Acts 2:13
But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
All verses
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Acts 2:13
But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The mockers dismiss the disciples' experience by calling it "new wine," which was a potent, sweet drink. This insult carries a double sting: it implies drunkenness, but more importantly, it falsely attributes a supernatural, Spirit-filled empowerment to a mere earthly indulgence, utterly missing the divine work happening before their eyes.
The disciples are excitedly speaking in various languages, having just been filled with the Holy Spirit, a phenomenon that draws a large crowd. While some are amazed and questioning what's happening, others, unable to comprehend or accept the miraculous, resort to mockery. They dismiss the disciples' fervent speech and ecstatic state as mere drunkenness from new wine, failing to recognize the divine power at work.
When God does something powerful and new, how does the world typically react? Is it awe, or something else?
The moment the Holy Spirit powerfully indwells the disciples, enabling them to speak in other languages, not everyone is amazed. Some people, with a spirit of ridicule, dismiss the divine phenomenon. They call the disciples "full of new wine." This isn't a new tactic; it's the age-old response of those who are unwilling to acknowledge God's work.
The mockers said 'new wine,' but what were they really accusing the disciples of? And what was the disciples' true 'intoxication'?
The accusation of being "full of new wine" was a dismissive, earthly explanation for an extraordinary spiritual event. These mockers couldn't comprehend the disciples speaking in other languages.
The Mockers' Insult:
The Deeper Truth:
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 mockers' accusation of drunkenness highlights a common human tendency: to dismiss supernatural or spiritually significant events with mundane, naturalistic explanations, especially when confronted with something that challenges their worldview.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Feast of Pentecost in Jerusalem
This Jewish festival, occurring 50 days after Passover, brought thousands of Jewish pilgrims from all over the Roman Empire and beyond to Jerusalem. It was a time of intense religious observance and gathering.
c. 30 AD
The Holy Spirit Descends
On the day of Pentecost, as Jesus' followers gathered, the Holy Spirit dramatically descended upon them, empowering them and causing them to speak in other languages.
c. 30 AD
Crowd Reacts to Tongues
The miraculous event attracted a large, diverse crowd. While some were amazed and confused, others, particularly those unfamiliar with or hostile to Jesus' followers, reacted with mockery.
c. 30 AD
Peter's Sermon
Peter boldly addressed the crowd, explaining the events not as drunkenness but as the fulfillment of prophecy, where God would pour out His Spirit. He urged them to repent and be baptized.
Hannah, filled with a different kind of spiritual intoxication, is accused by Eli of being drunk, showing a historical pattern of misunderstanding intense spiritual experiences.
Matthew 11:19Jesus contrasts those who accuse Him of being a glutton and a drunkard with those who recognize His wisdom, highlighting the tendency to misinterpret divine manifestations through a worldly lens.
John 7:15The Jewish leaders are amazed at Jesus's teachings, admitting He hasn't learned them in the usual way, which parallels the disciples' new languages baffling onlookers who couldn't grasp the divine source.
Galatians 5:22-23This passage describes the 'fruit of the Spirit,' which can manifest in ways that appear unusual or overwhelming to those outside the Spirit's influence, just as the disciples' experience was mistaken for drunkenness.
1 Corinthians 14:23Paul explains that speaking in tongues could be seen as madness by outsiders, directly addressing the kind of misunderstanding and mockery the disciples faced in Acts 2.
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' experience by calling it "new wine," which was a potent, sweet drink. This insult carries a double sting: it implies drunkenness, but more importantly, it falsely attributes a supernatural, Spirit-filled empowerment to a mere earthly indulgence, utterly missing the divine work happening before their eyes.
The disciples are excitedly speaking in various languages, having just been filled with the Holy Spirit, a phenomenon that draws a large crowd. While some are amazed and questioning what's happening, others, unable to comprehend or accept the miraculous, resort to mockery. They dismiss the disciples' fervent speech and ecstatic state as mere drunkenness from new wine, failing to recognize the divine power at work.
The disciples are excitedly speaking in various languages, having just been filled with the Holy Spirit, a phenomenon that draws a large crowd. While some are amazed and questioning what's happening, others, unable to comprehend or accept the miraculous, resort to mockery. They dismiss the disciples' fervent speech and ecstatic state as mere drunkenness from new wine, failing to recognize the divine power at work.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Acts 2:13 is available in the Sola app.
c. 30 AD
Thousands Added to the Church
Following Peter's powerful message and the Holy Spirit's work, about three thousand people repented, were baptized, and became part of the early Christian community.
"But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”" — The mockers dismiss the disciples' experience by calling it "new wine," which was a potent, sweet drink. This insult carries a double sting: it implies drunkenness, but more importantly, it falsely a…