They therefore that received his word were baptized: and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.
οι μεν ουν ασμενως αποδεξαμενοι τον λογον αυτου εβαπτισθησαν και προσετεθησαν τη ημερα εκεινη ψυχαι ωσει τρισχιλιαι
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
How much more than the sign itself do you think this animated the apostles? Since there were now three thousand of them, the apostles already led them out, and with great boldness they came daily to the temple and remained there. Soon afterward Peter and John act in just this way, because they had not yet rejected anything Jewish. Even the reverence shown to the place passed over to the Master of the temple.
Here is the fulfillment of the prophecy which says: "Who has heard such a thing, and who has seen such things? Has the earth brought forth with travail in one day, or has a nation been born all at once? For Zion was in travail and brought forth her children" (Is 66:8).
When the first Baptism was solemnly performed in the Church, divine love providentially gathered three thousand souls for the confession of the Most Holy Trinity. Moses likewise, on the fiftieth day after Pascha, when the law was given, commanded the feast of the firstfruits of the harvest to be kept. But now, at the descent of the Holy Spirit, it is not sheaves of grain that become firstfruits consecrated to the Lord, but sheaves of souls.
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.
These were the firstfruits from the ripened field of the whole people. Yet the richness of these firstfruits clearly showed the richness of the harvest that would follow. After the feast ended, the pilgrims carried the report of what they had seen and heard to all ends of the world. They cast the first seeds of Christ's teaching upon the untilled soil of the Gentiles.
The effect of this event, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, and of this speech of Peter upon those gathered, was astonishingly majestic.
About three thousand people were added to the Christian society, having been baptized in the name of Christ.
"Those who gladly received his word" means those who received Peter's word about Christ, Who had sent down the Holy Spirit.
They believed through this speech in Jesus precisely as their Messiah. They believed willingly, with spiritual joy and gladness.
The historian's words do not indicate whether all those gathered gladly received the apostolic word, or only part of them.
There had also been mockers there; verse 13. Perhaps Peter's speech brought them to their senses too, and after the apostolic speech they passed from frivolous mockery to faith in Christ.
They were baptized according to the Lord's command to baptize those who believe in Him through the word of the Apostles and of preachers generally; Mt 28:19; Mk 16:16.
Of course, these three thousand who believed were not all baptized at once, given the ancient custom of baptism by immersion, not by pouring or sprinkling.
In Jerusalem and its surroundings there was no such abundant gathering of waters where so many people could be baptized by immersion all at once.
They were probably baptized through the Apostles and other disciples of the Lord in homes, separately, over a certain period of time.
The historian, however, indicates this generally, with a general expression, pointing to the overall result of this extraordinary day in relation to the growth of Christ's Church.
"Were added" means added to the society of those who already believed in Christ, or to the Church of Christ.
The effect of all the Apostle's persuasions upon the hearers was irresistible. They believed irrevocably, with full conviction, and all were promptly baptized.
Those baptized numbered about three thousand people. This, of course, took no little time for all the Apostles.
It also had no small influence upon Christianity, not only among those who were in Jerusalem that day, but throughout the whole world of that time.
Only recently the Church of God had contained only a few hundred people. Now there were already thousands.
Thus, in the very first days, the grace of the Holy Spirit acted with great power for the spread of the Christian faith.
Having inwardly acted upon all believers and transformed them, it soon afterward acted just as promptly through them.
Therefore it is not surprising that Christians soon came to be counted by the thousands in other places as well.
"For what do you think," says John Chrysostom, "how many times more this sign encouraged the Apostles?"
"We ordinary hearers of the Word of God can never rise to the height of the gifts of the Holy Spirit that dwelt in the Apostles.
Yet according to our strength we too must unfailingly hold to the holy examples of our ministry, calling upon the Spirit of truth, the one Instructor of all, for our work," says Ignatius, Archbishop of Voronezh.
"And all Christians must kindle within themselves the gifts of grace," says Paul, Archbishop of Kazan.
Teachers of preaching say that here, in the Apostle's speech, one of the finest models is given; see the article by Professor V. Pevnitsky.
The subject of this speech is the one God, says Bishop Ignatius. The arrangement of the word is the revelations of God.
Its foundations or proofs are again revelation, and again exposition, truthfulness, adornment, simplicity, spirit, and sincere love for God and neighbor.
Its aim is the salvation of all. Its conclusion is the indication of the means to this.
But the greatest success of the preaching is also its best evaluation. The conversion of three thousand is undoubtedly a success in Gospel preaching known to very few.
Only one must not attribute everything in this success to the preacher, especially since he did not speak alone.
The same Holy Spirit was acting, giving the necessary powers for profit; see 1 Cor 1:24.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS