Acts 2:1-47

Key Verse 42

“42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Summary

• Part 1: The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (1-21)

• Part 2: Peter’s Explanation of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit (14-41)

• Part 3: They Devoted Themselves (42-47)

V.1-4

1. What happened in Acts 1 to prepare the Apostles and set the stage for what happens in Acts 2?

   1. Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Holy Spirit

   2. They were devoting themselves to prayer

   3. They elected Mathias to replace Judas

2. What is the day of Pentecost?

   1. Pentecost is the Greek term for ‘the feast of weeks’, one of the seven jewish festivals ordained by Moses in the old testament.

   2. In Hebrew the feast of weeks is called ‘Shavuot’ meaning 7, and takes place 7 weeks after Passover. The word ‘Pentecost’ is the Greek variation and means fifty, as the event takes place 50 days after passover.

   3. The feast of weeks is a jewish festival that lines up with the first fruits of the wheat harvest and was established to remind Israel that they were once slaves in Egypt, but are now free and indepenant under the Lord and even fruitful and prosperous, able to plant and harvest their own crops in their own land.

   4. Deuteronomy 16:9-12

   5. Exodus 34:22

3. What is the significance of the day of Pentecost? How does this align with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

   1. First fruits of the harvest, reaping of the harvest

4. What were the Apostles and disciples doing on the day of Pentecost?

   1. They were all together in one place. Acts 1:14 says they were devoting themselves to prayer.

5. What happened to them while they were all together? What came from heaven?

6. What was their response to being filled with the Holy Spirit?

   1. They began to speak in tongues

V.5-13

1. What types of people were in Jerusalem at this time?

   1. Devout men from every nation under heaven

2. What caused the multitude of people to come together?

   1. The sound

3. What was their response to the sound?

   1. They were bewildered, amazed, astonished, perplexed, asking “what does this mean?”

4. What was their question? (V8)

5. What did the multitudes hear the disciples speaking in their native languages?

   1. Telling of the mighty works of God

6. The main group of people responded by asking what does it mean? How did the other group respond?

   1. They mocked, saying they were drunk on wine.

7. Based on these verses, what can we expect to happen to us when we are filled with the Holy Spirit?

   1. When we are aligned with the Spirit of God, we will proclaim his mighty works

   2. We will evangelize to all nations

   3. We may get mocked

V.14-41

1. How does Peter explain the event to the people?

   1. He references the prophecy of Joel regarding the outpouring of God’s Spirit on man (Joel 2:28-32 )

   2. He references the prophecy of King David regarding the Messiah, and explains how the Messiah was Jesus of Nazareth, and that Jesus rose again from the dead and sat at the right hand of God and was himself Lord as the Father is Lord (Psalm 16:8-11 & Psalm 110:1 )

2. According to Peter, where did the Holy Spirit come from? (V32-33)

3. What was the people’s response to Peter’s message? (V37)

   1. They were cut to the heart, and asked what they should do

4. What did Peter tell them to do? (V38)

   1. And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

5. What happened to those who received Peter’s words? (V41)

   1. Those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

V.42-47

1. Who are the ‘they’ mentioned in verse 42?

   1. The Apostles, the disciples (120), the recent believers (3000)

2. What did they do after receiving the Holy Spirit and being baptized?

   1. they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

3. What does it mean to be devoted to something?

4. What does it mean to devote yourself to:

   1. The apostle’s teaching

   2. Fellowship

   3. The breaking of bread

   4. Prayers

5. What happened after everyone devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, fellowship, the breaking of bread, and prayers? (V43)

6. What effect did being devoted to these things have on the people? (V44-47)

7. What did the Lord do after they devoted themselves? (V47)

---