Saint Peter At the Gate
Acts 2:14-41
By Dave Redick
Saint Peter At the Gate
Acts 2:14-41
By Dave Redick
No, "Saint Peter" probably isn't standing at the pearly gates of heaven. He has absolutely no say in whether or not any of us go there. That will be determined by the presence or absence of only one person in your life: JESUS CHRIST!
Introduction
Some of my favorite jokes are "Saint Peter" jokes. Do any of you like those? Let me tell you a couple of my recent favorites.
This first one's about preachers:
A preacher and a bus driver went to heaven. The bus driver got a big beautiful mansion with large rooms. The preacher got only a one-room bungalow, so he went to St. Peter and said, "How come I got a very small place and the bus driver got that beautiful house? I've preached the Good News all my life!" St. Peter replied, "It's a matter of results. When you preached, people fell asleep. When the bus driver drove his bus, people prayed."(1)
This next one is about lawyers:
A lawyer died and went to heaven. At the pearly gate he complained to Saint Peter "There must be some mistake, I am only 35, I am too young to die!" Saint Peter said he would check the records. He checked the records and announced, "According to the hourly work reports you've been turning in you are 97!"(2)
Then there's this one about fishermen:
Saint Peter, halted a man at the entrance to heaven. "You've told too many lies to be permitted in here," he said. "Have a heart," replied the man, "Remember, you were once a fisherman yourself."(3)
As much as I like St. Peter jokes, I have to tell you that every one of them is founded on a false concept. That's right. You see, St. Peter isn't at the pearly gate of heaven. Never was. Never will be.
The idea that Peter stands at the gate of heaven letting people in is based upon a misunderstanding of Matthew 16:18-19. There we read,
"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19)
You see, the term "kingdom of heaven" here refers to the Church, not to heaven. The idea is one of possession, not location. The "kingdom of heaven" is that kingdom that belongs to heaven. That kingdom is the church. In verse 28 of this same chapter, Jesus told Peter that this kingdom He was talking about would come during their lifetimes. There He said,
"Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
Because of his confession of faith in Christ, Peter was given the high privilege of being the first person to preach the gospel after the establishment of the New Covenant. When he did he ushered 3000 new converts into the kingdom of Heaven, the church. In that sense he was at the "gate." He had the "keys" and he opened the door. That "door" to the church was opened on the Day of Pentecost in 33 A.D as described in Acts 2. On that day there were 3000 Jews who became Christians. It is interesting also to note that Peter was the preacher when the first Gentile converts came into the church as described in Acts 10 & 11.
No, "Saint Peter" probably isn't standing at the pearly gates of heaven. He has absolutely no say in whether or not any of us go there. That will be determined by the presence or absence of only one person in your life: JESUS CHRIST!
I've called this message "Saint Peter at the Gate" for what I hope are obvious reasons to you now if they weren't before. We're going to take a look at that first sermon Peter preached on Pentecost in Acts 2. Please turn with me to Acts 2:14 in your Bibles. We'll be considering verses 14-41.
Peter's sermon was one of the most effective sermons of all time. It cut right to the hearts of the people who heard it. Near the end of it, in verse 37, we are told that it "pierced them to the heart." But it wasn't just for them. It can cut to the heart of any TODAY who want to be a part of those who belong to God and who want to join the kingdom that belongs to heaven. We're going to look at what Peter said to them back then and while we do so I'm make some application to us. Please be sure you have a Bible nearby so you can follow along.
The first thing I want you to notice is that Peter did what every good gospel preacher
should do.
1. He Started Where They Were
(Read v. 14)
Peter was standing with "the eleven" because he was one of the 12 Apostles of Jesus who had just been baptized in the Holy Spirit. I talked about that miraculous event in a previous message. The 12, waiting in Jerusalem, were in the Temple (according to Luke 24:53) when there was suddenly the sound of a mighty, rushing wind that filled the temple. Tongues as of fire came down and rested on each of them. All 12 men began to speak "the mighty deeds of God" (as it says in verse 11) in languages that they had never learned. The people in the multitude around them were amazed because they knew that these humble Galileans could never have learned so many foreign languages. It was a mighty miracle, the fulfillment of prophecy, as Peter was about to tell them.
(Read v. 15-16)
The verses that follow describe some pretty strange sounding events. I don't profess to understand all of them perfectly. I do have some ideas that I think are accurate. I can say this with assurance, though: Whatever these verses mean, they were being fulfilled right before their eyes! This was not something that was to take place 2000 or more years into their future. Peter says in verse 16, "This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel..." In other words, "What you are seeing right here is what Joel prophesied." So, we can expect to find fulfillment of these verses for the most part in the events that took place on Pentecost in 33 A.D. Let's read them.
(Read v. 17)
Careful, now. Don't let those words "last days" throw you off! Peter said "This is what was spoken through the prophet Joel..." You see, the terminology "last days" is often used in the NT to refer to the "last days" of the Jewish nation that was torn apart by Rome in 70 A.D. It is used that way many times in the Old Testament. Sometimes, in the New Testament, it is used to refer to the entire Christian dispensation, since it is the crowning move of God to reconcile man to Himself. (You might want to read Hebrews 1:1&2 on that.) Don't miss the point then, and think "last days of the world" unless that is what the context dictates. Peter is equating his terminology "last days" to what was happening then.
Also, don't let those words "pour forth my Spirit on all mankind" throw you off, either. The words mean literally, "all flesh" as it says in the NASV margin. It is obvious that the words were not intended to be universal. It doesn't mean "every human being." According to Romans 8:9, only Christians receive God's Spirit in any form or measure. Probably what Peter means is that God would pour forth His Spirit on both Jew and Gentile flesh (thus, "all flesh"). Of the two accounts of Baptism of the Holy Spirit we have in the Bible (here and Acts 10), one was upon the Jewish Apostles and the other was upon the Gentile house of Cornelius. Thus, the Spirit of God was poured out on all flesh, both Jew and Gentile. Looking back at the verse,
"Your sons and your daughters will prophecy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." Reading the rest of the NT, we know that such things took place throughout the first century, though there in no evidence that they happened on that day of Pentecost, aside from the Apostles..
(Read v. 18)
Both men and women prophesied in the NT as we'll see in our continued study of Acts. You'll find one example of women who prophesied in Acts 21:9 where it tells us that Philip had daughters who were prophetesses.
(Read v. 19-20a)
I'm not entirely sure about the wonders in the sky above. It may refer to those tongues of fire that came down upon the Apostles. It may refer to more that isn't described. (The Jewish historian, Josephus, indicates that there were some strange signs in the sky in the days prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.)
The "blood and fire and vapor and smoke" sounds to me like a description of the sacrifices that were taking place in the temple area on Pentecost. When you sacrifice an animal all these things are emitted. The sun is darkened by the accumulating smoke in the sky and at night, the moon looks red through the nighttime haze. Pentecost was a great day of sacrifices.
(Read v. 20b-21)
Some believe that the "great and glorious day of the Lord" here is the judgement of the world. Others think it is the judgement of God upon Jerusalem and the nation of Israel that came in 70 AD. I'm not really sure. I tend to favor the idea of the judgement that came upon Jerusalem, since that is what the prophet Joel was talking about when he wrote this. I do know that from Pentecost onward it became possible "that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" as it says in verse 21. It was no longer just a Jewish thing. From this point onward you didn't have to become a Jew to be one of God's people.
Now you may or may not agree with the interpretation I've put on these verses. You should study them carefully yourself. I really wish I had more time to explain. If I did, this could easily turn into a two hour sermon. I don't think most of you would appreciate that, so I'll move on.
Well, Peter and the Holy Spirit certainly had the attention of the people! Next, Peter
did the second thing that every good gospel preacher must do.
2. He Pointed Out Their Sin
(Read v. 22-23)
Sometimes people today get a bit miffed at preachers because we point out sin. In our culture today you can do and say anything you want as long as you don't say that someone is wrong in what they do or believe. I fully realize that pointing out sin according to God's Word isn't always popular, because from time to time I'm told about it. All I can say in my defense is this: Pointing out sin is exactly what the sermons recorded in the Bible do.
Until people realize that they've done things wrong, they do not realize their need for Christ.
Peter didn't hold back on his message that they were not right with God. "...this
Man... you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."
(Read v. 24)
Notice the significance of Peter's mention of Christ's death and resurrection. These are key doctrines in the preaching of the gospel!
In fact, the Biblical definition of the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ according to Paul in I Corinthians 15:1-5.
Peter did another thing in his sermon that preachers should do today.
3. He Made His Points From Scripture
One of the problems the Jews had with Jesus is that they had seriously misunderstood the Scriptures. They were expecting a victorious, military Messiah, not a suffering, dying one. How could it be that the Messiah could be crucified? It didn't fit their understanding. So Peter showed them that their Bible did indeed speak of the death and resurrection of Christ. The passage he chose was Psalm 16:8-11.
(Read v. 25-28)
Be sure to pay attention so you can catch the significance of Peter's quoting this passage. It speaks of One who would not be abandoned in death. The inference is resurrection! These Old Testament verses speak of the resurrection of One David called "Lord." To the objector in Peter's audience who might say that these verses referred to David himself, Peter says in verse 29:
(Read v. 29)
Peter's point is that these verses that speak of a resurrection from the dead did not apply to David. He didn't rise from the dead. They could go and look at his tomb if they doubted it. To the Jews, the only One greater than David was Messiah or Christ!
(Read v. 30-31)
So... far from being an event that disqualified Jesus from being the Messiah as so many in Jerusalem believed at that point, His death and resurrection actually fulfilled the Scripture that told of the Christ.
Man, can I hear the wheels turning in those Jewish heads! This hit them like a freight train! While they had been thinking that Jesus could not have been the Christ because the Romans crucified Him, now they see that death and resurrection was the very thing God predicted for Messiah! Peter needed only to state clearly the conclusion that their minds were racing toward: Jesus was their Messiah!
(Read v. 32-33)
Peter ties it right back in with the miracle they had just witnessed. And just for a further clarification that this could not have referred to David, Peter says,
(Read v. 34-35)
Then the grand finale - Peter's big point - the thing he wanted them to see in living color...
(Read v. 36)
Imagine, if you will, sitting on a jury and being so convinced of a defendant's guilt that you vote to convict him and sentence him to death. Two weeks later the sentence is carried out. The convicted man dies in the gas chamber. It bothered you some, but you are convinced that justice has been done. Life goes on. Then suddenly you find out that you overlooked some evidence that proves beyond doubt that the man you condemned was innocent!
If such a thing were to happen to you, you would feel only a portion of what these men suddenly felt. Look at how Luke puts it:
(Read v. 37)
"What can we do? We've condemned an innocent man! Not only that, we've executed God's Christ!" Talk about guilt!
What is Peter going to tell them to do? Go make an appointment with a Psychiatrist? Is he going to tell them that they're not to blame - that it's the way they were raise and is, therefore their parent's fault? Is he going to tell them to join the church and live a good life? No. He tells them what every preacher should be telling people who need to make peace with God today.
4. He Told Them What To Do To Be Saved
They asked Peter, an inspired Apostle, the one with the keys to the kingdom, the question, "What shall we do?" Look at Peter's answer.
(Read v. 38)
What was their problem? They had sinned! They had killed God's Christ. What did they need? They needed to have their sins forgiven. They needed to be saved. (Note that this was the issue as Peter continued to preach as well. Verse 40 says, "be saved from this perverse generation.".) What did Peter tell them to do? "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins..."
The word "repent" there is a translation of the Greek verb METANOIEO. It means "change your mind." These people had been living their lives in opposition to God because they were in opposition to Jesus. That needed to be changed. The word implies a reorientation, a change of direction. They were to turn from their sins and turn back to God. A lot of people who claim to be Christians today have never done that.
The words "be baptized" there are the passive form of the Greek word BAPTIZO. The word means "be dipped" or "be immersed." From this point onward in Acts, you will see that every conversion described included the act of being baptized. There is not a single description that omits it. We'll look more at that point in a later message.
What must we do to be saved, then? We must believe the message. This is implied by Luke's mention that they were "pierced to the heart." We need to acknowledge our sins and repent. We need to be baptized for remission of sins. Very clear. Very straight forward.
I realize that repentance and baptism are sometimes omitted from modern answers to the question, "What must I do to be saved." I can only say that this differs very noticeably from Peter's instruction here. It also differs from other New Testament descriptions of conversion in Acts.
Were these people save the moment they believed? It doesn't look like it. If they were, why did Peter prescribe repentance and baptism in order to remit their sins? A person who is saved already has his/her sins remitted.
Some say that this was only a promise to Jews who wanted to be saved. They say it was never given to Gentiles.
Certainly Peter was speaking to Jews. That much is clear. But look closely at whom he said were to be the recipients of this promise in verse 39.
(Read v. 39)
This promise was to those standing there, to their children who would come after them (future generations), and to all who were "far off." The word Peter used there was MAKRAN. It means "far removed" or "far away." It is used several times in Scripture to refer to the Gentiles. In Acts 22:21 we read, "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" The words "far away" are the same as in Acts 2:39, MAKRAN. Again in Ephesians 2:13, Paul says of the Gentile Christians, "But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." Clearly the terminology refers to the Gentiles. This is a universal promise. It would be valid for "all flesh" as Joel had said. That is consistent with other passages of Scripture as well. Jesus said in Mark 16:15-16, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned." It seems highly unlikely to me that Peter was making a different promise here to Jews than would be made to Gentiles.
So I ask you, should the answer we give to the question, "What must we do to be saved?" be any different today than it was back then?
(Read v. 40-41)
What a sermon! When Peter opened up that gate to the kingdom of heaven that day, people streamed in!
There is an urgency in verse 40 that should permeate the message of preachers and
teachers today. It is this: "Be
saved from this perverse generation!"
Conclusion
Let me ask you a pertinent question: Are you saved? Do you have your sins forgiven? Have you complied with the terms of the guy who opened the gate? Those terms haven't changed. I know, Peter is dead, but these verses still hold the key to entrance into the Kingdom that belongs to Heaven - the church.
If you believe in the Lord Jesus, I congratulate you. We have much in common. I, too, believe. But have you done what else Peter commanded? You see, Peter indicates you must do more than just believe. You need to complete your obedience if you haven't. You need to repent and be baptized.
Dave Redick is Minister of the Hwy 20 Church of Christ in Sweet Home, Oregon and Editor of The Preacher's Study. He may be reached at pstudysupport@comcast.net.
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All Scripture quotations and references are from the New American Standard Version unless otherwise stated.
