Acts 2:37

"Cut to the Heart"

It is hard to imagine just how stunned some in Peter's audience must have been. The man who they recognized as a Galilean and likely viewed as uneducated had just presented a compelling argument in which he indicted them as the murderers of the Son of God. His presentation was so powerful because of the "Comforter," or "Helper," or "Advocate," which are the various ways to interpret the Greek word Paraclete. Bales used several authors to show the word literally means attorney for the defense in a court of law. The Holy Spirit used undeniable truths to show Jesus was the Son of God despite the Jews accusations to the contrary.

Jesus described the Spirit's work in John 16:5-15. He said, in part, "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged." The evidence presented by Peter on Pentecost, as delivered to him by the Comforter, truly convicted many in his audience. In fact, Luke reports, "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'"