The second ring considers the sequence or order of events. When Peter tells how to be saved, why should we take his words seriously? First, the close context shows that Peter and his fellow-apostles were inspired by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 33). Second, Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to the apostles in fulfillment of earlier promises:
- Jesus predicted, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church…. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19). The beginning of that church is told in Acts 2. Peter affirmed that Jesus ascended to reign beside His Father (Acts 2:30-36). Then Peter showed how to be saved (Acts 2:21, 37-40). True to Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 16, Peter was using the keys for entry to the kingdom (John 3:5).
- Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to lead the apostles into “all the truth” (John 16:13). In Acts 2, inspired by the Spirit, Peter was sharing the revealed truth.
Acts 2 did not stand alone. A sequence of promises and events led to Acts 2 and helps us understand more fully what we see in Acts 2. For the next rings, let’s return briefly to Acts 8. Why is the account of the Ethiopian there?