Acts 2:40Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying." See how everywhere the writer speaks briefly, and how far he is from ambition and boasting.

"He testified," it says, "and exhorted them, saying." Behold perfect teaching, instilling both fear and love.

"Be saved," Peter says, "from this perverse generation." He says nothing about the future, but about the present, by which people are most of all guided.

He shows that the preaching delivers both from present and future evils.

"And with many other words he testified." The Apostle said this to show that what had been said was not enough.

Or again, the former words were spoken in order to bring them to faith, while these showed what the believer must do.

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.

What the historian has preserved for us from the Apostle Peter's proclamation is only a small part of the instructions he offered to his hearers on this occasion.

Likewise, the historian transmits nothing to us from the evangelical speeches of the other Apostles.

Yet those convinced by the word of the Apostle Peter turned not only to Peter, but also to the other Apostles, for counsel concerning the means of salvation; Acts 2:37.

From this one can see that the other Apostles, together with Peter, also took part in instructing and persuading the people gathered around them.

Even without special indications, this should be clear to us when we read here that those seeking apostolic instruction, who were then baptized that day, numbered about three thousand.

The conclusion of the apostolic discourse consists in the conclusion of the prophecy.

It is a truly most edifying conclusion. It consists in pointing out the means for fulfilling or acquiring that about which the instruction had been given.

"And with many other words," the historian adds, "he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation.'"

Thus he directed the word from the general contemplative truths of salvation especially toward this: that those who heard about them should actually make use of them.

This is also a feature of instruction worthy of special attention for hearers of the word: the indication of the means for fulfillment.

"And with many other words," and so forth. Thus the historian does not set forth everything Peter said to his hearers, but only the main point, the substance of what was said.

The Evangelist Luke makes the same remark about the first preaching of the Baptist at the Jordan, where he also sets forth only its substance.

"He testified and exhorted." These are general concepts expressing religious and moral, theoretical and practical instruction in the truths of faith and morality.

They include a special influence upon the feeling and will of the hearers.

The substance of this exhortation was briefly expressed in the words: "Be saved from this perverse generation."

The other words of the Apostle's speech, not recorded here, are described by the Apostle Luke as many other testimonies and exhortations.

By this he shows that Peter's speech was very extensive and varied in form and spirit of expression.

At times he spoke as a witness, bringing forward proofs and facts known to him. At times he acted as a teacher and father, exhorting them to incline toward the truth being preached.

Of course, he also turned them away from errors.

From this latter kind of preaching the historian reports especially significant apostolic words: "Be saved from this perverse generation."

The expression "this generation" is used in Holy Scripture in the sense of the contemporary direction of people; see Mt 11:16; 23:36.