Acts 2:22

My Notes

What Does Acts 2:22 Mean?

Peter identifies Jesus to the Pentecost crowd: ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.

Ye men of Israel, hear these words — Peter addresses fellow Israelites directly. Hear (akouo — to listen with attention). The words demand reception: what follows is too important for casual listening.

Jesus of Nazareth — the full human identification. Not Christ. Not Lord. Jesus — the man from Nazareth, the one the crowd knows by name and hometown. Peter starts with the human identity before building to the divine claim. The specificity prevents abstraction: this is about a particular, historical, identifiable person.

A man approved (apodeiknumi — to demonstrate publicly, to display, to show forth, to accredit) of God — approved means publicly demonstrated. God accredited Jesus — put his stamp of approval on the man from Nazareth through visible, public evidence. The approval is divine: of God. The demonstration is public: among you. God showed who Jesus was through evidence the crowd could observe.

Among you (eis humas — into your midst, directed at you, in your presence) — the evidence was not distant or secondhand. It happened among them. In their presence. In their city. Before their eyes. The demonstration was aimed at them — and they received it firsthand.

By miracles (dunameis — mighty works, displays of supernatural power) and wonders (terata — prodigies, astonishing events that produce amazement) and signs (semeia — significant acts that point to a deeper meaning) — three categories of divine attestation. Miracles demonstrate power. Wonders produce astonishment. Signs communicate meaning. Together they constitute the complete evidence package: power displayed, amazement produced, meaning communicated.

Which God did by him (dia autou — through him, using him as the instrument) — the miracles were God's work performed through Jesus. The power source was divine. The instrument was Jesus. God did the miracles. Jesus was the channel. The attestation is Trinitarian: the Father accredits the Son through the Spirit's power.

As ye yourselves also know (kathos autoi oidate — just as you yourselves have perceived) — the final blow: you know. The evidence is not in dispute. The miracles are not denied. The wonders are acknowledged. The signs were observed by the very people Peter is addressing. The crowd cannot claim ignorance. They witnessed the approval. They know what God demonstrated. And Peter's sermon is built on what they already know to be true.

Reflection Questions

• 1.Why does Peter start with 'Jesus of Nazareth' — the human identification — before building to the divine attestation?
• 2.How do miracles, wonders, and signs together constitute a complete evidence package — power, amazement, and meaning?
• 3.What does God doing the miracles 'by him' (through Jesus) reveal about the Father accrediting the Son?
• 4.What do you already know about who Jesus is — and what does Peter's approach demand you do with that knowledge?

Devotional

Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs. Peter starts with the human name. Jesus. From Nazareth. The person this crowd knows — has seen, has heard about, has witnessed. Not an abstract theological concept. A man. From a specific town. And this man was approved — publicly demonstrated, divinely accredited — by God.

By miracles and wonders and signs. Three kinds of evidence. Miracles — displays of supernatural power that no human could produce. Wonders — events so astonishing they stopped people in their tracks. Signs — acts that carried meaning beyond the act itself, pointing to who Jesus was and what God was doing through him. The evidence was comprehensive: power, amazement, and meaning.

Which God did by him. The miracles were God's work. The power source was the Father. Jesus was the instrument — the channel through which divine power flowed into the human world. The accreditation was not self-generated. God did the miracles by Jesus. The Father publicly demonstrated the Son through visible, undeniable acts of power.

Among you, as ye yourselves also know. Among you — in your presence. In your city. Before your eyes. The evidence was not secondhand. The crowd Peter addresses witnessed the miracles personally. And Peter's argument rests on their own knowledge: you know this. You saw it. The miracles are not in dispute. The question is not whether the evidence exists. The question is what you do with evidence you already possess.

The sermon is built on what the audience already knows. Peter does not need to prove the miracles happened. The crowd saw them. The attestation is established. The approval is public. The evidence is acknowledged by the very people being addressed. And the next question — which Peter will press in v.23-24 and v.36 — is: given what you know, given what you saw, given the evidence you cannot deny — what will you do with Jesus?

The evidence has not changed. The miracles are recorded. The wonders are documented. The signs are preserved in Scripture. And the question is the same one Peter asked the Pentecost crowd: you know what God demonstrated through Jesus. What will you do with what you know?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture