This week we took a few minutes to finish up our rabbit trail from last week. We looked at 5 Ways to Understand Jesus' Descent into Hades. After that, we continued our verse-by-verse study of Peter's first sermon in Acts 2. We looked at how he built his argument from beginning to end PROVING through the Pesher method (a.k.a. "this is that") that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, and that He was/is Lord. We also looked at a few "geeky" insights including the different ways in which Peter and Paul referred to Jesus, and the difference between "the gift of the Spirit" and "spiritual gifts."

1. 5 WAYS TO
UNDERSTAND
JESUS’
DESCENT
INTO HADES
* BONUS *

3. THE FIRST “SERMON”
PART FIVE
Acts 2:14-41

4. BASIS OF PETER’S FAITH
1. THIS (the ecstasy was not the result of
drunkenness)
IS THAT (the outpouring of God’s Spirit as
prophesied in Joel 2:28-32)
2. THIS (Jesus, who was approved by his mighty
works among them, had been crucified and raised
up according to God’s plan)
3. IS THAT (the “pangs of death” could not restrain
Jesus the Messiah, as David in Psalm 16:8-11 had
prophesied.)

5. BASIS OF PETER’S FAITH
4. THIS Jesus who ascended to the right
hand of the Father IS THAT (David knew
that his descendant would be the
Messiah)
“The LORD says to my Lord:
’Sit at my right hand,
until I make your
enemies your footstool.’”
PSALM 110:1

6. Image
courtesy of the
British
Museum

8. BASIS OF PETER’S FAITH
5. We are witnesses to this fact through his
resurrection.
6. THIS (all that you now see and hear flows
from Him through the Holy Spirit)
7. IS THAT (fulfillment of the prophecies ➧ God
has made this Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Messiah)

9. PROGRESSION OF PETER’S SPEECH
• Men of Judea & all who dwell in Jerusalem
(2:14)
• Men of Israel (2:22)
• Men, Brothers (2:29) *
* They respond with “Brothers, what shall we

10. 2:36 ~ IS “LORD” A NAME OR
TITLE?
PETER
Audience = Jews
CristoV
Christ (Messiah) = Title
KurioV
Lord = Title
IhsouV
Jesus = Name
PAUL
Audience = Gentiles
CristoV IhsouV
Christ Jesus = Name
KurioV
Lord = Title
r = “r” h =
“a”

11. GIFT OF HOLY SPIRIT
• thn dwrean tou aJgiou
pneumatoV
tān dōrean tou hagiou
pneumatos
• The Gift = The Spirit himself
given to minister the saving
benefits of Christ’s redemption to
the believer
• Logical outcome of repentance
GIFTS OF HOLY SPIRIT
• ta pneumatika aJgia
ta pneumatika hagia
• The Gifts – Those spiritual
abilities the Spirit gives variously
to believers ‘for the common
good’ and sovereignly ‘just as he
determines’
(1 Cor. 12:7, 11)
• The primary gift includes a
variety
of spiritual gifts for the

12. RESOURCES QUOTED/USED
• Achtemeier, Paul J., Joel B. Green, Marianne Meye Thompson. Introducing the New
Testament: Its Literature and Theology Hardcover. Eerdmans, 2001.
• Stott, John R. W. The Message of Acts. IVP,1990.
• Witherington, Ben. The Acts of the Apostles : A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary.
Eerdmans, 1997.