And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
After Christ ascended and His followers returned to Jerusalem to spend ten days in united prayer with heart-searching and fellowship, the promised Spirit was poured out with speaking in other tongues, Peter's preaching of Joel's promise, the baptism of about three thousand souls, and steadfast continuance in doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers with all things common, and awe then rested upon everyone. The fear that came upon every soul was reverent awe resting on the people and new believers, and the many wonders and signs were mighty miracles done by and through the apostles by the Spirit's power to proclaim the risen Saviour. The apostles preached Christ with extraordinary power so that thousands in Jerusalem openly declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, and the signs confirmed the preaching to convince many that He was the Son of God and their Saviour, overawing opponents so they dared not stop the work. The history of Pentecost gives experiences that God's people in later times are also to pass through, when the same Spirit will fall on believers whose hearts are united with Christ and whose lives harmonize with His work, bringing revival, conversion of sinners and many additions to the church. It is a pattern for the future proclamation of the third message as a world-wide movement of great power with believers performing miracles and healing the sick, while Satan also produces lying wonders to deceive.
Pentecost Setting and Sequence
The verse belongs to the infant church after Christ had ascended to heaven and left His followers without His personal presence, having commissioned them to witness to the uttermost parts of the earth. In obedience they returned to Jerusalem and spent ten days in prayer for the promised Spirit, with deep heart-searching, putting away all differences and drawing close together in fellowship as they remembered their privilege in associating with Christ and their slowness to understand Him. At the end of the ten days God fulfilled His promise by a wonderful outpouring of His Spirit. That outpouring was heaven's communication that Christ's inauguration was complete, after He had been received in the heavenly courts with the angels who had accompanied Him to heaven, with all heavenly intelligences joining in His coronation service.
It follows the disciples speaking with other tongues to the amazed multitude, and Peter's declaration that this was the power of the Spirit fulfilling Joel's promise to pour out the Spirit on all flesh, with sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams, wonders in heaven above and signs in earth beneath, and salvation to whoever calls on the name of the Lord. It follows the addition of about three thousand souls by baptism the same day after Peter witnessed that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, the hearers were pricked in heart, and they were called to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them and their children and all afar off. It follows their steadfast continuance in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers. It follows all believers being together and having all things common, selling possessions and goods to supply every need as each had need. It follows their continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, eating with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, while the Lord added to the church daily those being saved.
The verse shows that after many received the apostles' Spirit-led teaching and Peter's message and joined the believers, awe came upon everyone. After about three thousand received Peter's message and were baptized, reverence and awe rested on every person among the people and new believers. That Spirit-led testimony borne under the influence of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by many wonders and signs performed by and through the apostles.
The verse belongs to the Pentecost gathering marked by believers being together in one accord and united in purpose, through whom the Spirit of God worked mightily. It records the state produced when the disciples received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when God used men influenced by the Spirit to proclaim the risen Saviour. That preaching of the risen Saviour brought reverence upon the people.
Fear and Signs Explained
The fear that came upon every soul was reverent awe and reverence resting on every person among the people and the new believers. It accompanied Spirit-led testimony and the believers' reception of the apostles' teaching, and it came as the risen Saviour was proclaimed through men influenced by the Holy Spirit. The many wonders and signs were many miraculous, mighty miracles performed by and through the apostles by the Spirit's power after the outpouring. They confirmed the apostles' preaching, left the people amazed and awed, and brought awe upon them as displays of divine power.
The disciples who saw these wonders had one desire for the salvation of souls, rejoicing in the sweetness of communion with saints, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, and willing to make any sacrifice for truth's sake. Not only in words but in deeds they revealed the love Christ had commanded, and by holy words and actions they strove to awaken that love in other hearts. Their shared life showed that love through fellowship, tenderness, self-denial, and willingness to sacrifice for the truth, which they sought to kindle in others. This was the state produced by the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles as they went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour. It followed Peter's witness that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, the hearers pricked in heart asking what to do, the call to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them and their children and all afar off, the exhortation to save themselves from the untoward generation, the baptism and addition of about three thousand souls, their steadfast continuance in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers, and their continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house eating with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people while the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The additions to the church after the resurrection included people whose experience and conviction dated from the time of Jesus' trial and condemnation. That trial had worked on their minds and made impressions that appeared after His resurrection.
Signs Confirming Preaching Power
At Pentecost the apostles preached Christ with extraordinary power and energy, and in Jerusalem thousands openly declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. The many wonders and signs done by the apostles through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit confirmed their preaching and helped convince many that Jesus was the Son of God and their Saviour, bringing awe upon the people by these displays of divine power. That awe and amazement filled the people and so overawed even those who remained opposed and resisted the message that they dared not try to stop the work. Their opposition ceased for a time and did not attempt to hinder what was being done.
The verse belongs to the early work marked by manifestations of God's power in the lives of believers and the bringing of multitudes to a knowledge of the truth through the Holy Spirit. After the Spirit was poured out the apostles went from place to place establishing companies of believers. Their ministry showed its power and reach in healing the sick and preaching the gospel to the poor.
Pattern for Later Church
The speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled utterance at Pentecost stands as the pattern for later believers receiving that same promised blessing of power. The history during and immediately after Pentecost provides experiences that God's people in later times are also to pass through. The same Spirit that fell on the disciples will fall on believers whose hearts are united with Christ and whose lives harmonize with His work, bringing revival, conversion of sinners, and many additions to the church.
The signs and wonders accompanying the apostolic work form the pattern for the future proclamation of the third message as a world-wide movement of great power. In that time believers will perform miracles and heal the sick, while Satan also produces lying wonders to deceive people. Acts 2:41-47 presents the apostolic church as the pattern for evangelistic work in which people are converted and baptized and then added to the church, as in the days of the apostles. Those conversions produce striking changes that others recognize as living miracles and convincing evidence of the truth. The same passage shows primitive Christianity entering the hearts of all who claim to believe the truth, bringing new life and power so that people in darkness see the contrast between truth and error, between the teachings of God's word and the fables of superstition.
When truth is presented in the simplicity of true godliness, the sick are healed by wonders and signs, the spirit of intercession comes upon believers, urgent appeals subdue and break hearts before the Lord, many confess their sins, doors are thrown open on every side for proclamation of the truth, genuine conversions are made, and the voice of intercession becomes the voice of rejoicing, a work of the same kind as was done in 1843 and 1844. The Pentecost setting of signs and wonders is recalled in the vision of a future reformation marked by healing and other miracles. In that final reformatory movement, united intercession like that before Pentecost is followed by many praising God, the sick healed and other miracles wrought, hundreds and thousands visiting families and opening the Word of God, hearts convicted by the Holy Spirit, genuine conversion manifest, doors thrown open on every side to the proclamation of truth, the world lightened with heavenly influence, great blessings received by the true and humble people of God, voices of thanksgiving and praise, and a reformation like that of 1844.
Acts 2 together with all of Acts 1 presents the gospel commission. The fruits of the Pentecost account include a missionary spirit burning in the hearts of those moved by the Holy Spirit, and the outpouring of the Spirit in America should produce similar fruits.
Present Application and Mission
The second chapter of Acts, including the awe upon every soul and the many wonders and signs, is to be read and received and presented to others as a call to deeper piety and the sincere meekness of Christ, with each person humbling the heart and being converted daily. Its setting in the first two chapters shows the early church advancing under God's direction, with reverent fear coming upon the people while the apostles performed many wonders and signs, and provides the model for carrying God's work forward with divine guidance. The apostles bearing witness in Jerusalem with that awe among the people teaches that the gospel work should be represented with special purpose and influence in important centers.
The record of fear upon every soul and many wonders and signs in Jerusalem shows the duty to make at the nation's capital a special representation of present truth, a powerful and signal memorial to be established in Washington, so that to long pass by that city without it is unfaithful stewardship of that part of the Lord's vineyard. The gathering of the early believers to which the verse belongs is held up as the model for church and tent meetings and united church life, where when believers testify about Christ, praise God, and speak with kindness, God's salvation is revealed in the congregation, and where reverence came upon everyone as God worked through the united church. The experiences connected with receiving the blessing of the Holy Spirit lead believers to earnest prayer, kindness, purity, and concern for others, and their shared work draws people together.
After Christ ascended and His followers returned to Jerusalem to spend ten days in united prayer with heart-searching and fellowship, the promised Spirit was poured out with speaking in other tongues, Peter's preaching of Joel's promise, the baptism of about three thousand souls, and steadfast continuance in doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers with all things common, and awe then rested upon everyone. The fear that came upon every soul was reverent awe resting on the people and new believers, and the many wonders and signs were mighty miracles done by and through the apostles by the Spirit's power to proclaim the risen Saviour. The apostles preached Christ with extraordinary power so that thousands in Jerusalem openly declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, and the signs confirmed the preaching to convince many that He was the Son of God and their Saviour, overawing opponents so they dared not stop the work. The history of Pentecost gives experiences that God's people in later times are also to pass through, when the same Spirit will fall on believers whose hearts are united with Christ and whose lives harmonize with His work, bringing revival, conversion of sinners and many additions to the church. It is a pattern for the future proclamation of the third message as a world-wide movement of great power with believers performing miracles and healing the sick, while Satan also produces lying wonders to deceive.
Pentecost Setting and Sequence
The verse belongs to the infant church after Christ had ascended to heaven and left His followers without His personal presence, having commissioned them to witness to the uttermost parts of the earth. In obedience they returned to Jerusalem and spent ten days in prayer for the promised Spirit, with deep heart-searching, putting away all differences and drawing close together in fellowship as they remembered their privilege in associating with Christ and their slowness to understand Him. At the end of the ten days God fulfilled His promise by a wonderful outpouring of His Spirit. That outpouring was heaven's communication that Christ's inauguration was complete, after He had been received in the heavenly courts with the angels who had accompanied Him to heaven, with all heavenly intelligences joining in His coronation service.
It follows the disciples speaking with other tongues to the amazed multitude, and Peter's declaration that this was the power of the Spirit fulfilling Joel's promise to pour out the Spirit on all flesh, with sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, old men dreaming dreams, wonders in heaven above and signs in earth beneath, and salvation to whoever calls on the name of the Lord. It follows the addition of about three thousand souls by baptism the same day after Peter witnessed that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, the hearers were pricked in heart, and they were called to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them and their children and all afar off. It follows their steadfast continuance in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers. It follows all believers being together and having all things common, selling possessions and goods to supply every need as each had need. It follows their continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, eating with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people, while the Lord added to the church daily those being saved.
The verse shows that after many received the apostles' Spirit-led teaching and Peter's message and joined the believers, awe came upon everyone. After about three thousand received Peter's message and were baptized, reverence and awe rested on every person among the people and new believers. That Spirit-led testimony borne under the influence of the Holy Spirit was accompanied by many wonders and signs performed by and through the apostles.
The verse belongs to the Pentecost gathering marked by believers being together in one accord and united in purpose, through whom the Spirit of God worked mightily. It records the state produced when the disciples received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when God used men influenced by the Spirit to proclaim the risen Saviour. That preaching of the risen Saviour brought reverence upon the people.
Fear and Signs Explained
The fear that came upon every soul was reverent awe and reverence resting on every person among the people and the new believers. It accompanied Spirit-led testimony and the believers' reception of the apostles' teaching, and it came as the risen Saviour was proclaimed through men influenced by the Holy Spirit. The many wonders and signs were many miraculous, mighty miracles performed by and through the apostles by the Spirit's power after the outpouring. They confirmed the apostles' preaching, left the people amazed and awed, and brought awe upon them as displays of divine power.
The disciples who saw these wonders had one desire for the salvation of souls, rejoicing in the sweetness of communion with saints, tender, thoughtful, self-denying, and willing to make any sacrifice for truth's sake. Not only in words but in deeds they revealed the love Christ had commanded, and by holy words and actions they strove to awaken that love in other hearts. Their shared life showed that love through fellowship, tenderness, self-denial, and willingness to sacrifice for the truth, which they sought to kindle in others. This was the state produced by the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles as they went forth to proclaim a risen Saviour. It followed Peter's witness that God made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Christ, the hearers pricked in heart asking what to do, the call to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost promised to them and their children and all afar off, the exhortation to save themselves from the untoward generation, the baptism and addition of about three thousand souls, their steadfast continuance in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and breaking of bread and prayers, and their continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house eating with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people while the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The additions to the church after the resurrection included people whose experience and conviction dated from the time of Jesus' trial and condemnation. That trial had worked on their minds and made impressions that appeared after His resurrection.
Signs Confirming Preaching Power
At Pentecost the apostles preached Christ with extraordinary power and energy, and in Jerusalem thousands openly declared Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. The many wonders and signs done by the apostles through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit confirmed their preaching and helped convince many that Jesus was the Son of God and their Saviour, bringing awe upon the people by these displays of divine power. That awe and amazement filled the people and so overawed even those who remained opposed and resisted the message that they dared not try to stop the work. Their opposition ceased for a time and did not attempt to hinder what was being done.
The verse belongs to the early work marked by manifestations of God's power in the lives of believers and the bringing of multitudes to a knowledge of the truth through the Holy Spirit. After the Spirit was poured out the apostles went from place to place establishing companies of believers. Their ministry showed its power and reach in healing the sick and preaching the gospel to the poor.
Pattern for Later Church
The speaking in other tongues as the Spirit enabled utterance at Pentecost stands as the pattern for later believers receiving that same promised blessing of power. The history during and immediately after Pentecost provides experiences that God's people in later times are also to pass through. The same Spirit that fell on the disciples will fall on believers whose hearts are united with Christ and whose lives harmonize with His work, bringing revival, conversion of sinners, and many additions to the church.
The signs and wonders accompanying the apostolic work form the pattern for the future proclamation of the third message as a world-wide movement of great power. In that time believers will perform miracles and heal the sick, while Satan also produces lying wonders to deceive people. Acts 2:41-47 presents the apostolic church as the pattern for evangelistic work in which people are converted and baptized and then added to the church, as in the days of the apostles. Those conversions produce striking changes that others recognize as living miracles and convincing evidence of the truth. The same passage shows primitive Christianity entering the hearts of all who claim to believe the truth, bringing new life and power so that people in darkness see the contrast between truth and error, between the teachings of God's word and the fables of superstition.
When truth is presented in the simplicity of true godliness, the sick are healed by wonders and signs, the spirit of intercession comes upon believers, urgent appeals subdue and break hearts before the Lord, many confess their sins, doors are thrown open on every side for proclamation of the truth, genuine conversions are made, and the voice of intercession becomes the voice of rejoicing, a work of the same kind as was done in 1843 and 1844. The Pentecost setting of signs and wonders is recalled in the vision of a future reformation marked by healing and other miracles. In that final reformatory movement, united intercession like that before Pentecost is followed by many praising God, the sick healed and other miracles wrought, hundreds and thousands visiting families and opening the Word of God, hearts convicted by the Holy Spirit, genuine conversion manifest, doors thrown open on every side to the proclamation of truth, the world lightened with heavenly influence, great blessings received by the true and humble people of God, voices of thanksgiving and praise, and a reformation like that of 1844.
Acts 2 together with all of Acts 1 presents the gospel commission. The fruits of the Pentecost account include a missionary spirit burning in the hearts of those moved by the Holy Spirit, and the outpouring of the Spirit in America should produce similar fruits.
Present Application and Mission
The second chapter of Acts, including the awe upon every soul and the many wonders and signs, is to be read and received and presented to others as a call to deeper piety and the sincere meekness of Christ, with each person humbling the heart and being converted daily. Its setting in the first two chapters shows the early church advancing under God's direction, with reverent fear coming upon the people while the apostles performed many wonders and signs, and provides the model for carrying God's work forward with divine guidance. The apostles bearing witness in Jerusalem with that awe among the people teaches that the gospel work should be represented with special purpose and influence in important centers.
The record of fear upon every soul and many wonders and signs in Jerusalem shows the duty to make at the nation's capital a special representation of present truth, a powerful and signal memorial to be established in Washington, so that to long pass by that city without it is unfaithful stewardship of that part of the Lord's vineyard. The gathering of the early believers to which the verse belongs is held up as the model for church and tent meetings and united church life, where when believers testify about Christ, praise God, and speak with kindness, God's salvation is revealed in the congregation, and where reverence came upon everyone as God worked through the united church. The experiences connected with receiving the blessing of the Holy Spirit lead believers to earnest prayer, kindness, purity, and concern for others, and their shared work draws people together.