Lord. He shows that they had taken the Lord by wicked hands and had
crucified and slain him; that God had raised him from the dead and had
exalted him to his right hand; had given him the _promise of the Holy
Spirit_; that what they _saw_ and _heard_ was the fulfillment of Joel's
promise. This promise was not simply to the apostles, for we read in the
preceding chapter that the apostles, and the women and Mary the mother
of Jesus, and his brethren to the number of one hundred and twenty all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. "And when the day
of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And
suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty
wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there
appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat
upon _each of them_. And they _were all filled_ with the Holy Spirit,
and began _to speak_ with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them
utterance." This shows that the gift of the Spirit came upon all the
followers Jesus left behind him. When the multitude were convicted by
the apostle's discourse, they "said unto Peter and the rest of the
apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, Repent
ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto
the remission of your sins: and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. _For to you is the promise_, and to your children, and to all
that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto
him." What promise! Evidently the promise of God, "I will pour out of my
spirit upon all flesh." There is no other promise in the mind of Peter
and his hearers, and I know of no other promise the reader can have in
mind. This position is amply supported by after-developments. "While
Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that
_heard the word_. And they of the circumcision that believed were
amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also
was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak