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NOTES for Act 2:1

Printable version
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
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As we continue reading the book of Acts, we notice that being of one accord is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit, who descended on the apostles at Pentecost and then worked powerfully in the Church. But here, in this verse, it becomes clear that this one accord among the apostles arose even before the descent of the Holy Spirit, and there is no contradiction here, but a living spiritual dynamic. If there had been no unity of heart among the disciples, Pentecost would perhaps not have taken place; yet they receive their true, genuine, and unbreakable unity of heart at the moment when they see the "tongues of fire" descending on each of them.

Where did this "preliminary" unity of heart come from? Did Pentecost take place only because several people happened to have the same mood and thoughts? Of course not. These are not random people, but Christ's disciples, whom He Himself had formed for three years; these are the very disciples to whom He appeared after His Resurrection and "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures"; and, finally, these are the very apostles to whom He said, breathing on them, "Receive the Holy Spirit." So even this "small" unity of heart is the result of God's work.

Other notes

 
For Act 2:1-11
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Hide
Today is a special feast for God: after passing through the horror of losing Her Bridegroom, His Resurrection, and...  Read more

Today is a special feast for God: after passing through the horror of losing Her Bridegroom, His Resurrection, and His return to heaven, the Church receives the long-awaited Comforter. This is the birthday of the Church, the Bride of Christ. The newborn Bride fills the world with a loud voice full of joy. How exactly the psalmist described today's events: "Clap your hands, all peoples, shout to God with a voice of joy; for the Lord Most High is awesome, a great King over all the earth (...) God has gone up with shouts, the Lord with the sound of the trumpet (...) God has reigned over the nations, God has sat upon His holy throne; the princes of the peoples have gathered to the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth are God's; He is highly exalted over them" (see Ps. 46). Today the Lord fulfills His promise: "Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:38).

Today these streams pour out upon the world. The joy that fills the apostles overflows; such a thing is impossible and must not be kept inside oneself. The strong wind that filled the upper room where the disciples had gathered continues to blow into the world. And everyone who "heard them speaking in his own language" understands that in the miracle taking place practically before his eyes, there is a place for him too. The fire sets the people around the apostles aflame. And "about three thousand souls were added" to the Church that day (Acts 2:41). This is how, and only how, the living "transmission" of faith happens: the Holy Spirit sets us aflame, and we are amazed and astonished at the great works of God (see Acts 2:7, 2:11).

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For Act 2:1-11
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Hide
For every Christian, Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. We think rather less often about its also being the day when the history of the Kingdom entering the world began. We generally find it strange to think that the Kingdom might have a particular history of its own; we more often associate it with...  Read more

For every Christian, Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. We think rather less often about its also being the day when the history of the Kingdom entering the world began. We generally find it strange to think that the Kingdom might have a particular history of its own; we more often associate it with something inward and hidden, with what we keep in our hearts or with what is revealed to us in the Eucharistic assembly.

Yet the Kingdom enters the world and transforms it. This is an objective process with its own dynamics, its own logic, and therefore its own history, however unlike the familiar history of the old world. The first event in the Kingdom's history was the apostles' preaching, on that same day of Pentecost, to the pilgrims gathered in the square.

A great many people had gathered. Among them were not only Jews but also former pagans who had embraced Judaism, and perhaps those who were then called 'God-fearers': pagans who worshiped the God of Israel and took an interest in Judaism without accepting it in its entirety. It is no surprise that the crowd was exceptionally multilingual: such ethnic and linguistic diversity could scarcely have been found anywhere else at that time.

All the more astonishing, then, was it for each person to hear the preaching in their own language: those listening to the apostles understood perfectly well that the apostles could not have known most of their listeners' native languages. What had happened? Essentially, nothing out of the ordinary: everyone in that square had simply found themselves in the Kingdom, which at that moment opened itself to all who were there.

In the Kingdom, speech is not a necessary condition for communication. Communication is possible here as an exchange of meanings—meanings that transcend words and take verbal form only when we become fully conscious of them. It was in this way, at the level of meaning, that those listening to the apostles perceived their preaching. The words arose within their own souls, naturally in each person's native language.

Thus the first sermon became for its hearers a revelation of the Kingdom not only in words but also in their own experience. They did not merely hear testimony about the Kingdom; they shared in it directly. Precisely what is needed if words are not to remain merely words occurred: those who came saw with their own eyes and experienced personally what the apostles were telling them about. It is no wonder that many were converted: the experience was too vivid and evident. The Church was born in this way, from the joining of testimony with living, personal experience. And this is what the true Church has always been: it is the Kingdom opened to the world.

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For Act 2:1-11
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
Hide
The miracle of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the apostles is accompanied by all the traditional outward signs of a theophany...  Read more

The miracle of the Holy Spirit’s descent upon the apostles is accompanied by all the traditional outward signs of a theophany (an appearance of God): noise, wind, fire... The inner change taking place in Christ’s disciples is imperceptible, but it is from this moment that the Church dates its existence—the invisible presence of God in the transformed hearts of people who feel and recognize their unity with one another.

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For Act 2:1-13
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Hide
It has become commonplace to point to the day of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church. This is absolutely true. But what, in fact, are we talking about? Most often people speak of the apostolic community, upon which the Holy Spirit descended, making it the Church, the first church community on earth...  Read more

It has become commonplace to point to the day of Pentecost as the birthday of the Church. This is absolutely true. But what, in fact, are we talking about? Most often people speak of the apostolic community, upon which the Holy Spirit descended, making it the Church, the first church community on earth. That, of course, is true. But with this view the Church is still somewhat limited. It becomes a community, even if an extraordinary one, headed by the risen Christ Himself and led by the Holy Spirit, yet still a human community.

Indeed, pointing to the headship of Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, many say: a divine-human community. But even that definition still limits the Church. It is more exact to say that the Church is not a community. Not a society of people. It is a process. A spiritual process. A stream of God's breath, into which people are brought when they have received this breath into their hearts. On the day of Pentecost it, God's breath, bursts into the world. That "as if a wind" that burst into the room where the apostles and those of one mind with them had gathered was not an ordinary physical wind.

God's breath is sometimes indeed felt as a light breeze; references to this appear in the biblical books. But here it is no light breeze; here it is a strong wind, almost a hurricane, bursting into the house. This is how the Kingdom, its breath, enters the world. As if the door of the Kingdom had opened and it poured in here, to us. Exactly so: not simply into the gathering of the faithful, but into the world. All gatherings, however many there will be in church history, are only derivative of this process. And that process itself, this very stream of the Kingdom in the world, is the Church proper. This breath of the Kingdom gathers people into assemblies, and the Greek word used for church in the New Testament books is translated as "assembly."

It makes them a church. And the Church with a capital C as well. Even those who happen to be nearby as if by chance, like the people in the street who listen to Peter's preaching. They hear not the words; the apostles did not know as many languages as the author of Acts lists, and there are more of those languages than there were apostles. They hear what is behind the words. Only an inhabitant of the Kingdom can hear in that way. And this means that all who listened to Peter then became, for a time, inhabitants of the Kingdom. And therefore part of the Church.

How long they remained in the Kingdom, and therefore in the Church, is another question. The "tongues of fire" mentioned by the author of the book do not overshadow each person who was then in the room by accident. Each person has his or her own light of God's presence. And the Presence itself is also given to each person personally. Its measure and its constancy depend not only on God, but also on the person. This is what determines the measure of a particular person's participation in the life of the Kingdom. But that is already a question of that person's spiritual path. The Kingdom has entered the world. The door is open. And everyone stands before this door. Whether to enter or not depends only on the person.

Hide
 
For Act 2:1-13
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
Hide
The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles when they were all together, not apart, but above all when they were of one accord...  Read more

The Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles when they were all together, not apart, but above all when they were of one accord. Being of one accord did not mean being alike: the individuality and personal characteristics of each apostle did not disappear, but their differences did not divide the disciples, any more than the many languages in which their preaching began to sound. The substance of their preaching was the same in every language. If, at the building of the Tower of Babel, linguistic differences contributed to humanity's fragmentation, on the day of Pentecost the apostolic witness spoken in different languages marked the beginning of the reunion of peoples who had until then been scattered. Yet, while the division at Babel prevented the destruction of peoples destined to become a faceless labouring mass, Pentecost pointed the way to unity while preserving the distinctive identity of everyone whom the Lord addresses.

The people nearby at that moment heard the same thing, but some perceived the apostles' speech as intelligible preaching, while others accused them of drunkenness. The first, even though they did not understand much of what was said and were perplexed by what was happening, were, like doubting Thomas, open to the unknown and proved able—perhaps not immediately—to receive the apostles' words. The others, who mocked, also doubted what they saw and heard, but one kind of doubt is not the same as another. By denying what did not fit their familiar ideas, such people closed off for themselves the possibility of receiving from the apostles the news that salvation was possible.

Hide
 
For Act 2:1-37
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of 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 dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Hide
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 always...  Read more

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.

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For Act 2:1-47
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of 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 dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
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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...  Read more

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.

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For Act 2:1-47
1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God,I will pour out of 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 dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
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Today's reading tells us about that triumph of the Kingdom which Jesus promised His disciples. And this triumph...  Read more

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.

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