Acts Chapter 2

vs 13

Fools! Did they not know they would receive the wrath of Peter for saying such things? It's an important verse, actually - because it shows that while some people could make out their own native language, others just heard drunken babbling. It helps to give us a picture of what this whole situation was like.

vs 14

Peter gets up, and he wants to explain to them what has happened. How did he know? I figure he is guessing that this is what Jesus was talking about. Luke only talks about the Twelve being here, so I might have been wrong about the 120, but earlier he did say when they were 'all' together.

vs 15

Fair enough. I mean, if they were all drunk, how could Peter get up and give this speech?

vs 16-21

We get quite a long quote from Joel here, which is obviously pointing to the Day of the Lord - the new age of God that comes upon the earth. It's incredible to think that God so many centuries ago promised to pour out the Holy Spirit on all his people. Or perhaps for us, since we're all pretty used to this, we are surprised that it hadn't happened up until this point.

But it finally has. It marks a time of great signs and wonders, but also of the end of the age of the earth. It is also the age of salvation. It's quite an age.

vs 22

It's true. Most of the people around would have been from Jerusalem, and could have even seen Jesus perform some of his miracles. Even if they hadn't seen him directly, they would have heard the buzz about people being healed and stuff.

vs 23

It's about this time that I'd really wish I had a stone-shield. You've got to be gutsy to get up in front of a crowd and tell them that they are murderers. Even with the clause about God's foreknowledge, you're in dangerous territory.

vs 24

Although this doesn't absolve them from the death, it does absolve them from the consequences of the death. And yet at the same time, it would be totally confusing. Resurrection is just not a topic that is talked about everyday. Sure, the resurrection at the end times perhaps, but not the specific raising from the dead of one person.

If it wasn't for the whole 'group of people speaking in my native language' thing, I think people would have stopped listening to Peter a few verses ago. It is the miracle that attests to Peter's preaching.