First sermon.*)
Apost. 2, 1-13.
And when the day of Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all with one accord. And there came a swift sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they sat. And there was seen in them the dividing of tongues, as if they were fiery. And he sat upon every one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to preach with other tongues, after that the Spirit had given them utterance. Now there were Jews dwelling at Jerusalem, men who feared God, of every nation under heaven. When this voice was heard, the multitude came together and were confounded, for every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed, and said one to another, Behold, are not all these that speak of Galilee? How then hear we every man his own language, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who dwell in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and at the ends of Libya near Cyrene, and foreigners from Rome, Jews and fellow Jews, Cretans and Arabs; we hear them speaking with our tongues the great deeds of God. They were all disheartened, and went astray, and said one to another: What will this be? But the others had their mockery, saying, They are full of sweet wine.
Of the Feast of Pentecost and the Holy Spirit Sermon.
On this holy and joyful feast of Pentecost we celebrate and thank our dear Lord God for the great and infinite blessing he has shown on earth by revealing his holy and loving word to us poor people from heaven, not a bad and common word, but a special and different word, contrary to the law of Most. For this day the kingdom of Christ began by the apostles, and was revealed by the gospel before all the world. Christ had his kingdom in his person from eternity; but
*) Held publicly in the parish church in the afternoon, 1534.
Today, on the day of Pentecost, it was revealed by the Holy Spirit through the apostles to the whole world. And this revelation happened with great courage, defiance and joy of the wretched fishermen, the apostles, who had previously denied and abandoned Christ out of fear, and were stupid, frightened and despondent.
Now there is a great difference between the two preachers and two sermons; namely, when Moses preaches the law of works, and when the Holy Spirit preaches the gospel of Christ. On Mount Sinai, when the angels were preaching and Moses was preaching the Law, there was trembling and terror. The people begged God and Moses that God would stop speaking; for they could not hear God's
They did not like the sound of the voice, so they asked Moses to speak to them, so that they could hear him. Such a terrible splendor on Mount Sinai, when God spoke and thunder and lightning were mixed up, so that the whole mountain smoked, brought with it the sermon of justice and law, which (as we also heard on the day of the Ascension of Christ from the Gospel of Marci) reads thus: Fiat justitia, et pereat mundus: One should be pious and do what is right, and should the world go to ruin. Then secular authorities, the judge and Master Hans must do the best, and if they are too weak, death and hellish fire. That was a terrible show and reputation, so that it is indicated that the preaching of the law brings only terror, trembling, despair and eternal death. The same preaching is also necessary, because for the hard heads and rough, impudent people one must have Moses with his law, and Master Hansen with rods, fire, sword and gallows.
But today, on the new day of Pentecost, the joyful, happy and sweet kingdom of Christ has come, which is full of joy, gladness and assurance. This is another sermon, speech and language, which does not drive people back, like the sermon and voice on Mount Sinai: it does not frighten, nor kill, nor choke; but makes them joyful and bold. Just as Christ promised his disciples that he would send them the Holy Spirit, who would not be a spirit of terror, but a comforter, making them joyful, bold and courageous against all terror. For on the day when the Holy Spirit is sent down from heaven, every apostle appears in particular, and is as bold as if he wanted to devour the whole world, whom no one had been able to comfort just before. After his resurrection, Christ had enough to do with them that he might gather them together again as timid and scattered little chickens and comfort them; and yet he could not strengthen them nor make them bold with his manifold admonitions and consolations. But today, when the Holy Spirit comes with his roar and roar, and beckons them, he makes their hearts so joyful and their tongues so fiery that each one stands up and preaches publicly. No one
asks for the other, but each one for himself is so courageous that he might dare to penetrate the whole world.
004 Therefore this is much another word and preaching, than that which was given and ordained by Moses. This sermon, given by Moses, terrifies all the people, so that six times a hundred thousand men are like a single fowl that is frightened and shooed. But this sermon comforts and strengthens so powerfully that a poor, empty man, like Peter, who had previously let a maid frighten him, goes along, straightens up his head, stands up and preaches against spiritual and temporal authorities, against the chief priests and the whole council of Jerusalem, against the Roman emperor, and asks for no one. And as he doeth, so do the other apostles also, standing not otherwise than as though they were vain gods, and as though other men were vain grasshoppers against them.
This is the difference between the two sermons, the sermon of the law, and the sermon of grace and the gracious favor of God. The apostles are not afraid of anyone, whether he is in heaven or in hell. This is a great change, yes, it is even a wonderful, divine change. A short time before, Peter was afraid of a maid in Caiphas' house, so that he denied the Lord; and soon afterward he fell into such terror and trembling that he was not allowed to be seen for the three days while the Lord lay in the grave. Even after that, when Christ had risen from the dead and comforted him, he crawled to the corner with the other disciples and closed the door behind him. But now he freely comes out into the light, lets himself be seen by all the people, and shuns no one, preaches publicly, and is so courageous and defiant that he is allowed to despise all authority, spiritual and secular, of the chief priests and the governor Pilati. And as Peter did, so did the other apostles and disciples, who numbered about a hundred and twenty.
(6) For I believe, as the text and the history show, that Peter preached not only on the day of Pentecost, but also all the disciples, together with the eleven apostles, as soon as they were kindled by the Holy Spirit and had their
Tongues were fiery and preached, as St. Lucas writes: That the Holy Ghost sat upon every one of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues. One spoke Greek to the Greeks, another Roman to the Romans, the third in another place spoke Persian to the Persians, the fourth Egyptian to the Egyptians; so that on this day many sermons were preached and many tongues were heard. Wherever the apostles and disciples came to a people, they began to preach in the language of each people.
007 And what did they preach? They said, "Listen, brothers, we want to preach something new to you, and tell you a strange new myth. You know that one named Jesus of Nazareth was crucified at Jerusalem on the next Easter, as if he were a mischief-maker, an evil-doer and a traitor; he is mocked, scorned, blasphemed, cursed and put to death, as everyone knows. Do you want to know who he is? We will tell you: He is the Lord of heaven and earth, and the Son of God. This is what the apostles and disciples preached to all the people, not only in their native language, which was theirs by birth and which they had learned, but also in a foreign language, which they had not learned. The people were amazed that Jesus of Nazareth, who had been executed seven weeks ago and was cursed as an evildoer, condemned to death according to the law and executed publicly, was now preached as a Lord and God who has power over the whole world.
So Christ begins his kingdom through the unlearned laymen and unintelligent fishermen who have not learned the Scriptures. It is ridiculous enough that the Christian church should thus begin, through the poor beggars and through the annoying preaching of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth, who was mocked, scorned, blasphemed, and most disgracefully inflicted, and finally, as a rebel and blasphemer, was nailed to a cross and ignominiously killed; as his title above the cross indicates: "Jesus of Nazareth, the
King of the Jews. On the day of Pentecost it is publicly preached that violence and injustice had been done to him, and that those who crucified and killed him are God's enemies and devils, who have certainly sinned and greatly angered God. And by this preaching the kingdom of Christ and the Christian church is begun.
(9) This is an excellent boldness and great thirst *) of the apostles and disciples, that they may preach these things publicly on the day of Pentecost. Who could be so bold and preach as they preach? As if one were condemned to death and publicly judged by spiritual and temporal authorities, and had remained in such condemnation of death for seven whole weeks: and I should appear and contradict the whole regiment, both spiritual and temporal, and justify the condemned and killed one, and condemn the judge and the whole regiment, and say: You have acted as traitors and evil-doers, in that you have judged and slain him who is innocent in the sight of God and the judgment of all things; yes, that is more, you have acted as traitors to God, in that you have denied and crucified your Lord and God. Let this be boldness and thurst to me.
10 Thus the apostles preach, as St. Lucas clearly indicates, Acts 3, that Peter spoke to all the people. 3 that Peter spoke to all the people, vv. 13, 14, 15: "Men of Israel, the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his child Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied before Pilate, when he judged to let him go. But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked that the murderer might be given unto you; but ye slew the Prince of Life." And as Peter preached, so preached all the rest. Therefore every one of them had an hundred thousand hearts, to make such a noise at Jerusalem, not only at Jerusalem, but also afterward in all the world, to begin the Christian church by preaching the wicked and foolish sermon, that they should kill the damned.
*) Thurst - audacious carriage, boldness, presumption.
D. Red.
and crucified Jesus of Nazareth as the Lord of heaven and earth.
It is a miracle that the high priests together with the governor Pontio Pilato did not go there immediately and strangled these preachers all at the same hour. If our sovereign had one hanged on the gallows, and I wanted to appear for several weeks afterward and contradict the publicly pronounced verdict and court and say that not only had violence and injustice been done to the one hanged, but that he had also risen from the dead and was alive, yes, that he was the Lord and God of all the world: if I wanted to preach like that, I would wait to see what I would encounter.
This is the New Testament and Kingdom of Christ, which begins with so little power, yet with almighty might and power that no one can resist. It seems foolish that Christ begins the New Testament in this way. It begins with the apostle's sermon on the day of Pentecost. But what is this sermon? We apostles preach that Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, condemned to death and publicly judged seven weeks ago, is the Lord of whom all the prophets prophesied. If any man will be freed from sin, and have everlasting life, let him repent, and be called by the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Both the materia and the instrumenta are to be regarded as small and null. The materia and preaching are small; the instrumenta, that is, the apostles and disciples, whom Christ needs as instruments for this preaching, are much smaller. And yet, through this small preaching and futile instruments, the New Testament and Kingdom of Christ begins.
(13) It is first of all disgraceful and offensive in the sight of the great men, the mighty, the wise, and the prudent of this world, that the apostles and disciples preach that Jesus of Nazareth, who was hanged on a tree by his own people as a rebel and a heretic, is the Lord and the Christian; and do not first consult the chief priests, the council of Jerusalem, and the governor of Pontium Pilatum, whether they may do so. After that it sounded foolish and weak to
that this sermon was not preached by the Levites and priests of Jerusalem, but by the lowly people, poor beggars and unintelligent laymen, who had apostatized from their Master Himself and had denied and forsaken Him. Then the great Hanses and wise men will have thought: Are not the beggars mad and foolish? What do they want to do, who have learned nothing all their lives? They stand up and preach about Jesus, who is condemned to death according to the law by the Roman authority, by the council and by the whole assembly of the high priests in Jerusalem. Who ever heard a more inconsistent thing? They undoubtedly thought so. Some were displeased and angry at it, but others laughed it off and said, "You are drunk and mad and crazy.
(14) Thus Christianity begins with folly and weakness; as St. Paul says, 1 Cor. 1:23: "We preach Christ crucified, an offence to the Jews and a foolishness to the Greeks. And yet under this foolishness and weakness is hidden the greatest wisdom and power, which no one can resist. For no matter how wise and mighty the chief priests and Pilate are, they still have to suffer this. God strikes them with fear so that they must be afraid of the people, lest they be stoned. It is rebellious for the apostles to appear and preach about the crucified Jesus of Nazareth, against spiritual and temporal authorities: nevertheless, both the high priests and Pilate must fear, and are worth nothing better than to fear, since there is nothing to fear, so that God may demonstrate His power in the weak. Thus, I say, Christianity is approaching in public weakness; and yet in the same weakness there is such great, mighty power and strength that all the wise and mighty must be astonished at it and fear it.
(15) In what then is this same power and authority found? Nowhere else but in the Word and the Spirit. See what power Peter has! And not Peter alone, but the others all together. How certain they are of the matter! How powerfully they take hold of the Scriptures, as if they had studied them for a hundred thousand years, and had not understood them.
I have learned the same in the best way. I could not do such a certain grasping of the Scriptures, though I am a doctor of the Scriptures; and these are fishermen who have not read the Scriptures. The same unlearned people and poor laymen, who have learned nothing, take hold of the Scriptures, and know how to guide the Scriptures better than the scribes, who study them daily. Thus, through the greatest foolishness and foolishness of the wretched, weak beggars, God proves the greatest wisdom that has come to earth, so that no one can imitate them, neither Annas nor Caiphas, nor any man on earth.
16 Thus Christianity began with the word of the poor fishermen and with the wretched and despised work of God, which is called Jesus of Nazareth, crucified. But God added this, that He raised up the apostles and disciples in the midst of their enemies in Jerusalem, and showered and showered them with many great miraculous signs, so that these new doctors and teachers would be confirmed against those who stubbornly acted against them. For the miraculous signs did not happen for the sake of those who soon fell to the apostles and disciples. This miraculous sign was enough for them, that the foolish fishermen and laymen held fiery tongues, preached the great deeds of God with other and new tongues and various languages, and knew how to guide the holy Scriptures so confidently. They had enough of this and quickly fell for the apostles and their preaching. But Hannam, Caipham, Pilatum, Herodem and the hard bunch had to be frightened by God with other signs. That is why he gave the apostles the gift of performing miracles, so that they would deal with the sick and even with the dead, making them healthy and alive as if it were child's play. When they carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and stretchers, and Peter came so that only his shadow overshadowed them, they were healed, Acts 5. 5 This meant that the miraculous signs would be performed to shut the mouths of the evil-doers and hard-hearted Pharisees, scribes and chief priests, so that they would become silent and, if not with their mouths in public, then secretly in their hearts.
and say, "This is what God has done.
17 By these two things Christ began his Christianity. By these two things Christ began his Christianity: by tongues and angry preaching, and by the miraculous signs which he granted to the apostles, to frighten the unbelievers, that their mouths might be stopped; as was done. For when Peter took hold of the right hand of the man who was lame from his mother's womb and was being carried every day to the door of the temple, and raised him up so that the legs and bones of the lame man were firm, all the people were filled with wonder and horror, and the rulers and elders and scribes, Annas the high priest and Caiphas, and John and Alexander, ran together and held a council and said: What shall we do to these men? That miraculous signs are done by them is known and manifest to all that dwell at Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. For they saw the man who had been healed standing before them, so they had nothing to say against it. If they said, "This man was lame, but the apostles did not heal him," it would be a bad rhyme. For all the people knew him, that he was he that sat for alms before the temple, and knew that Peter had made him whole.
18 We should never forget this sermon of Pentecost, but always remember it, and always thank God that it came to us from the apostles through the Holy Spirit, and through the power of the Holy Spirit it will remain in the world until the end. For if the Holy Spirit had not preserved it until then, we would know nothing about it; the devil would have long since snatched it away and destroyed it to the ground. But now the Holy Spirit sustains it powerfully for and for, so the dear feast of Pentecost and the comforting, joyful Pentecostal sermon have remained and have also come to us. Although many cults and sects have opposed it and have taken upon themselves to eradicate and suppress it, they have not been able to suppress or dampen it.
(19) Therefore, let us also speak of this joyful sermon, because it is through God.
grace has come to us, so that we may keep a clear distinction between the preaching of law and justice and the preaching of grace, which is the Lord Christ's own preaching. Just as we must make a distinction in our conscience between terror and joy, so we must also make a great distinction between the old Jewish Pentecosts, when the law was given on Mount Sinai, and the new Pentecosts, when the gospel is revealed through the Holy Spirit. We can make a difference between sadness and joy, between death and life. Therefore, just as the old Jewish Pentecost was a feast of sorrow, terror, trembling and death; as is seen in all the people of Israel gathered at Mount Sinai, that they were all terrified, trembling and fleeing, Ex 20:18.So let the new Pentecost be a feast of joy, consolation, and life, at which the joyful, sweet preaching that makes a cheerful, courageous heart is to be acted upon; as we see here happened to the apostles and disciples, since the Holy Spirit makes of the stupid, desponding, and fugitive people vain bold heroes, excellent sneezers, and such unconquerable men, who may defy the whole world and the devil in hell.
This should be our Pentecost sermon against all the terror of sins and death. The more joyful you are and the more certain and firm your faith is in your heart, the closer the Holy Spirit is to you and the more you have of the new Pentecost. But the more sadness is in your heart and the more frightened and stupid you are, the closer Moses is to you and the more you have of the old Pentecost of Mount Sinai. Therefore I say, as we can make a distinction between sadness and joy, between death and life: so also we should distinguish the old and new Pentecosts. We must have the old Mosaic Pentecosts for the sake of the bad boys, rough and secure people, yes, also for the sake of the presumptuous saints; but the new Pentecosts of the Holy Spirit we must have for the sake of the stupid, frightened consciences. From the new Pentecosts and
From the Holy Spirit's preaching, true joyful Christians and courageous, bold people become; as here are the apostles and disciples, who fear neither the world nor the devil. From the old Pentecosts and from the preaching of the Law become fearful and fugitive people; like the people fleeing at Mount Sinai, stepping from afar and saying: O dear Moses, speak thou with us, and let not God speak with us, lest we die. Such people make the old Pentecost and the preaching of the Law, who are frightened, despondent and stupid. And through such terror and fear of death they must leave sin and stop sinning.
(21) So the Holy Spirit began His ministry and work on this day of Pentecost in the New Testament, as Christ calls Him, a Comforter and Spirit of truth. For he gave the apostles and disciples a right and certain comfort in their hearts, and a sure and joyful courage, that they should ask nothing whether the world and the devil be merry or foul. Friend or foe, angry or laughing. They therefore walk in all security in the streets of the city, thinking thus: Here neither Annas nor Caiphas, neither Pilate nor Herod is anything, but we are everything. They are all our subjects and servants, but we are their lords and rulers. So they come forward most boldly without leave, not asking first whether they should preach, or whether the priests and Levites at Jerusalem also say yes to it; but come forward freely, and open their mouths freshly, chastising and reproving all the people, both rulers and oppressors, as murderers, malefactors and traitors, who have slain the Prince of life. What does Stephen do? He is not an apostle, but a deacon, appointed for the daily administration, and serves the others at table; yet he is so full of faith and the Holy Spirit that no one can resist his wisdom. He is allowed to engage with all the schools, and when he is brought before the council, he may open his mouth and say: "You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did, so do you. What prophets did your fathers not prophesy against?
and killed them, which before proclaimed the future of the righteous: whom then became ye traitors and murderers? (Apost. 7, 51. 52.) So he speaks as an angel of God, and asks for no one. He thinks: "These are great and high people before whom you speak, but however great and high they are, they are like grasshoppers compared to you; just as if he were an angel from heaven or God Himself. Such Pentecostals are made by the Holy Spirit, who know that they have a gracious God and Father in Christ, and go forth freely, confessing Christ before all the world, and being ready to suffer for His sake.
(22) Such a spirit was also needed by the apostles and disciples at that time, just as it is still needed by us today. For we are also blamed, as the apostles were, for being rebels, for separating the church from unity, and whatever evil happens, that, they say, happens to us. Before under the papacy, our blasphemers cry, it was not so evil: but now, now that these teachers have come, all misfortune has found itself, theure time, war and the Turk. They blame all this on our preaching. If they could tell us that the devil has fallen from heaven, even that we have crucified and killed Christ, they would not let it be. Therefore we also need the Holy Spirit's Pentecostal sermon, so that we may be confident and cheerfully despise such blasphemy.
(23) The apostles and disciples needed it at that time. For as it is with us this day, so it was with them in their time. They had to hear that all the world was complaining about them and crying out, "Since these arose and preached, the kingdom of the Jews has been divided and all the world has been outraged. If anyone doubts this, let him read the history of the apostles and he will find it. When they preached among the Jews, the Jews cried out, "These also, who are stirring up the whole world, have come here; only away with them and beaten to death! Apost. 17:6 But if they preached among the Gentiles, the Gentiles cried out, "These men make our city false, and are Jews, and preach a manner which is not fitting for us.
take, nor to do, because we are Romans." Apost. 16, 20. 21. In sum, everything evil that happened, the apostles and disciples must have done.
024 But they were their own prophets: for as they said, so it was done unto them. The Jews cried out against Paul, "This is the man that teacheth all men in all places against this people, against the law, and against this place," that is, he teacheth against God and against the service of God. "Therefore only away with such a one from the earth; for it is not right that he should live." Apost. 21, 28. 22, 22. But they were their own prophets, just like the high priest Caiphas, Joh. 11. As they said, so it happened to them. The Romans also cried out: These make the people astray and tear apart the Roman Empire. Just as they said, so it happened to them: the Roman empire was torn apart.
25 Our nobles, the godless bishops and princes, are also shouting about us today, saying that we are making Germany mad, and throwing everything into a heap. But let them also be their own prophets. For they know well that they are public lies, so that they blaspheme us and our doctrine. Therefore it shall be unto them, as the Lord saith of the servant of the scoundrel, Luke 19:22, "Out of thy mouth do I judge thee, thou scoundrel." As they say that we are their destroyers, so shall we be: not that such is our fault, or our doctrine's fault, but their fault, that they are so hard and stiff-necked, and will not suffer our preaching.
26 Therefore we must have this Pentecostal preaching of the Holy Spirit, who gives us heart and courage, so that we can tear through it, no matter who is angry, blaspheme us as much as they like, and immediately form groups and sects, so that we do not turn to them. Such courage must be there that asks nothing of it, but freely confesses and publicly preaches Christ, who has been so shamefully judged, condemned and killed.
(27) For this is the nature of the gospel, that it is a foolish and grievous preaching, which is everywhere rejected and condemned in the world. If the gospel enraged no citizen nor peasant, no bishop nor prince, it would be a
A fine, sweet sermon would be good to preach, and people would gladly hear it and accept it with pleasure. But because it is such a sermon that angers people, especially what is high, mighty, and wise in the world, it takes courage and the Holy Spirit for those who preach it. That the poor beggars and fishermen, the apostles, should appear and preach in such a way as to enrage the whole council of Jerusalem, and the whole government, the ecclesiastical class, and also the Roman emperor, and even more, to open their mouths so wide as to say, "You are traitors and murderers," and to wait to be smitten on the mouth about it: this was not done without the Holy Spirit. Therefore the Holy Spirit with this Pentecostal sermon is our comfort and joy, that we ask nothing of the world's wrath and blasphemy. This same sermon makes such joyful people in Christ, who dare to do anything for Christ's sake and are willing to suffer for His sake.
This was said at the beginning of the feast of Pentecost. At the end, the text says how the people were amazed and astonished when they heard the apostles speak with other tongues about the great deeds of God. This indicates what the preaching of the apostles was on the day of Pentecost, namely that they did not preach about imperial laws and rights, nor about the law of Mosiah, but about the great deeds of God. "We hear them," they say, "speaking with our tongues the great deeds and wonders of God." These all that speak are Galileans, and have all one mother tongue: nevertheless they appear, and speak Welsh, Greek, Persian, Elamite etc.; and not of loose, small things, but of the great deeds of God. It is a wonder that they know so many languages, none of which they have learned. To this miracle is added another miracle, that they speak of God and His great miraculous deeds.
What are these deeds of God? Answer: The apostles' sermons were not far from each other, but almost of one kind, although each preached a separate and special sermon. But this was the common stroke, as St. Peter preaches afterwards, Apost. 2, and St. Paul,
Apost. The sum of these sermons is that God fulfilled the promise He made to the fathers to their children by begetting Jesus as the Savior of the people of Israel from David's seed. The same God who performed so many signs and wonders from the time He brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, has now confirmed all the wonders in one heap, in that He raised Jesus from the dead and proclaimed in His name the forgiveness of sins, that whoever believes in Him is righteous and blessed. This has been the common stroke, without any one of them having put it out more abundantly in other and more words than the other. The main sum was how we confess and say in faith: "I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered, crucified, died, went to hell, rose from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven" etc. Item: "I believe forgiveness of sins" etc. This was the Pentecostal sermon, without one leading other and more sayings from the Holy Scriptures than the other to prove it.
30 These things are clearly seen in the sermons of Peter and Paul, Acts 2, 36. 13, 26. After Peter has preached for a long time from the prophet Joel and from the Psalms, he finally concludes with these words: "Therefore let all the house of Israel know that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, a Lord and a Christian. And Paul, after speaking long from Moses, lifts up and says, "Men, brethren, ye are the people of promise, unto you is sent the word of salvation. As God promised to send you a Messiah and a Savior, so He has fulfilled His promise: the one whom the rulers of Jerusalem killed because they did not know Him is the Messiah. God was pleased that the promise should be fulfilled before it was understood. Therefore accept him, and see to it that you are not brought to naught as traitors and unbelievers."
031 When therefore the people heard these things, many believed. For they have rejoiced
and thought, "These are all Galileans, and foolish, simple-minded people, and bad laymen, how can they speak of God in this way? For they have heard that the apostles began from above and told from the Scriptures how God governed the people of Israel miraculously and fulfilled His promise made to the fathers. Therefore they were moved by the apostles' preaching and converted before they saw the miraculous signs: What will this be? As if to say:
These are unlearned men and preach so mightily. If Annas or Caiphas or the scribes did it, it would be miracle enough. Therefore they immediately fell to the apostles, believed their preaching, repented, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.
May our dear God and Father, through His Holy Spirit, keep us in this Pentecostal sermon and give us a thankful heart, so that we may remain in it for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.