NOTES for Act 2:14-21

Speaking to those who had gathered, Peter first of all defends the apostles from the accusation of drunkenness. This was vitally necessary in order to justify the seriousness of the apostolic preaching. Unfortunately, in our time Peter's argument that people cannot be drunk because it is still too early would no longer work: customs have changed greatly, and lovers of alcohol get drunk at any time... But whatever opponents may say, both those of that day and later ones, Christianity is inseparable from sobriety, understood more broadly than abstaining from alcohol: faith gives the most sober possible view of reality.

Noting the similarity between what is happening and what was foretold in Joel's prophecy, Peter relies on Old Testament prophecy not because he wants to drag a proof from ancient books into current events by force. Yes, he is addressing people who need argument based on the books of the Old Testament, but the whole point is that Peter really does see that the Old Testament prophecies are being truly disclosed before the eyes of those gathered. The more we compare the Old and New Testaments, the more we will be able to see their interconnection.

Today's reading tells us about that triumph of the Kingdom which Jesus promised His disciples. And this triumph proved to be nothing other than the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, described by the evangelist in such detail (vv. 1-4). At first glance, this description contains all the traditional elements characteristic of the Old Testament prophetic tradition: in ancient times the action of the Spirit of God at times manifested itself as the blowing of wind (2 Sam. 5:22-24), and the presence of God, usually called "glory" in the Bible, often resembled fire or light (Exod. 40:34-38). But now this presence touches not only those who were in the room. It spreads also to those who listened to the apostles in the streets of Jerusalem. And they perceive the apostles' preaching as though the apostles were speaking in the native languages of the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for the feast from many different countries (vv. 5-13).

The point, of course, is not that the apostles suddenly acquired some supernatural ability with foreign languages. Even if this had been so, in the streets of Jerusalem during the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) so many nations and languages were represented that the apostles would not have been able to preach to everyone at once, even if each of them had actually begun speaking some foreign language: in the list given by the evangelist, which is plainly incomplete, there are clearly more than twelve. The point, it appears, is that those who listened to the apostles also found themselves in the Kingdom, where there are no language barriers. Here meanings are perceived not through the word but directly, from heart to heart, while their embodiment takes place already in the listener's soul, which naturally expresses what has been received in the words of its native language. Thus the Savior's words about the Kingdom and the Spirit, spoken to the apostles during the Ascension, were fulfilled (Acts 1:8).

But Pentecost was only the beginning of the history of the Kingdom entering the world, and now the apostles understood this perfectly. Thus Peter, on the one hand, speaks of the end of time, which has already come (vv. 14-21), and on the other hand, of the new era that began after the Savior's resurrection (vv. 25-36). The main meaning of his preaching is that it is still not too late to turn and accept the crucified and risen Messiah; although the last day has already arrived, the gates of the Kingdom are still by no means closed. On the contrary, they are thrown wide open for everyone who is ready to enter (vv. 37-40).

Such witness was extremely unusual: according to traditional ideas, only judgment was associated with the end of time, and there was no talk of conversion; it was thought too late to repent on the day of judgment. But now it turned out that the history of salvation was, in essence, only just beginning, and that everyone had a chance for it, even those who were directly or indirectly involved in the death the Savior had to die on the cross (vv. 36-38). Thus earthly history ended and the history of the Kingdom entering the world began.

The day of Pentecost marks the beginning of a new era: the time of the apostles' preaching and of the Holy Spirit's action in the Church. When we speak of the Spirit, it is important to understand how He, invisible and incomprehensible, reveals Himself in human life and in the life of the Church.

First of all, the ardor of their hearts prompts the apostles, who only recently had been afraid to appear in public, to go out into the squares of Jerusalem and preach the Kingdom revealed in Jesus. In Peter's preaching we see extraordinary boldness — some would probably call it “originality” — in interpreting Scripture, especially the psalms of David. This too is a gift of the Spirit: the ability to see and perceive God's revelation in Scripture and in the events taking place.

Finally, the last part of the chapter shows how the Spirit multiplied and transformed the apostolic community. These verses (41–47) are worth reading carefully once more in order to understand the principles on which the Lord begins to build His Church.

Something inevitably happens when the Holy Spirit fills a person. It is by no means always expressed as it was among the apostles on the day of Pentecost, but the Spirit always brings some change with Him, an ‘attunement’ to what is good (see Eph 5:9). Moreover, the Spirit has very definite fruits, which the apostle Paul lists: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, mercy, faith, gentleness, self-control’ (Gal 5:22). What, then, did the Spirit bring to the apostles on the day of His descent? They began to speak in other tongues, but this was not meaningless noise that those around them could not understand. ‘They were all amazed and marvelled’, because each heard their own native language. Thus the Word of God became accessible to everyone nearby who wished to listen. And we see that this action of the Holy Spirit immediately united a large number of people, who realised that they were understood here! Recalling the expression ‘we speak different languages’, we can say that none of its meanings applies to today's passage. The Spirit unites! He can build relationships, reconcile enemies and suggest the words that are needed. This is precisely why the Lord calls us not to rely on our own strength alone. And this applies even to something as small as a simple conversation with the person sitting next to us on the metro.