A Study of Acts: Peter Begins Preaching
Acts 2:14-18 - Peter recites scripture from the Prophet Joel about visions, dreams and prophesies.
“But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy.”
Acts 2:14-18 NASB1995
In my last devotional, I had originally planned to look at Acts 2:14-17 in this devotional, but I decided to add verse 18 as it fits together with the previous verses.
First, let’s go back in time a mere seven weeks before the beginning of this extraordinary sermon by Peter. This same disciple, who is now a true apostle and church leader, was skulking around a courtyard outside of the temple after Jesus was arrested; in the space of a few hours he denied knowing Jesus three times! He was shamefaced before the risen Lord at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:15-17), but then was blessed with His Grace as Jesus asks Peter to take care of His sheep. Now, just a few weeks later, he is filled with power from this Pentecostal encounter with the Holy Spirit and he stands to address the men of Judea and Jerusalem.
He begins by telling those that are listening that these men are not drunk, as it is only the third hour of the day (around 9 am). I like this commentary from Enduring Word about this spontaneous sermon by Peter:
Peter, standing up with the eleven: Peter stood and preached to the crowd as a representative of the whole group of apostles.
We should notice that the speaking in tongues stopped when Peter began to preach. The Holy Spirit now worked through Peter’s preaching and would not work against Himself through tongues at the same time.
Raised his voice: There was a remarkable change in Peter. He had courage and boldness that was a complete contrast to his denials of Jesus before being filled with the Holy Spirit.
On the Day of Pentecost Peter didn’t teach as the rabbis in his day usually did, who gathered disciples around them, sat down, and instructed them and any others who might listen. Instead, Peter proclaimed the truth like a herald.
This remarkable sermon had no preparation behind it – it was spontaneously given. Peter didn’t wake up that morning knowing he would preach to thousands, and that thousands would embrace Jesus in response. Yet we could say that this was a well-prepared sermon; it was prepared by Peter’s prior life with God and relationship with Jesus. It flowed spontaneously out of that life, and out of a mind that thought and believed deeply.
It is good to remember that what we have in Acts 2 is a small portion of what Peter actually said. Acts 2:40 tells us, And with many other words he testified and exhorted them. Like almost all the sermons recorded in the Bible, what we have is a Holy Spirit inspired abridgment of a longer message.
For these are not drunk: Peter deflected the mocking criticism that the disciples were drunk. In that day it was unthinkable that people would be so drunk so early in the day (about 9:00 in the morning).
Commentator Adam Clarke says that most Jews – pious or not – did not eat or drink until after the third hour of the day, because that was the time for prayer, and they would only eat after their business with God was accomplished.
These are not drunk: We shouldn’t think that the Christians were acting as if they were drunk. The idea of “being drunk in the Spirit” has no foundation in Scripture; the comment from the mockers on the Day of Pentecost had no basis in reality.
“Nor, must we add, did the believers’ experience of the Spirit’s fullness seem to them or look to others like intoxication, because they had lost control of their normal mental and physical functions. No, the fruit of the Spirit is ‘self-control,’ not the loss of it.” (John Stott).
A very important point is made by John Stott in David Guzik’s commentary: The fruit of the Spirit is self-control, not the loss of it. We should be wary of people that react in a hysterical or highly emotional way (fainting, screaming, acting “drunk”) to power they have purportedly received from the Holy Spirit. In my personal experience, the Holy Spirit is quiet, loving and persistent as He guides me in my faith journey. I had no tongues of flame over my head. This first manifestation of the Holy Spirit in the individual believers was dramatic, however, so as to awaken those who were listening and help them be receptive to Peter’s sermon (as we will see later on).
Peter jumps into quoting OT scripture in his sermon, first citing from the book of Joel (chapter 2), one of the minor prophets. Peter is not standing there with a scroll of the book of Joel, but he has obviously memorized these verses in his synagogue training. From Joel, God says that in the last days, He will pour forth of His Spirit upon all mankind. I really like this short explanation from Pastor Ray Pritchard from Precept Austin about how important this statement is:
I—the sovereignty of God.
Will—the determination of God.
Pour Out—the generosity of God.
My Spirit—the personality of God.
This is one of the greatest statements in the Bible. This is how God ignites kingdom life in his people. He pours out his Spirit on them and they are never the same again. When God promises to “pour out” the Spirit, this is more than a trickle. It means that God plans to release the floodgates of heaven into the human heart. No man can do this on his own. I can preach for hours, but I cannot pour out God’s Spirit upon you. This is not the result of church membership or the organized aspects of local church life. This is God doing what only God can do. I think that’s part of what Donald Miller had in mind. We must individually go to God for this outpouring, and he must come to us with the power of his Spirit. Unless that happens, we will never be changed. And when that does happen, we will never be the same again.
We are in the last days and have been for over 2000 years; Christ’s return in glory should be anticipated by believers every day. The first true pouring out of the Spirit on individual believers happened on that Pentecost day, although His indwelling was probably already there.
Peter continues his recitation of verses from Joel 2, saying that many will have visions and dreams (men, women, young, old, even bond servants/slaves) and they will prophesy. I struggle with this a little bit (like eschatology and speaking in tongues), but here is a wonderful answer to the question about God giving us visions today, from Gotquestions.org:
Can God give visions to people today? Yes! Does God give visions to people today? Possibly. Should we expect visions to be an ordinary occurrence? No. As recorded in the Bible, God spoke to people many times by means of visions. Examples are Joseph, son of Jacob; Joseph, the husband of Mary; Solomon; Isaiah; Ezekiel; Daniel; Peter; and Paul. The prophet Joel predicted an outpouring of visions, and this was confirmed by the apostle Peter in Acts chapter 2. It is important to note that the difference between a vision and a dream is that a vision is given when a person is awake while a dream is given when a person is asleep.
In many parts of the world, God seems to be using visions and dreams extensively. In areas where there is little or no gospel message available, and where people do not have Bibles, God is taking His message to people directly through dreams and visions. This is entirely consistent with the biblical example of visions being frequently used by God to reveal His truth to people in the early days of Christianity. If God desires to communicate His message to a person, He can use whatever means He finds necessary—a missionary, an angel, a vision, or a dream. Of course, God also has the ability to give visions in areas where the gospel message is already readily available. There is no limit to what God can do.
At the same time, we must be careful when it comes to visions and the interpretation of visions. We must keep in mind that the Bible is finished, and it tells us everything we need to know. The key truth is that if God were to give a vision, it would agree completely with what He has already revealed in His Word. Visions should never be given equal or greater authority than the Word of God. God’s Word is our ultimate authority for Christian faith and practice. If you believe you have had a vision and feel that perhaps God gave it to you, prayerfully examine the Word of God and make sure your vision is in agreement with Scripture. Then prayerfully consider what God would have you do in response to the vision (James 1:5). God would not give a vision to a person and then keep the meaning of the vision hidden. In Scripture, whenever a person asked God for the meaning of a vision, God made sure it was explained to the person (Daniel 8:15-17).
There have been stories coming out of Muslim nations, especially ones where missionaries are decidedly unwelcome, that people are having dreams about Jesus and many have come to faith through those dreams (see this Link). God has incredible power to communicate with us and visions and dreams are probably very common; whether those visions and dreams turn into prophecies or belief is another matter. Prophecies must be carefully approached with scripture and evaluated by a group of believers.
I had a series of short and vivid dreams quite a few years ago (probably a couple of years after our return to faith) about Heaven and Jesus and the outpouring of His love for His believers that I still remember. I won’t go into details and the dreams have never repeated, unlike the dreams I have quite often that I am still working or going to school, but just thinking about these dreams calms me when the anxieties of this world start to intervene. I recall that one of them it was so profound that I woke up and immediately woke Steve to tell him about it because I was in tears (of joy). I haven’t found anything in those dreams that adds to or contradicts scripture (so far).
One more cautionary (yet hopeful) statement about visions from Charles Spurgeon from Precept Austin, excerpted from a sermon he preached when he was 34:
MANY visions have led to the most disastrous results. When Napoleon had a vision of a universal monarchy over which he should preside, with the French eagle for his ensign, he drenched the lands in blood. Many visions have been wretchedly delusive. Men have dreamed of finding the fairy pleasure in the dark forest of sin; carnal joys have danced before their eyes as temptingly as the mirage in the desert, and they have pursued the phantom forms to their misery in this world, and to their eternal ruin in the next.
Mistaking license for liberty, and madness for mirth, they have dreamed themselves into hell! Many dreams have sucked the life-blood out of men as vampires do; men have passed from stern reality into dreamland, and while seemingly awake have continued like sleepwalkers to do all things in their sleep. Many pass all their days in one perpetual daydream—speculating, building castles in the air, thinking of what they would do, and vowing how they would behave themselves. With fine capacities they have driveled away existence, as their theory of life was born of smoke, so the result of their lives has been a cloud. The luxurious indolence of mere resolve, the useless tossing of regrets—these have been all their sluggard life.
For all this, good and grand visions are not unknown; visions which came from the excellent glory; visions which, when young or old men have seen them, have filled them with wisdom, divine grace, and holiness; visions which have worked with such effect upon their minds that they have been lifted up above the level of the sons of men, and made sons of God, co-workers with the eternal! Such visions are given to men whose eyes have been illumined by the Holy Spirit—visions which have come of that eyesalve which only the Holy Spirit can apply; visions which are not bestowed on carnal men nor unveiled to the impure in heart; visions reserved for the men and women elect of God who are sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and made meet to be partakers of the witness of God, and the testimony of His Son.....
How much of good in this world would have been lost if good men had quenched the first halffashioned thoughts which have flitted before them! I mean, for instance, had Martin Luther taken the advice of his teacher when he said to him, “Go your way, silly monk! Go to your cell and pray God, and if it is His will, He will reform the abuses of this church, but what have you to do with it?” Supposing the agitated monk had administered an opiate to his soul, what then? Doubtless the gospel to Luther at the first was dim enough; and the idea of reform most vague and indistinct; but had he closed his heart to his vision, how long might not the Romish darkness have brooded over the multitudes of Europe?....
O young men, if you have received a thought which dashes ahead of your times, hold to it, and work at it till it comes to something! If you have dreamed a dream from the Lord, turn it over and over again till you are quite sure it is not steam from a heated brain, or smoke from hell—and when it is clear to your own heart that it is fire from off God’s altar, then work and pray and wait your time. Perhaps it may take 50 years to work that thought out, or what is worse, you may never live to see it realized, but what of that? You may have to leave that thought sown in the dust, but the thought will not die; it may produce a harvest when you are with the angels! Do not, I pray you, because the thing happens to seem new, or too enthusiastic, or too far ahead, be snubbed into putting it into a corner, but take care of it, and nurture it; and if it is not of God, a little experience will disabuse you of it, let us hope.
But if it is of the Lord, you will grow in your attachment to it, and by-and-by God will find an opportunity for you to make it practical. The great Father of Spirits does, in fact, say to you when He puts a great design into your keeping, as Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed, “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” And though the Moses that you nurse may not deliver Israel in your lifetime, yet shall you have your wages if you nurse the thought for God!....
With this rather too long preface about dreaming, I will now confess that, after my own fashion, I too have seen a vision. And though you should say of me in days to come, “Behold, this dreamer comes,” yet, as he that has a dream is bid to tell his dream, so I tell mine. My dream is this—I have seen in vision, missionary spirit in England, now so given to slumber, marvelously quickened, awakened, and revived! I have seen—the wish was father to the sight, I have seen the ardor of our first missionary days return to us! I have seen young men eager for the mission field, and old men and fathers sitting in united council to correct mistakes, to devise new methods, or to strengthen the old ones, so that by any means the great chariot of Christ might roll onwards, and that His victories might be more rapid.
Spurgeon has a vision for his country that shows it awakening to revival. Not a bad vision to have! Sadly, I have often done my share of daydreaming over the years about things that are not related to God (I think we have done that). As you get older, temporal Earth-bound daydreams start to vanish.
Peter continues to talk about the prophecies in the book of Joel, as I will explore in my next devotional examining Acts 2:19-21.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - I still think about those dreams I had many years ago and I know that You were telling me about Your love for believers and wanting us to have joy. I thank You for the power of Peter’s sermon and the link to OT scripture. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Precept Austin was accessed on 7/25/2024 to review commentary for Acts 2:14-18.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 7/25/2024 to answer the question, Does God give people visions today?