Chapter 2 starts on the day of Pentecost, which is 50 days after Jesus rose from the dead. It is also a Holy Day that Jews commemorate Moses receiving the Ten Commandments (Shavuot) on Mount Sinai. The 120 were all together and a wind blew through the house and rested above each one like tongues of fire. Then they spoke the words of God. Jerusalem was full of devout worshippers and they heard them speak each in their own languages because many had traveled from places beyond the Mediterranean like Cypress, Libya and Egypt. Some were amazed, but others mocked saying they were drunk.

When we look at how the Holy Spirit works here, there are three important things to pay attention to. First, the content of the message is about God. Second, there is a miracle that makes the believers be more understood, not less. Thirdly, everyone in the room received it. Unfortunately, just as with earlier miracles, there were people that saw them and still did not believe. 

Peter gets up and explains how the book of Joel prophesied this event. “Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” The emphasis is that everyone, including old and young, male and female, rich and and poor are eligible. He then goes to talk about the sun going dark and the moon turning blood before the Day of the Lord. 

Peter also quotes David in the Psalms talking about his soul being saved from Sheol or Hades. When the larger audience asked what they should do, and Peter said that they should repent be baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit. This ties in both the Ten Commandments, which is the list of rules that we are all supposed to keep, yet have violated and require forgiveness, with the Holy Spirit, which is a gift of God that gives us the power to understand the scriptures and be witnesses. 

3000 people were baptized in that manner that day. It’s also important to understand here that the crowds that came for the Holy Day all still consider themselves of the Jewish religion, yet the barriers of language and homeland were becoming unraveled.

The believers all lived together, harmoniously at this time, sharing in their food and resources. “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.” There is a generosity of spirit that naturally comes from the relief of having one’s spiritual debts settled.