I've started reading through Acts (using The Voice Translation and the Message/NASB parallel that I have) and thought I share Peter's Amazing Sermon from Acts 2. This is a translation from the Message which is equally amazing-
That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out
with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk—it's only
nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced
would happen:
"In the Last Days," God says,
"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I'll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they'll prophesy.
I'll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved."
22-28"Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man
thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs
that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the
deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who
took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you
pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes
and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:
I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side.
I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I've pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you'll never dump me in Hades;
I'll never even smell the stench of death.
You've got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around.
29-36"Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is
dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a
prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of
his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the
resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.'
This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it.
Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the
promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he
had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did
not ascend to heaven, but he did say,
God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet."
"AllIsrael, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him
Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross."
37Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other
apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
38-39Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children,
but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God
invites."
40He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out
while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!"
41-42That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were
signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles,
the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
43-45Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the
apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding
everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their
resources so that each person's need was met.
Talk about boldness! I love that Peter goes from this mariginal Galliean fisherman to this balls to the walls preacher, who confronts the religious establishment. This whole study has been challenging me to live boldly, and to throw out a trendy Christian word-missionally. Hopefully to my bros and sistas you will be encouraged to do the same.
jW
