Verse by Verse

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;

3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.

4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.

5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:

10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering.

The fact is that Peter and John went to the temple at the hour of prayer because Israel had not yet been set aside and this was still God’s appointed house of prayer.

They were most faithful to their great commission, for under that commission (which was based upon the covenants and prophecies) the conversion of the nations must begin with the conversion of the nation — Israel (Zechariah 8:13; Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8; 3:25-26).

Nor were these men unspiritual for clinging to Judaism and its ceremonies, for no revelation had yet been given that because of the cross the Mosaic law could be set aside. — Stam, pages 126-127

ninth hour (v.1) — 3:00 pm — the hour for sacrifice and prayer

The lame man was more than 40 years old — Acts 4:22

lame from his birth (v.2) — Luke’s observation as a physician

Beautiful Gate (v.2) — We do not meet with this name elsewhere, and so it is difficult to identify the door in question. The most probable conjecture is that it is identical with the gate of Herod’s temple which was known as “the gate Nicanor.” This was on the east side of the “Court of the Israelites” and was reached by a flight of fourteen or fifteen steps from the “Court of the Women.” In other words, it was the main entrance from the east into the innermost court. All the temple gates to this innermost court had folding doors, covered with gold and silver; but Josephus tells us that this one was much larger than the rest, being fifty cubits high and forty cubits broad. It was made of Corinthian brass, “adorned after a most costly manner” with thicker and richer plates of gold than the other gates. Others have supposed the beautiful gate or door to be the gate “Shushan” (lily), which appears to have been on the east of the “Court of the Women;” through it ingress was had from the “Court of the Gentiles.” There is however considerable uncertainty as to its exact locality. Josephus’s description of the more handsome of the gates has been appropriated to this gate “Shushan,” erroneously, as it would seem. — Walker, page 65

alms (v.2) = lit. “pity” or “mercy” — by extension, the expression of mercy

fastening his eyes (v.4) — same verb as “looking steadfastly” in Acts 1:10

gave heed (v.5) — directed his mind, expectation

in the name of Jesus Christ (v.6) — by virtue of His power and authority

His feet and ankle bones (v.7) — The former of these two nouns means, literally, “the soles of the feet,” on which man steps. Both that and the following noun “ankle-bones” are peculiar to this one passage in the New Testament, and both are of a technical character and accord with the professional knowledge of the writer as a physician. — Walker, page 68

received strength (v.7) — so as to perform their proper functions — a medical term

The man stood for the first time in his life. He not only had the strength to walk, but knew how.

praising God (v.8) — The man followed Peter and John but gave credit to God.

amazement (v.10) = astonishment — a great disturbance of mind

held (v.11) = clung to

Solomon’s Porch (v.11) — The outer court of the temple, “the Court of the Gentiles,” was surrounded by porticoes, of which those on the north, west and east formed double cloisters, with two rows of white marble monolithic columns supporting a roof of carved cedar. Of these porticoes or cloisters, that on the east, as Josephus tells us, was called “Solomon’s Porch.” He attributes it to the time of Solomon, but we are rather to understand that it was the work of Herod, the name of Solomon being attached to it for traditional reasons unknown to us. It was a place of common resort for frequenters of the temple, and it is interesting to remember that our Lord delivered there. His beautiful discourse about the Good Shepherd (John 10:23). — Walker, page 70

__________

What a comparison we have here between the nation Israel and the believing remnant! Israel had never been able to walk since the day that God took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt (Jeremiah 31:32). And now Israel had sought temporal deliverance and earthly prosperity like the lame man begging here for an alms. An alms indeed it would have proved, too, had Israel been granted her wish, for she needed more than temporal deliverance and prosperity. She needed redemption from sin (Matthew 1:21; Acts 3:26; Romans 11:26). The price of this redemption was not silver and gold but the blood of the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 26:28). Now Israel lay at the threshold of millennial blessing, as it were, but without redemption and the Spirit, she lacked the strength to enter in and could but remain a helpless beggar. Some years after the healing of the lame man, Peter wrote to the Jewish believers of his day:

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Peter 1:18-19).

There was the rub. Israel was seeking deliverance from her troubles but not from her sin. She would not repent. Therefore the nation was laid as a helpless beggar outside the temple, while the true worshipers, the “little flock,” worshiped daily within! And it was this despised remnant that had what Israel needed to help her rise to her feet and enter the temple too. Indeed, the burning question now was: would she even yet receive it?

What a foreshadowing of millennial blessing to come, and what a sign of blessing proffered Israel then, at Pentecost, as Peter lifts the beggar by the right hand, saying: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk (v.6).

Suddenly the lame beggar has become a worshiper and he enters with them into the temple walking and leaping and praising God!

For the present Israel still remains spiritually a poor, helpless beggar, outside of the presence of God, but the blessed day will come when the chosen nation will be saved and with the resurrected remnant will enter before God with songs of rejoicing. — Stam, pages 128-129.

41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;

45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.

46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

47 Praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

they that received (v.41) — not all who heard received (“gladly” not in many manuscripts)

teaching and baptism (v.41) — The apostles were carrying out the Lord’s instructions in Matthew 28:19-20.

added (v.41) = placed forward — placed with those already in existence.

breaking of bread (v.42) — probably the Lord’s supper, at this time, often an observance following an evening meal — “feasts of love”

fear (v.43) — awe

wonders and signs (v.43) — see verse 22

all things in common (v.44) — Only in Jerusalem, and not lasting very long even there. Not established in other churches.

sold/parted (v.45) — imperfect tense — kept on selling and parting, probably as necessity arose (as any man had need — v.45)

possessions (v.45) = real, immovable or landed property

goods (v.45) = personal, movable

temple (v.46) — The believers attended the Jewish prayers

gladness (v.46) — joy

singleness (v.46) = simplicity, like even ground with no stones

having favor (v.47) — The believers’ behavior commended them to the people of Jerusalem. Opposition came later, and then from the Jewish leaders.

the Lord added (v.47)  = lit. “kept adding” — Christ did the adding.

church (v.47) — not in the original

How were they enabled to live together in such utter selflessness and such spiritual power? Ah, this is the secret of Millennial blessing! The Spirit had come, according to promise, and had taken supernatural possession of them, controlling them completely, so that they were empowered not only to work miracles, but also to live lives that fully honored God (Ezekiel 36:27-28). Today by comparison, we, the members of Christ’s Body, have the Spirit dwelling within and may appropriate His help at any time but, consistent with the present dispensation, we must appropriate by faith what God provides in grace. Hence, with regard to the Pentecostal believers we find the bare statement of fact: They were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4) while the Apostle Paul exhorts us: Be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). — Stam, page 121.

Here’s another example of the confusion and contradiction of many in regard to this passage.

About three thousand had been added. We ask, added to what? Certainly to the company of the believers, which by the baptism of the Holy Spirit had been formed into one body. And now we learn at the close of this great chapter, that the church, or assembly, yet unrevealed [emphasis mine], was indeed in existence. — Gaebelein, page 64.

Yet a few pages later (page 69), Gaebelein writes:

After the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the church on earth we find in this book the record of a second address given by the Apostle Peter (Acts 3). This utterance is Jewish and national, that is, an appeal to the nation to repent and to accept the rejected Jesus as the Christ. Connected with this solemn appeal is the promise of national blessing. Peter promises by the Spirit of God “times of refreshing” and “the restoration of all things,” two expressions, which describe the kingdom as promised to Israel in the Old Testament. The condition upon which this promise of national blessing is made by Peter is the repentance and conversion of the nation.

So, according to Gaebelein, we have Peter in chapter two offering the church to a crowd of Jews in Jerusalem — although neither he nor his audience had any idea that’s what was happening. Then, probably not more than a day or so later, Peter again in Jerusalem, talking with a crowd which probably included many of the same people, offers the kingdom to Israel? It makes no sense to me. And it all seems to be based on the fact that the word “church” appears in 47. But, first, “church” just means assembly and is occasionally used of Israel and, second, the word doesn’t appear in the original manuscripts, but was added later, probably by someone who thought the way Gaebelein thinks.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

when they heard this (v.37) — that God made Jesus both Lord and Christ — and that they had crucified Him.

pricked (v.37) — pained, as if by a sharp point (John 16:8-9)

testify (v.40) — testimony, witness

In the prophetic program, still in effect at Pentecost, the cross made enmity between God and the nations (especially Israel) which calls for judgment (v.35). It wasn’t until Paul’s message that the cross was revealed as the reconciliation between God and men.

We must bear in mind that Peter addressed those who had openly rejected Jesus. They had, therefore, also openly to acknowledge their wrong and openly own Him as Messiah, whom they had disowned by delivering Him into the hands of lawless men. Repentance meant for them to own their guilt in having opposed and rejected Jesus. Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (in which it differs from the baptism of John) was the outward expression of that repentance. It was for these Jews, therefore, a preliminary necessity. And here we must not forget that Peter’s preaching on the day of Pentecost had still to do with the Kingdom, as we shall more fully learn from his second address in the third chapter.

In this national testimony the word “repent” stands in the foreground, and their baptism in the name of Him whom they had crucified was a witness that they owned Him now and believed on Him. As soon as we leave the first part of this book in which Peter’s preaching to the Jews is prominent, we find the word repentance no longer in the foreground; all the emphasis is upon “believe.” The Gospel in all its blessed fullness as revealed to the great apostle to the Gentiles, Paul, which he called “my Gospel,” and as preached by him, makes faith — “believe” — as prominent as Peter’s preaching “repent.” — Gaebelein, pages 61-62.

In the gap between the two paragraphs above, Gaebelein writes a sentence I left out — “The great fact that the Holy Spirit had begun to form the body of Christ, the church, as stated before, was not revealed then.” Why he, and other commentaries, insist on starting the church at a point when the message wasn’t delivered and nobody knew about it, is a mystery to me.

What terms, then, did Peter offer his hearers for salvation when they were brought under conviction. “Repent, and be baptized [and not only those who feel led, but] every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, [and not merely as a testimony to your burial with Christ, but] for the remission of sins, and [and THEN and not until then] ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

How different this all is from “the gospel of the grace of God,” which was later committed to the Apostle Paul and to us! Peter’s message, however, harmonized perfectly with the “great commission”: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16).

Indeed, the requirements for salvation here are no different than those previously laid down by John the Baptist, for we read in Mark 1:4, that John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

The only difference between Peter’s proposition and John’s was one of historical development. The Holy Spirit had now come and Peter could add: and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But there was no change in the meaning of the ordinance, for at John’s baptism too they had come confessing their sins (Matthew 3:6). John’s baptism and Peter’s both signified a confession of sin and a cleansing therefrom. — Stam, pages 108-109.

__________

At first sight it may seem that the “you” and “your children” of verse 39 refer to Israel, while the phrase, “all that are afar off” refers to the Gentiles. But a more careful examination of the passage will prove that this cannot be so.

First, the promise of the Spirit (verse 33, 38) was never made to the Gentiles. True, it affected the Gentiles, but it was unquestionably made to Israel. We Gentiles in the flesh are exhorted in Ephesians 2:11-12 to remember that we were strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.

Nor does the phrase “afar off,” used here and elsewhere in Scripture, refer exclusively to Gentiles. We Gentiles were spiritually “afar off” (Ephesians 2:17) but Israelites outside of their own land were geographically “afar off” and are so designated again and again in the Old Testament Scriptures. Among other places, we find the phrase “afar off” in Daniel’s famous prayer:

O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of faces as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither Thou has driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against Thee (Daniel 9:7).

Peter, addressing a Jewish audience, then, declared simply that the  promise of the Spirit was both to them and their children and those (of their people) who were afar off. And this harmonizes with the closing verses of chapter 3, where he reminds his Hebrew hearers that they are the children of the covenant and that unto them first God has raised up a Savior, “His Son Jesus,” since through them the nations of the earth are to be blessed. — Stam, pages 113-114).

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.

30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell, neither His flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto My Lord, Sit thou on My right hand,

35 Until I make Thy foes Thy footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Peter is explaining that David could not have been writing about himself in Psalm 16. David was long dead and still in his grave. David was referring to his descendant, Jesus Christ, who did fulfill the prophecy, as they had all witnessed. David had not ascended into heaven as he wrote, and Peter quotes in Psalm 110:1 (also quoted in 1 Corinthians 15:25 and Hebrew 1:13 and 10:13).

As a servant, Christ had won victory on the first plane; He had not originated evil. As man He had won victory on the second plane; He had overcome evil in its assaults from without. He now said: I am going into death, but death cannot hold Me. Death is the wage of sin. Death is that which has resulted from the fact of rebellion against God. I am going into it, but it cannot hold Me: Thou wilt not leave My soul in Hades, Neither wilt Thou give Thy Holy One to see corruption. — Morgan, pg. 76.

__________

None of the rabbis ever thought of applying the psalm to the promised Messiah. There is, however, an old tradition, which no doubt was known and believed in that day, which applied the psalm literally to David. This application was as follows; “Those words, ‘my flesh shall rest in hope,’ teach us that neither worm nor insect had any power over David.” Peter shows that such a traditional belief that the words referred to David himself were incorrect. They could not mean King David. — Gaebelein, pg. 58.

brethren, let me speak freely (v.29) — Peter’s bold message was given with gentleness. freely = with boldness of speech

patriarch (v.29) — father or chief of a race. David is the ancestor of the royal line of the Jews.

David is dead and buried (v.29), so Psalm 16 couldn’t apply to him when it speaks of Hades.

sepulcher (v.29) — David’s sepulcher — Nehemiah 3:16

God swore with an oath (v.30) — Psalm 132:11

seeing this before (v.31) — looking into the future

The resurrection of Christ (v.31) — Peter’s argument was clear, consecutive and forcible. It ran as follows.

1. The words of Psalm 16 about the resurrection refer definitely to someone.

2. They cannot denote David, for he died and saw corruption.

3. But, as all Jews acknowledged, the Messiah was promised as prince of the house of David.

4. The Psalm, therefore, refers to the Messiah.

5. Jesus of Nazareth was raised from the dead, and so He is the expected Messiah. — Walker, pg. 50.

This Jesus (v.32) — emphatic. This Jesus of Nazareth of whom I have been speaking.

we all are witnesses (v.32) — The apostles saw, touched and spoke with the risen Lord.

Holy Spirit (v.33) — The Holy Spirit and what He was doing at Pentecost was evidence that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead.

shed forth (v.33) = poured forth — fulfilling Joel’s prophecy

right hand (v.34) — the place of honor, power and glory

footstool (v.35) — Planting a foot on the neck of a prostrate foe is a symbol of complete victory.

assuredly (v.36) = with perfect certainty. In Greek, very emphatic.

whom ye have crucified (v.36) — contrasting their dishonoring of Christ with God’s honoring of Him. Not only that, but this Christ whom they crucified now holds the scepter of power over them.

This psalm [Psalm 16] our Lord had used to silence His enemies. His own testimony had brought out four indisputable facts about that psalm. (1) That David wrote the psalm. (2) That he wrote it by the Spirit. (3) That the psalm spoke of Himself. (4) That it revealed Himself as both David’s son and David’s Lord (Matthew 22:41-46). And now the Holy Spirit uses this psalm likewise to show that the Christ had to ascend into heaven and take His place at the right hand of God till the time should come when His enemies are made His footstool. This exalted place Jesus the Nazarene had now taken; that He was really there was fully demonstrated by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But we must not overlook something else which this prophecy teaches. These Jews might have said, If Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, why does He not take the throne of His father David and begin His Kingdom reign? The 110th Psalm gives the answer. He was to go to heaven first and sit upon His Father’s throne. He was to wait there for the promised Kingdom while His enemies are in opposition to Him. — Gaebelein, pages 59-60.

25 For David speaketh concerning Him, I foresaw the Lord always before My face, for He is on My right hand, that I should not be moved:

26 Therefore did My heart rejoice, and My tongue was glad; moreover also My flesh shall rest in hope:

27 Because Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.

28 Thou hast made known to Me the ways of life; thou shalt make Me full of joy with Thy countenance.

The quote is from Psalm 16:8-11, a Messianic Psalm. Part of it is repeated in Acts 13:35.

foresaw (v.25) — “I continued looking” — diverted gaze — expresses Christ’s constant fellowship with and trust in the Father.

right hand (v.25) — signifying protection — as a soldier with his comrade or, in court, an advocate with his client

My tongue was glad (v.26) — in Hebrew “My soul,” but in Septuagint, quoted here, “My tongue.”

rest in hope (v.26) — lit. “dwell, tabernacle” — even in death, Christ dwelt in hope because of what He knew, as stated in verse 27.

leave (v.27) = forsake

hell (v.27) — Hades (Sheol) lit. “the unseen” — abode of departed spirits

Holy One (v.27) = (in Hebrew) lit. “a pious one,” “a devoted lover of God.” — This isn’t the ordinary word for “holy” — used again of Christ in Hebrews 7:26.

ways of life (v.28) = path of life — leading to resurrection

full of joy with Thine countenance — “a satisfying fullness of joy is produced by beholding Your face.”

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.

Jesus of Nazareth (v.22) — His name when in His humbled state before He was exalted — used as a reproach by the Jews. Peter uses it here, perhaps, to contrast it with Christ’s exalted state.

approved (v.22) = showed forth, displayed publicly

among you (v.22) — Many in the crowd had been eye-witnesses of Jesus’ miracles. They knew, as Nicodemus did (John 3:2), that He came from God (John 5:36).

miracles (v.22) — manifestations of God’s power

wonders (v.22) — startling, wonder-producing — calling attention to their character

signs (v.22) — emphasis on the purpose — indicators of spiritual truth

as ye yourselves know (v.22) — They could no plead ignorance. They had no excuse.

Him (v.23) — added for emphasis — “This very one who manifested the power of God.”

delivered (v.23) — handed over. God was in control.

determinate counsel — marked-out determination, decreed will — planned before the world began (Revelation 13:8; 2 Timothy 1:9).

foreknowledge (v.23) — for God, all history is an eternal now.

wicked hands (v.23) — “lawless” — without the law — Gentile (Roman). But also with the sense of law-breakers, transgressors. The Jews and Gentiles crucified Christ.

crucified (v.23) — (here) with an idea of murder

Whom God hath raised up (v.24) — God’s actions are contrasted with mans’

loosed the pains of death (v.24) = birth pains — for Christ, death was the birth of resurrected life (Psalm 18:5).

not possible (v.24) — Jesus Christ was God, He had not sinned so death had no hold on Him and the work of redemption had to be completed (Romans 1:4; Romans 4:25; Hebrews 2:14-15).

How did Peter, in his Pentecostal address, deal with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ? Was that his gospel? Did he proclaim it as good news? Was it his purpose to offer salvation to his hearers through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ? No, nor did he in fact make such an offer.

On the contrary, his purpose was to convict his hearers of their guilt in the crucifixion of Christ and to warn them that the One whom they with wicked hands had crucified and slain, had risen from the dead and was alive again.

When those who were thus convicted asked what they should do, Peter did not tell them simply to believe that Christ had died for them, as we do today. His “great commission” had not contemplated such a message. What he did was to command them to repent and be baptized, every one, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, so that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:15-18).

We now know that the very death which Peter accused them of was the basis upon which God could offer them salvation at all, but Peter, at Pentecost, was not commissioned to preach “the gospel of the grace of God,” nor did he know that gospel (Acts 20:24; Ephesians 3:1-3). — Stam, pages 96-97.

__________

In His perfect foreknowledge God had a two-fold purpose in this [delivering Christ to be crucified] — one related to prophecy and the other to the mystery; one with which Peter’s ministry was concerned and the other with which Paul’s was concerned. The one related to prophecy and Peter’s ministry is that with which we have here to do.

It was because God purposed, by Israel’s very crucifixion of her Messiah, some day to touch and break the heart of His chosen people, that He thus delivered Christ into their hands. Indeed, it is by recognizing and acknowledging her guilt in Christ’s death that Israel will some day be saved.

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications; and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem …

And one shall say unto Him, What are these wounds in Thine hands? Then He shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of My friends (Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:6). — Stam, pages 98-99.

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke:

20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Peter (v.14) — stands up boldly before the crowd in the same city where he denied Christ a few weeks earlier. He was now Spirit-filled and no longer a coward.

It is not merely twelve men standing up, but “Peter, standing up with the eleven.” He alone is named. And this is consistently so in early Acts. The reader will recall that in Acts 1:15 it was Peter who “stood up in the midst of the disciples” and proposed the appointment of a successor to Judas. Here in Acts 2:14, “Peter, standing up with the eleven,” brings the great Pentecostal address. At the close of that address those who were convicted said to “Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). And later, when persecuted for Christ, “Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Indeed, all of early Acts revolves around Peter. He is the chief actor.

This is in close harmony with our Lord’s words before His departure, for He had appointed Peter as the leader of the twelve, saying: “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thous shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:19).

Authority in the Messianic Church, then, was centralized in the twelve apostles and personified in Peter himself, whom the Lord had singled out as the chief apostle and the supreme head of the Church of that day (see John 20:22-23; Luke 12:32 and Matthew 16:18-19). — Stam, pages 84-85.

eleven (v.14) — proof that Matthias was rightly of their number

Judea/Jerusalem (v.14) — those from the two tribes of the southern kingdom (Peter addresses the other 10 tribes in verse 22.)

The “third hour” [v.15] … reckoned from sunrise. According to the Jewish computation, the day and night were each divided into twelve equal parts called hours. These would vary in length, according to the duration of daylight. But we may say, roughly speaking, that the “third hour of the day” would be about nine o’clock a.m. It was the earliest of the stated hours of prayer, and the time of offering the morning sacrifice. Men do not, usually drink to excess in the early morning. It is stated, moreover, that the Jews took wine with flesh only, and that never in the morning but only in the evening; also that they abstained from food till midday on the occasion of their great festivals. — Walker, page 40.

this is that (v.16) — Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy and not just “the same kind of thing.”

Joel (v.16) — Peter’s quote is from Joel 2:28-32. It is part of Joel’s call for Israel to repent (Joel 2:12-14), as Peter was doing.

last days (v.17) — the Lord’s second coming at the end of the Tribulation (Isaiah 2:2-4; Micah 4:1; Jeremiah 23:20; Hosea 3:4-5)

pour out (v.17) — copiously

of My Spirit (v.17) — referring to what the Spirit gives

visions (v.17) — appearances to those who are awake, watching (as young men are likely to do)

dreams (v.17) — appearances to those who are asleep (as old men are likely to be)

sons and daughters, young and old, servants and handmaidens (vs.17-18) — The Spirit was available to all regardless of gender, age or social standing.

notable (v.20) = manifest, glorious

Peter saw Pentecost as the offering of the kingdom to Israel and the beginning of the set of events leading to the last days — and rightly so. His offer was sincere and Spirit led. (The Jews had the free will to accept the offer, although the Lord knew they would not at this time.) The Mystery had not yet been revealed and Peter didn’t know that Israel would reject the Messiah again and that the last days would be postponed for the age of grace.

At Pentecost, twelve Jewish men who were chosen to sit on twelve thrones over the 12 tribes of Israel spoke to a large crowd made up entirely of Jews who were in Jerusalem (the capitol of Judea where Christ will reign on the throne of David during the Millennial Kingdom of Israel) to celebrate a Jewish feast as a fulfillment of a promise made by a Jewish prophet about the future of Israel. The apostles spoke about Messiah, whom the Jews had rejected and to whom they needed to repent. There is no indication that any Gentiles were present. There is no mention of the Body of Christ and there is no explanation of what the death and resurrection of Christ means to us in the Church. And  yet, most theologians insist that this was the beginning of the Church and ridicule anyone who thinks otherwise. To me, it seems as though the Holy Spirit did everything possible to show otherwise.

Was Peter correct, then, or mistaken, when he said more than nineteen centuries ago that the last days had come?

He was correct. As we have pointed out, he was taught by our Lord (Acts 1:3) and filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4). Moreover, he was Scripturally correct, for in the light of all Old Testament Scripture these were the last days.

As we read this story we must not anticipate revelation. We must remember that God’s purpose concerning this age was still a secret.

The prophets had predicted nothing about the dispensation of grace or the Body of Christ. (Read carefully Ephesians 3:1-11.) They had spoken only of the sufferings of Christ and the kingdom glory to follow (see 1 Peter 1:11 and Zechariah 1:13-14).

Now that the sufferings were over, the Spirit was being poured out in preparation for the glory to follow (see Joel 2:28-3:17) and presently Peter was to offer to Israel the return of Christ and the long-promised times of refreshing (Acts 3:19-21).

Thus, as far as God’s revealed plan was concerned, the last days had begun — the days when Israel should at last be ushered into the glorious reign of Christ, her Savior-King. — Stam, pages 88-89.

__________

While the signs of the last days began to appear at Pentecost, they did not all appear. Indeed, after a time those which had appeared began to disappear again. According to Joel’s prophecy, as quoted by Peter, the signs of Pentecost were to be followed by signs both in heaven and on earth, and the pouring out of the Spirit was to be followed by the pouring out of God’s wrath.

Thank God, these latter signs did not appear — have not even yet appeared. God had not altered His plan to judge this wicked world, but in matchless love He interrupted the prophetic program, held off the day of judgment, saved the chief of sinners and ushered in the day of grace.

This secret purpose of God’s grace was first made known through Paul, from whom Peter later learned of it.

Peter writes about it in the closing words of his last epistle, explaining how it was that the Lord, who was to have come to judge and reign, had now delayed His coming.

First he cautions his readers not to count the delay “slackness” — at least not the slackness of indifference — and then he explains just how the delay should be viewed:

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you (2 Peter 3:15). — Stam, pages 91-92.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

devout (v.5) — careful, scrupulous worshipers

every nation under heaven (v.5) — every civilized nation where Jews were living

confounded (v.6) = to pour together, to confuse and perplex

his own language (v.6) — known dialects and local varieties of them. The disciples spoke in at least 16 different languages and dialects

amazed (v.7) = distraught

marveled (v.7) = kept wondering — a continued effect after the first burst of amazement

Gallilaeans (v.7) — a comparatively uncivilized district with a provincial dialect. The inference is that these were uneducated men who could not be expected to be bilingual.

The Jews in Jerusalem for the feast were probably from all 12 tribes. Peter addressed both “men of Judea” and “men of Israel.” James wrote his epistle 10 to 12 years later to “the 12 tribes” so all were known.

No Gentiles are mentioned as being present.

Parthians (v.9) — from a mountainous region south of the Caspian Sea —a major foe of Rome —  in all these cases, it is referring to Jews and proselytes from the region who spoke the language.

Medes (v.9) — mountainous region next to Parthia, now northern Iran

Elamites (v.9) — Persia north of the Persian Gulf along the Tigris. Semitic in origin

Mesopotamia (v.9) = “that which is between the rivers” — between the Tigris and the Euphrates, north of Elam

Judea (v.9) — the region around Jerusalem — The people in Judea spoke a different dialect than those from Galilee

Cappadocia (v.9) — in Asia Minor (today’s Turkey) northwest of Palestine — under Roman rule

Pontus (v.9) — in Asia Minor north of Cappadocia — probably under Roman rule

Asia (v.9) — Pro-Consular Asia — the Roman province called Asia (as always in the New Testament) formed in 133 BC — the chief city was Ephesus — also included Pergamos and Smyrna

Phrygia (v.10) — in Asia Minor east of Pro-Consular Asia

Pamphylia (v.10) — on the south coast of Asia Minor — an 80-mile long narrow strip of coastline

Egypt (v.10) — a large number of Jews lived in Alexandria

Libya around Cyrene (v.10) — west of Egypt, particularly the fertile region around the city of Cyrene (in which the population was one-quarter Jewish)

sojourners from Rome (v.10) — people of Rome staying temporarily in Jerusalem

proselyte = newcomer — a convert to Judaism — they had to be circumcised, baptized and accept the Jewish religion

Cretans (v.11) — from an island in the Mediterranean 60 miles south of Greece — under Roman rule — many Jewish settlers

Arabians (v.11) — from between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf

perplexed (v.12) = utterly at a loss

new wine (v.13) = sweet wine — intoxicating

It wasn’t that the hearers (v.8) just “heard” their own language while the disciples spoke their own language. The disciples spoke other tongues (Acts 2:4).

There is no reason to believe that the disciples continued to have this gift wherever they went. Tongues are only mentioned three other places in the book of Acts.

On the day of Pentecost the gift was for a sign to the multitude; in Acts 10:46 it was evidence to Peter and the apostles that the Gentiles had received the same gift [the Holy Spirit] (see Acts 11:15) and in Acts 19:6 it was evidence that the Jewish disciples of John had also received the Holy Spirit …

We read not a word about this gift in connection with the other places visited by the apostles, not a word is said about speaking in tongues in the ministry of Philip in Samaria, nor during the great journeys of the apostle Paul, with the exception of the case mentioned above. It is therefore clear that the speaking in tongues was neither a universal nor a permanent gift, and that it appeared only in these three cases for a sign. — Gaebelein, page 42.

__________

There is a distinct relation between what happened at Babel in the days before Abram’s call and what took place here at Pentecost more than two thousand years later.

There, at Babel, God judged man’s rebellion with the confusion of tongues; here He bestowed the gift of tongues. There His purpose was the scattering of the race (Genesis 11:7-8); here, its regathering beginning, of course, with Israel. (See Luke 24:47; John 11:51-52; Romans 15:8-10).

Since Israel rejected the glorified Christ, this gift has been withdrawn (1 Corinthians 13:8) and the Jews, like the rebels at Babel, have been scattered to the ends of the earth, which the Millennial Kingdom and blessings are held in abeyance until a future day. — Stam, pages 78-79.

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

was fully come (v.1) = lit. “was being fulfilled”

all (v.1) — Those from Acts 1:13-15.

place (v.1) — probably the upper room from Acts 1:13. Some think they were in the temple, but this is surmise.

wind (v.2) = blowing, breath, blast. It doesn’t say wind came from heaven, but a sound like wind. Wind is a type of the Holy Spirit (John 3:8; Ezekiel 37:9, 14). The sound, but probably no air motion, filled the house.

tongues (v.3) — not of fire, but resembling fire—Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16 and John 1:33. Matthew 3:11 looks forward to Pentecost, but the fire is still-future judgment.

other tongues (v.4) = other known languages, not their own. The hearers recognized their own languages.

This was a special gift for a special purpose on a special occasion. The apostles could not thereafter speak to everyone in his or her own language at will (Acts 14:11-14).

utterance (v.4) = a clear, loud voice with no hesitation or uncertainty.

Why tongues? The apostles were to be witnesses to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8).

The Greek word Pentecost means fiftieth, having reference to the fact that the feast then celebrated was kept on the fiftieth day after the offering of the barley sheaf on the day following the Passover Sabbath (Leviticus 23:15-16). The name was in common use among the Hellenistic Jews and is found in some of the apocryphal books of the Old Testament (Tobit; 2 Maccabees). The festival was the second of the three great Jewish feasts, occurring between the Passover and the feast of Tabernacles. In the Old Testament it bears the name “feast of weeks” (Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10), “the feast of harvest” (Exodus 23:16), and “the day of the firstfruits” (Numbers 28:26).

It marked the close of the wheat or grain harvest (Exodus 34:22), not that of the entire harvest of all the produce of the land which was commemorated later by the feast of Tabernacles or ingathering. It was regarded emphatically, therefore, as the “feast of the firstfruits.” In order to emphasize this feature of it, the special offering appointed consisted, apart from the other sacrifices, of two wave loaves made from the newly gathered wheat “for firstfruits unto the Lord” (Leviticus 23:17).

Another characteristic of the feast was gratitude for deliverance from Egyptian bondage (Deuteronomy 16:12), while it was specially appointed also that no servile work was to be done (Leviticus 23:21). As time went on, the Jews came to associate it with a further commemoration, that of the giving of the Law at Sinai on the fiftieth day, as they reckoned, after the exodus from Egypt. In the days of the apostles it was the most numerously attended of all the Jewish feasts, since the dangers of travel, especially by sea, during the early spring and late autumn, prevented many from coming to either the Passover or the feast of Tabernacles. — Walker, pages 25-26.

__________

We should notice, also the perfect agreement here of type with anti-type. Our Savior, as the Lamb of God, died on the cross, and so fulfilled the meaning of the Paschal feast (Leviticus 23:5). On the morrow after the Paschal Sabbath, i.e., on Easter Sunday, He arose again, in exact conformity with the type, as the “sheaf of the firstfruits” (Leviticus 23:10; 1 Corinthians 15:20). On the fiftieth day after the presentation of that resurrection sheaf the firstfruits of the harvest were gathered in upon the day of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-17). — Walker, pages 26-27.

__________

What took place on that memorable day and what was accomplished? First of all the promise of the Father as well as the Son was accomplished. It is familiar to every reader of the New Testament that John the Baptist had witnessed concerning Him who was to baptize them with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). The Lord also had spoken repeatedly to His disciples about the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Luke 11 we read His words: “If therefore ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall the Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” This promise related to the future. In John 7:37-39 we read: “In the last, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any one thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He that believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this He said concerning the Spirit, which they that believed on Him were about to receive; for the Spirit was not yet, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” The promised Spirit could therefore not come, the promise could not be fulfilled till the great work of redemption on the cross had been accomplished and the Lord Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and taken His place in glory. In the subsequent promises in this Gospel, the Lord always spoke of the coming of the Comforter in connection with His own departure. He promised that the other Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, was to be in them; but none of these promises could be fulfilled before He Himself had been glorified. We have already seen how He, before His departure to be with the Father, had told them to tarry in Jerusalem, to await the promise of the Father, and how He had reminded them that: “John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized of the Holy Spirit after not many days.” On the day of Pentecost all these blessed promises were once and for all fulfilled. — Gaebelein, pages 28-29.

__________

There is no Scriptural basis whatever for the premise that the Body of Christ began, historically with the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. There is, however, much Scriptural evidence to the contrary.

1. The record of Pentecost says nothing whatever about the Body of Christ; we do not read of this until we come to the epistles of Paul.

2. Pentecost was a Jewish feast day, not related in any way to the Body of Christ.

3. Only Jews were recognized in Peter’s Pentecostal address (See Acts 2:5, 14, 22, 36) while the Body of Christ is “one new man” composed of both Jews and Gentiles reconciled to God in one body, and is the result of the breaking down of the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile. For He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby (Ephesians 2:14-16).

4. The Jew, like the Gentile, had to be alienated from God before both Jews and Gentiles could be reconciled to God in one body. This is why Israel had to be cast away nationally before God could offer reconciliation to the world and form the Body of Christ. For God hath concluded them ALL in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon ALL (Romans 11:32). And [He] came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that WERE nigh (Ephesians 2:17). This is why Romans 11:15 speaks of “the casting away of them” (Israel) in connection with “the reconciling of the world.” God’s dealings with Israel at Pentecost prove that He had not yet concluded them in unbelief or cast they away at that time.

5. The kingdom was not even offered to Israel until Pentecost; how could the Body have begun then? (See Acts 2:30-39; 3:19-21). It was when Israel refused this offer that the nation was set aside and the Body formed.

6. At the feast of Pentecost there were two loaves (Leviticus 23:17) representing, doubtless, Israel and Judah, which two houses, though brought together in the kingdom, will still maintain their identity. But the Body of Christ is one loaf, with believing Jews and Gentiles losing their identity in Christ. For we being many are ONE BREAD, and ONE BODY; for we are all partakers of that ONE BREAD (1 Corinthians 10:17, see Galatians 3:27-28).

7. At Pentecost the disciples were baptized with, or in, the Spirit for power (Acts 1:8). This is quite different from baptism by the Spirit into Christ and His Body.

8. At Pentecost the Lord Jesus was the Baptizer, baptizing His people with, or in, the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:7-8). Today the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer, baptizing believers into Christ and His Body (Galatians 3:27-28; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

9. At Pentecost only Jews were baptized with, or in, the Holy Spirit. How, then, could this have been the baptism by which “one Spirit” baptizes believers “into one body, whether they be Jews or Gentiles”? (1 Corinthians 12:13). — Stam, pages 68-70).

__________

With Israel’s full rejection of Messiah this order passed away. Paul now exhorts us: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). This is something to be attained by faith. Let the honest believer ask himself whether he has ever been filled with the Spirit — fully under His control. Ah, we may have felt His power and experienced His help at times; we may have received His guidance and light, and enjoyed His liberty, but who of us can honestly say that he has ever been filled with the Spirit any more than he can say that he has been “filled with the fruits of righteousness” (Philippians 1:11) or “filled with the knowledge of His will” (Colossians 1:9) or “filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

Certainly Paul did not — could not — say of the Corinthians or the Galatians or the Philippians or the Colossians that they were all filled with the Spirit. The record proves that they were not, else why the exhortations and rebukes in his letters to them?

The filling with the Spirit, like the other “fillings” referred to above, is now an objective set before us by grace, and as we seek, by faith, to realize this objective rich, deep blessings and real spiritual victories are already ours, to say nothing of the rewards to come. — Stam, page 74.

21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection.

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two Thou hast chosen,

25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Christ chose the original 12 apostles from among His close disciples (Luke 6:13), so it was necessary that Judas’ replacement be one of those who knew Christ and was His disciple from the beginning. The apostles had to be with Him before they were sent to preach about Him (Mark 3:14).

The replacement had to also be a witness of Christ’s resurrection.

Two men met the requirements.

Joseph (v.23) — Joseph (Jewish name) — Barsabbas (son of Sabba) — Justus (Latin — “just” or “righteous”). There is no other mention of him in Scripture, although C.R. Stam wonders if he might be Barnabas, Paul’s companion in ministry.

Matthais (v.23) — “gift of God.” This is also his only mention in Scripture. He is numbered (although not mentioned) with the twelve in Acts 2:14 and 6:2.

knowest the hearts (v.24) — only God knows a man’s spiritual condition

ministry (v.25) — service of a general character

apostleship (v.25) — a more technical term for the special service of Christ’s apostles

Judas (v.25) — He turned from his place as an apostle of Christ to go to his own place.

casting lots (v.26) — Proverbs 16:33; Leviticus 16:8; Numbers 26:55 — never used again in Scripture (after the Holy Spirit came)

Peter and the gathered company did not make a mistake. He acted by inspiration and what they did was not only according to the mind of the risen Christ, according to the Word of God, but it was a manifestation of Christ in their midst. It was the Lord who added Matthias to the twelve. To say that Paul was meant to be the twelfth apostle is a great blunder. Paul’s apostleship is entirely different from that of the men, who were called to this office by our Lord, in connection with His earthly ministry. Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles and received from the risen and glorified Christ the double ministry, that of the Gospel, which he called “my Gospel” and the ministry of the Church. Not till Israel’s failure had been fully demonstrated in the stoning of Stephen, was Saul of Tarsus called to his apostleship. Furthermore, twelve apostles were necessary. Twelve is the number denoting earthly government. Inasmuch as there was to be given another witness to Jerusalem after the ascension of our Lord, a national witness, a second offer of the Kingdom (Acts 3:19-20) twelve apostles were necessary as a body of witnesses to the nation. If only eleven apostles had stood up on the day of Pentecost, it would not have been in harmony with the divine plan and order … Twelve had to stand up on Pentecost to bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, therefore another one had to be added before that day. Besides this, there is positive proof that the Holy Spirit endorsed the action of the disciples in the upper room. In 1 Corinthians 15:5 the Holy Spirit mentions the twelve, who saw the Lord, to whom He appeared. Paul then is mentioned apart from the twelve; he saw the Lord in glory as one born out of due season (verse 8).

A closer examination of the record of their action shows that the Lord guided them in this matter. Peter begins by quoting Scripture. He does it in a way which clearly proves that he was guided by the Lord. “the Scriptures should be fulfilled” is what Peter said. How different from the Peter in Matthew 16:22 when he took the Lord aside and said after He had announced His coming death, “far be it from Thee.” He had then no knowledge of the Scriptures. Repeatedly it is said that they knew not the Scriptures and that their eyes were holden. Here, however, he begins with the Scriptures. Surely this was the right starting point, and thus ordered by the Lord. He quotes from the Psalms. Part of Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8 are given by him as the foundation of the purposed action. These Psalms are prophetic of the events, which had taken place. The Lord Himself had opened his understanding as well as that of the other disciples. In Luke 24 we read that He spoke of what was written in the law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.  “Then He opened their understanding to understand the Scripture” (Luke 24:46). It was a gift of the risen Lord and here Peter guided by the Spirit of God uses the prophetic Word. All the company is one with Him in the undertaking. It must be done. The Lord moved them in this matter.

Here [verses 21-22] he defines the qualifications of an apostle. He must be a witness o the resurrection of Christ as well as of what He said and did in His earthly ministry … How can anyone say that they erred in this action! Two are selected. Then they prayed; no doubt Peter led in audible prayer. And the prayer is a model of directness and simplicity. They address the Lord and believe that He had made a choice already. What they pray for is that the one chosen by Him may now be made known by Himself. The lot was perfectly legitimate for them to use. The Scriptures speak of it. “the lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord” (Proverbs 16:33). As they were still on Old Testament ground, it was perfectly right for them to resort to the lot. It, however, would be wrong for us to do it now. We have His complete Word, and the Holy Spirit to reveal His will. The Lord selects Matthias. His name means “the gift of the Lord.” Thus the Lord gave him his place. The apostolate complete, all was in readiness for the great day of Pentecost. — Gaebelein, pages 25-27.