Acts 2:37-38 (Misinterpreted Scriptures)
Now when [the Jews present at the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost] 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? 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.
Misinterpretation: This is the “flagship” Scripture of the UPC and of all Oneness Pentecostal churches. There are many ways that this Scripture is mistaught by the UPC, but the only error that I will point out here is that many Oneness Pentecostal preachers and saints misquote the Scripture by reciting, “Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved.”
Facts: The careful reader will notice that the words “to be saved” are not found in Acts 2:37. Peter had already told the believers how to be saved in Acts 2:21, when he quoted the prophet Joel and said, “[W]hosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” By the time Peter concluded his sermon in Acts 2:36, the Jews who were present were “pricked in their heart.” That is when they asked Peter and the “rest of the apostles,” “[W]hat shall we do?”
The reason that this is important is because these men had already believed in Christ. That’s why they were pricked in their heart! They wouldn’t have ever asked the question unless they already believed on Christ! If they didn’t believe then they would have laughed and walked off. However, they did believe, and so they were moved to ask what they needed to do. Peter responded by telling them to be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and that they would receive the Holy Ghost.
The point is that it was not baptism who saved the new believers, it was their belief. (More properly, it was God’s grace working through their belief). Their baptism was a response to their salvation, not the cause of their salvation. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia sums it up well when they write, “Peter’s ‘Repent ye, and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ’ (Act_2:38) is meaningless unless faith were exercised in Christ.”1
I will conclude my discussion of Acts 2:37-38 by quoting the story of the jailer’s conversion, found in Acts 16:27-34, which makes the distinction between belief and baptism even more clearer.
Act 16:27-34 KJV
(27) And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
(28) But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
(29) Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
(30) And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
(31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
(32) And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
(33) And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
(34) And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
References:
- ISBE, “Justification” [↩]
September 25th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
I understand your point about the distinction between “what must we do to be saved?” versus “what must we do?”; however do you or do you not grant that acts 2:38 says that you must repent and be baptized to receive the holy ghost and that the infilling of the holy spirit is the mark of a Christian?
September 26th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Elleon, I want to be careful to not have a debate in the comments. You asked a direct question, though, so I think that deserves a direct answer.
A full discussion of your questions would take a lot of space, so I’m just going to give brief answers here. I encourage you to read through other articles on this Web site for more information. I think if you read through all of the articles you’ll find a good synopsis of what I believe about salvation and why I believe what I do.
With that said, here’s the answers to the questions you asked:
I do not think that Acts 2:38 says a person must repent *and* be baptized to receive the Holy Ghost. Peter commanded repentance (in the Greek, repentance is the only command in Acts 2:38–baptism is not a command in that verse). Peter promised that those who repented and were baptized would receive the Holy Ghost.
In other words, the receiving the Holy Ghost is a promise, not a command. Receiving it is predicated upon belief and repentance (I do not think you can separate the two). I do not believe that baptism is a requirement for receiving the Holy Ghost.
As far as the Holy Ghost is concerned, I would not call it a “mark.” The Fruit of the Spirit and brotherly love are the marks of a true Christian. But yes, the Holy Ghost is necessary for salvation. However, let me stress that I do not think there is any biblical basis for associating tongues with the Holy Ghost. I believe that all true believers are filled with God’s Spirit.
I think that I’ve answered your questions, but let me say one more thing about baptism. When a person asks me if baptism is necessary I answer “yes and no.” Here’s why.
Baptism is a command by Jesus. More than that, it is directly tied to discipleship (Mat. 28:18-20). Because Jesus directly commanded baptism, I do not think that it is something that believers can pick and choose whether or not they should do it. So if a believer knows that Jesus commanded baptism, and they are able to be baptized, but they refuse to do so then I doubt whether that person has truly committed their life to Christ. So in that sense, baptism is necessary.
On the other hand, I do believe people can go to heaven without being baptized. Case in point, the thief on the cross went to heaven without being baptized (and yes, the thief did die under grace–he died after Jesus did, and that put him under grace and not under the Mosaic law). So in that sense, I do not believe baptism is necessary for salvation. If a person is unable to be baptized for some reason then I think God’s grace is more than sufficient to cover them.
I hope that answers your questions. Thanks for the feedback.
October 26th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
My parents raised me in a Pentecostal Church. At age 28, I still believe the Pentecostal doctrine makes God proud. We honor him above all worldly possessions i.e. television(which is poisoning our kids as we speak). Look at how America has evolved into “Soddom and Gommora”(spell check). He will bring his wrath down on sinful nations that mock his requirements. If everyone is going to Heaven like they say, then why does the bible say the road is very narrow? I challenge anyone to pray to God like no tomorrow and not give up until your mouth “lets loose” speaking in other tongues is nothing less than God’s miraculous blessing we can all receive…Don’t be fooled with false prophets claiming Heaven’s doors are wide open just because you believe in God.
October 26th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
I want to clear up any misunderstanding on the above post….I am NOT saying anyone on this website is a false prophet and hope it does not offend anyone. My intentions are only to express my conviction that merely admitting God is almighty is not enough to get into Heaven. I admire anyone who strives to become closer with God. To be honest, I admit my focus needs to be on getting closer to him before proclaiming anything about false prophets. May we all keep him close by our side in the upcoming years.
God Bless,
Lance
July 9th, 2009 at 8:56 am
It’s kind of sad reading the writings on your site. It seems the objective as we walk with God is to draw closer to him and adjust our life to obedience to the scripture. I believe it was Paul who wrote in Galations I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, the life that I live by the faith of the son of God. Why would you devote so much time and effort promoting what “you” think to wrap the scripture around your opinion instead of adjusting your mind to the scripture “we have the mind of Christ”. If people are doing something in faith to draw close to God let them draw close especially if it’s rooted in truth. Ok you left UPC looks as if you were looking for an out. But now you’ve devoted a whole website to supposedly “helping people” why not encourage people to work out their own salvaton with fear and trembling by searching the scriptures daily to see truth. You make it as if a woman wearing a skirt as an act of obedience to duet 22:5 if she does it by faith as a outward sign of an inward holiness it’s some kind of bondage. A reminder Jesus did say the outward and the inward should both be clean. Well I could go on but I won’t. I will challenge you, search for truth forget what UPC says. UPC is just an organization the church is really what matters God’s word is what matters. Blessed are they who love thy law and nothing shall offend them.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Well I apologize I thought I was posting this on the link on pants in the UPC. The question what must we do was a question of being obedient to God. The bible even says he has given the Holy Ghost to them that obey Him. Again this goes back to obedience, not excuses. Jesus did say “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”. Peter wrote the like figure in reference to Noah that baptism doth also save us. Did’nt Jesus also say Except a man be born of “water” and “Spirit” to enter into the kingdom of God. I’m sorry where was the option or the question? Oh and one more thing Peter “commanded” Cornelius’ household to be baptized in Acts 10. Enough said
July 6th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Acts 10:44-48 44While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47″Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days (Those filled with the Holy Spirit are not asked but commanded to be baptized in Jesus name)
Acts 19:2-9 2and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when[a] you believed?”
They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”
“John’s baptism,” they replied.
4Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5On hearing this, they were baptized into[b] the name of the Lord Jesus. 6When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues[c] and prophesied. 7There were about twelve men in all.
8Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.(Rebaptism of those who were not baptized in Jesus name),
Romans 6:1-6 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin—
And we know that the apostles would not have disobeyed Jesus in Matt. 28:19. So when they baptized in Jesus name it was in fulfillment of the scripture. It was not till 300 AD after the term Trinity was coined by Tertulian that people were baptized saying “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” My respect for the apostles makes me choose there baptism rather than Tertulians. Also if you read Polycarps letters 200 AD he mentions baptism done in Jesus name. Polycarp was a disciple of John. When the protestant church came out of the Caholic church they took with them many of the Catholic doctrines. This baptism saying “Father, Son and Holy Spirit” was one of them. Curious that the first Pope Peter would say to be baptized in Jesus name. (Wonder if Peter knew if he was the first pope?)
September 1st, 2010 at 5:38 pm
(your writing in quotes)
“The reason that this is important is because these men had already believed in Christ. That’s why they were pricked in their heart! They wouldn’t have ever asked the question unless they already believed on Christ! If they didn’t believe then they would have laughed and walked off. However, they did believe, and so they were moved to ask what they needed to do.”
My brother, what would be the point of Apostle Peter’s sermon to this Jewish audience if they had believed in Jesus Christ as the true Messiah and Lord? They had rejected him as Messiah and Lord and murdered him. Peter’s message to them was for them to see the error of their ways. If your argument is that they believed on Jesus Christ as the Messiah and Lord after the fact, the sermon by Peter is still pointless – for a change of mind/heart (repentance) would have already taken place in them. This Jewish crowd had to be told the truth – hence the reason for their conviction and their question to Peter (what shall we do?)
Peter’s answer to them: change your mind about who Jesus was…. be baptized (washed) in HIS name… and because of this obedience, a gift (promise) will be given to you.
I do agree with you on all other points (baptism is not necessary for salvation or receiving the baptism of the holy ghost, etc) but your statement in quotes above does disservice to the context of Acts 2.
September 1st, 2010 at 7:53 pm
Mr. Shelton,
Thanks for writing! Just to clarify, I do not believe that the recipients of Peter’s sermon believed before they heard his sermon. My interpretation of the text is that they believed during the sermon, and that is what prompted them to ask what they needed to do.
I think that when we interpret Acts 2:38 we have to interpret it from the view of someone who had no knowledge of the Christian faith. If someone with no prior knowledge of Christianity came to me and said that they were convinced Jesus is God, and they wanted to know what to do, then my first advice to them would be to repent of their sins and be baptized. After that I would tell them about the importance of Christian fellowship–I would attempt to place them in an environment where they could continue to grow in Christ. (By the way, I have had this exact scenario happen. Dealing with a person who has no prior knowledge of Christianity is very different than dealing with a person who has prior knowledge of Jesus and the Christian faith.)
That is what I think happened on the Day of Pentecost. I hope that clarifies my view. I do not claim that it is the only possible interpretation of the passage, but it is the one that makes the most sense to me. Either way, we can be united in our belief that Christ is the Savior of our souls =)
In Christ,
- Josh S.
September 2nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
Thank you Josh for a thorough explanation! To God be the glory!
February 17th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Great site!
I would add that Acts 2:38 clearly debunks UPC theology:.
UPC teaches that is you repent and you’re baptized, you MIGHT receive the Holy Spirit, and the way to determine whether you received it by seeing if you speak in tongues.
Acts 2:38 teaches that if you repent and you’re baptized, you SHALL receive the Holy Spirit. That is, everyone who believes, repents and is baptized SHALL receive the Spirit. (It doesn’t directly state when the reception occurs, but it happens to 100% of such people at some point in their lives. Nowhere near 100% of those who do those things ever speak in tongues, even within Oneness churches.)
February 17th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Great points, James. I agree 100%. Might incorporate what you said into a later revision of this article!
- Josh S.
March 2nd, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Just believing is not enough. You must be born again. How will you know this ? You will speak in tongues.
March 4th, 2011 at 2:52 pm
OK I have a question…
But first I want to say, In all this small discussion about salvation and the neccessity of baptism or on just believing one can be saved. I believe in both just as Josh said (“Dealing with a person who has no prior knowledge of Christianity is very different than dealing with a person who has prior knowledge of Jesus and the Christian faith.”) So you have to see where the person is coming from…
So here is my question where the disciples baptized in Jesus Name? Obviously, the Apostles received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, but was that considered their Confirmation of baptiism?
Acts 1:5 (New King James Version)
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
Does this shows us that by believing, one can be saved…
God Bless,
Carlos
March 4th, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Carlos,
Acts 1:5 is contrasting John’s baptism, which is a baptism of repentance (Acts 19:4), with Spirit baptism. It has nothing to do with how or when Spirit baptism given, or with what belief accomplishes in a person’s life.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
March 4th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
Thank you for your quick response Josh.
I kinds was seeing that, in the same way… but I was hesitating a little bit to really take it in to understand.
Thank you again for your response
God Bless,
Carlos
March 4th, 2011 at 5:18 pm
My pleasure!
- Josh S.
September 14th, 2011 at 12:40 am
I agree that this scripture is often misquoted. However, you seem to imply that baptism and infilling of the Holy Spirit is not necessary for salvation, which is very dangerous. From the article:
“The point is that it was not baptism who saved the new believers, it was their belief. (More properly, it was God’s grace working through their belief). Their baptism was a response to their salvation, not the cause of their salvation”
But in John 3:5:
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
I’ve read other articles here, so I know you do not believe in isolating a single scripture, and that the scriptures work in concert. In John 3:5, Jesus told Nicodemus that being born again of the water (baptism) and being born again of the Spirit (Holy Spirit infilling) are necessary to enter the kingdom of God. So while Peter may not have specifically stated that baptism and Holy Spirit infilling where necessary for salvation, John 3:5 does say this.
I agree 100% that belief was the necessary 1st step, but baptism and Holy Spirit infilling are necessary also, not optional if one’s goal is heaven.
September 14th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
RJ.,
I have never claimed that the Holy Spirit is not necessary for salvation. The Holy Spirit is God so it’s obvious that He is necessary for salvation! However, the Bible makes it clear that we receive the Holy Spirit upon belief:
“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” — Eph. 1:13-14
On the other hand, water baptism is a response to salvation, not a cause of salvation. Jesus commanded us to be baptized, so if a person refuses then I doubt the sincerity of their belief. Baptism should certainly follow belief/salvation (medical conditions and other special circumstances may not make it possible, of course), but that does not mean that baptism causes salvation.
Regarding John 3:5, it is almost certainly not referring to water baptism. For one, baptism is an identification with Christ’s death, not with spiritual or even physical birth (Rom. 6:3-7). As a matter of fact, Christ could have had the human birth in mind when He spoke of being born of water. There are other possibilities as well…I don’t have my commentaries handy right now, but there are plenty available for free on the Internet if you browse around. John MacArthur has an excellent summary of the various views, if I recall, and there are many others as well.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
December 20th, 2011 at 2:04 am
You left out John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” Jesus states here that unless we are born again of the water and spirit we will NOT enter the kingdom of God.
January 18th, 2012 at 3:12 am
Lisa,
I didn’t realize that I didn’t have an article on John 3:5. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
I’ll go ahead and deal with it briefly here. I am not anti-baptism. I don’t have a major problem with the view that “born again of the water” refers to baptism. However, I find it unlikely, as do many minds far greater than mine. For one, baptism is equated with death, not birth (Romans 6). We’re buried with Christ in baptism, not born. So I don’t find it likely that “born again of the water” refers to baptism, but I don’t have a problem with the view either. We’re commanded to be baptized, and it’s not like I’m trying to talk people out of it! If anything, I think the Western church needs to take baptism more seriously.
Finally, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary lists six different ways that John 3:5 has been interpreted. Here is what they are:
“1. water baptism. But the NT teaches that one is born again at the
point of faith, not baptism (Acts 10:43–47);
2. a synonym for the Holy Spirit. The phrase could be translated “born
of water, even the spirit”;
3. a symbol of the Word of God (Eph. 5:26; 1 Pet. 1:23);
4. physical birth;
5. John’s baptism; or
6. a symbol, along with wind, in OT imagery for the work of God from above” (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new
illustrated Bible commentary (Jn 3:5). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
The MacArthur Study Bible also interprets it as a symbol, and they use the following Scriptures for support: Ezek. 36:24–27; Num.
19:17–19; Ps. 51:9, 10; Is. 32:15; 44:3–5; 55:1–3; Jer. 2:13; Joel 2:28, 29) (MacArthur, J. J. (1997, c1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Jn 3:5). Nashville: Word Pub.)
I tend to agree with that view, although I admit there is room for ambiguity!
I hope that helps.
In Christ,
Josh S.