What do you know about Acts 2:38?

Question

If you don't know anything about it, please don't answer. I am trying to understand if it is the salvation plan, or whether I understand it correctly. Thanks

Answer 1

Repent by admitting that you are a sinner and by believing that Jesus is your Lord and Savior who obtains forgiveness of your sins and gives you eternal life. Then you can be baptized in Jesus' name and you can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a call for salvation.

Answer 2

Been a Christian since 1968. Am now a lay worker for the Methodist church. Yes, What Peter says is the basic message of the Gospel. Repent (turn away) for the forgiveness of ur sins(wrongdoing) and be baptised (as a symbol that U have done it) in the Name of Jesus.U will receive the Holy Spirit. It is a promise. Once U have done that, U R a Christian, U R saved & U R going to Heaven Guaranteed. Hope this helps & God bless U. If U need more, come back to me.Post my name in a question.

Answer 3

It is part of the salvation plan. Peter is telling people that unless they repent(confess and turn away from)their sins, and be baptized by water in the name of the Jesus Christ, they will be saved. There's also Romans 3:23, 6:23. They say for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God(3:23), and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Answer 4

Well, chapter 2 of Acts deals with the Pentecost, and of course there is a lot of debate regarding the fundamentalist, or "charismatic", interpretations of those events.

But Acts 2:38 seems pretty straightforward to me: Repent, be baptized, get forgiveness, and you get the Holy Spirit as a take-home prize. What's confusing about that?

Answer 5

Wow, this is a verse that I grew up with. Growing up we were taught that there is no such thing as "being saved", that you just repent, be baptized, and that's that. In fact we were taught that so harshly that it was really confusing when I started going to a new church and they said my baptism was not one pleasing to God.

As far as the repentence goes, here is the question. Do we simply say we are sorry for sinning, and ready not to (like I was raised?)...or do we say the sinners prayer and ask Jesus to come into our hearts and admit to God that without him we are hopelessly lost in sin.

I fought the re-baptism for quite a while and it wasn't the preacher who changed my mind, it was my daughter's tee-ball coach. I had been taught to take Act 2:38 so seriously that growing up we did not believe ANYONE went to heaven without baptism. My daughter's tee-ball coach simply said what about the criminal on the cross. He was not baptized, yet Jesus said he would go to heaven.

I could not believe all of those years I had missed the fact that the criminal was unbaptized. He hd simply called out to Jesus and professed him as Lord

Answer 6

For those who don't have a Bible, it says:

"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."

I would assume it was meant to be a "salvation plan," as you put it. One either believes it or one doesn't, but I do detect one ambiguity: Is the Holy Ghost to BE the gift, or to bestow the gift? If the latter, what would the gift be?

Answer 7

I suppose you read all of the chapter!

If so, you know this was addressed to the fleshly Jews and it was the day of Pentecost when the Helper, Christ's spirit that he had received from his Father, was first dispensed upon his followers.

The first ingathering of disciples was restricted for the next 3.5 years to fleshly Israelites even though the Law Covenant had been abolished. This was to comply with Daniel's prophecy regarding Messiah. (62 + 7 weeks, etc)

Only Saints or Born Again were gathered at this time. Because the Israelites previously being God's covenanted people, they were given these extra three years in which only they were given access to become Kings and Priests in heaven with Christ. After this time, Cornelius became the first of many gentiles to become joint-heir, Saint, Born Again in Christ.

Only the Born Again / Saints / Elect/ Chosen ones / Holy Ones are given the Helper as proof of their being God's spiritual sons, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.

Christians in general are given God's general Holy Spirit, but not the Helper, Comforter, Paraclete. This is reserved for the Saints.

If you have any questions, ask.
See the page on God's Kingdom, and Born Again:
http://bythebible.page.tl/Born-Again.htm
http://bythebible.page.tl/God-h-s-Kingdom.htm

Answer 8

"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

The part about repenting is the first step in the salvation plan. Being baptized is not necessary for salvation, but is a way of outwardly acknowledging before others that you have repented of your sins, and have chosen to follow Jesus Christ. If you repent and accept Jesus, but die before you are able to be baptized, then you still have salvation and will be in heaven.

Answer 9

Its for salvation. Think of the repenting as soap and the Baptism as the bath to wash away the dirt(sin). Then accepting Jesus is like getting a towel. Once you dry your soul is clean and free to go to heaven assuming you keep living a good life.

Answer 10

It means that you should turn away from your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your savior. When you do this you are baptised with the Holy Spirit. Notice Peter did not line them up and baptise them with water.

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.