Acts 2:39
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The promise of the Spirit isn't just for the immediate listeners, but extends to their children and everyone far off, highlighting that God's invitation is fundamentally about His calling, not human boundaries. This emphasizes that salvation belongs to whoever God calls, transcending any previous distinctions of closeness or distance.
Following the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Peter's powerful sermon, the crowd is deeply convicted and asks what they should do. Peter's answer is direct: repent and be baptized, and they will receive the promised gift of the Spirit, a promise that extends not just to them and their children, but to all people, no matter how distant, whom God calls.
Peter's words here echo back to the very beginnings of God's covenant with Abraham. But who exactly is included in this ancient promise now?
The Expanding Covenant
Peter is reminding his Jewish audience that the promise of God, initially made to Abraham and his descendants, isn't staying put. It's a covenant that has always been designed to grow and include more people.
What exactly is this 'promise' Peter is referring to, and why is it so crucial for both Jews and Gentiles?
The Gift That Changes Everything
The "promise" Peter speaks of is primarily the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. This isn't just a nice-to-have; it's the core of the new covenant God is establishing.
Understand the original words
epangelia · Greek Noun
Specifically refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the New Covenant blessing promised to all believers through faith in Jesus Christ.
makran · Greek Adverb
A reference to the Gentiles or those geographically and relationally separated from the covenant promises, who are now brought near through the Gospel.
proskaleōmai · Greek Verb
The sovereign act of God by which He draws specific individuals to Himself through the proclamation of the Gospel, effectively enabling them to respond in faith.
This verse, spoken by Peter just after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, assures new Jewish believers that the promise of God's Spirit is not just for them and their immediate families, but for all people, including those far away – a concept Peter himself would later fully grasp through his encounter with Cornelius.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Pentecost and the First Believers
The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus' followers in Jerusalem, empowering them to speak in other tongues. Peter preaches a sermon, and thousands are converted and baptized.
c. 30-33 AD
Early Church Growth in Jerusalem
The fledgling Christian community flourishes in Jerusalem, characterized by fellowship, teaching, prayer, and sharing of resources.
c. 33-35 AD
Stephen's Martyrdom and the First Scattering
The martyrdom of Stephen, a Hellenistic Jewish disciple, leads to increased persecution and the scattering of believers beyond Jerusalem.
c. 35-40 AD
Philip Preaches in Samaria
Philip, one of the seven deacons, travels to Samaria and successfully proclaims the gospel, leading to many conversions among a people historically at odds with the Jews.
This verse speaks of peace being proclaimed to both those who are near and those who are far off, directly paralleling Peter's extension of the promise in Acts 2:39.
Ephesians 2:11-13Paul here echoes Peter's language, describing the Gentiles as once 'far off' but now brought near through Christ, illuminating who the 'afar off' refers to in Acts 2:39.
Joel 2:32This Old Testament prophecy, quoted earlier by Peter in Acts 2:17-21, forms the basis of the promise he speaks of and includes the idea of 'all who call on the name of the Lord' being saved, connecting to God's calling in Acts 2:39.
Romans 8:28This passage affirms that God works all things for good for those who are called according to His purpose, highlighting the divine initiative and the certainty of the calling mentioned in Acts 2:39.
Genesis 17:7God's covenant promise to Abraham to be God to him and his offspring shows the historical precedent for the promise extending to 'your children' as mentioned in Acts 2:39.
cambridgeActs 2:39: "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
39 . the promise is unto you, and to your children ] Just as “to Abraham and his seed were the promises made” ( Galatians 3:16 ), so is it to be under the new covenant. all that are afar off ] Peter knew from the first, we see, that the Gentiles were to be admitted to the same privileges as Israel. But Christ’s commission said they were to preach first in Je…
barnesActs 2:39: "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."
For the promise - That is, the promise respecting the particular thing of which he was speaking - the influences of the Holy Spirit. This promise he had adduced in the beginning of his discourse Acts 2:17 , and he now applies it to them. As the Spirit was promised to descend on Jews and their sons and daughters, it was applicable to them in the circumstances…
The promise of the Spirit isn't just for the immediate listeners, but extends to their children and everyone far off, highlighting that God's invitation is fundamentally about His calling, not human boundaries. This emphasizes that salvation belongs to whoever God calls, transcending any previous distinctions of closeness or distance.
Following the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Peter's powerful sermon, the crowd is deeply convicted and asks what they should do. Peter's answer is direct: repent and be baptized, and they will receive the promised gift of the Spirit, a promise that extends not just to them and their children, but to all people, no matter how distant, whom God calls.
Following the dramatic outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Peter's powerful sermon, the crowd is deeply convicted and asks what they should do. Peter's answer is direct: repent and be baptized, and they will receive the promised gift of the Spirit, a promise that extends not just to them and their children, but to all people, no matter how distant, whom God calls.
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The promise is for 'all who are far off,' but not everyone automatically receives it. What determines who is included?
The Divine Invitation
While the promise is vast and inclusive, it ultimately hinges on God's initiative. The phrase "everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself" points to God's sovereign power in salvation.
This isn't a contradiction between God's sovereignty and human responsibility, but a divine partnership where God's powerful call meets a willing heart.
c. 40 AD
Peter's Vision and Cornelius' Conversion
Peter has a vision that prepares him to preach the gospel to Cornelius, a Roman centurion, marking a pivotal moment in the inclusion of Gentiles into the Christian faith.
c. 47-48 AD
Paul's First Missionary Journey
The Apostle Paul, accompanied by Barnabas, embarks on a mission to spread the gospel to Gentile communities in Asia Minor, facing both acceptance and opposition.
"For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”" — The promise of the Spirit isn't just for the immediate listeners, but extends to their children and everyone far off, highlighting that God's invitation is fundamentally about His calling, not huma…
