Acts

2:1-13

2. The early church in Jerusalem, 1:12-6:7

iii] The coming of the Spirit at Pentecost

Luke's acts of the apostles begins at the feast of Pentecost. The disciples have gathered in the temple for prayer and are miraculously endowed with divine presence and power, a presence in fulfilment of God's promises to Abraham, and a power to realize the fulfilment of these promises.

The pentecostal blessings are a matter of some dispute. See notes on The Baptism of the Holy Spirit; Filled with the Spirit; Tongues.

en tw/ + inf. "When" - This construction forms either a temporal, or means clause, rarely result, possibly causal, "since it was the day of pentecost, they were all together." Temporal seems likely: "during", Moffatt; "on", CEV; although most opt for "when".

sumplhrousqai (sumplhrow) pres. pas. inf. "came" - [when the day of Pentecost] draws near, comes, is fulfilled. The present tense may express ongoing action (durative), "was running its course", NEB, but probably not with the infinitive. "Had come", REB.

tanteV oJmou "all together" - all together [at the same]. Possibly the apostles (there is a variant that actually reads "the apostles"), but more likely the 120.

afnw adv. "suddenly" - unexpectedly. Helping to emphasize the miraculous. "All of a sudden", Barclay.

hcoV (oV) "a sound" - a noise, roar. In Luke 21:25 the noise is of a roaring sea, wind-like, vibrating, roaring.

pnohV (h) "wind" - [a rushing violent] wind, breath.

egeneto (ginomai) aor. "came" - there was, there came [suddenly from heaven].

eplhrwsen (plhrow) aor. "filled" - it filled. The subject is unclear, is it "sound" or "wind"?

ton oikon (oV) "the house" - house, room, dwelling. Given they were "sitting" and not "dwelling", the meaning here is possibly "the room." Given the general nature of the word, it is quite possible that it was somewhere in the temple precinct. "It filled the room where they were meeting", CEV.

nsan kaqhmenoi (kaqhmai) pres. part. "they were sitting" - A periphrastic imperfect.

glwssai "tongues" - tongues, languages. Obviously not "languages", seeing it is "fire shaped like tongues."

diamerizomenai (diamerizw) pres. pas. part. "separated" - being parted, divided. "The fire parted and distributed itself on each of the disciples."

ekaqisen (kaqizw) aor. "came to rest" - sat. A flickering flame over the head of an important person was a common image of the time. "Danced around on the head of each disciple."

eJna ekaston "each" - each one. The Spirit came on each one of them; they all received the gift just as all were forgiven. The Spirit is for all believers, just as forgiveness is for all believers.

panteV adj. "all of them" - all, every. All those present received the Spirit.

eplhsqhsan (pimplhmi) aor. pas. "were filled" - were filled, fulfilled. The action is punctiliar. Clearly realizing 1:5 where the gift of the Spirit is expressed in the terms, "will be baptized."

hrxanto (arcomai) aor. ind. mid. "began" - they began. "The disciples now did something they had not done before", Barrett.

apofqeggesqai (apofqeggomai) inf. "to speak" - to utter out aloud. The infinitive functioning as the direct object of "enabled" (Gk. "was giving"). The word is used of forceful speech, even inspired speech, this adds weight to the idea that tongue-speaking had language content. "They began to forcefully speak."

eJteraiV glossaiV ""other tongues" - other kinds of tongues. Note Isaiah 28:11, referred to by Paul in 1Cor.14:21. The translation "foreign languages" is possible, but some form of ecstatic prophecy, miraculously, or otherwise understood by the crowd, is more likely. See extended notes below. We are left to wonder why Luke gives us so little information about this phenomenon. "They began to forcefully prophesy ecstatically."

edidou (didwmi) imperf. "enabled" - was giving. The imperfect tense is durative; the "enabling" in ongoing. Possibly "gave each disciple the gift of tongues one after another", but unlikely. Luke does not clearly define the relationship between what is obviously a once only act whereby the Spirit is given to a believer for life, and the seeming action of the Spirit, at a specific time and for a specific purpose, to "fill" (empower?) a believer for ministry. See extended notes below.

hsan .... katoikounteV (katoikew) pres. part. "there were staying" - there were living, dwelling, settled. Periphrastic imperfect.

eulabeiV adj. "God-fearing" - devout, reverent, godly. The word is missing in some manuscripts.

Ioudaioi "Jews" - Also missing in some manuscripts. Considered by same as originally a marginal notation. "Jews" in the sense of either race or religion. Possibly Jewish pilgrims from the Roman provinces visiting Jerusalem for the festival.

genomenhV (ginomai) aor. part. "when they heard" - having happened. The participle probably introduces a temporal clause, as NIV. heard the speaking, not the wind.

sunecuqh (sugcew) aor. pas. "bewilderment" - it was confounded, astonished, perplexed. The word describes the total shock of those hearing the tongues. "They were astonished and amazed", Barclay.

eiJV eskatoV "each one" - "Each one of them", Phillips.

dialektw/ (oV) - "language" - At this point scholars divide. Was it different languages, different dialects, different accents? Bruce suggests "manner of speech". The word is unclear. Was this a miracle of speech, or hearing?

Galilaioi "Galileans" - What identified them as Galileans? Some have suggested dress, but this is unlikely; more probably accent, which means it carried over into their tongue speaking, again supporting a language content to their words.

kai "then" - and. Used here to introduce a question; "so how is it that we hear ....?"

pwV "how" - Serves to add a sense of confusion in the question.

en hJ/ egenhqhmen "native [language]" - in which we were born. "Our own native tongue", Moffatt.

The list of countries and races probably reflects common lists of the time which served to identify the extent of the Jewish dispersion.

epidhmounteV Rwmaioi "visitors from Rome" - "Roman citizens", Barrett.

Ioudaioi te kai proshlutoi "both Jews and converts to Judaism" - both Jews and proselytes. The word "Jew" is generally felt to be an early attempt to sort out a textual problem. Barrett suggests that the clause is in apposition to "Roman citizens" and was intended to mean "temporarily resident in Jerusalem."

lalountwn (lalew) pres. part. "[we hear them] declaring" - speaking. Supporting the view that the miracle is one of speech, not hearing.

ta megaleia tou qeou "the wonders of God" - the mighty acts of God. Again, emphasizing the language content of the tongues. The "mighty acts" are undefined, but given the context, they surely concern God's work of redemption recently completed in the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ.

dihporoun (diaporew) imperf. "perplexed" - were perplexed, bewildered.

alloV troV allon "they asked one another" - they said to one another. An idiomatic expression.

qelei (qelow) pres. "[what does this mean]" - [what does this] wish [to be]. "What on earth can this mean", Phillips.

diacleuazonteV (diacleuazw) pres. part. "made fun of them" - ridiculing, mocking. "Some others sneered", Moffatt.

memestwmenoi eisin "they have had too much [wine]" - they have been filled. Periphrastic perfect expressing their complete state of fullness. It is interesting that on one side people understood the prophetic nature of the "tongues", while on the other there were people who put it down to intoxication - slurring of speech, mumbling? "They are drunk", CEV.

gleukouV (oV) "wine" - new wine. Used of partly fermented new wine, but this is obviously not intended here. Possibly wine preserved with honey, "sweet wine", Bruce.

Acts Introduction

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