Chrysostom), while the other eleven stood by, confirming his words with their testimony.”

Acts 2:15. these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; As proof that they are not drunk, the apostle points out that “it is now the third hour of the day.” Corresponding to our ninth hour, this was the first of the three daily hours of prayer (the third, sixth, and ninth), coinciding with the offering of the daily morning sacrifice in the temple. And it was the custom of the Jews to eat nothing before this hour — all the more so on so great a festival as Pentecost.

Acts 2:16. but this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: Acts 2:17. And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall be instructed by dreams. “Uttered beforehand through the prophet Joel” — therefore some 700 years before this event (Joel 2:28-32). The prophecy of Joel itself is cited by the author of Acts in a somewhat modified form compared to the original and the Septuagint, as the Lord himself and the apostles often do. Thus, instead of the original indeterminate expression “after that,” in the Apostle Peter’s version we see the more definite expression “in the last days.” This first of all excludes any connection of the prophecy with any nearby Old Testament time, and specifically attributes its fulfillment to the New Testament period — since according to the biblical view, the entire period of the New Testament kingdom of God represents the final epoch of the dispensation of human salvation, after which the last judgment and the kingdom of glory are to follow. In this connection, under the expression “in the last days,” the prophecies usually indicated not only such future events as were to arrive at the end of the Old Testament period and the beginning of the New, but also such as would unfold throughout the entire New Testament period until its end (cf. Isa 2:2; Mic 6 and others). “I will pour out of my Spirit on all flesh.” By the meaning of this expression, the Spirit of God is conceived as a fullness of all gifts, from which this or that gift is poured out upon this or that believer. “Pouring out” — giving in abundance, like rain or water poured out. “On all flesh” — to all people, to all of humanity redeemed by Christ, which will enter into the composition of the new kingdom of Christ, throughout the entire time of its spread on earth, in all peoples, without distinction of Jews and Gentiles. The beginning of the fulfillment of this prophecy the holy Apostle points to in the present moment, so full of such wondrous signs. “They shall prophesy... see visions... dreams” and so on. Since the gifts of the Holy Spirit are innumerably diverse, only some, the more well known in the Old Testament, are listed separately: “prophecy” — as the general action of those who have received the Holy Spirit, “visions” — (in the waking state) and “dreams” — as the two principal means of divine revelation to the prophets (Num 12:6). “Sons... daughters... young men... old men” — an indication that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all without distinction of sex or age; although the actions of the Holy Spirit are here distributed so that sons and daughters are attributed prophecy, young men visions, and old men dreams; nevertheless, this distribution, made for intensification and beauty of speech, carries the meaning that the Holy Spirit in general will pour out his various gifts on all without distinction.

Acts 2:18. And upon my male servants and upon my female servants in those days I will pour out from my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. “Even on my male servants and my female servants.” In the prophet at this place we find an important feature of the speech, arising from the absence of the addition “my.” There it simply says: “on servants and on female servants.” This latter expression in the prophet more sharply conveys the thought about the superiority of the New Testament outpourings of the Holy Spirit over the Old Testament: throughout the entire Old Testament there is not a single case of a male or female servant possessing the gift of prophecy; meanwhile, in the New Testament, according to the prophet’s thought, this distinction of conditions will disappear with regard to the workings of the Holy Spirit, who will be communicated to all without distinction not only of sex and age but also of human social conditions, since in the kingdom of Christ all will be equal before the Lord and all will be servants of the Lord.

Acts 2:19. And I will show wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below — blood and fire and a vapor of smoke. “I will show wonders.” With the prophecy of the abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the kingdom of the Messiah is joined the prophecy of the last judgment upon the wicked world and the salvation of true worshippers of God. The harbingers of such judgment are special signs in heaven and on earth. Signs on earth: “blood, fire, and vapor of smoke” — symbols of bloodshed, uprisings, wars, devastations... Signs in heaven: the darkening of the sun and the blood-red appearance of the moon. In the figurative language of the sacred writers, these phenomena signify in general great calamities in the world and the coming of God’s judgment upon it.

Acts 2:20. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. “The day of the Lord” — that is, the day of the Messiah, or the time of the Messiah; in New Testament usage — the day of the Messiah’s judgment upon the world, the day of the last judgment. “Great and magnificent” — great by the greatness and decisiveness for humanity of the judgment; magnificent (επιφανῆ) — because the Lord will come “in his glory.”

Acts 2:21. And it shall come to pass: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Terrible for unbelievers and the wicked, the last judgment will, however, be salvific for all “who call upon the name of the Lord” — calls not merely nominally, for not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord! will enter the kingdom of heaven, but calls with earnestness, with a good life, with proper confidence”... (Chrysostom). Thus, what is meant here are true believers in the Lord — the righteous. Applying all this prophecy to the event of Pentecost, the Apostle clearly does not present it as having been fulfilled completely on that day, but only indicates the beginning of its fulfillment, which was to continue over the course of the long ages known to God alone, until the final end of all things.

Acts 2:22. Men of Israel! hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested to you by God with powerful works and wonders and signs which God performed through him in your midst, as you yourselves know, Turning to the preaching about Jesus, the Apostle — in the words of Chrysostom — “says nothing lofty, but begins his discourse in a most humble manner..., with wise caution, so as not to burden the hearing of unbelievers.” “Attested to you by God” — that is, in his Messianic dignity and mission. “Signs that God did through him.” “He does not say: He himself did, but God through him — in order to draw them better through humility”... — by the interpretation of Chrysostom. “In your midst” — most immediately, here and in what follows, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are properly meant, and then — all those present, not only as those who may have come into contact with Jesus during his activity throughout all Galilee and Judea, but also as representatives generally of the people responsible for a deed of such important universal human significance. In this sense what follows is also said: “delivered” — that is, by Judas — “you took and, nailing through the hands of lawless men” — that is, the pagan authorities and crucifiers of Christ generally — “killed” (v. 23).

Acts 2:23. this One, delivered up by the definite counsel and foreknowledge of God, you took and, nailing him through the hands of lawless men, killed him; To clarify the seemingly strange circumstance that a man so attested by God (Jesus) could be crucified by the hands of lawless men, the Apostle adds that this happened “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God” (cf. Rom 8:29; Heb 10:5-7), or as blessed Theophylact interprets it: “they did not accomplish by their own power what they dared to do, for he himself consented to this and it had been decreed from above”...

Acts 2:24. but God raised him, having loosed the bonds of death, because it was not possible for death to hold him. “God raised him up” — by the interpretation of blessed Theophylact: “if it is said that the Father raised him, this is on account of the weakness of the listeners; for through whom does the Father act? Through his own power, and the power of the Father is Christ. Therefore he himself raised himself, although it is said that the Father will raise him”... (cf. John 5:26). “Loosing the pangs of death” — Greek λύσας τάς ωδίνας τυῦ θανάτου, more exactly in Slavonic “having loosed the pangs of death.” By the interpretation of blessed Theophylact — “death was in travail (as if in labor) and suffering terribly when it had seized him. A woman giving birth does not hold back what is within her, and does not act, but suffers and hastens to be freed. He beautifully called the resurrection a loosing of the pangs of death, so that one can say: having burst open the pregnant and laboring womb, Christ the Savior appears and comes forth as if from some birthing womb. Therefore he is also called the firstborn from the dead”...

Acts 2:25. For David says concerning him: I saw the Lord before me always, for he is at my right hand so that I would not be shaken. The Apostle confirms the truth of Christ’s resurrection by a particularly authoritative prophetic utterance of King David, from a remarkable passage in his 15th Psalm (Ps 15:8-11). Having quoted this passage fully and precisely from the Septuagint translation (vv. 25–28), the Apostle himself immediately interprets it (vv. 29–31), revealing in himself an evident gift of the Holy Spirit in the understanding of Scripture. Applied to David, the cited passage from his psalm expresses his joyful confidence in the constant help and goodness of God, extending even to God’s not abandoning him beyond the bounds of the grave (incorruption). But if applied to David all this was only partially realized, when applied to the Savior (the Apostle’s expression is significant: “David speaks of him” — that is, of Christ) it was realized with literal precision and completeness, which St. Peter points out.

Acts 2:26. Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope, Acts 2:27. for you will not abandon my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption. “My flesh will dwell in hope, for you will not abandon,” Greek η σάρη μου κατασκηνώσει επ έλπιδι ότι ουκ εγκαταλείψεις... Slavonic more precisely: “my flesh will dwell in hope, that you will not abandon.” In Russian one would say: “my flesh will dwell” (that is, in the grave) “in hope that you will not abandon.” On these words blessed Theophylact notes: “since Jesus, having received death, put off the flesh he had assumed according to the plan of the economy, in order to raise it again from death: it is accordingly right that his flesh should nourish itself with hope in expectation of immortality”... “You will not abandon my soul to Hades” — that is, you will lead it out of Hades back into life, which will be fully possible given the incorruption of the body — “you will raise” it already for a new and better life (v. 28).

Acts 2:28. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence. “You have made known to me the paths of life, you will fill me with gladness in your presence.” “Not without reason did he use these words” (says blessed Theodoret), “mentioning the resurrection, teaching thereby that instead of sorrow he will be in constant joy; and having become, in human nature, impassible, unchanging, and immortal by nature; because as God he had always been thus, and it would not have been difficult for him to impart this also to the nature assumed by him immediately after it was formed in the womb of his mother; but he allowed the nature he assumed to travel the path of suffering, in order thus, having crushed the dominion of sin, to put an end to the tyranny of the devil, to destroy the power of death, and to give all people the possibility of coming to life. Therefore as man he receives both incorruption and immortality”...

Acts 2:29. Brothers! allow me to speak boldly to you about the patriarch David — that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is among us to this day. “I may say to you with confidence.” Intending to speak about the most revered patriarch as one inferior to the crucified Jesus, the Apostle deliberately uses so careful and gentle an expression. “He died and was buried” — as an ordinary person, with whom after his death and burial nothing special or extraordinary occurred — that is, what is properly implied is that he did not rise from the dead, which means that what he said in his own person about the righteous man who would not remain in the grave was not fulfilled in him. “His tomb is with us to this day” — that is, with the remains of his body, which underwent corruption like the bodies of all other people. Chrysostom says, moving on to the interpretation of what follows: “he has now proved what he needed. And after this he still did not move on to Christ, but again speaks in praise of David..., so that they might at least out of respect for David and his lineage receive the word about the resurrection, as though otherwise the prophecy and their honor would suffer”...

Acts 2:30. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that from the fruit of his loins he would raise up Christ in the flesh and seat him on his throne, “God had sworn with an oath.” Such a promise — fulfilled only in the Messiah — is found in 2 Sam 7:12-16; cf. Ps 131. — In its essence it is at the same time a prophecy of the resurrection as well, without which this prophecy could not have been fulfilled. “Set on his throne” — that is, precisely as the Messiah (cf. Luke 1:32). “As in many places of Divine Scripture, so also here — throne is used in place of kingdom” (blessed Theophylact).

Acts 2:32. This Jesus God raised up, of which we are all witnesses. “This Jesus” — this one, and no other, specifically Jesus of Nazareth. “Of that we all are witnesses” — for we saw him risen, conversed with him, ate with him, touched him, and through all this were sufficiently convinced of the reality of his resurrection to have the right to testify about it to others as well.

Acts 2:33. Therefore, having been exalted by the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out what you now see and hear. “Therefore, being exalted at the right hand of God” — Greek τῆ διξιᾶ οῦν οῦ Θεού υξωθείς, Slavonic “at the right hand of God therefore he was exalted” — an expression admitting of two understandings: either — “having been exalted” into heaven by the right hand of God — in the same sense as it was said above that God raised him from the dead (v. 24); or — having been exalted, that is, elevated to sitting at the right hand of the Father in his glorified human flesh. Both interpretations are equally valid and equally meaningful. “Having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit” — that is, having received from the Father the authority to send to those who believe in him the Holy Spirit promised by the Father and by him, proceeding from the Father.

Acts 2:34. For David did not ascend into the heavens; but he himself says: the Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand, Having established the truth of Christ’s resurrection on the prophecy of David as the foundational one, the Apostle similarly finds it necessary to establish also the truth of the ascension of Jesus, the immediate consequence of which was the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This truth the apostle establishes precisely by a reference to the prophetic utterance of David in Psalm 109 (v. 1), attributing the fulfillment of this utterance entirely to Christ. This same utterance is applied to himself by the Lord in his conversation with the Pharisees (Matt 22:42 and following).

Acts 2:36. Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. “The entire house of Israel” — that is, the entire Jewish people. “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ” — in other words: “God has brought it about that this Jesus, whom you crucified, was indeed your true Lord and Christ” — or Messiah (a twofold designation of his Messianic dignity — more general and more specific). “Whom you crucified.” By Chrysostom’s observation — “he beautifully concluded with this, so as to shake their souls thereby.”

Acts 2:37. When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles: what shall we do, brothers? “They were cut to the heart” — came into heartfelt contrition that the Messiah had been treated so, and were disposed in their hearts to atone for their guilt through faith in him, which is why they ask further: “what shall we do?” “Brothers” — an address full of trust, reverence, and love toward the Apostles, on behalf of whom Peter had spoken.

Acts 2:38. Peter said to them: repent, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For reconciliation with God and with the Messiah whom they had rejected — Peter proposes repentance and baptism, with their gracious fruits — forgiveness of sins and reception of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. “Let each one be baptized... in the name of Jesus Christ.” By the interpretation of blessed Theophylact — “these words do not contradict the words ‘baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit’ (Matt 28:19), because the Church understands the Holy Trinity as indivisible, so that by virtue of the unity of the three hypostases in essence, one baptized in the name of Christ is baptized into the Trinity, since the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are inseparable in essence.” It is evident that when the Apostle calls for baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, he thereby indicates only the main content of our faith and confession, on which is conditioned the acknowledgment of all that has been revealed by the Son of God who came to earth.

Acts 2:39. For the promise belongs to you and to your children and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God shall call. “For you... and for your children” — that is, for descendants in general — “and for all who are far off” — those standing at the most distant degrees of kinship and nearness to the Jewish people. Here one may also think of the Gentiles, about whom the Apostle speaks covertly, sparing the weakness of the Jews, who might perceive something scandalous in granting the Gentiles equal participation in the kingdom of the Messiah. This question had to be resolved by time itself; here — it was necessary to avoid everything that would cast a shadow on the dignity of the new truths being proclaimed. “Everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” The Lord calls all, desires the salvation of all; it is evident that what is intended here are those who, joining their own free will to the Lord’s call, actually realize the calling, accepting repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts 2:40. And with many other words he testified and urged them, saying: save yourselves from this crooked generation. “And with many other words,” which the author of Acts does not reproduce, setting forth only the main substance of what the Apostle said. “Save yourselves from this crooked generation,” σώθητε από τῆς γενεάς τῆς σκολιᾶς ταύτης — more precisely: save yourselves from the generation of the wicked and crooked people of the present time (σκολιός — literally crooked, then cunning, wicked) — from the judgment and punishment of God awaiting these people, who had brought their perversity to so terrible and dangerous an act as the rejection of the Messiah and unbelief in him. This exhortation of the Apostle is applicable to all subsequent ages as well, pointing to the necessity for all Christians to save themselves from the world lying in evil through pure faith in Christ and life according to that faith — to save themselves at the same time from the punishment of God, which inevitably hangs over every evil spreading in the world.

Acts 2:41. So those who gladly received his word were baptized, and on that day about three thousand souls were added. “Were baptized.” Since in Jerusalem and its nearest surroundings there is no sufficiently abundant body of water in which so many people at once could be baptized by immersion, it may be supposed that the baptism itself followed somewhat later, separately for each person, in homes, or in groups at more or less adequate cisterns, through the agency of one or another of the Apostles and disciples of the Lord.

Acts 2:42. And they devoted themselves constantly to the teaching of the Apostles, to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayers. “And they devoted themselves” — Greek: ῆσαν δε πρός καρτερουντες, more exactly in Slavonic: “they were persevering,” literally — “they were tireless” in the apostles’ teaching and so on. It is hard to suppose, of course, that this entire mass of people (3,000 beyond the previous already considerable number of believers) assembled in any one place or house. Most likely — the believers, divided into several groups or communities, gathered in several places, where the apostles instructed them in new truths, prayers, and sacred rites. Between all these communities there existed the closest mutual communion, binding them into one brotherly family, whose soul were the Apostles. “The breaking of bread.” This expression usually signifies the partaking of food (Luke 24:30 and others), but at that time was also used in the other, higher sense of the celebration and participation in the Sacrament of the Eucharist (1 Cor 10:16). Here both meanings may be implied — separately and together — all the more so since that was a time when the Eucharist was customarily concluded with agape meals, with the participation of all the believers, in a spirit of brotherly equality, love, and mutual fellowship. Thus the main features of the initial Christian worship, distinct and independent from the Old Testament worship, are clarified: teaching, the breaking of bread (the Eucharist), and prayers — though the apostles and other believers for a time did not break their connection with the Old Testament temple and its services (Acts 3:1 and others).

Acts 2:43. And fear came upon every soul; and many wonders and signs were performed by the Apostles in Jerusalem. “Awe came upon every soul” — that is, properly, upon every unbelieving soul. The unexpected and astonishing manifestations of divine power, the outstanding success of Peter’s preaching, his fiery threats and appeals, the miracles and signs of the apostles — all this could not fail to fill the impressionable soul with trembling, plunging it into deep thought.

Acts 2:44. All who believed were together and held everything in common. The Slavonic text of this verse has an extra line compared to the Greek original and the Russian translation (repeating the beginning of verse 43): “and great awe was upon all of them. And all who believed were together” — that is, gathering in designated places (cf. Acts 1:14) for instruction and prayer, they all together formed a most united family, strong in brotherly love and fellowship. “Had all things in common.” The distinguishing feature of the first Christian brotherly family or community was the sharing of property, which was by no means either compulsory or established by law, but arose completely voluntarily from the elevated impulses of the most vibrant faith and brotherly love of the first Christians toward one another. Here there was no abolition of property rights (cf. Acts 5:4); but completely voluntary distribution or cession of them, in whole or in part, in favor of others who were in need. How long this distinguishing feature of the early Christian communities persisted is unknown; traces of it, in any case, disappear very quickly in history. It may be thought that the disappearance and elimination of this feature was due to the considerable inconveniences and difficulties that the rapid growth and large numbers of the followers of Christ came to increasingly threaten (cf. Acts 6:1).

Acts 2:46. And every day they were together in one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house they shared food with gladness and simplicity of heart, “Day by day, attending the temple together” — that is, being present at the Jewish temple worship — “because, as Chrysostom says, they still rejected nothing Jewish; and even the reverence toward the place was transferred to the Master of the temple”... All temple worship contained in its foundation and embodied the expectation of the Messiah; this made that worship not unprofitable for the Christians either, who differed from the Jews in this case only in that they believed not in the coming but in the already come Messiah. “Breaking bread in their homes.” Greek κάτ ‘ οῖκον allows one to say both “in homes” (different, several) and “in a home” (one). Both have their grounds (cf. v. 42), depending on the size of those assembled and the capacity of the place of gathering (general and partial assemblies). “They received their food with glad and generous hearts.” Cf. v. 12 and Acts 20:7. From the indicated passages of the author of Acts one may conclude that in the very first times of Christianity there were two kinds of love-feasts (agapai): those that were held in various houses, and therefore by separate societies of believers (chiefly in Jerusalem), and those that on certain days — specifically Sundays — were held by the entire assembly of believers. The meal opened and concluded with prayer and the washing of hands. During the meal itself, psalms and other sacred songs were sung, and excerpts from Holy Scripture were read and interpreted. At the beginning, the love-feasts were very widespread and together with the Eucharist were celebrated very often, almost daily. But already in the early centuries of Christianity there were churches in which no trace of these feasts is visible. Justin Martyr, speaking of the celebration of the Eucharist and of the worship among Roman Christians of his time, makes no mention of agapai. Irenaeus says nothing of them either. With the spread of Christianity, the original life of the Christians — which had a family character — increasingly took on the vast dimensions of social, Church-wide life. This led to the situation that the original agapai gradually fell out of use of themselves, given the inevitability of undesirable abuses and disorders that began to mix into them...

Acts 2:47. praising God and being in favor with all the people. And the Lord added daily to the Church those who were being saved. “Praising God” — a general description of the high religious spirit of the first Christian community (Luke 24:53). “Having favor with all the people” — undoubtedly for their strict religiosity, purity of life and virtue, peacefully joyful and benevolent attitude toward all, and the like. “The Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.” Here, thus, the growth of the Church of Christ is presented not as the work of ordinary growth and development of a society, but as the direct work of the Lord himself, invisibly governing his Church. * * * Those converted from the Gentiles.