This wonderful event took place in the chamber of the temple, which
they had used as a place of worship ever since their Lord’s departure.
As the whole temple was now constantly thronged with worshipers, who
were making their offerings on this great feast day, this room in which
the followers of Jesus were devoutly employed, must, as well as all the
others, have been visited by new comers: for the mere prior occupation
of the room by the disciples, could not entitle them to exclude from
a public place of that kind any person who might choose to enter. The
multitude of devotees who filled all parts of the temple, soon heard of
what was going on in this apartment, and came together to see and hear
for themselves. When the inquiring crowds reached the spot, they found
the followers of Christ breaking out in loud expressions of praise to
God, and of exhortation, each in such a language as best suited his
powers of expression, not confining themselves to the Hebrew, which in
all places of public worship, and especially in Jerusalem on the great
festivals, was the only language of devotion. Among the crowds that
thronged to the place of this strange occurrence, were Jews from many
distant regions, whose language or dialects were as widely various as
the national names which they bore. Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites,
――those who dwelt in Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia,
Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt and Africa, and some even from distant
Rome, were all among those who heard the spirit-moving language of the
disciples. Some of the more scrupulous among these foreign Jews, were
probably, notwithstanding their amazement, somewhat offended at this
profanation of worship, in the public use of these heathen languages
for the purposes of devotion; and with a mixture of wonder and
displeasure they asked, “Are not all these men who are talking in these
various languages, Galileans? How then are they able to show such an
immense diversity of expression, so that all of us, even those from
the most distant countries, hear them in our various languages, setting
forth the praises of God?” And they were all surprised and perplexed,
and said one to another, “What will this come to?” But to some who
were present, the whole proceeding was so little impressive, and had
so little appearance of anything miraculous, that they were moved only
to expressions of contempt, and said, in a tone of ridicule, “These
men are drunk on sweet wine.” This seems to show that to them there
was no conclusive evidence of Divine agency in this speaking in various
languages; and they, no doubt, supposed that among these Galileans
were foreigners also from many other parts of the world, who, mingling
with Christ’s disciples, had joined in their devotions, and caught
their enthusiasm. Seeing this assembly thus made up, now occupied in
speaking violently and confusedly in these various languages, they at
once concluded that they were under the influence of some artificial
exhilarant, and supposed that during this great festal occasion
they had been betrayed into some unseasonable jollity, and were now
under the excitement of hard drinking. Such as took this cool view
of the matter, therefore, immediately explained the whole by charging
the excited speakers with drunkenness. But Peter, on hearing this
scandalous charge, rose up, as the leader and defender of these objects
of public notice, and repelled the contemptuous suggestion that he and
his companions had been abusing the occasion of rational religious
enjoyment, to the purposes of intemperate and riotous merriment.
Calling on all present for their attention, both foreign Jews and those
settled in Jerusalem, he told them that the violent emotions which had
excited their surprise could not be caused by wine, as it was then but
nine o’clock in the morning, and as they well knew, it was contrary to
all common habits of life to suppose that before that early hour, these
men could have been exposed to any such temptation. They knew that the
universal fashion of the devout Jews was to take no food whatever on
the great days of public worship, until after their return from morning
prayers in the temple. How then could these men, thus devoutly occupied
since rising, have found opportunity to indulge in intoxicating drinks?
Peter then proceeded to refer them for a more just explanation of this
strange occurrence, to the long recorded testimonies of the ancient
prophets, which most distinctly announced such powerful displays of
religious zeal and knowledge, as about to happen in those later days,
of which the present moment seemed the beginning. He quoted to them
a passage from Joel, which pointedly set forth these and many other
wonders with the distinctness of reality, and showed them how all these
striking words were connected with the fate of that Jesus whom they had
so lately sacrificed. He now, for the first time, publicly declared to
them, that this Jesus, whom they had vainly subjected to a disgraceful
death, had by the power of God been raised from the grave to a glorious
and immortal life. Of this fact he assured them that all the disciples
were the witnesses, having seen him with their own eyes after his
return to life. He now showed them in what manner the resurrection
of Jesus might be explained and illustrated by the words of David,
and how the psalm itself might be made to appear in a new light, by
interpreting it in accordance with these recent events. He concluded
this high-toned and forcible appeal to scripture and to fact, by
calling them imperatively to learn and believe. “Let all the house
of Israel know, then, that God has made this Jesus, whom you have
crucified, both Lord and Christ.” This declaration, thus solemnly
made and powerfully supported, in connection with the surprising
circumstances which had just occurred, had a most striking and
convincing effect on the hearers, and almost the whole multitude giving
way to their feelings of awe and compunction, being stung with the
remembrance of the share they had had in the murder of Jesus, cried out,
as with one voice, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter’s instant reply
was, “Change your mind, and be each one of you baptized to the name of
Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit.” That same divine influence, whose in-workings
had just been so wonderfully displayed before their eyes, was now
promised to them, as the seal of Christ’s acceptance of the offer of
themselves in the preliminary sign of baptism. To them and to their
children, upon whom, fifty days before, they had solemnly invoked the
curse of the murdered Redeemer’s blood, was this benignant promise of
pardoning love now made; and not only to them, but to all, however far
off in place or in feeling, whom their common Lord and God should call
to him. Inspired with the glorious prospect of success now opening
to him, and moved to new earnestness by their devout and alarmed
attention, Peter zealously went on, and spoke to them many other words,
of which the sacred historian has given us only the brief but powerful
concluding exhortation,――“Suffer yourselves to be saved from this
perverse generation,”――from those who had involved themselves and their
race in the evils resulting to them from their wicked rejection of
the truth offered by Jesus. The whole Jewish nation stood at that
time charged with the guilt of rejecting the Messiah; nor could any
individual be cleared from his share of responsibility for the crime,
except by coming out and distinctly professing his faith in Christ.