We continue our study of the book of Acts with Chapter 2. On the Jewish feast of Pentecost, as the apostles and their friends, along with Mary prayed in the upper room of the house in which they lived, Jesus fulfilled the promise of the Father by pouring His Spirit out on the people gathered there. They began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Devout Jews visiting from various nations heard the noise and came to see what had happened and to their amazement, heard the apostles speaking in their own languages. Not everybody was impressed, however. Some said the apostles were drunk. Peter, filled with courage, went out with the other apostles and explained that what they saw was a fulfilment of Joel's prophecy. He went on to preach about Jesus of Nazareth. By the end of his talk, the people were cut to the heart and asked the apostles what they should do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and gift of the Holy Spirit.  3000 people were baptized that day, heralding the birth of the church in Jerusalem.

As you study this chapter, consider the following questions as an aid to gaining a better understanding of it. Put yourself in the place of the disciples.

1. In Acts 2:1-4 we see the day of Pentecost described. What is the day of Pentecost? What instructions did God give the Israelites for celebrating this feast? Where were Jesus’s followers at the time and what were they doing?
2. In Acts 2:2 we see the arrival of the Holy Spirit is heralded by “a sound like the rush of a violent wind”. What is the significance of this? Is there any reference to such a wind in the Old Testament? What does the Church teach about this?
3. In Acts 2:3, the Holy Spirit appears as tongues of fire that came to rest on each of the apostles. What is the significance of this?
4. In Acts 2:4-6, we see the effect the infilling of the Holy Spirit had on the apostles and also on the community around them. What Old Testament story does this relate to and what is its significance?
5. In Acts 2:14, Peter preaches to the crowds that had gathered, quoting from the prophet Joel. What is the key indication of the messianic age according to the prophet? What have other prophets said about this age?
6. In Acts 2:22-36, Peter talks about Jesus, saying he was the Messiah that they had all been expecting. What passages from Scripture did he quote to support his claims?
7. In Acts 2:37, we see people reacting to Peter’s words. What did Peter advise them to do? How did they respond? How should we respond?
8. In Acts 2:41, we see 3000 persons accepting Christ as savior. What would the impact this conversion have on the world? What is the significance of this number?
9. In Acts 2:42-47, we see the first Christian community coming into effect. What are the various things that they did? How did this impact others?