Acts 2:38

Context

In his Pentecost sermon, Peter proclaims that God raised up Jesus, who had been crucified, and made Him both Lord and Christ (v. 36). Pricked in their heart, the crowd asks the apostles what they should do, and Peter answers as recorded in verse 38: "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." He goes on to say, "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off" (v. 39), and about three thousand people are baptized that day (v. 41).

Interpretation

• Forgiveness of sins through baptism: The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism regard baptism as a means of grace that actually confers the forgiveness of sins and new life, and they cite this verse in support. Among Protestants, the Churches of Christ, which belong to the Restoration Movement, likewise emphasize baptism, following faith and repentance, as obedience necessary for salvation.
• A sign of forgiveness received by faith: The Reformed tradition, including Presbyterians, holds that the forgiveness of sins is received through repentance and faith, and that baptism is a sign and seal that confirms it. Baptists regard baptism (by immersion) as the public confession of a believer who has already been saved. These traditions argue that the phrase "for the remission of sins" attaches more directly to "repent," and they cite passages such as Acts 3:19 and 10:43, which connect the forgiveness of sins to repentance and faith without mentioning baptism.

Debates and Issues

There has been discussion over whether the Greek preposition eis, rendered "for," should be understood as "for the purpose of" or "on the basis of." Most grammarians today consider "for the purpose of" the more natural reading, while holding that grammar alone cannot determine whether this means that baptism itself effects the forgiveness of sins.

Scholars have noted that "in the name of Jesus Christ" differs from baptism in the triune name in Matthew 28:19. Most denominations understand the phrase not as a baptismal formula but as an expression of Jesus' authority and of confession of faith in Him. By contrast, some Oneness ("Jesus Only") Pentecostal bodies cite this verse as grounds for rejecting the Trinity and baptizing in the name of Jesus alone, a position that major denominations criticize as a form of modalism.

The words "your children" in verse 39 are cited by both sides of the infant baptism debate. Churches that practice infant baptism read them as evidence that the covenant extends to children as well, while Baptists read them as limited by the same verse's qualification, "even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

Related Passages

• Acts 2:39-41
• Acts 22:16
• Matthew 28:19
• Romans 6:3-4
• 1 Peter 3:21