Peter’s Preaching of Baptism

2001-09-24

This article will examine whether or not Peter’s gospel presentation (Acts 2:14-41) included baptism as a necessary part of salvation.

Peter and Baptism in the Gospel Presentation

The first time Peter presents the Gospel in Acts 2:38, there is an overwhelming feeling of conviction that overcomes the Jewish men from around the world. They ask Peter and the others, “what shall we do?” Peter answers them that they should repent, and each one of them should be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. When they do this, they would receive the Holy Spirit. There are many views on the role of baptizing here. According to Peter, one might think that baptism is a requirement for salvation. This seems to be a contradiction to the whole Gospel message, and therefore, there needs to be a careful analysis to what Peter is actually saying.

As a rule in hermeneutics (how to methodologically study the Bible), one must not take a difficult passage and make it contradict the easier passages of Scripture. Numerous verses plainly say that salvation is by faith alone such as John 3:16, 36; Ephesians 2:8-9; and Romans 10:13 quoting Joel 2:32. Furthermore, Paul did not focus on baptizing people, but focused more on the actual message of the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17).

Grammatical Background

What could this mean, then, in Acts 2:39? Much depends on the usage of the Greek preposition eis, which can mean any number of things from “into”, “because of”, “for” and many other English words and phrases. In the New King James version, the translator uses the word “for”. This preposition used plus the accusative case, usually describes purpose or direction (Toussaint, 359). This verse explains why the Jews present ought to be baptized. It is important to keep this in mind when looking at verse 38 in context.

According to Wallace, there are four views of the usage: that this baptism is (1) of the physical sense, (2) of the spiritual sense, (3) the text should be repunctuated to show that eis is subordinate to repent and not be baptized, so that it reads to ‘repent because of your sins’ and then let each be baptized. The fourth view (4) is that among first century Jewish people that “the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol” (Wallace, 370-1). It is important, therefore, to look at the word “to baptize” used here, baptizo, to see exactly what it means, and then to see its usage throughout all of Scripture, to find the purpose and meaning of baptizing for God’s people.

Usage of the Greek Word Baptizo in the New Testament

The meaning of the word baptizo had the meaning ‘to immerse’ for ancient writers (Oepke, 530). In a later Jewish period it served as a technical term for washings to cleanse from Levitical impurity (Oepke, 535). The word carries the context of a ritual washing in Mark 7:4 and in Luke 11:38 when the Pharisees practice their strict rules of hand washing before they eat. This same concept of cleansing by immersion is used of the word rachats in Leviticus 15:13 and tabal in 2 Kings 5:14.

However, before the days of John the Baptist, there were proselytes that were baptized because they were Gentiles (Oepke, 537). When John’s baptism came, his message was to repent because of the coming judgment of the Day of the Lord. This was a great demand, since the Jews realized they needed the repentance just as those Gentiles who became proselytes (Oepke, 537). According to Oepke, it was “an initiatory rite for the gathering Messianic community” and the first instance of an expression of repentance (Oepke, 537). Was this, however, a demand to be met before one could see salvation?

When people came to John to be baptized in Luke 3:7-8, he spoke strongly, saying to them to bear fruit worthy of repentance and not to use their heritage as an excuse. In Matthew 3:7-9, the same account is told of John speaking to the religious leaders. But from Luke’s account, this saying goes out to all people, since tax collectors and soldiers respond, “What shall we do then?” (Luke 3:10ff). There needs to be repentance, which is not just a confession from the lips but also a change of mind that will “Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance” (Luke 3:8).

John’s baptism, however, is only with water, even as John said. John said there would be One who would come who will baptize with the Holy Spirit, as the four gospels use this phrase (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7-8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). This baptism of the Spirit will be very different from John’s baptism, but John’s baptism must precede the baptizing of the Holy Spirit (Malachi 3:1; 4:5; Joel 2:28ff). John came first to ‘prepare the way’ for the Messiah, and to ‘make His path straight’ because repentance must come first. This is what Peter preached to those first Jews that were added to the church: the baptism of repentance is first, and then the saving power of God through His Spirit could come.

Repentance can happen without physical baptism, and baptism can happen without repentance. When the people of Samaria first received the Gospel, they had not yet received the Holy Spirit. In those first crucial days of the church, the apostles made sure of their salvation by seeing evidence of the Spirit in them. Interestingly enough, Peter and John had not seen any evidence of this, yet they had already been baptized. When they had laid their hands upon them, the Spirit was given (Acts 8:17).

Within the same passage, the sorcerer Simon was too baptized, but in his own selfish motivation, Simon wanted to be able to ‘give’ the Holy Spirit in the same fashion. Though he had been baptized, he could not even repent of his desire to prostitute the power of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 8:24).

The outpouring of the Spirit on Gentiles is also another instance. The outpouring of the Spirit came first in Cornelius’ household (Acts 10:45), and then Peter commands that they should be baptized in the name of the Lord (10:47-48).

Though water baptism is not something required of salvation, it is no doubt of great importance. This is apparent especially in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus tells the disciples to go out and baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The new Ethiopian believer wanted to take the firm stand to accept Jesus as Savior. He asked Philip, “what doth hinder me to be baptized?” Philip answers, “If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest.” Baptism is something that should be taken seriously.

Peter’s View On Baptizing

When Peter is preaching in the temple to the witnesses of the healing of the lame man, he stresses that they need to repent (metanoeo, have a change of heart), so that their sins will be blotted out, and that “times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). The message is basically the same as it was before in Acts 2:38. Repent, so that you may be cleansed. Baptism is not mentioned here; if it were required for salvation, he left out a critial element!

In Acts 10:34 and following, again, Peter says to the Gentiles that those from any nation who fear name of God and works righteousness will be accepted. Whoever believes in the name of Jesus who was raised from the dead and appointed Judge of all men shall receive the remission of sins. Once again, there is no mention of water baptism until after the Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit. Repentance for the remission of sins is the same message he was commanded to preach by the Lord.

In Peter’s first epistle, he speaks of the antitype that saves, baptism. He explains what this means afterward, that it is not cleansing the flesh from filth (water baptism), but the “answer of a good conscience toward God” (1 Peter 3:21). Peter is saying once and for all that the real baptism is not physical, but a spiritual cleaning.

Another Possible Look of the Baptizo in Acts 2:38

In the context of what had just happened not many days before, Peter and the disciples were told that they would soon be baptized by the Holy Spirit, and ten days later, they were. When the Spirit came upon them, they started speaking about the wonders of God in the presence of Jewish men from all over the world. Since Peter had just experienced this new baptism, it would seem natural for him to mention to the Jews that they too need to be baptized in this way. The context, for sure, should be examined before one examines the grammar, but certainly before one begins to contradict major tenets of Scripture.

The Gospel Remains the Same

Now, back to the main passage of interest, Acts 2:14-41. Peter just preached at length to the Jews from abroad about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This Gospel message was preached that whoever believes in Jesus, would receive eternal life. This is a refrain throughout the Bible, and especially in the Gospel of John, where the words believe or believing are used 99 times. Knowing this, in Acts 2:37, the men respond in belief, being “pricked in their heart”, or cut to the heart. They had some sort of belief at this very point, and were being drawn in by the Lord. The men, believing that this message is from God, respond, “what shall we do?” We do not do anything to be saved from God’s judgment. They must be saved already by believing the message, and if so, then they must repent (change their mind) and be baptized (as commanded by the Lord in Matthew 28:19). When we are saved, what ought we do? Be baptized: an outward symbol and proclamation that we are associated with the message of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. For example, I was baptized as an infant, became saved after high school, and then was baptized five years later (though many Christians baptize infants, there is no time in the Bible where infants are baptized; only people old enough to know what it means to know Jesus Christ as Savior are baptized in the New Testament). Now did my salvation depend on being baptized? Not at all.

Peter’s response is for them to repent. According to Moyer, this means they must “change one’s mind about whatever is keeping one from trusting Christ and trust Him as the only means of salvation” (Moyer, 92). Baptism, as I have mentioned above, is clearly not a prerequisite for salvation, but nonetheless, a commandment of the Lord (Matthew 28:19). Since Acts is a transitional book where the Spirit was first being poured out, the Holy Spirit was not given automatically to those who simply believed at first (cf. Acts 8:14-17, Moyer 269). Moyer notes that the audience of Peter’s sermon were people that in particular had crucified Christ (Acts 2:36). Baptism here is emphasized also for this particular group of people that had enmity with Christ especially for having a hand in His crucifixion. Baptism would bring about open confession of Christ, and also fellowship with Him they had crucified (Moyer, 132).

Trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior and as your only way into heaven is the only way to be saved into eternal life. There is no ritual you must go through to be saved. Once we are already saved, we ought to be baptized because of the Lord’s command (Matthew 28:19), but that does not affect our salvation. Jesus came to the earth, born of a virgin, and preached that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life. He was crucified and was buried, but rose again, which is our promise of eternal life! To read more about what Jesus did for us, see my Gospel page!

Bibliography

Moyer, R. Larry. Free and Clear: Understanding and Communicating God’s Offer of Eternal Life. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1997.

Oepke, Albrecht. Word study of bapto, baptizo, baptismos, baptisma, baptises. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1964.

Toussaint, Stanley D. Acts. The Bible Knowledge Commentary. Colorado Springs: ChariotVictor, 1983.

Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.