But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The mockers dismiss the disciples' incredible ability to speak in other tongues by labeling it mere drunkenness, demonstrating a common human tendency to attribute extraordinary spiritual experiences to ordinary, even base, causes. This isn't just a dismissive insult; it's a refusal to consider the divine, opting instead for a mundane explanation to maintain their own worldview.
But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Spirit has just powerfully descended upon the disciples, enabling them to speak in other languages and perform miracles, causing a huge crowd to gather in astonishment. As Peter begins to explain this extraordinary event, some in the crowd, unable to comprehend or dismiss the undeniable spiritual manifestation, resort to mockery, attributing the disciples' fervor and miraculous speech to drunkenness. This immediate reaction of skepticism and ridicule sets the stage for Peter's bold defense and proclamation of the Gospel.
When God breaks through with something powerful and new, people often try to explain it away. What does this verse reveal about our tendency to dismiss the divine?
It's fascinating to see how the crowd reacts to the miraculous outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Instead of awe or wonder, some resort to mockery. They dismiss the disciples' experience, saying, 'They are filled with new wine.'
Scoffing at the Sacred
This isn't just casual misunderstanding; it's active derision. The word used for 'mocking' suggests a kind of jeering or scoffing. It’s a way of demeaning something they don’t understand or don’t want to acknowledge as divine.
Explaining Away the Extraordinary
This reaction is a classic pattern. Whenever God does something extraordinary, people who aren't experiencing it tend to offer mundane explanations. They'd rather believe the disciples are drunk than to accept that the Holy Spirit is powerfully at work. This isn't a new phenomenon; even Jesus was accused of being demon-possessed or out of his mind when he performed miracles and spoke with authority.
What exactly did the mockers mean by 'new wine,' and why was it the go-to insult for a powerful spiritual experience?
The phrase 'new wine' (or 'sweet wine') carried specific connotations for the people of that time. It wasn't just any alcoholic drink; it was often associated with youthful exuberance, strong effects, and even excess.
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A Drunken Analogy
The mockers used this to imply the disciples were out of control, irrational, and perhaps even foolish. It was an attempt to categorize the disciples' experience into something familiar and easily discredited – mere intoxication.
The Timing Was Off
Interestingly, the feast of Pentecost was a spring festival. 'New wine' would typically be from the previous autumn's harvest. While some ancient texts suggest methods for preserving sweet, unfermented grape juice, the timing made the accusation illogical. It highlights how desperate the critics were for any explanation, however flawed, to avoid confronting the divine.
Spiritually Drunk
Peter later flips this accusation, revealing the true source: they were not drunk on wine, but 'filled with the Spirit.' The 'intoxication' was real, but the source was heavenly, not earthly. The Spirit’s power, like strong wine, can bring about altered states of perception, bold speech, and a transformed demeanor.
Understand the original words
diachleuazō · Greek Verb
To show contempt, ridicule, or scorn toward someone, particularly regarding their religious claims or behavior.
gleukos · Greek Noun
Fermented juice of the grape; in the New Testament, it is often used as a metaphor for divine influence (whether of the Spirit or of intoxication) and carries connotations of celebration or excess.
The mocking of the crowd reveals a common human tendency to dismiss extraordinary spiritual events with mundane explanations, especially when faced with the challenge of change.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Crucified and Resurrected
The central events of Christian faith, the death and resurrection of Jesus, have recently occurred, leaving a devoted but small following.
c. 30 AD
Ascension of Jesus
Jesus ascends into heaven after His resurrection appearances, promising His followers the Holy Spirit.
c. 30 AD— this verse
The Day of Pentecost
The Holy Spirit descends upon the 120 followers of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem, empowering them to speak in other languages.
c. 30 AD
Peter's Sermon
Peter addresses the bewildered crowd, explaining the outpouring of the Spirit and calling them to repentance.
c. 30 AD
The Early Church Grows
Following Peter's sermon and the miracles, about 3,000 people are added to the number of believers.
Hannah is wrongly accused of being drunk by Eli the priest because of her intense prayer, showing how fervent spiritual experiences can be misunderstood by others.
Matthew 11:19Jesus notes that some people criticized both his ascetic lifestyle and John the Baptist's more abstemious one, illustrating a pattern of people finding fault with spiritual manifestations, even calling them demonic or drunken.
John 7:15The Jewish leaders are astonished at Jesus's teachings, acknowledging he never studied, yet they struggled to understand the source of his wisdom, similar to how the crowd at Pentecost couldn't grasp the apostles' new ability.
Proverbs 1:24-26This passage describes God's response to those who mock his counsel and warnings, predicting that He will laugh at their calamity, paralleling the spiritual blindness of the mockers in Acts 2.
Galatians 5:16This verse speaks of walking by the Spirit and not fulfilling the desires of the flesh, highlighting the contrast between genuine spiritual empowerment and being controlled by fleshly desires or substances, which the mockers wrongly attributed to the apostles.
barnesActs 2:13: "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."
Others, mocking, said - The word rendered "mocking" means "to cavil, to deride." It occurs in the New Testament in only one other place: Acts 17:32 , "And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked." This was an effect that was not confined to the day of Pentecost. There has seldom been a revival of religion, a remarkable manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit, that has not given occasion for profane mock…
vincentActs 2:13: "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine."
Others (ἕτεροι)Of a different class. The first who commented on the wonder did so curiously, but with no prejudice. Those who now spoke did so in a hostile spirit. See on Acts 2:4.Mocking (διαχλευάζοντες; so the best texts)From χλεύη, a joke. Only here in New Testament.New wine (γλεύκους)Lit., "sweet wine." Of course intoxicating.
The mockers dismiss the disciples' incredible ability to speak in other tongues by labeling it mere drunkenness, demonstrating a common human tendency to attribute extraordinary spiritual experiences to ordinary, even base, causes. This isn't just a dismissive insult; it's a refusal to consider the divine, opting instead for a mundane explanation to maintain their own worldview.
The Holy Spirit has just powerfully descended upon the disciples, enabling them to speak in other languages and perform miracles, causing a huge crowd to gather in astonishment. As Peter begins to explain this extraordinary event, some in the crowd, unable to comprehend or dismiss the undeniable spiritual manifestation, resort to mockery, attributing the disciples' fervor and miraculous speech to drunkenness. This immediate reaction of skepticism and ridicule sets the stage for Peter's bold defense and proclamation of the Gospel.
The Holy Spirit has just powerfully descended upon the disciples, enabling them to speak in other languages and perform miracles, causing a huge crowd to gather in astonishment. As Peter begins to explain this extraordinary event, some in the crowd, unable to comprehend or dismiss the undeniable spiritual manifestation, resort to mockery, attributing the disciples' fervor and miraculous speech to drunkenness. This immediate reaction of skepticism and ridicule sets the stage for Peter's bold defense and proclamation of the Gospel.
"But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”" — The mockers dismiss the disciples' incredible ability to speak in other tongues by labeling it mere drunkenness, demonstrating a common human tendency to attribute extraordinary spiritual experiences…
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Last reviewed October 2026