Acts 2:29–39

29

“Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

30

Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

“Christ” means “Anointed One”.

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31

he foreseeing this, spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that his soul wasn’t left in Hades, and his flesh didn’t see decay.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 31. Foreseeing he (David) spoke of the resurrection of Christ. Saint Peter shews them that the prophetical words of the Psalm, agree not to David in person, he being dead, and his body having remained in the grave, without rising from the dead. Witham.

EXPLANATION

or, Hell

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32

This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.

33

Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this which you now see and hear.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 33. He hath poured forth this, which we see, and hear, by the effects, by the noise, as it were of thunder, by our speaking languages, and so forth Witham.—It does not appear that the holy Spirit was visible to the multitude, whom Saint Peter addressed. But they perceived sensible marks of his presence, in the great noise, which had called them together, and the divers tongues spoken by illiterate men, who had never studied. A.

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34

For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand

35

until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

36

“Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

37

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?”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 37. They had compunction in their heart, with sorrow for their sins, especially against their Messias. Witham.

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38

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

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 38. Be baptized: believing and making profession to believe, and hope for salvation, by the merits of Jesus Christ. Thus you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, the grace of God, and perhaps those other gifts of speaking with tongues, working miracles, and so forth Witham.—The gift of the Holy Ghost. That is, justifying grace, which is infused in our hearts by the laver of regeneration. The exterior gifts of the Holy Ghost, the gift of tongues, of miracles, prophecy, and so forth were, in the beginning of the Church, more regularly the consequences of confirmation or imposition of hands. Calmet.

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39

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 39. The promise is to you. The good tidings of salvation were first announced to the Jew, then to the Gentile; first to the domestics, then to the strangers, who are far off. It is rather singular, that Saint Peter, after here so clearly shewing that the Gentiles are called to the faith, should afterwards have made such objections to go to baptize Cornelius, because he was a Gentile. This can only be reconciled, by supposing, he did not know distinctly the time nor the manner of their vocation. Calmet.

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