Articles
Peter's Sermon In Acts 2
Peter's Sermon In Acts 2
Having received the Spirit the apostles are accused of being drunk. Peter thus begins his sermon denying the plausibility of such an accusation. He then explains what it DOES mean.
THIS IS THAT. What they were seeing and hearing was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel (Joel 2).
· New inspired revelation - 17-18
· Confirmation of the message - 19-20
· Salvation offered and fulfilled - 21.
The whole of Jesus teaching was bringing in a promised new covenant. Such a covenant would issue forth from God and would be delivered through men. This mostly was done through the apostles and yet there were other prophets including women such as Philip’s daughters (Acts 21:8-9). Paul later wrote that his gospel has “been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Eph. 3:5).
Various miracles, signs, and wonders confirmed this revelation. Note Peter’s statement about Jesus being confirmed (attested) by God with miracles and wonders and signs (vs. 22). This was promised by Jesus to the apostles in Mark 16:20. The apostles continued such inspired preaching and God continued to confirm their word (Mark 16:20, Acts 2:43; Heb. 2:4). Interestingly to me, the greatest confirmation of the whole of the message was the resurrection of Jesus. Paul wrote that Jesus "was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 1:4). Peter here in Acts 2 spends the rest of his sermon showing that God had raised Jesus from the dead (vs. 24) even as predicted by the Old Testament (vs. 25-35).
The last aspect of Joel’s prophecy was the offer of salvation thru this resurrected Messiah. Peter ends his sermon: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36). He then offers them the terms of forgiveness: repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus (vs. 38).
This is that, indeed! What God had foretold in Joel, He has fulfilled thru Jesus and the gospel message. You can be saved for the promise was that EVERYONE who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. The people on Pentecost ‘received the word and were baptized’. So must we if we are to be saved.
Hugh DeLong
