They were pricked in their heart !

In Acts 2:38 Peter gives instruction to exactly whom ? He gives it to them that have been pricked in their heart Acts 2:37-38

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

38 Then Peter said unto them[That were pricked in their heart], Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

And this pricking is a Spiritual pricking, not mere natural conscience, but Spiritual and inward and done by the Holy Spirit who Christ had so recently poured or shed upon them Acts 2:32-33

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. See also in this connection Titus 3:6 !

Peter here was able to realize that the ones seeking instruction from them, had been given the Gift of Repentance Acts 5:31

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Note, As Exalted Saviour Jesus Christ gives Repentance to the Elect !

 

They were pricked in their heart !2

Now this pricking of the heart was a supernatural operation of the Spirit, a heart circumcision, and it was not to be resisted, for the very greek word means, To be pierced, stung, smitten, pierced all the way down, deeply [thoroughly] pained, emotionally pierced through, psychologically pricked, emotionally stunned, and its used that way in Acts 2:37

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

37 Now when they heard this they were stung (cut) to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles (special messengers), Brethren, what shall we do?

Thats what circumcision is, a cutting of the foreskin ! See Col 2:11 !

What was happening in Acts 2:37 was the fulfillment of scripture, remember Peter had already acknowledged that this was prophecy coming to past here Acts 2:16-18; and its also the fulfillment of this Prophecy Zech 12:10

10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

That word bitternes also means:

The quality or state of being bitter, sharp,Having a very thin edge or fine point; of a nature to cut or pierce easily

So the bitterness here coincides with the pricking of the heart in Acts 2:37, and this is right after the pouring out of the Spirit Zech 12:10

10 And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication; and they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for Him as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one who is in bitterness for his firstborn.

As well it was after the pouring out of the Spirit in Acts 2:16-18

16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

Which had been also foretold in Joel 2:28-30 ! So what we have Peter doing here in Acts 2:38, he is instructing spiritually born babes in Christ to bring forth fruit meet for repentance, it being obvious that Christ had Just granted them repentance from on high Acts 5:31

31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Note: Men can be instructed to repent when it has been given to them in their to do so !

 

They were pricked in their heart !3

In light of repentance instruction being for spiritual babes we only need look to the writer of Hebrews, which informs us that the doctrine of repentance, and even water baptism was for babes in Christ, Heb 5:12-6:2

Also when read back in Acts 2:37 it reads:

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

Referring to what Peter had been preaching to them from Acts 2:14-36, and the word for heard is the greek word akouó and means:

I hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported.

to be endowed with the faculty of hearing

to understand, perceive the sense of what is said: See Matt 13:15 in that regard;

The word also denotes an hearkening obedience Acts 3:22

22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.

So its a Spiritual Comprehending hearing [which denotes understanding] and its coupled with a willingness to be a learner, to be instructed, to submit, to obey, to hearken under hearing, which we know the scripture teaches that those unregenerate in the flesh cannot do Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

7 This is so because the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God’s standards because it can’t. GWT

So now with all these facts now to the forefront, Peter is speaking his instruction in Acts 2:38 to the already regenerate, who have been given Spiritual ears or hearing, to comprehend and obey the instruction from the Heart , hence Peter wrote in his Epistle to believers 1 Pet 1:22

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

Hence those in Acts 2:38 would obey through the Spirit , for He it was that pricked their Hearts !