ACTS 2:38 - Water Baptism - FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS

Just before the Lord's ascension to heaven, he thus addressed his wondering disciples:

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: Luke 24:46

And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47

The structure of the phrase, "And that repentance and forgiveness should be preached," shows that the efficacy of such preaching grows out of a preceding statement, to wit: "Thus it is written, and thus is behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day." Which means that without the death and resurrection of Christ as meritorious basis no repentance and no faith would avail. Hence, the repentance and remission must be preached in his name.

The conclusion the writer wishes to make is that water immersion is not part of the remission process.

First, we should not that the repentance and remission should be preached. Elsewhere, Jesus tells us how this remission is to take place.

Second, we should note that John's immersion part of repentance or turning:

John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:4

Third, the first time this was applied was on the day of Pentecost:

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? Acts 2:37

Then Peter said unto them, 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. Acts 2:38

While a few few passages translate EIS in the sense of "because of" the remission of sins, we know of not such definition nor use in the Greek literature.

Baptistht--- Dip in or under water-	hekastos--- each, every one--	EIS------ into the--	Aphesin----- letting go, dismissal--	Hamartin fault committed--
Kataduo----- [duck whole person]	every single one--	within one's power	discharge from a bond-	of guilt and sin-

Unless Peter violated the command of Jesus, he preached repentance and remission as the desired result. However, he used immersion as the means which Christ commanded. water immersion is no more a work than repentance or faith. In fact, faith comes much harder than just being baptised.

Because we are not God we will not discuss "what happens when a lady on her way to being baptized is murdered or falls into a hole and dies?" Nor will we ask: "What is God gonna do about those people in the jungle?" Our task is to try to understand the Word as it has been delivered to us. Only after understanding the passage are we allowed to ask: "What does it mean to me?"

Only when we approach Scripture as a disciple will God allow us to pass into the true inner courts. When we use it to make creeds we might as well save our time. Acts 2 is Peter's "use of the keys to the kingdom" given by Jesus Christ when He commissioned "preachers" to go out and preach.

The stumbling block is in Acts 2. When the people from all over the world heard the gospel preached and believed it they asked: "What must we do?"

Then Peter said unto them, 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. Acts 2:38

Those who deny most of us the right to be saved because we were not predestinated before the world was created to either heaven or hell cannot, must not, allow any passage which implies free will to survive. Therefore, a new and unique translation reads:

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ because of the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38

However, the Holy Spirit of Christ directing the message of Peter had at His command a perfectly good Greek word for because and he used it just before and just after Acts 2.

Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Ac 2:26

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Ac 2:27

The Greek for because is:

Hoti (h3754) hot'-ee; neut. of 3748 as conj.; demonst. that (sometimes redundant); caus. because: - as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.

Therefore, if we give the Spirit of Christ any credit, He directed Peter to use another word which does not mean "because" in Acts 2.

AND in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Ac.6:1

One of the statements demanding repentance and water immersion because they were already saved is:

"The word "eis" (in Acts 2:38) is simply a preposition of reference. Baptism has a reference to remission. It is a ceremonial ordinance, or act, which refers to the remission through Christ's redemption (Matt. 26:28) "

First, a ceremonial ordinance is an oxymoron. Ordinance, according to Webster is: "A direction or command of an authoratative nature." Now, look at the following passage with different meanings:

For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Mt 26:28

Do we understand this as?: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many in order to the remission of sins. Mt 26:28

Or This?: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many because of the forgiveness of sins. Mt 26:28

Thomas Campbell answered a question about Acts 2:

Ques. 3d. Would "be baptized because of the. remission," be a fair translation? That would be as the word "because" is understood.

If it respect the enjoyment of this blissful privilege, it would mean the same with for, or in order to; but,

if for the possession or procurement of the benefit, it would then imply something of a mercenary import; such as purchase or interest.

The blood of Christ was shed for every person past, present and future. However, the blood is not applied until it is accepted by each believer.

Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Ro 3:24

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for (not because of) the forgiveness of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Ro 3:25

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Ro 3:26

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works (toil in an occupation)? Nay; but by the law (prescriptive usage) of faith. Ro 3:27

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Ro 3:28

Water immersion can mean many things. However, when one person baptized another, the New Testament speaks of water immersion. After showing the futility of living under the Law of Moses which could not cleanse the conscience, Paul showed the remedy under Christ's system of faith

WHAT shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? Ro 6:1

God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Ro 6:2

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into (in connection with) Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Ro 6:3

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Ro 6:4

Click for more on Romans 6

This had not changed one bit when Paul wrote to Titus:

But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Tit 3:4

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the

washing of regeneration,

and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Tit 3:5

Washing of regeneration

(Loutron {g3067} loo-tron'; from 3068; a bath, i.e. (fig.) baptism: - washing.)

Renewing of the Holy Spirit is the same as the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2. This does not mean the Spirit "person" as a personal gift poured out upon us or in us. It means that the Spirit message of God is allowed to penetrate into our spirit being and change it. Our belief and obedience is the witness of the Spirit that we are the children of God.

But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 2 Corinthians 3:14

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 2 Corinthians 3:15

Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 2 Corinthians 3:16

Paul, to the Hebrews restated this. We can approach God with confidence and the witness of the Spirit only when our hearts or "spirits" are cleared of an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water:

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Herews 10:22

Peter says it in another way: immersion has no spiritual value in removing the dirt. Rather, the "bath" is the time and place where we request or appeal to God for a clear conscience based upon the merit and pattern of Christ's death, burial and resurrection:

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter 3:21

If we could take a bath and be saved then it would be a work of righteousness. However, we cannot "work" when we submit our limp bodies into the hands of the baptiser and name ourselves after Christ.

This is Paul saying exactly what Peter commanded:

Then Peter said unto them, 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 Spirit. Acts 2

Spirit means mind or the mental disposition of God or man:

And be not conformed to this world: but ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Ro.12:2

Acts 2 is examined fully in the following two articles. We warn the reader that this is a vitally important subject and it cannot be understood without a lot of looking at the various passages within their context.

Another effort to make Jesus and Peter agree with Zwingli -- the Father of the denial of the efficacy of immersion in order to the remission -- another writer asks:

Quote: Is Peter really teaching water regeneration?

"The most common line of reasoning centers on the word "for" in the phrase "for the remission." The word "for" could have two meanings. As an example, if you saw a poster saying "Jesse James wanted for robbery", "for" could mean Jesse is wanted so he can commit a robbery, or he is wanted because he has committed a robbery. Obviously, the latter sense is the correct one. So too in this passage, the word "for" signifies an action in the past. Otherwise, it would violate the entire tenor of the NT teaching on salvation by grace and not by works.

We respond that:

We should note that this is not precise English. You don't really want Jesse for robbery: you want him to try him for robbery. Robbery is a sin. Therefore, what this poor English translates into is:

Jesse James wanted for "conviction of sins."

You want Jesse James to put him in jail. You don't already have Jessee.

This is identical to what Peter said:

Repent and be baptized for "the remission."

We have the word for Jesus, fully God, agreeing with this interpretation. Peter obeyed what Jesus commanded which was:

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16 (save is heal, protect, preserve)

One is not saved before they believe, repent or are baptized.

Our "might be" translator would have to reject the counsel of Lord Jesus Christ and make this read:

He that believeth and is baptized HAS ALREADY BEEN saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

The distorting of Peter's gospel makes repentance optional and the same distortion of Jesus would make belief of faith optional.

Again: Is Peter really teaching water regeneration?

No. Not any more than he is teaching faith regeneration. Regeneration is accomplished by Lord Jesus Christ, purchased by His Own blood for all people at the instant He purged our sins and sat down at the Right of the Glory He laid aside to acquire flesh and blood.

However, that free purging comes when we accept rather than "reject the counsel of God for our lives."

For more discussion of the Greek word eis as meaning "into" or "in order to" rather than "because of" Click Here.

Kenneth Sublett

Baptism Index

Home Page