Acts 2:39Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Then, to make his word persuasive, he added, "For the promise is to you." Here he means the same promise of which he spoke above. "And to your children." Thus the gift is greater when they also have heirs of the good things. "And to all who are far off." If it is for those far off, how much more for you who are near. "As many as the Lord our God will call." See when he says, "to those far off." It is when they were already disposed toward him and had condemned themselves. For when the soul condemns itself, it can no longer envy.

Then he says, "and to your children," because the gift is more precious when the good things pass also to the heirs. "And to all who are far off." If this gift is for those far off, how much more is it for you who are near. Notice when he indicated to them, the Jews, the calling of the Gentiles by saying, "and to those far off." When did he do this? When he found them pierced to the heart and aware of themselves. When the soul condemns itself, it can no longer envy.

All the sorrows that befell the tribe of Judah passed, yet its kingdom was not destroyed like the kingdom of Ephraim. From this it was clear that something lay hidden in the tribe of Judah.

Therefore let it consider whether that which was hidden in it remains in it until now, and whether the honor that formerly always belonged to it is still preserved for it.

If it now has no honor anywhere, then that visible propitiation which had been hidden in it has also been taken from it.

And since that propitiation has passed to the Gentiles, its honor has followed it.

Behold, the prophets always prophesy among the Gentiles, for their writings are continually read, and faith in them is preserved.

All this, together with what was known about Jesus' own deeds and teaching, made such an impression on the apostle's hearers that about three thousand of them immediately repented of their sins. They received Baptism and formed with the apostles the first community of the Church of Christ. On the day of Pentecost, gifts from the harvest gathered from the fields were customarily brought in the Jewish temple. Here the fruits of the whole Old Testament harvest were brought.

In his answer the Apostle Peter does not point to abundant and costly sacrifices, nor to any other labors of Old Testament legal righteousness, as what God's will requires from those who desire salvation.

He requires only two things from them: repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ.

These are spiritual and moral correction, and faith in Jesus as the Christ and worshipful Lord, testified to and sealed by baptism.

For these two acts he declares to them two promises: the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

To stir his hearers still more toward repentance and faith in Christ, the Apostle reminds them of something that should grieve them.

The promise concerns what was spoken in Joel's prophecy about the day of the Lord. Grace has been poured out from heaven so abundantly that it will not be limited to us or to you alone. Rather, all nations will be called into this grace.

The promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the last days, given through the prophet Joel and other prophets, belongs to you.

That is, it belongs to all Jews who are to live until these last days. Therefore it belongs to Peter's present hearers and to all their contemporaries.

This promise must come to fulfillment upon them and in them. Yet, of course, not upon all, but only upon those who turn from Judaism to Christianity.

It also belongs "to your children." This means that the fulfillment of the promise is not limited to the present generation, contemporary with these last days, but will extend into all future time.

The promises of God formerly belonged in a special way to the Hebrew people, but afterward these promises extended to all nations.

Thus even Symeon the God-receiver called Jesus Christ a Light to enlighten the Gentiles, and at the same time the Glory of Israel; see Lk 2:32.

It was apparently to this latter point that the Apostle was alluding. He awakened in the Hebrews the noblest feelings of a common divine election, of fathers and children, from generation to generation.

The other nations did not have and do not have this. There each person must be called separately, through each one's declaration of faith in the Messiah.

The Hebrews, however, can be saved by the faith already existing in them from their ancestors; cf. Rom 3:23.