And the people stood by, watching. And even the rulers were sneering [G1592] at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if this is the Christ of God, His Chosen One.”
Gospel of Luke 23:35 NASB20 – The Perverse witness of Jesus suffering on a Cross sacrificed for the sins of the world
Do perverse leaders not manipulate the crowds of every generation?
Not everyone had ears to hear Peter on Pentecost, nor were all touched by the Holy Spirit.
Public trials and crucifixions of the first century included a mocking of criminals, a public perversion of the LORD’s mercy for the Jews, theatre for the mobs at the expense of the marginalized. (Certainly media for the multitudes is no different today.)
Some Jews coming to Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost spoke of Peter with similarly sneering questions like those they had formerly asked Jesus or mocked Him at the Cross.
WHY is this Galilean preaching about that supposed King Jesus the Nazarene we crucified on a cross just two months ago?
Luke has already told us about the motives of these men in his Gospel about Jesus, the Christ.
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were ridiculing G1592 Him. And He said to them,
“You are the ones who justify yourselves in the sight of people, but God knows your hearts; because that which is highly esteemed among people is detestable in the sight of God.”
Luke 16:14-15 NASB20 – following Jesus’ parable about ‘The Unrighteous Manager’ –
Peter would have previously witnessed opposition by these religious men to teaching of their promised Messiah Jesus. Some of these same religious men present this Pentecost had won political followers by their perverse sense of justice at the Cross of Jesus.
ACTS of the Apostles 2:
¿Cómo, pues, les oímos nosotros hablar cada uno en nuestra lengua en la que hemos nacido?
Hechos 2 :: Reina-Valera 1960 (RVR60)
ACTS 2: 1550 Stephanus New Testament; Arabic Bible: Easy-to-Read Version حُلُولُ الرُّوحِ القُدُس; Revised Chinese Union Version (Simplified Script) Shen Edition; Hindi Bible: Easy-to-Read Version
“How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language?
Acts of the Apostles 2:8 CSB
but others were mocking..
ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ 2 SBL Greek New Testament Biblia Sacra Vulgata King James Version מעשי השליחים Habrit Hakhadasha/Haderekh ACTS 2:13 ἕτεροι δὲ διαχλευάζοντες ἔλεγον ὅτι γλεύκους μεμεστωμένοι εἰσίν alii autem inridentes dicebant quia musto pleni sunt isti Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
13 אולם בקרב הקהל היו גם כאלה שלעגו: “הם סתם שיכורים!”
WAIT! Did you get that?
- “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? – Acts 2:7b CSB
- “How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? – Acts 2:8 CSB
- They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean? ” – Acts 2:12 CSB
- But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.” – Acts 2:13 CSB
SOME got it AND some did NOT.
Those with ears to hear were ‘pierced to the heart’ [v.37] AND some stiff-necked leaders simply mocked the Apostles [v.13] as they had the Lord, Christ Jesus.
A Perverse Generation Misses the Point
Those who turn their backs on the Spirit sneer at God’s punishment for sin.
Peter had preached of David:
.. he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay.
Acts 2:31 NASB20
Yet the scoffers would neither see the signs, hear the Spirit nor listen to the truth of Scripture. These always make excuses for their own perversity against the righteousness of the Lord.
Peter said to them, “Repent..
Many did, yet those who sneer at God refuse to be convicted by abandonment to Hell and Death.
And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on urging them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”
Appeal of the Apostle Peter to those who will repent – Acts of the Apostles 2:20
σκολιός –
- Outline of Biblical Usage Strong’s G4646 – skolios
- crooked, curved
- metaph. perverse, wicked
- unfair, surly, froward [that is: habitually disposed to disobedience and opposition {source: Merriam-Webster]
Strong’s Definitions σκολιός skoliós, skol-ee-os’; from the base of G4628; warped, i.e. winding; figuratively, perverse:—crooked, froward, untoward [that is: Improper; unseemly; Unfavorable or adverse; Froward; perverse {source: ibid}]
Can you think of any of THIS GENERATION who are like THAT?
See the description [above] of a generation against whom the Peter warned when the Apostle exhorted those of his first century listeners to REPENT and
“Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
Acts of the Apostles 2:40b KJV
How would YOU respond to Peter’s sermon?
ΠΡΑΞΕΙΣ ΤΩΝ ΑΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΝ 2 [ACTS 2:]
‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,’ God says, ‘THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND..’
And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
ACTS of the Apostles 2:21 NASB
‘This Man Jesus..’
.. this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
ACTS 2:24-25 – The Apostle Peter preaching of Jesus’ death in the flesh and resurrection of His body!
Therefore, since He has been exalted..
.. He has poured out this which you both see and hear.
ARE YOU ONE OF THOSE WHO WOULD NOW ASK THE APOSTLES WHAT TO DO?
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”
ACTS of the Apostles 2:38-39 NASB
Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 2:40 New Living Translation
ARE YOU ONE WITH EARS TO LISTEN TO PETER’S CONTINUED PLEA?
For surely we are a generation nearer THE END of these last days.
AGAIN, when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what are we to do?” And they did what Peter and the Apostles taught them to do.
TO A GENERATION NEARER THE END OF THESE LAST DAYS?
So then, those who had received his word were baptized;
and that day there were added about three thousand souls.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
ACTS of the Apostles 2:41-42 NASB
Do YOU ‘devote’ your ‘self’ to ‘the Apostles teaching‘ OR to hours lost to sin in a perverse 21st century generation of these ‘last days?’
To be continued...
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