Pentecost in Acts 2 is the Jewish feast that provided the setting for Peter's Spirit-empowered message to a vast gathering of Jews, and it is a completely Jewish event.
Acts 2 records the day of Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, when Jewish believers were gathered in one place and filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter then addressed a huge crowd of Jews from all over the Roman Empire, beginning with "Ye men of Israel" and later saying "let all the house of Israel know assuredly." According to Les Feldick, the entire occasion was Jewish: the feast was Jewish, the crowd was Jewish, Peter was Jewish, and the message was directed to Jews only.
Acts 2:1 — This verse identifies the setting as the day of Pentecost, showing that the feast itself is the occasion for everything that follows.
Acts 2:22 — Peter's opening words, "Ye men of Israel," reveal that his Pentecost address was directed exclusively to Israel.
Acts 2:36 — This verse shows Peter again addressing "all the house of Israel," confirming that no Gentile is part of this event.
Acts 2 opens with the arrival of the Feast of Pentecost. The King James Version reads, "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place." Verses 2 through 4 describe a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, cloven tongues like as of fire, and all present being filled with the Holy Ghost and speaking with other tongues. Verse 5 says that there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Peter's sermon on that day begins in verse 22 with the words "Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know." He closes in verse 36 with "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ." The biblical text itself addresses only Israel and does not mention or include any Gentile on this occasion.
Les emphasizes that Pentecost was one of the seven Jewish feast days and came on the fiftieth day after Passover. He points out that the Jewish believers in Acts had not been told to abandon the Temple or the Law, so they were still practicing the feast days when Pentecost arrived. This Jewish setting is crucial for understanding everything that happens in Acts 2. Les repeatedly stresses that the whole event was Jewish. He says "Gentiles had nothing to do with Pentecost," and he draws attention to Peter's words "Ye men of Israel" and "all the house of Israel." He reminds his listeners that it is just as important to see what the Bible does not say as what it does say: the biblical text does not say "ye men of Israel and all you Gentiles." According to Les, the crowd was made up of Jews from every end of the then known world, and the "other tongues" they heard were actual human languages spoken by displaced Jews from places like Babylon and Spain. Les also explains that Peter was continuing the Old Testament frame of reference: Christ came to the nation of Israel to fulfill the promises and covenants made to Israel. So Pentecost in Acts 2 shows God still dealing with the nation of Israel, not with the Gentile world or the Body of Christ.
Scripture places Pentecost in the Jewish calendar, and Acts 2 describes a gathering of devout Jews in Jerusalem. Peter addresses his hearers as "Ye men of Israel" and later as "all the house of Israel." Les Feldick states plainly that "Gentiles had nothing to do with Pentecost, it was Jewish," and that no Gentile is mentioned in the account.
Les notes that Peter was standing in the temple complex on Pentecost, addressing a great crowd of Jews who had come from all over the Roman Empire. Peter's opening phrase, "Ye men of Israel," shows that the message was not for Gentiles. Les emphasizes that readers should notice what the Bible does not say: "It doesn't say, 'Ye men of Israel, and all you Gentiles.'"
Acts 2:4 says the believers "began to speak with other tongues." Les clarifies that these were other languages, not ecstatic speech. The Jews gathered at Pentecost had been displaced from Israel for generations and had come from places like Babylon and Spain, so each group heard the message in its own language.
Les explains that no one had told the Jewish believers to cast aside Temple worship or the Law, so they were still observing the seven feast days, including Pentecost. He says Peter was standing before the nation and claiming that the reason Christ came was to fulfill the Old Testament promises and covenants given to Israel. This shows that God's dealings at Pentecost were still with the nation of Israel.
What Must I Do to Be Saved? Acts 2 vs. Acts 16 Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Pentecost in God's Unfolding Program With Israel
Les explains that Peter on Pentecost was continuing the Old Testament frame of reference, claiming that Christ had come to Israel to fulfill the promises and covenants.
Pentecost as a Jewish Feast Day
Les sets the scene by showing that Jewish believers were still practicing the seven feast days, and that Pentecost was the fiftieth day after Passover.
The Jewish Context of the Tongues
Les says Gentiles had nothing to do with Pentecost, and the 'other tongues' were actual languages spoken by Jews who had come from Babylon, Spain, and elsewhere.
Peter's Address to Israel Alone
Les points to Acts 2:22 and stresses that the Bible does not include 'and all you Gentiles'—Peter was speaking to Israel only.
The Impact of Peter's Words
Les shares that even he did not grasp the full impact of Acts 2:22 until recently, emphasizing that Peter stood before a great mob of Jews in the temple complex at Pentecost.
Peter's Audience: Jews Only
Les says Peter was talking to 'Jews, and Jews only,' and that this term comes from the Book itself, not from Les's own thinking.
From 'Ye Men of Israel' to 'All the House of Israel'
Les shows that both Acts 2:22 and Acts 2:36 address Israel exclusively, with no Gentile included, before moving to Peter's second sermon in Acts 3.
Acts 2:1: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
This verse sets the entire chapter on the Feast of Pentecost.
Acts 2:4: And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
This describes the supernatural event that drew the attention of the Jewish crowd.
Acts 2:5: And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
This confirms that the audience in Acts 2 was Jewish, gathered from many nations.
Acts 2:22: Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
Peter's opening address on Pentecost identifies his audience as Israel, not Gentiles.
Acts 2:36: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Peter's closing statement again addresses the entire house of Israel.
No. Acts 2 describes a Jewish feast with a Jewish crowd. Peter addresses 'ye men of Israel' and later 'all the house of Israel.' Les Feldick says plainly that Gentiles had nothing to do with Pentecost.
Pentecost is the Greek term for the feast that fell on the fiftieth day after Passover. Les Feldick identifies it this way when explaining the setting of Acts 2.
According to Les Feldick, the 'other tongues' in Acts 2:4 were actual human languages. Jews from different parts of the world, including Babylon and Spain, heard the message in their own language.
Watch the Teaching: What Must I Do to Be Saved? Acts 2 vs. Acts 16 Explained