Acts 2:17 - William Styles

Acts 2:17: “I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:” quoted to prove that every man has a share in the Spirit’s operations, and hence a fair chance of salvation. A. Barnes, however, observes that the word “all” here does not mean every individual, but every class or rank of men; which he fully substantiates. If the disputed interpretation were correct, every young woman would be a prophetess, every young man a seer, and every old man would dream God-sent dreams. The words simply refer to the distribution of supernatural gifts, at and immediately after the day of Pentecost, when God’s “servants” (verse 18) of every class were endowed with miraculous powers.