Acts 2:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

NIV: You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

NASB: YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’

CSB: You have revealed the paths of life to me; you will fill me with gladness in your presence.

NLT: You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’

KJV: Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

NKJV: You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

Peter is talking to a crowd of men who have come to Jerusalem from as far away as Mesopotamia and Rome to celebrate Pentecost. The men are startled to find a group of Galileans who can speak their unique dialects (Acts 2:1–13). Peter ties this phenomenon in to a prophecy given through Joel (Joel 2:28–32). The Holy Spirit has come and given God's followers the ability to prophesy. Whoever repents and turns back to God will be saved. Those who refuse will experience the horrors of the day of the Lord (Acts 2:17–21). Peter then begins to speak about Psalm 16 (Acts 2:22–27).

This is the end of Peter's quote of Psalm 16:8–11 and the endcap of the chiasm or mirrored passage. Acts 2:27 is the center of the poem: the resurrection of Jesus. Because of Jesus' resurrection, we have hope for our own (Acts 2:26, 28), and the presence of Jesus brings us joy and security (Acts 2:25–26, 28).

This is good news for Peter's audience. Some of the men present and the Jewish nation as a whole are responsible for the death of Jesus about fifty days before. But God raised Jesus from the dead, as David prophesied in Psalm 16:10. The audience knows about David's words but don't understand the application until Peter explains they apply to Jesus (Acts 2:25, 27).

Peter's audience killed David's heir and their own Messiah. But, just like Joel's words (Joel 2:32), David's words give hope. God provides the way of life. If we choose it, we too can experience the presence of God and the joy that this brings (Psalm 16:8–9). Soon, Peter will explain this path (Acts 2:37–41). Jesus came to earth to die so that we can have real life. "Life" is from the Greek root word zōē . It doesn't mean just to be alive, but to live fulfilled in body and spirit. On earth, we experience zōē by obeying and finding joy in God. In our resurrected bodies, we will embody zōē for eternity.

Acts 2:14–36 transcribes the first sermon ever given by a Christian. The Holy Spirit that Jesus promised (John 14:16–17) has come upon 120 of His followers in Jerusalem (Acts 1:15; 2:1–4). They immediately start speaking in different languages, shocking a crowd of Jews and proselytes who are in town to celebrate Pentecost (Acts 2:5–11). Some of the crowd dismiss the speech as nonsense; others are very interested (Acts 2:12–13). Peter, combining his natural enthusiasm as spokesman for the group with wisdom from the Spirit, responds by obeying Jesus and being His witness (Acts 1:8).

Acts 2 describes the beginning of the church in three episodes. First, the Holy Spirit comes upon the Jesus-followers in Jerusalem, equipping them with the ability to teach the gospel in different languages (Acts 2:1–13). Second, Peter gives a public declaration using Old Testament prophecy to show Jesus is the long-awaited Jewish Messiah (Acts 2:14–36). Third, people believe. They repent, trust Jesus will forgive their sins, and agree to be baptized as a public sign that they are now Jesus-followers (Acts 2:37–47). That quickly, the church is born.

Acts 2 describes the creation of Jesus' church. Forty days after Jesus' resurrection He ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9). One hundred and twenty disciples obeyed His command to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4, 2–15). In Acts 2, they receive the Holy Spirit and share the gospel with a crowd of people who have come to celebrate Pentecost. Three thousand believe, and the church comes to life. In the following chapters, Jesus-followers fulfill Jesus' promise that they will be His witnesses ''in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth'' (Acts 1:8).

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.