And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Peter doesn't just warn them about the future; he urges them to actively save themselves from the present "crooked generation," emphasizing that salvation is a participatory act, not just a passive reception of grace from God. This means they must intentionally separate themselves from the corrupting influence and destructive path of those around them.
And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
After preaching his powerful sermon and performing miracles through the apostles, Peter doesn't just leave people hanging. He continues to earnestly warn and implore the crowd, urging them to separate themselves from the corrupt society around them and to embrace God's offer of salvation. This urgent call is the immediate lead-up to thousands repenting and being baptized, marking the explosive birth of the early church.
Peter's sermon wasn't just a history lesson; it was a life-or-death plea. What made his message so urgent, and why did he use such strong language?
The end of Peter's powerful sermon in Acts 2 isn't just a concluding sentence; it's the point where the rubber meets the road.
The Urgency of 'Many Other Words'
Luke tells us Peter spoke 'with many other words.' While the recorded sermon highlights key points, Peter clearly elaborated, emphasizing the gravity of the situation. He wasn't just informing them; he was deeply pleading with them.
'Save Yourselves': A Call to Action
The phrase 'Save yourselves' isn't a passive invitation. It's an active command, like a lifeguard shouting to someone struggling in the water. It implies that rescue is available, but it requires a response. God provides the means of salvation, but individuals must actively 'save themselves' by embracing that means—through repentance and baptism, as the passage implies.
The Danger of the 'Crooked Generation'
Calling his generation 'crooked' or 'untoward' wasn't just an insult. It described a generation that was morally twisted, perverse, and resistant to God's truth, a generation that had just rejected and crucified the Messiah. Remaining associated with this generation meant sharing its dangerous path and its impending judgment.
Peter tells people to 'save yourselves.' What does this say about human responsibility in salvation, and from whom or what are they meant to separate?
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Peter's command to 'Save yourselves' is a profound call to personal responsibility within God's plan of salvation.
God's Power, Human Effort
The scholars point out that while God's power is present for salvation, humans must actively use it. This isn't about earning salvation through sheer effort, but about responding willingly and decisively to God's offer. It's about making a choice to turn away from one path and embrace another.
Breaking Free from Destructive Influence
To 'save yourselves' from this 'crooked generation' means to separate from its destructive ways, its corrupt thinking, and its ultimate fate. It's not just about avoiding bad actions, but about disassociating from the mindset and community that perpetuates sin and rejects God. This separation is a crucial step in aligning oneself with God's kingdom.
The Nature of a 'Crooked' Generation
This generation was characterized by its 'perverse, refractory' nature, as noted. They were intractable, resisting God's truth even when presented with undeniable evidence. Peter's warning is clear: to remain entangled with such a group is to risk perishing with them. The call is to break away from that influence, as difficult as it may be, especially when that influence comes from respected authorities or even family.
Understand the original words
sōzō · Greek Verb
To be delivered from the power and judgment of sin, and the ultimate wrath of God, through faith in Jesus Christ.
skolios · Greek Adjective
Used figuratively to describe a generation that is morally warped, perverse, and rebellious against God’s truth and character.
Peter's urgent call to 'save yourselves from this crooked generation' resonated deeply within a Jewish context facing imminent divine judgment, foreshadowed by the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus' Ministry and Crucifixion
Jesus of Nazareth conducted a public ministry, was crucified in Jerusalem, and according to His followers, was resurrected.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
The Day of Pentecost
The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus' followers in Jerusalem, empowering them to preach the gospel. Peter delivered a powerful sermon.
c. 30-33 AD
First Believers Added to the Church
Following Peter's sermon, about three thousand people repented, were baptized, and joined the early Christian community.
c. 30-40s AD
Early Growth and Persecution
The early church grew rapidly in Jerusalem, facing increasing opposition and persecution from Jewish religious authorities.
c. 40s-60s AD
Spread of the Gospel
The Christian message spread beyond Jerusalem throughout Judea, Samaria, and into the wider Roman Empire through the work of apostles and other missionaries.
c. 64-70 AD
Roman-Jewish War and Destruction of Jerusalem
Increasing tensions led to the First Jewish-Roman War, culminating in the Roman destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, a catastrophic event for the Jewish people.
This passage uses the same imagery of a 'crooked and perverse generation' to describe Israel's unfaithfulness, echoing Peter's warning in Acts 2.
Jeremiah 7:28-29Jeremiah also confronts his generation for their persistent disobedience and rejection of God's word, calling them a 'crooked and perverse generation' that has forsaken the Lord.
Matthew 12:39Jesus himself labels the generation he is speaking to as 'evil and adulterous' and demands a sign, showing a consistent theme of a spiritually corrupt generation being called to repentance.
Philippians 2:15Paul exhorts believers to 'shine like lights in the world' among a 'crooked and perverse generation,' highlighting the ongoing need for God's people to separate themselves from societal corruption.
barnesActs 2:40: "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation."
Many other words - This discourse, though one of the longest in the New Testament, is but an outline. It contains, however, the substance of the plan of salvation, and is admirably arranged to attain its object. Testify - Bear witness to. He bore witness to the promises of Christianity; to the truths pertaining to the danger of sinners; and to the truth respecting the charact…
calvinActs 2:40-42: "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation."
And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Be ye saved from this froward generation. 41. Those, therefore, which willingly embraced his words were baptized: and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42. And they continued in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, and breaking of bread, and prayers.
And with many Although in th…
Peter doesn't just warn them about the future; he urges them to actively save themselves from the present "crooked generation," emphasizing that salvation is a participatory act, not just a passive reception of grace from God. This means they must intentionally separate themselves from the corrupting influence and destructive path of those around them.
After preaching his powerful sermon and performing miracles through the apostles, Peter doesn't just leave people hanging. He continues to earnestly warn and implore the crowd, urging them to separate themselves from the corrupt society around them and to embrace God's offer of salvation. This urgent call is the immediate lead-up to thousands repenting and being baptized, marking the explosive birth of the early church.
After preaching his powerful sermon and performing miracles through the apostles, Peter doesn't just leave people hanging. He continues to earnestly warn and implore the crowd, urging them to separate themselves from the corrupt society around them and to embrace God's offer of salvation. This urgent call is the immediate lead-up to thousands repenting and being baptized, marking the explosive birth of the early church.
"And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”" — Peter doesn't just warn them about the future; he urges them to actively save themselves from the present "crooked generation," emphasizing that salvation is a participatory act, not just a passive…
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Last reviewed October 2026