Suppose you had to stand up in a busy market square and tell people of your nearest town as forcibly as possible of your beliefs. Would you go to the library for books on public speaking? Would you spend hours beforehand rehearsing what to say? Would you be brave enough, on the day, to face the hecklers with their rude remarks?
Peter the fisherman had no time to think about his first speech. He and the other apostles had just been filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking in foreign languages to pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem for Pentecost. A huge crowd had gathered round. Peter stepped forward as spokesman for the disciples, and within minutes was preaching the gospel. He confined himself to two simple but telling points.
Peter preaching in Jerusalem. Painting by Charles Poërson, 1642. Public domain.
Firstly he knew his hearers were avid Bible readers. He could see they were astonished at the apostles ‘speaking with tongues'. His first point was dramatic. "Go to the Old Testament prophet Joel" he cried "and you will find that he predicted that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit upon all flesh. What you have just witnessed," he declared "is Bible prophecy being fulfilled". Joel had indeed used the words "all flesh". "Even upon the menservants and maidservants in those days" he had written "I will pour out my Spirit". (Joel 2:28, 29). The Holy Spirit had just come, not to the proud religious leaders of Israel, but to the simple countrymen who made up the band of apostles.
Joel had continued with this significant statement "All who call upon the name of the Lord shall be delivered". This led Peter to his second point. One Bible prophecy had come true in their hearing. So had another. David the Psalmist had foretold, in what at the time were cryptic words, "Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades [the grave], nor let thy Holy One see corruption (Acts 2:27). Now, explained Peter, although David says 'my' soul, he could not have been speaking of himself, because when he died he did see corruption. He was buried in a normal tomb, which was still there in Jerusalem. No, he continued, David was a prophet. "He foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption" (Acts 2:31). That prophecy had also come true. Jesus of Nazareth was killed and buried, but came out of the tomb alive before he had time to see corruption. "This Jesus, God raised up; and of that we all are witnesses" (Acts 2:52). He and the other apostles, now filled with God's Spirit power, could personally vouch for that historic fact. Jesus was not dead. God had made him Christ.
Peter's audience was more than impressed. They were "cut to the heart". Most of them, six weeks before, had been shouting "Crucify him, crucify him" as Jesus stood on trial for his life. Now they realised they had been guilty of the blood, not just of an innocent man, but of the Holy One of God. Faces furrowed with anxiety, they turned to Peter and the other apostles "Brethren", they asked, "what shall we do?"
Peter's reply was reassuring. Joel had promised "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Acts 2:21). He meant what he said. Peter had proved that Jesus was Lord. By calling on Jesus' name, they could have their guilt taken away. "Repent" he said, "and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins…" (Acts 3:21). A total of 3,000 people in Jerusalem took him at his word, and asked to be baptised into the name of Jesus Christ.
