World English Bible · Under Rome
Acts 2
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Now when the day of had come, they were all with one accord in one place. Suddenly there came from a sound like the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. like appeared and were distributed to them, and one sat on each of them. They were all filled with and began to speak with , as gave them the ability to speak. Now there were dwelling in , devout men, from every nation under . When this sound was heard, came together and were bewildered, because everyone heard them speaking in his own language. They were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, "Behold, aren't all these who speak Galileans? 8How do we hear, everyone in our own native language? Parthians, , Elamites, and people from , , Cappadocia, Pontus, , Phrygia, Pamphylia, , the parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from , both and proselytes, Cretans and —we hear them speaking in our the mighty works of !" They were all amazed and were perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" Others, mocking, said, "They are filled with ." But , standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, "You men of and all you who at , let this be known to you, and listen to my words. For these aren't drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what has been spoken through the Joel: 'It will be , says , that I will pour out on . Your sons and your daughters will . Your young men will see . Your old men will . Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out , and they will . I will show wonders in above, and signs on the earth beneath: , and , and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned into , and the moon into , before the great and comes. It will be that whoever will of will be .' "Men of Israel, hear these words! of , a man approved by to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which did by him among you, even as you yourselves know, him, being up by the determined and foreknowledge of , you have taken by the hand of lawless men, and killed; whom up, having freed him from the agony of , because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For says concerning him, 'I saw always before , for he is on my , that I should not be moved. Therefore was glad, and my rejoiced. Moreover my also will in , because you will not leave in , neither will you allow your One to see decay. You to me the ways of life. You will make me full of gladness with your .' "Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch , that he both and was buried, and his is with us to this day. Therefore, being a , and knowing that had with an to him that of the fruit of his body, according to , he would raise up the Christ to sit on his , he foreseeing this, spoke about the of the Christ, that his wasn't left in , and his didn't see decay. This up, to which we all are . Being therefore exalted by of , and having received from the promise of , he has poured out this which you now see and hear. For didn't ascend into , but he says himself, ' said to my , "Sit by my until I make your a for your feet."' "Let all the therefore know certainly that has made him both and Christ, this whom you ." Now when they heard this, they were cut to , and said to and the rest of , "Brothers, what shall we do?" said to them, " and be , every one of you, in the name of for the forgiveness of , and you will receive the gift of . For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as our will call to himself." With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, " yourselves from this crooked generation!" Then those who gladly received his word were . There were added that day about three thousand . They continued steadfastly in ' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and . Fear came on every , and many wonders and signs were done through . All who were together, and had all things in common. They sold their possessions and goods, and distributed them to all, according as anyone had need. Day by day, continuing steadfastly with one accord in , and breaking bread at home, they took their food with gladness and singleness of , praising and having with all the people. added to day by day those who were being .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
- Who should be baptized, and what does it do? · Acts 2:38-39
- Are the miraculous gifts still given today? · Acts 2
- Is baptism in the Spirit a second experience after conversion? · Acts 2
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.