Acts 10:34-43 is Peter's kerygmatic speech to a Gentile god-fearer's household. The context of the speech is Peter's meeting with Cornelius who was instructed in a dream to send for the apostle while he was residing at Joppa. Below is the outline of Acts 10:1-48 illustrating the place of the speech.

• 1 - 8: Cornelius, his dream and his sending for Peter
• 9 - 16: Peter's dream of the unclean animals and the command for him to kill and eat.
• 17 - 23: Peter receives Cornelius' messengers
• 24 - 33: The meeting of Peter and Cornelius
• 34 - 43: Peter's Speech
• 44 - 48: The Pentecost in Cornelius' House and his baptism

Acts 2:1-13 is Luke's narration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. As the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus before his ministry commenced so now at the beginning of the work of the Church, the Spirit descends on the disciples with power.

The day is Pentecost, a Jewish feast commemorating the fiftieth day after the Feast of the Unleavened Bread/Passover and which celebrated the giving of God's gift. For the Jews the gift was the Law given to Israel through the mediation of angels. For the first Christian community, the gift -- the one promised by the Father (cf. Luke 24:49) -- is the Holy Spirit.