Peter's response to the mockers is classic: "We ain't drunk, its only 9:00am" Peter rebuttal to the mockers response of the disciples seemingly "drunk" state, is nothing complex or profound. He simply gives them the reaction fitting a fisherman from Galilee. The Spirit has not fallen upon the profound, the intelligentsia or the complex. The Spirit has rather come upon the regular working joe. This occurrence must have been light years away from what the leaders in the Jewish religious communities were expecting. The fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel was most likely expected to first hit those trained in theology and the traditions of the patriarchs. In contrast, God decides to use those who are least expected, in his Kingdom. The elitist can join the banquet, however they are not the first invited. Remember the word of Jesus: "Those who were last, shall be first"
In the rest of this section, Peter begins connecting the sign of the arrival of the Holy Spirit to Old Testament texts. In this particular section, he concentrates on a passage from the prophet Joel. For the jewish crowd, this would have been extremely important. Who they are as a people is deeply connected to the Old Testament Text (Hebrew Bible). Therefore Peter uses the scripture to prove Christ's and the occurrence at Pentecost authenticity.
Questions:
What do you think this prophecy of Joel actually means?
How have you seen this particular prophecy of Joel in your own life or around you?
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