I spent two years studying Classical Greek at Texas Tech University before attending seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. My Greek professor, a Church of Christ minister, spent two semesters trying to convince me that water baptism was necessary for eternal salvation. We met several times outside the classroom—usually at Denny’s over coffee—and discussed nearly every New Testament passage on baptism. Of course, Acts 2:38 came up several times in our discussions. I am not a Greek scholar, but with four years of Greek study and a knowledge of how to use lexicons and grammar resources, I feel competent to analyze Acts 2:38 and provide an accurate interpretation.
Acts 2:38 is often mentioned in debates about salvation, baptism, and repentance. The verse states, “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’” (Acts 2:38 NASB). In context, Peter is addressing a Jewish audience on the Day of Pentecost after the Holy Spirit has descended, fulfilling Jesus’ promise (Acts 1:8). He has just finished preaching that Jesus is the Messiah whom they had rejected and crucified (Acts 2:23-24). The Jews, realizing their grave error, are “pierced to the heart” and ask, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37). They were asking, “What should we do now in light of this realization?” Peter’s response in Acts 2:38 addresses both their justification (repentance leading to faith in Christ) and their public identification with Him (water baptism).
The word “repent” (metanoeō) means “to change one’s mind.” In this context, it does not mean turning from sin as a prerequisite for salvation but rather a change of mind about Jesus—acknowledging Him as the Messiah. Toussaint notes, “The Jews had rejected Jesus; now they were to trust in Him. Repentance was repeatedly part of the apostles’ message in Acts (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20).”[1] According to Fruchtenbaum, “If these Jewish individuals would repent, that is, change their minds about Yeshua, they would be saved spiritually.”[2] Faith alone in Christ alone is all that’s necessary for salvation (John 3:16; Rom 3:28; Acts 4:12; Eph 2:8-9).
The command to “be baptized” (baptisthētō) is in the aorist passive imperative, indicating an individual response that follows repentance. This differs from the verb “repent” (metanoēsate), which is a second-person plural imperative, indicating a general call to the group. The phrase “for the forgiveness of your sins” (eis aphesin tōn hamartiōn) contains the preposition eis, which can mean “for,” “unto,” or “because of.” (see A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, Acts 2:38). Black notes, “The interpretation turns on the proper meaning of the Greek preposition eis, translated as ‘for.’ The usage in Acts 2:38 can be compared to the usage in Matthew 3:11, where baptism in water is a sign of repentance and not the basis or cause of repentance.”[3] Given the consistent biblical teaching that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9), eis is best understood as “because of” rather than “in order to receive.” Fruchtenbaum states, “The Greek word translated in the verse as ‘unto’ is eis. It can also simply mean ‘on the basis of’ or ‘because of,’ as it does in Matthew 10:41 and 12:41. Just as the Ninevites repented because of the preaching of Jonah, these must now be baptized because of the remission of their sins—not in order to have their sins remitted, but because they have already had their sins remitted by repentance.”[4] Ryrie notes:
This baptism was “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). This does not mean in order that sins might be remitted, for everywhere in the New Testament sins are forgiven as a result of faith in Christ, not as a result of baptism. It means be baptized because of the remission of sins. The Greek preposition eis, for, has this meaning “because of” not only here but also in such a passage as Matthew 12:41 where the meaning can only be “they repented because of (not in order to) the preaching of Jonah.[5]
Water baptism is not a requirement for forgiveness but is performed because sins have already been forgiven through faith in Christ. Radmacher states, “Believers are baptized in view of God’s work of forgiveness, not in order to receive that forgiveness. God’s forgiveness in Christ gives baptism its significance. Baptism is a public declaration that a person’s sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s work on the Cross.”[6] Wallace notes, “Water baptism is not a cause of salvation, but a picture; and as such it serves both as a public acknowledgment (by those present) and a public confession (by the convert) that one has been Spirit-baptized.”[7] Additionally, the phrase, “you will receive” (lēmpsesthe) is in the future active indicative, meaning the Holy Spirit is received after repentance, not necessarily after baptism.
It is important to recognize that Acts is a transitional book. The events in Acts 2 mark the beginning of the Church Age, shifting from Israel under the Old Covenant to the body of Christ. Peter’s audience consists of Jews who were under the Mosaic Law and now must transition to the new dispensation. Because salvation is by faith alone (Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9), and baptism is a work, it cannot be a requirement for salvation. Peter’s call to repentance is a call to faith in Christ, while baptism is an outward identification with that faith.
Many misinterpret Acts 2:38 as teaching baptismal regeneration, the false doctrine that baptism is necessary for salvation. However, the broader New Testament contradicts this view. Scripture consistently teaches salvation by faith alone (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Rom 3:28; 4:4-5; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). The thief on the cross was saved without baptism (Luke 23:42-43). In Acts 10:44-48, Cornelius and other Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit before being baptized, proving that baptism is not required for receiving the Spirit or for salvation.
Paul wrote, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Cor 1:17). Here, Paul draws a clear distinction between the gospel message and the act of water baptism. The gospel, by its very nature, is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Rom 1:16). If water baptism were a necessary component of the gospel, Paul’s statement would be incoherent. Instead, he deliberately separates water baptism from the gospel. Water baptism, while an important act of obedience and public identification with Christ (Matt 28:19; Acts 8:36-38), is not a prerequisite for salvation. To incorporate baptism as a requirement would be to adulterate the gospel by introducing a works-based element, which contradicts the doctrine of justification by faith alone (Rom 3:28; Gal 2:16). Therefore, water baptism follows salvation but is not part of the gospel itself, nor does it contribute in any way to eternal life.
In conclusion, Acts 2:38 does not teach baptismal regeneration but must be understood in its dispensational and linguistic context. Peter calls his Jewish listeners to change their minds about Jesus and to be baptized as a public testimony of their faith. The passage, when properly interpreted, harmonizes with the broader biblical doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone.
Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.
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[1] Stanley D. Toussaint, “Acts,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 359.
[2] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Book of Acts, ed. Christiane K. Jurik, First Edition, Ariel’s Bible Commentary (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2020), 79.
[3] Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black, The New Testament: Its Background and Message, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 292.
[4] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, The Book of Acts, 79–80.
[5] Charles C. Ryrie, Acts of the Apostles, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1961), 24.
[6] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1370.
[7] Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics – Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Zondervan Publishing House and Galaxie Software, 1996), 371.
The cross is God’s righteous solution to the problem of sin, as well as His greatest display of love toward sinners. Law and grace, life and death, as well as time and eternity all intersect at the cross; displaying a divine wisdom that staggers the imagination and leads the humble heart to bow in thankful adoration. To understand the cross of Christ is to understand the heart of God toward a fallen world He wants to save.
At the same time, the cross manifests the immeasurable love of God, for “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The death of Christ was substitutionary, for “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Pet. 2:24), and “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). The Innocent died for the guilty. Peter wrote, “Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet. 3:18). This was an act of love, for we cannot save ourselves.
Therefore, the issue for every sinner is not works or reform, but faith alone in Christ alone. The matter is simple: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31), for “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The cross does not merely reveal God’s heart; it opens the way of reconciliation, for “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19). The cross is both the vindication of divine righteousness and the invitation of divine grace. If you have never trusted in Christ, believe in Him now for the free gift of eternal life, and receive the salvation He accomplished for you at the cross.
