Living Stories
Pentecost: The Holy Spirit Comes — Peter, the apostles, Holy Spirit
New Testament · Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost: The Holy Spirit Comes

Fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead, his followers were all together in one place in Jerusalem, just as he had told them to wait. Suddenly a sound like a rushing, violent wind filled the whole house where they were sitting. What looked like tongues of fire appeared and rested on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them.

At the time, Jerusalem was crowded with devout Jews from every nation, there for the festival. Drawn by the sound, a crowd gathered, bewildered to hear their own native languages being spoken -- Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and many others, each hearing the disciples declare the wonders of God in their own tongue. Some were amazed; others mocked, saying the disciples must be drunk.

Peter stood up with the eleven other apostles and raised his voice to the crowd. "These people are not drunk, as you suppose," he said. "No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.'" What had once been promised through the prophets was now happening before their eyes -- the beginning of a Spirit-filled church that would carry the good news of Jesus far beyond Jerusalem, to every nation and language on earth.

Share this story

Copy the link, then paste it into your Instagram post, story, or bio.

Read the Bible passage

See the full scripture text this story is based on.

  1. 2:1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
  2. 2:2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
  3. 2:3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
  4. 2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
  5. 2:5And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
  6. 2:6Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
  7. 2:7And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
  8. 2:8And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
  9. 2:9Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
  10. 2:10Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
  11. 2:11Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
  12. 2:12And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
  13. 2:13Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
  14. 2:14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
  15. 2:15For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
  16. 2:16But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
  17. 2:17And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
  18. 2:18And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
  19. 2:19And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
  20. 2:20The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
  21. 2:21And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Read the full chapter in the Bible (Acts 2) →

More stories