By guest contributor Chris Sabine
Just to clarify the title, Acts 2:38 is not heresy. This is about how the verse is used in certain denominations as a basis for their path to salvation. This verse came to mind many months ago and would not go away. Since it just wouldn’t get off my mind, I knew the Holy Spirit had it there for a reason. I just could not figure out why. No matter what I did the verse simply would not go back into its file in my mind and leave me alone. I would study other verses, subjects, videos, etc. and it kept coming back.
I told Him, “I know the verse. I was in one of those denominations of Christianity for a few years and it is the entire basis of their salvation. I have it memorized.”. But it’s like He was asking me, “Do you REALLY know it as well as you think you do?” Still, the verse would not go away.
Eventually, in an effort to put an end to it, I physically looked the verse up.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahoshua Messiah for the remission of sin, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I thought to myself, “Ok. Nothing to see here other than the fact that I prefer Holy Spirit as opposed to Ghost.” Maybe that was it. He didn’t like being called “Ghost” either? So, I closed the book. Game over. WRONG! The verse kept coming back stronger and stronger. The verse would be the first thing that popped in my mind when I woke up and would be on my mind when I went to sleep. It would be there various times throughout each day. I surrendered because this had to stop at some point. So, I began to pray about it asking Him, begging even, “What do you want me to see? Just show me.”
For several days there was nothing. No dream. No vision. No voice. Nothing giving me any clues as to what He wanted me to see; just that verse. I kept on reciting the verse and looked the verse over countless times and could not piece anything together. That is until other verses began to be revealed.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of Yah; not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Romans 4:3-8
For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed Yah, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, the wages are not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the person to whom Yah credits righteousness apart from works:
“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,
And whose sins have been covered.
Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account.”
You guessed it. I know those verses well too. They discuss the fact that our salvation is by grace and faith, not by works. We obtain it based upon our belief in Yahoshua Messiah not works that we do. This was a bit of a stumbling block for me as I could not figure out why I was being shown this as related to Acts 2:38.
Once again, I began to seek guidance as to what He wanted me to see. After a time, I began to notice something in the verses that make Acts 2:38 contradictory to Ephesians and Romans. They discuss how we received the gift of salvation freely through faith and faith alone, not works. So basically, there is no action a man can take to receive salvation. No magic prayer, no amount of “works,” no amount of getting dunked in water. No human action or deed grants such a thing, because man does not control it. It is a gift from Yah and therefore He controls it. According to the denominations, Acts 2:38 requires the human action of being baptised in water in order to receive forgiveness of sin and the Holy Spirit.
This was not what I expected as I know the Holy Spirit will not contradict scripture. I needed more guidance. I needed Him to show me how this was not contradictory to what is stated in all other scriptures. How could it be that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works of man if it required anything other than belief in Him?
I began to come across other verses which made absolutely no sense to me on how they had anything to do with Acts 2:38. These would include but not limited to:
Luke 21:28
And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Matthew 5:12
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
Matthew 3:2
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Matthew 4:17
From that time Yahoshua began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Again, how did these relate to Acts 2:38? Then I decided to dissect each word of that verse to try and figure it out. In my dissecting, I eventually came across one word that put it all together. a very simple three letter word and suddenly it all made sense. The word “for”.
The word “for” can be used in a manner of doing something to obtain something in return. Much like buying goods and services. A human action to obtain something in return. But it is also historically and biblically used in the sense of “because of”, or “in lieu of”.
In summary, the way Acts 2:38 should be read is Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Yahoshua Messiah “because of/in lieu of” the remission of sin. This should not be read as a conditional this for that statement requiring a human work to receive salvation. The other verses plainly tell you that salvation is not gained through human works but by grace, belief, and faith. To say that you MUST be baptised with water in order to receive salvation is to be a heretic as it is completely false and should be called out for what it is; a lie. Baptism is a physical picture of a purely spiritual matter and is the baptism we should strive for; the baptism of the Holy Spirit, not water.
For more information: Christianity’s Holy Spirit-Water and a Book