THE FIRST GOSPEL SERMON

The best place to begin studying Christian baptism is the first gospel sermon recorded after Jesus returned to heaven. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon the apostles just as Jesus had promised. Peter stood before the crowd and proclaimed that Jesus, whom they had crucified, had been raised from the dead and made both Lord and Christ.

When the people heard Peter's message, they were deeply convicted: “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart...” (Acts 2:37) Their response was immediate: “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Pentecost Was the Beginning

Pentecost was not just another day in the ministry of the apostles.

Before His ascension, Jesus told them to wait in Jerusalem for “the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4). He promised that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts 1:8).

Acts 2 records that promise being fulfilled.

The Holy Spirit came. The apostles spoke in languages they had never learned, and people from many nations heard the mighty works of God in their own languages.

Peter explained that this was the fulfillment of what God had promised through the prophet Joel.

Something new had begun.

Christ had died.

Christ had risen.

Christ had returned to the Father.

The Holy Spirit had come.

And now the apostles began publicly proclaiming the completed gospel to the world.

That is why Peter's answer in Acts 2:38 deserves such careful attention. This is the first time people hear the gospel after Christ's death and resurrection and ask the apostles what they should do.

Peter's answer has been discussed for centuries. But before deciding what it means, let's simply observe what he said: “Repent, and let every one 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)

Peter did not separate repentance from baptism. He joined them together in his answer to their question. About three thousand people accepted Peter's message that day. Luke records their response simply: “Those who accepted his message were baptized.” (Acts 2:41)

Nothing in the chapter suggests that baptism was treated as unimportant or something to be postponed until much later. It was part of the immediate response of those who accepted Peter's message.

Belief Led to Action

Luke tells us:

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.”
(Acts 2:41)

That little statement tells us something important about biblical faith.

These people did not regard accepting Peter's message and obeying Peter's instruction as two competing ways of salvation.

They believed the message, so they responded to it.

Peter had told them:

“Repent and be baptized...”
(Acts 2:38)

Luke then tells us what those who accepted his message did:

they were baptized.

Their obedience did not replace their faith.

It resulted from their faith.

Belief led to action.

Faith responded to God's instruction.

That is a simple pattern we will see repeatedly as we continue through Acts.

Faith Responds

The people listening to Peter had heard the evidence about Jesus. They were convinced and “cut to the heart.”

Then they asked:

“Brothers, what shall we do?”
(Acts 2:37)

They did not ask Peter what they should believe. Peter's sermon had already convinced them that Jesus was Lord and Christ.

Now they wanted to know how that faith should respond.

Peter answered:

“Repent and be baptized...”
(Acts 2:38)

This is an important picture of biblical faith.

Faith is not passive. Faith responds to what God has said.

But Acts 2 is only the beginning. Rather than building an entire doctrine from one sermon, we should keep reading and ask: Does this same pattern continue throughout Acts?

GOING DEEPER

Acts 2 gives us something we did not have before. Jesus has died. Jesus has risen. The Great Commission has been given. The Holy Spirit has come upon the apostles. And now, for the first time, the apostles publicly proclaim the completed gospel of the crucified and risen Christ.

That makes the question in Acts 2:37 especially important: “Brothers, what shall we do?” These people had heard Peter's message and were “cut to the heart.” They now understood that the Jesus who had been crucified was both Lord and Messiah.

So how does an inspired apostle answer people who have heard the gospel, accepted its truth, and want to know what to do?

Look Carefully at Peter's Answer

Peter says: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins...” (Acts 2:38)

Before bringing our theology to the verse, notice what is actually there. Peter tells them to repent. Peter tells them to be baptized. The baptism is in the name of Jesus Christ. And his answer is connected with the forgiveness of sins.

Whatever interpretation we eventually adopt must account for all of those facts.

What Does “For the Forgiveness of Your Sins” Mean?

This is where considerable disagreement begins. Some understand the word “for” to mean that baptism follows forgiveness already received—in effect, “Repent and be baptized because your sins have already been forgiven.”

But we should test that interpretation against the way the biblical writers use the expression. The Greek phrase translated “for the forgiveness of sins” is eis aphesin hamartiōn. Essentially the same expression appears in Matthew 26:28, where Jesus says His blood is poured out “for the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus certainly was not saying His blood would be shed because sins had already been forgiven. His blood was shed to provide forgiveness.

The same basic expression also appears in Mark 1:4: “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”

That does not settle every theological question about Acts 2:38. But it should make us cautious about giving Peter's words a meaning simply because another meaning would fit our theology better.

Let Peter speak first.

But Isn't Salvation by Grace Through Faith?

Absolutely. Paul writes: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith...” (Ephesians 2:8). Nothing Peter says contradicts that. The New Testament never presents baptism as a work by which someone earns forgiveness.

The question is not, “Does baptism earn salvation?” It does not. The question is, “How does faith respond to the salvation God freely offers in Christ?”

Acts 2 gives us a picture. The people heard the gospel. They accepted Peter's message. They were convicted. They asked what to do. Peter told them to repent and be baptized. Then Luke says: “Those who accepted his message were baptized.” (Acts 2:41)

Their baptism did not compete with faith. It was part of their response to the message they believed.

What Didn't Peter Tell Them?

It is also worth noticing what Acts 2 does not record. Peter did not lead the crowd through what is commonly called a “sinner's prayer.” That does not by itself settle every question about prayer and salvation. But if our purpose is to discover how the apostles actually responded when people asked what to do, we should pay attention to what Luke records.

Peter said: “Repent and be baptized...” And Luke says: “Those who accepted his message were baptized.”

Our first responsibility is not to fit that account into a later method of conversion. Our first responsibility is to understand the method actually recorded in the text.

Why Doesn't Peter Tell Them to Believe?

Peter does not answer, “Believe and be baptized.” He says, “Repent and be baptized.” Why? Look at the context.

Peter had just proclaimed Jesus as the risen Lord and Messiah. The people were “cut to the heart” and asked what they should do. Their question shows that Peter's message had already convinced them. Verse 41 makes the point even clearer: “Those who accepted his message were baptized.”

Peter was not giving a complete list of every element involved in conversion every time he spoke. He was answering these people at this point in their response to the gospel. That is another reason context matters.

Three Thousand People Apparently Understood Him

Modern discussions sometimes make Acts 2:38 sound enormously complicated. Peter's audience apparently did not find his instructions confusing.

Peter preached. They asked what to do. Peter answered. Then “those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” (Acts 2:41)

Their baptisms were not scheduled months later. Luke does not describe them as a later ceremony celebrating something that had already happened. He simply places baptism within their immediate response to the gospel.

That observation deserves to stand before we begin explaining it away.

But One Sermon Shouldn't Establish an Entire Doctrine

Correct. Never build an entire doctrine from one isolated verse.

If Acts 2:38 were the only passage connecting baptism with conversion, we should be cautious about drawing sweeping conclusions. But Acts 2:38 is not alone.

So instead of arguing endlessly over one verse, there is a much better method: Keep reading.

What happened in Samaria? What happened with the Ethiopian? What happened with Saul? Cornelius? Lydia? The Philippian jailer? Corinth? Ephesus?

If our understanding of Acts 2 is correct, it should fit naturally with the rest of Luke's record.

That gives us a simple test:

Acts 2 Gives Us a Pattern to Test

Peter's answer contains several closely connected ideas:

Repent.
Be baptized.
Forgiveness of sins.
The gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter presents these together as his answer to people who had heard the gospel and asked:

“Brothers, what shall we do?”
(Acts 2:37)

Then Luke tells us:

“Those who accepted his message were baptized.”
(Acts 2:41)

But we should not stop with Pentecost and assume that one account settles everything.

Acts 2 gives us something better:

a pattern we can test as we continue reading.

As the gospel moves from Jerusalem into Judea, Samaria, and eventually to the Gentile world, we can keep asking the same question:

Did the apostles continue preaching the same message, and how did people respond when they believed it?

Luke gives us enough examples to find out.

Does the pattern continue?

Let's find out.

But one more thing before we move on:

Baptism Was the Beginning, Not the End

Luke does not stop after telling us that about three thousand people were baptized.

He tells us what happened next:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
(Acts 2:42)

These people had not merely completed a religious ceremony.

They had begun a new life.

They learned from the apostles.

They worshiped and prayed together.

They shared meals.

They cared for one another.

They became a community of believers centered upon Christ.

Then Luke tells us:

“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
(Acts 2:47)

Notice who was doing the adding:

The Lord.

These people were not baptized into a denomination of their choosing. God was gathering saved people into His new community.

This helps us keep baptism in its proper place.

Baptism was not the finish line.

It was the beginning of a life of discipleship.

They heard the gospel.

They believed what Peter preached.

They repented.

They were baptized.

And then they continued in the life Christ had called them to live.

CONTINUE YOUR STUDY

Next Bible Study

Does the Same Pattern Continue?

Was Pentecost unique, or did the apostles continue preaching the same gospel as it spread beyond Jerusalem? We will follow the conversions recorded throughout Acts and allow Luke to show us the pattern.

Related Bible Studies

What Did Jesus Teach About Baptism?
Why Baptism?
How Do We Build Sound Doctrine?

Companion Video

The First Gospel Sermon

Read First. Conclude Later.