Acts 2:3 (DRB)

Passage

And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them.

Nearby Context

Acts 2:1 And when the days of the Pentecost were accomplished, they were all together in one place:

Acts 2:2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming: and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Acts 2:3 And there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire: and it sat upon every one of them.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost: and they began to speak with divers tongues, according as the Holy Ghost gave them to speak.

Acts 2:5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "appeared", "parted", "tongues", "fire", and "upon". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "appeared" and "parted", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "And suddenly there came a sound from..." into verse 4's "And they were all filled with the...", so "appeared" and "parted" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "appeared" and "parted" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.