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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_2:14-21
14But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15"For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: 17'And it shall be in the last days,' God says, ', 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; 18Even on My bondslaves, both men and women will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. 19'And I will grant wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. 20'The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. 21'And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Act_2:14 "Peter" Just think, of all the disciples, Peter was the one to preach the first Christian sermon! The one who denied knowing Jesus three times (cf. Luke 23)! Peter's change from cowardice and denial to boldness and spiritual insight is another evidence that the age of the Spirit had dawned with life-changing power. This is his first recorded sermon in Acts. It shows us the content and emphasis of the preaching of the Apostles. These apostolic sermons form an important part of Acts.
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▣ "with the eleven" This shows two things: (1) Peter is the spokesman, but still part of the Apostolic group. He does not speak alone or on his own authority. The Spirit speaks uniquely through this whole group of called, eyewitnesses and (2) Matthias, though we know nothing about his ministry, has officially become part of the Apostolic group.
▣ "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem" The people addressed here seem to be different from the pilgrims delineated by nationality in Act_2:7-11.
▣ "Let this be known to you and give heed" These are both imperatives. The first is a present active and the second an aorist middle (deponent). Peter wants their undivided attention.
This phrase is apparently a Semitic idiom. It is used twice to introduce Peter's sermons (cf. Act_2:14; Act_4:10) and twice with Paul (cf. Act_13:38; Act_28:28). Luke was a Gentile convert as an adult. This vestige of Semitic idioms shows that Luke does not create the sermons in Acts for his own theological purposes, but faithfully summarizes his sources.
Act_2:15 "these men are not drunk" Peter, responding to the charge in Act_2:13, says it was too early for Orthodox Jews to drink wine. This follows the rabbinical interpretation of Exo_16:8 (cf. E. M. Blaiklock, Tyndale NT Commentary Series, Acts, p. 58).
▣ "third hour" This would have been 9:00 a.m. It was the time of the daily morning sacrifice in the Temple. It had become a special prayer time for Jews. The "third hour" is a Jewish time indicator. New Testament authors (esp. John) use both Jewish and Roman time indicators.
Act_2:16 "this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel" This is a quote from Joe_2:28-32 from the Septuagint. Jesus Himself may have been the source of identifying this prophetic passage as being fulfilled (cf. Luk_24:27; Luk_24:45).
Act_2:17 "in the last days" This phrase is Luke's alteration of the Septuagint's text and should not be in capital letters. In the OT this phrase referred to the end of time and the coming of the Messianic Age. In the NT the "last days" referred to the overlapping of the two Jewish ages. The New Age began at Jesus' incarnation in Bethlehem and will last until His Second Coming. We live in the tension between "the already" and "the not yet" of the Kingdom of God. See Special Topic following.
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▣ "God says" Codex Bezae, MS D, has kurios (Lord). Does Kurios refer to OT YHWH or to Jesus, the Messiah? It is surely possible that Theos (God) was a scribal attempt to clarify the speaker.
▣ "I will pour forth My Spirit on all mankind" Note the universal element (cf. Act_2:39). All the old traditional barriers are down in Christ (cf. 1Co_12:13; Gal_3:28; Eph_3:6; Col_3:11). Although no Jew-Gentile distinction is mentioned in Joel 2, notice Act_2:38, which implies no distinctions. YHWH is sharing His Spirit with all humans made in His image (literally, "all flesh"), which is asserted in Gen_1:26-27.
▣ "sons and your daughters shall prophesy. . .both men and women, I will pour forth My Spirit" This may be a specific fulfillment of Num_11:29. Note that there is no gender distinction.
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▣ "prophecy" There are at least two ways to understand this term: (1) in the Corinthian letters this term refers to sharing or proclaiming the gospel (cf. Act_14:1; Act_2:17) (2) the book of Acts mentions prophets (cf. Acts 12:27; Act_13:1; Act_15:32; Act_22:10, even prophetesses, Act_21:9), who predict the future (see Special Topic at Act_11:27).
The problem with this term is, how does the NT gift of prophecy relate to OT prophets? In the OT prophets are the writers of Scripture. In the NT this task is given to the original twelve Apostles and their helpers. As the term "apostle" is retained as an ongoing gift (cf. Eph_4:11) but with a changed tasks after the death of the Twelve, so too, the office of prophet. Inspiration has ceased, there is no further inspired Scripture (cf. Jud_1:3; Jud_1:20). New Testament prophets' primary task is the proclamation of the gospel, but also a different task, possibly how to apply NT truths to current situations and needs.
▣ "young men. . .old men" Note that there is no age distinction.
Act_2:18 "even on my bondslaves" Notice that there is no socioeconomic discrimination. Peter has added the term "prophesy" to Joel's prophecy. It is not in the Masoretic Hebrew text or the Greek Septuagint, but it is implied from Act_2:17.
As Luke 24 (Luk_24:3; Luk_24:6; Luk_24:12; Luk_24:17; Luk_24:32; Luk_24:36; Luk_24:40; Luk_24:51) has several textual variants, so too, Acts (i.e., Act_2:11; Act_2:18; Act_2:37; Act_2:44). These variants are often related to a shorter text found in MS D (Bezae from the 5th century) and in a few Old Latin versions (itd from the 5th century). Usually this western family of Greek manuscripts adds phrases, but in Luke/Acts it has the shorter readings. Most English translations include all the Alexandrian family of manuscripts' longer version.
See Introduction to Acts, "Opening Statements," E.
Act_2:19-20 This is apocalyptic language, which is obvious because Peter asserts that this was fulfilled, yet none of these specific natural phenomena occurred, except possibly the darkness while Jesus was on the cross. It speaks in figurative language of the coming of the Creator and Judge. In the OT His comings may be for blessing or judgment. All creation convulses at His approach (cf. Isa_13:6 ff and Amo_5:18-20). In the OT prophecy there is no obvious distinction between the Incarnation (first coming) and the Parousia (second coming). The Jews were expecting only one coming and that of a powerful Judge/Deliverer. A very helpful book on apocalyptic language is D. Brent Sandy, Plowshares and Pruning Hooks: Rethinking Prophetic and Apocalyptic Language.
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Act_2:20 "the Great and Glorious Day of the Lord" The term "glorious" is from the same root as epiphaneia, which is often used of Jesus' Second Coming (cf. 1Ti_6:14; 2Ti_4:1; Tit_2:13). See Special Topic following.
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Act_2:21 "everyone" Here is the universal element again (cf. Act_2:17; Act_2:39). Jesus died for the sin/sins of the entire world (cf. Joh_1:12; Joh_3:16; Joh_4:42; 1Ti_2:4; Tit_2:11; 2Pe_3:9; 1Jn_2:1; 1Jn_4:14). Notice the Spirit is poured on all mankind (cf. Act_2:17).
▣ "who calls" This is an aorist middle subjunctive. Human response is part of God's plan for salvation (cf. Joe_2:32; Joh_1:12; Joh_3:16; and Rom_10:9-13). Individual human beings are called (cf. Act_2:39) on to repent (cf. Act_2:38) and believe the gospel, and to enter into a personal relationship with God through Christ (cf. Act_3:16; Act_3:19; Act_20:21; Mar_1:15). Jesus died for the whole world; the mystery is why some respond to the Spirit's wooing (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65) and some do not (cf. 2Co_4:4).
▣ "on the name of the Lord" This refers to the character of Jesus or teachings about Him. It has both the personal and doctrinal element.
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▣ "will be saved" In this context, this refers to spiritual salvation, while in Joel it probably meant physical deliverance from God's wrath (cf. Act_2:40). The term "saved" is used in the OT of physical deliverance (cf. Mat_9:22; Mar_6:56; Jas_5:14; Jas_5:20). However, in the NT it was used metaphorically of spiritual salvation or deliverance from God's wrath (ex. Jas_1:21; Jas_2:14; Jas_4:12). God's heart beats for the salvation of all men and women made in His image (cf. Gen_1:26-27); made for fellowship!