Acts 2:22-36 Lesson 221

Acts 2:22-36
Lesson 221

Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

In this lesson:

Peter's sermon on Jesus begun in lesson 220 continues.

Peter preaching to Israel.

Study Tip:

It helps to study more than one translation of the Bible. As you read each lesson, scroll back and forth between the "King James Version" and the "New Living Translation" below.

Also, check the margin notes in blue and click on the links.

The Acts of the Apostles

The King James Bible

Acts 2:22-36
Peter preaches the resurrection

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

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

29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

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

31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Margin notes:

"A man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs." (2:22) - "A man validated by God with miracles, wonders, and signs."

"Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel." (2:23) - "Jesus, delivered by the pre-set plan (of God)." Jesus as our Messiah was planned before the world even began (2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:20).

"Ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." (2:23) - Peter is laying the blame for Jesus' death on Israel. This is a more courageous Peter, infused with the power of the Holy Spirit, than we saw fifty-three days ago when he denied Christ. In Acts 4:10, Peter will again lay the crucifixion at their feet.

"Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death." (2:24) - Means, "The person (Jesus) God resurrected, having been freed from the pain of death." Here, Peter is telling the crowd that Jesus was resurrected.

"For David speaketh concerning him." (2:25) - This is a quote from Psalm 16:8-11. See Today's Question below.

"That I should not be moved." (2:25) - "That I should not be distressed."

"My flesh shall rest in hope." (2:26) - "My body shall rest in hope."

"Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." (2:27) - "You will not leave me in the grave." Believers will be resurrected in heaven.

"Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." (2:27) - "Nor will you let the Holy One (Jesus) decay (in the grave)." Jesus was resurrected, as prophesied in Psalm 16:10, centuries before He was even born.

"With thy countenance." (2:28) - "With your presence."

"David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us." (2:29) - "David is dead and buried (Acts 13:36), and his tomb is still with us."  Jews knew that David was not resurrected.

"God had sworn with an oath to him." (2:30) - The oath (promise) can be found in 2 Samuel 7:13; Psalm 89:4; 132:11.

"The fruit of his loins." (2:30) - Means "his descendant."

"His soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." (2:31) - Peter is repeating for emphasis, Jesus was resurrected, as prophesied centuries earlier in Psalm 16:10.

"Having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost." (2:33) - Jesus promised the disciples that the Holy Ghost would come, teach them, and remind them of everything He told them (John 14:26).

"He hath shed forth."(2:33) - "He has poured out."

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. (2:34-35) - "God said to my Savior (Jesus), "sit at my right hand, until I destroy evil." Quoted from Psalm 110:1, written over a thousand years before Christ was born. See also Hebrews 1:13.

New Living Translation

Acts 2:22-36

22 "People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.

23 But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.

24 But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.

25 King David said this about him:

'I see that the Lord is always with me.
      I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

26 No wonder my heart is glad,
      and my tongue shouts his praises!
      My body rests in hope.

27 For you will not leave my soul among the dead
      or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.

28 You have shown me the way of life,
      and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.'

29 "Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn't referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.

30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on his throne.

31 David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.

32 "God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this.

33 Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today.

34 For David himself never ascended into heaven, yet he said,

'The Lord said to my Lord,
      "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

35 until I humble your enemies,
      making them a footstool under your feet."'

36 "So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!"

This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible. However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."

Today's Question:

1. Why does Peter quote Psalm 16:8-11? (2:25-28)

Make God a part of your life by studying His book every day.
Your Bible has more to teach than these lessons can cover.

Answer: (Do you agree?)

1. Peter used Psalm 16:8-11 to prove to the crowd that Jesus is the Messiah they had long waited for. His Jewish audience knew the Old Testament Scriptures well, and Peter used that knowledge to bolster his claims of Jesus' divinity. First, Peter clarified that King David, the author of Psalm 16, wasn't writing about himself (as many believed). When David died he didn't rise again (2:29). Instead, David's writings were a prophesy (2:30) that a Messiah (Jesus) would come to save humanity from their sins by being sacrificed on the cross and then resurrected (2:27).

This was Peter's first sermon since the accession of Jesus. Most in the crowd had seen or heard about the crucifixion just fifty days earlier. Now, after hearing rumors of Jesus' resurrection, many believed Peter, and as we'll see in lesson 222, three thousand in the crowd were converted (2:41).

Application thought for the day:

"The Lord said unto my Lord, (God said to Jesus), Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool."
Are you a friend or foe to Jesus?

Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke. Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress Books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course the "King James Bible." All were critical in putting these lessons together.
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