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NASB | Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
Subject: WHY? |
Bible Note: Hello Grace and Truth I can quote people as well: 1. Mark 16:16: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." The negative proposition in this declaration is the clue to its interpretation. Christ, in these words, expresses succinctly and with amazing accuracy the exact relation that baptism bears to saving faith. The outward symbol is enjoined with no equivocation, and yet no saving value is placed upon it, for the negative proposition conditions damnation solely upon the failure to believe. The failure to be baptized does not condemn, according to the divine estimate. Now, if baptism were essential to salvation the statement would be incomplete. William Kelly expresses the correct view in his commentary: "Baptism outwardly sets forth the truth of Christ. Thus baptism has a decided value as a testimony before God and men…. Peter insists upon baptism, though he expressly guards them from thinking too much about the outward act; but the grand point is the demand of a good conscience towards God by Christ’s resurrection…. This makes baptism simply consequent on believing; but when we hear of condemnation, it is on the ground of not believing. Alas! millions will be condemned who have been baptized, yet so much the worse because they do not believe." --William Walden Howard Steve |