|
But Peter (around A D 30, Jerusalem), standing with the eleven (followers of the deceased but risen Jesus), lifted up his voice and addressed them (“them” includes many who, only 50 days earlier, had sought and arranged the execution of Jesus as a convicted criminal): “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel (This centuries-old prophesy was part of the national archives of Judah and Jerusalem its capital city at that time and now): “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, 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 male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ” (Joel had prophesied that, after the time when his prophesy was fulfilled, all who called upon the LORD would be saved.) |
“Men of Israel (Judah and Jerusalem had at one time, been part of the larger nation of Israel), hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.” (Peter fearlessly tells them that they had effectively killed Jesus 53 days earlier)
|
|
“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David (David, a prolific writer and poet, was a former King of Israel around 980 BC) says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ ” (The national archives of Israel, back there in AD 30 contained David’s prophesy about the resurrection of his descendant, the Messiah, the Christ.)
|
|
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.”
“This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’ ” (The resurrection of Jesus after his criminal crucifixion had been foretold centuries before.)
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
|
|
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (These killers of the Messiah, the Christ, are offered forgiveness of their sins – including their sins of conspiring together to secure the crucifixion of Jesus under Roman Law.)
|
|
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Extract from “Acts of the Apostles” by Luke, a first-century physician 2: 14-41)
|
|
|
