Acts 2:38 Explained.

Acts 2:38 Does Not teach you have to Repent of your Sins to be Saved. It does Not teach that Water Baptism is Required for Salvation.

Why is there a problem with people correctly understanding Acts 2:38? It is very simple and straight forward verse.

Acts 2:38 “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.”

When you read Acts 2:38. Understand the Bible Definition of Repent. Is to Change your mind. Also there is No Water in Acts 2:38’s Baptism. This Baptism is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. NO WATER.

“Repent,” (Change your mind from unbelief in Jesus to belief in Jesus.) See there is a comma after Repent. First comes Repentance. Than after the person Repents. (Believes on Jesus.) They are Baptized with the Holy Ghost. Again Acts 2:38 is not talking about Water Baptism.

Water Baptism is Not required for Salvation. A person who is Saved. Gets Baptized to tell the World that they have been Saved.

Again, Acts 2:38’s Baptism is not a WATER BAPTISM. IT IS THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST.  This is very simple and easy to understand. After you realize there is more than one type of Baptism in the Bible. One Baptism is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Another is a Water Baptism. That happens after you are Saved.

It is a dangerous thing to base your Salvation on one verse in the Bible. Especially when you read things into the verse that is not there. And you have the Wrong definition for a word in the verse.

Words that you do not understand the definition of. Look in the Bible at how the word is used. That will tell you the meaning of the word.

Most “Bible Believers” instead of letting the Bible define the meaning of a word. They invent the word’s meaning. So they can create their own False Doctrines. The word Repent for example does not mean: to Turn from Sin, To Repent of Sin, To Forsake Sin. There is no place in the Bible that the Word Repent means any of these things. Yet the vast Majority of Baptist Churches teach these Lies. Actually almost all Churches teach these Lies.

God Repented in the Bible more than anyone else. This should tell you immediately that Repent has nothing to do with Sin. Because God does not Sin. Does God Turn from his Sin? No God Does not Sin. Every time God Repents. He changes his mind. Repent in the Bible means to Change your mind.

There is no place in the Bible. Where Water Baptism is a condition of Salvation.

Remember the Salvation of the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Acts 8:27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to [him], and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:

33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.

The Key verses are:

36 And as they went on [their] way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, [here is] water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Question: “What doth hinder me to be baptized?” The Answer: “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.”

A person is Saved as soon as they have Believed on Jesus with their Heart. Baptism is not part of Salvation. Once a person is Saved than they get Baptized.

Baptism is a Symbol of the Death Burial and Resurrection of Jesus.

When you get Baptized you are Saying publicly that I am Saved I have believed on Jesus Death, Burial and Resurrection to Save me.

Let’s look at this more in-depth.

It is Irrefutable that Acts 2:38’s Baptism is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Not a Water Baptism.  Water Baptism is Not Required for Salvation. The Bible is very clear that we are Saved by Believing the Gospel Only.

1st Thessalonians 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

The Bible has a built-in dictionary. By comparing Scripture-with-Scripture, we can solve the puzzle. Rightly dividing (Dissecting) the Word of truth.

2nd Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

John the Baptist said his baptism, was just water. He said when Jesus comes He would baptize them with the Holy Ghost which is not a water baptism. It is a Spiritual Baptism that Saves and Seals a person.

John 1:22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

John 1:26 and 33 teach that John the Baptist’s Baptism was just Water. That Jesus Baptism is not a water Baptism. It is a Spiritual Baptism. The Baptism of the Holy Ghost. That Saves a Person’s Soul.

John 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; LOOK JOHN’S BAPTISM WAS WATER.

John 1:33 Jesus Baptizeth with the Holy Ghost which Saves a person. When someone has Believed on Jesus they are immediately Saved and Baptized with the Holy Ghost by Jesus. This completely explains Acts 2:38 and Water Baptism.

Acts 2:38 Literally means to be born-again (by the Holy Spirit) in the name of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Most people make the error of assuming that “be baptized” in Acts 2:38 must means water baptism, because that is the modern popular understanding.

My friend, your Pastor can Baptize you with water. But that won’t Save you.

You must be Baptized with the Holy Ghost. Which only Jesus Christ can do. When you Believe on Him as your Savior.  Adding water Baptism, Partial Faith in Jesus Christ, to Salvation is a False Religion. It is not the Gift of God. We are saved by completely trusting in Jesus Christ only to Save us.

Throughout the New Testament. We read that we are Saved by Believing on Jesus Christ Only.

John 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

If Water Baptism were Necessary for Salvation, then it would have been Mentioned, but it is Not.

It is Ridiculous to entertain the notion. That the Bible is requiring Water Baptism for Salvation in Acts 2:38. When dozens of times we are told in the Bible that Salvation is solely by Faith Alone. Without Works.(Ephesians 2:8-10; Genesis 15:6; Isaiah 45:22; Romans 4:5-6; Galatians 3:24-26; Titus 3:5; Romans 11:6).

NEVER lift any particular text out of a passage without considering the surrounding context. The entire Bible for that matter, or else you will wrongly interpret the Bible.

Finally Acts 2:38 the Straightforward reading of this verse is: The Baptism of the Holy Ghost. Of which John the Baptist foretold. There is no Water in Acts 2:38.

Water Baptism is a Work. Just as Circumcision is a Work. For which the Apostle Peter Rebuked. The false prophets in Acts 15:1 who were requiring it for Salvation.

Acts 15:1, “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”

This Heresy is in the same boat as Water Baptism. That is, it is Human Effort (Works).

In Acts Chapter 15. Paul, the other Apostles and the Elders quickly rejected Circumcision as being required for Salvation.