Acts 2:13 Commentary: Sweet Wine or Holy Spirit?

The Feast of Pentecost occurred fifty days after Passover, at the time of the wheat harvest. According to Jewish tradition, the morning hours were devoted to prayer and sacrifice; the third hour (about 9 a.m.) was the time for the daily morning sacrifice, and it was not customary to eat or drink until after that (Poole). This gives Peter's rebuttal in Acts 2:15 its force: the disciples could not be drunk so early in the day.

The crowd that gathered was diverse. Many were devout Jews from the Diaspora who had come to Jerusalem for the feast. They spoke different languages and heard the disciples proclaiming God's mighty works in their own native tongues (verses 6, 11). But among the onlookers were also native Judeans, likely residents of Jerusalem, who did not understand those foreign languages (Gill). These locals saw the disciples' fervent speech and unusual excitement. Finding no natural explanation, they seized on a plausible, degrading one: the disciples were drunk on sweet wine.

Clarke explains that gleukos was a sweet wine made from the juice that dripped from grapes before pressing. The ancients knew how to preserve it sweet throughout the year, so such a wine would be available at Pentecost. The Greek word for 'mocking' (diachleuazontes) implies a sneering, contemptuous attitude (Vincent). The charge was not a neutral misunderstanding but a hostile attempt to discredit what God was doing.

This response forms a stark contrast to the amazement of the diaspora Jews who asked, 'What does this mean?' (verse 12). The mockers represent a hardened resistance that rejects the miraculous outright. Their reaction foreshadows the escalating opposition the apostles would face, as Wesley notes: from mocking to threats, imprisonment, and violence.

The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Acts 2:13. The reading διαχλευάζοντες (mocking) is well attested across the manuscript tradition. The word γλεύκους appears without variation.

Across church history, this verse has been read as a key example of the world's rejection of the Holy Spirit's work. Early and medieval commentators often linked the mockers' charge to the theme of spiritual blindness. During the Reformation, interpreters such as Calvin and Wesley pointed to the progression from mockery to persecution as typical of the world's response to genuine revival. In the modern era, the verse is frequently cited in discussions about charismatic gifts and revival movements: it serves both as a warning against cynical dismissal and as a reminder that not every emotional expression is from God. The verse challenges every generation to distinguish between human enthusiasm and divine power.

Three-point outline

1. The cynical explanation. The mockers reduced a miracle to a common vice. When God moves in unexpected ways, the world often reaches for the easiest natural reason.
2. The biblical rebuttal. Peter immediately refutes the charge with a simple fact: it is only the third hour. He then grounds the event in Scripture, showing it fulfills Joel's prophecy.
3. The invitation to reexamine. The same Spirit who filled the disciples still works today. The question each listener faces is whether to mock or to inquire further.

Five-point outline

1. Setting: Pentecost, harvest festival, Jerusalem crowded with pilgrims.
2. The sign: Wind, fire, languages, undeniably supernatural.
3. Two reactions: Amazement and questioning from some; mockery from others.
4. The accusation: 'They are full of sweet wine', a dismissive, contemptuous charge.
5. God's response: Peter’s sermon turns mockery into a gospel opportunity.

Illustration hooks

• A person comes back from a retreat visibly changed, and coworkers whisper that it's just a phase or a 'mountain-top high.'
• A church experiences revival with loud worship and tears; critics say it's fanaticism or emotional manipulation.
• A struggling addict finds freedom through faith, and skeptics attribute it to a placebo effect or sheer willpower.

Questions your congregation is asking

• How can I tell if a spiritual experience is genuinely from God or just emotion?
• Why are some people so quick to dismiss the Holy Spirit's work?
• Is there a biblical way to test unusual spiritual phenomena without being cynical?

The crowd at Pentecost split into two groups: some were amazed and asked what it meant; others mocked and dismissed the disciples as drunk. This verse captures the skeptical response. As you discuss, consider what fuels our own tendency to dismiss what we don't understand.

Discussion questions

1. What does the Greek word diachleuazontes (mocking) tell you about the attitude of these bystanders?
2. Why do you think the mockers chose the charge of drunkenness? What natural explanations do people reach for today when they see God at work?
3. Read Acts 2:15. How does Peter’s simple rebuttal (the early hour) undermine the accusation? What does that reveal about the importance of context?
4. Compare the mockers in verse 13 with the amazed crowd in verse 12. What distinguishes a curious heart from a cynical one?
5. Have you ever witnessed a situation where God's work was dismissed as something else? How did you respond?
6. How can Christians balance discernment (testing the spirits) with openness to the Holy Spirit's surprising movements?
7. What would it take for someone to move from mockery to faith? How might we pray for or engage those who dismiss spiritual realities?