Acts 2, side by side
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Scene 1: Wind and FireVerses 1 to 4
The day of Pentecost came. The believers were all together in one place.
Suddenly a sound came from heaven. It sounded like a strong, rushing wind. It filled the whole house.
They saw what looked like flames of fire. The flames split apart and rested on each one of them.
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in other languages. The Spirit gave them the words.
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Scene 2: Every LanguageVerses 5 to 11
Many Jewish people from other countries were in Jerusalem. They were people who loved God, from every nation.
They heard the sound, and a crowd came together. They were confused. Each person heard the believers speaking in his own language.
They were amazed. "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?" they asked (2:7). Galilee was an area in the north of Israel. Jesus and most of his followers came from there.
They also asked, "How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language?" (2:8).
The crowd came from many lands. Today we call many of these places Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Libya, and Italy. Some came from the island of Crete, and some from Arabia (parts of Jordan and Saudi Arabia today). Some lived in Judea, the area around Jerusalem. Some were born Jewish. Others had chosen to become Jewish.
They said, "we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" (2:11). Here "tongues" means languages.
5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language. 7Astounded and amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, 11both Jews and converts to Judaism; Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
Scene 3: "What Does This Mean?"Verses 12 to 13
Everyone was amazed and confused. They asked each other, "What does this mean?" (2:12).
But some people made fun of them. They said the believers were drunk.
12Astounded and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13But others mocked them and said, “They are drunk on new wine!”
Scene 4: Peter Stands UpVerses 14 to 21
Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles. He raised his voice and spoke to the crowd.
Peter spoke boldly to a large crowd. Only seven weeks before, he had said, "I do not know Him" (Luke 22:57).
Peter said, "These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day!" (2:15). That means it was only nine in the morning.
Peter said this was what God had promised long ago, through the prophet Joel.
God had said, "I will pour out My Spirit on all people" (2:17). Sons and daughters, young and old, would speak God's message. Even servants, men and women, would receive the Spirit and speak God's message.
The words from Joel end with this promise: "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (2:21).
14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, lifted up his voice, and addressed the crowd: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only the third hour of the day! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on My menservants and maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the coming of the great and glorious Day of the Lord. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Scene 5: Peter Talks About JesusVerses 22 to 36
Then Peter told them about Jesus from Nazareth. God showed who Jesus was by doing miracles through him. The crowd knew about them.
Peter said Jesus was handed over by God's plan. God knew it would happen. Peter told the crowd they had put Jesus to death. They used lawless men to nail him to the cross. "Lawless" here means people who did not know God's law. This probably means the Roman soldiers.
"But God raised Him from the dead" (2:24). Death could not hold him.
Peter quoted King David, who wrote psalms (songs and prayers in the Bible) long ago. David wrote that God would not leave his Holy One in the grave. Peter said David was talking about Jesus.
"God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses" (2:32). A witness is someone who saw it happen.
Peter said Jesus was now at God's right hand. That means the place of highest honor and power. Jesus had received the Holy Spirit from the Father. Now Jesus had poured out the Spirit, and that was what they were seeing and hearing.
Peter finished, "God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!" (2:36). "Christ" means the same as "Messiah." It means the King God promised to send.
22Men of Israel, listen to this message: Jesus of Nazareth was a man certified by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through Him, as you yourselves know. 23He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge, and you, by the hands of the lawless, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. 24But God raised Him from the dead, releasing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for Him to be held in its clutches. 25David says about Him: ‘I saw the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will dwell in hope, 27because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay. 28You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’ 29Brothers, I can tell you with confidence that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that He would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31Foreseeing this, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His body see decay. 32God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses. 33Exalted, then, to the right hand of God, He has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand 35until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ 36Therefore let all Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ!”
Scene 6: "What Shall We Do?"Verses 37 to 41
The people's hearts were hurting when they heard this. They asked, "Brothers, what shall we do?" (2:37).
Peter answered, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (2:38).
Repent means turn back to God. To be baptized means to be washed with water in the name of Jesus. In Baptism, God is the one who acts.
Peter said, "This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off" (2:39). God calls people to himself.
Those who accepted Peter's message were baptized. About 3,000 people joined the believers that day.
37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.” 41Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.
Scene 7: A New FamilyVerses 42 to 47
The new believers kept learning from the apostles. They spent time together. They broke bread together and prayed together.
Everyone was filled with awe. Awe is a feeling of deep wonder and respect. God did many amazing things through the apostles.
The believers shared everything they had. They sold their belongings and gave to anyone who was in need.
Every day they met at the temple. They ate in each other's homes with glad and honest hearts.
They praised God, and people liked them. And every day, the Lord added more people who were being saved.
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they shared with anyone who was in need. 46With one accord they continued to meet daily in the temple courts and to break bread from house to house, sharing their meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
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