Remissional Redundancy?

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ paid for all sins on the Cross. But some say that a person’s sins are not remitted until they are correctly baptized, citing Acts 2:38. Are there two different remissions of sin? Is there a remissional redundancy: one at the Cross, and another at the time of personal water baptism?

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24)

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Jesus taught that his blood remitted sin: “my blood . . . which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” (Matt. 26:28). The writer of Hebrews states: “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Heb. 9:22). (The KJV says “remission” in the place of forgiveness.[1] That is because remission and forgiveness are the same thing.[2]) It was the specific blood of Jesus that forgives our sins. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of his grace.” (Eph. 1:7). Jesus is the final sacrifice for all sins: “Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.” (Heb. 10:18). We are forgiven when we believe in Jesus. Peter preached, “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name[3].” (Acts 10:43).

When and where is sin remitted? -- at the Cross. His death on the Cross is proof that sin is remitted. Paul says, “because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.” (Rom 6:7). If the Bible states that Jesus’ death on the Cross is the sacrifice for our sins; if it says he died to our sins only once; and if it says he could not be held by death, but is raised to give us life and salvation, then, we can safely say that our sins imputed to Jesus on the Cross were cleansed, taken away or paid for there and his resurrection testifies it is so:

The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (Romans 6:10)

And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Heb. 10:10)

But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. (Acts 24:24)

Jesus did away with our sins on the Cross: “But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Heb. 9:26) He does not offer himself to remit sins day after day. Otherwise he would have to suffer death everyday since God made the world. We need not to ask him to remit our sins day after day. He has done away with sin by his death on the Cross, once, for all time:

Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. (Heb. 9:6)

Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. (Heb. 7:27)

To contend that sin is not fully remitted at the Cross fails to understand the resurrection of Jesus. He could not be raised from the dead if our sins, imputed against him, were not done away with. He would still bear our sins. But the Bible says our sins are no longer imputed to him:

How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Heb. 9:14)

To read the rest of this article go to "Remissional Redundancy?"

Other articles you might be interested in Remission of Sins in Acts 2:38

and How Did Paul 'Wash Away' His Sins?

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[1] There are seven words in the whole Bible used for forgiveness: three in Hebrew: 1) Kipper = “to cover”; Nasa = “to bear,” “take away guilt”; 3) Salah = “to pardon.” There are four in Greek: 1) Apolyein = “to put away”; 2) Paresis = “putting away,” “disregarding” (only one time - Rom. 3:25); 3) Charizesthai = “to forgive sins” - (especially expresses the graciousness of God’s forgiveness. This word is used only in Luke (7:21; Acts 3:4) and Paul (2 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 4:32; Col. 2:13; 3:13).); 4) Aphesis = “forgiveness” - (which conveys the idea of “sending away” or “letting go.” It is a noun 15 times and a verb 40 times). Aphesis is the most common word in the NT for forgiveness. There are ten verses in the KJV that use the word remission (Matt. 26:28; Mk, 1:4; Lk, 1:77; Lk, 3:3; Lk, 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:22; Heb. 10:18). All these verses, except Rom. 3:25 (paresis) use the Greek work aphesis. Aphesis is rooted in the verb aphieemi, which is rendered in English as “forgive,” “left,” “leave,” “sent away,” “omitted,” “forsook,” “remit,” “let go,” or “put away.” Aphesis is used 17 times in the KJV as “forgiveness,” “remission,” “deliverance,” or “set at liberty.”

[2] The Greek word for remission is also the same Greek word for forgiveness. The word “forgiveness” in Acts 5:31 is translated from the Greek word aphesis. The word “remission” in Acts 2:38 is also translated from the Greek work aphesis. (The only place where “remission” is not translated from aphesis is Romans 3:25 where the word is paresis. In this case the word means “overlooking” or allowing sins to go unpunished. This would not be remission in the sense of taking away sins, as the context of the verse bears out.)

[3] To believe “in his name” means the same as believe in the person who possesses the name. To believe in the name of Jesus, is a Hebrew way of saying, “believe in Jesus.”

1 Peter 3:21 “Water Baptism and Salvation”

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The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: (1 Peter 3:21 KJV)

Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 3:21 ESV)

Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 3:21 NASB)

[A]nd this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 3:21 NIV)

Does Peter Teach That Water Baptism Saves?

Baptismal remission is buttressed primarily by three specific verses in the Bible. The first is Acts 2:38, the second is 1 Peter 3:21, and these are linked to Jesus’ words in Mark 16:16. These three verses are cited as though they exist in a mutually supportive bond, and as proof that the apostolic teaching is baptismal remission.

One writer, Talmadge French[1] asserts that the case for baptismal remission is made by a proper understanding of the word eis, and the proper connection of Acts 2:38 with 1 Peter 3:21:

Peter, to the contrary, makes such a strong case for baptism that he says Noah was “saved,” not by the Ark, but “by water”! God, of course, saved them, but it was through the agency of water, in that the water lifted them above the judgment. The Apostle points out that the water is the antitype of water-baptism that “doth also now save us.” Why? Because of the Name of Jesus! Baptism in Jesus’ Name (Acts 2:38) is “for the remission of sins,” or, as indicated by the work eis (Gk). In order to access remission. This literally means into the remission of sins, but not because, or as a result, of sins already remitted.[2]

First, before we look at the exegesis, one thing that stands out to me, French uses circular reasoning to prove baptismal remission. He first assumes that water-baptism is the means of sin’s remission. In order to prove that “for” in Acts 2:38 means that sin is remitted by baptism, he cites 1 Peter 3:21, as further support that water-baptism saves. But, in his conclusion about 1 Peter, he circles back to Acts 2:38 to prove that Peter teaches water-baptism saves us. Both verses are interpreted in a way that appears to support French’s a priori assumption – baptismal remission. It seems baptismal remission is automatically assumed to be true. Only then, are all the verses of Scripture interpreted as confirming that assumption.

If you would like to read the rest of this article go to "1 Peter 3:21 'Water Baptism and Salvation'"

You might also be interested to read Does Baptism Save? from Q & A.

[1] Author of Our God is One, Talmadge is a former ordained minister of the UPCI and teacher at the Indiana Bible College (a UPCI school). He is now Education Committee Chairman of the World Pentecostal Fellowship and teaches at the Apostolic School of Theology in Sacramento, CA.

[2] Talmadge French, Theology Column, Indiana Bible College Perspectives, Vol. 13, No. 3, p. 7.

Mark 16:16 “He That Believes Shall Not Be Condemned”

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16 ESV)

Some Christians believe this passage teaches that only those who are baptized are or can be saved. Is this true? Those who believe in and teach baptismal remission (and regeneration) base their teaching on this verse. Does Jesus teach that those who believe, but are not baptized, are not save? I do not believe this is what Jesus meant.

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First, Jesus said, "But he that believeth not shall be damned." If you take it word for word, then the only one not condemned is the one who does not believe. Rather than take it literally, some add their interpretation "of course one who does not believe will not be saved, because he will not be baptized." That is an assumption and a fallacy known as “the converse of the condition.” If you applied to this to other passages you would have serious problems. For example, Paul said, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed.” (Gal. 3:29), could you reverse that and say, “If you are Abraham’s seed, you belong to Christ”? Surely not!

If you would like to read the rest of this article go to "Mark 16:16 'He That Believes Shall Not Be Condemned.'"

You might also be interested to read "Does Baptism Save?" from Q & A on my website.

Is Justification a “Component” of Salvation?

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Justification by faith is essential to salvation. It is the center of one’s relationship with God. Failing to understand either the importance of justification or its nature is a serious problem. Ideas that cause us to misunderstand justification directly affect our faith and our saving relationship with God.

In the discussion of the nature of justification, I have addressed in previous blogs what I believe are some of the wrong and harmful notions of justification by faith. So far we have talked about the idea of “re-justification.” As I shared:

The error of the term “re-justification” is the same as the mistaken idea of “transformational justification.” Justification is a once-for-all-time reality that has vital, ongoing consequences in the future life of the Christian. The justified person does not need to be re-justified. Just like in our natural, physical birth, a person is born once. This event is the beginning of a long life of being a “born” person. But there is no need to be born (in the natural sense) again or repetitively. This fact is so obvious that it sounds ridiculous to even state it. But, the idea of “re-justification” is just as ridiculous as saying a person has to be repetitively born . . . Therefore, using the phrase “re-justification” is as unnecessary as saying one must be “born again” again.

In another blog I talked about the idea of “instantaneous” justification. The use of this term assumes that there are parts or levels of justification, the first of which is instantaneous. I wrote:

In the Bible, when a person believed God, they were justified at that moment. “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Rom. 4:3 ESV) The context of Romans 4 Paul is discussing the nature of justification as illustrated in the faith of Abraham. In Galatians, Paul teaches that NT believers are children of Abraham by faith. (Galatians 3: 6-14) When was Abraham counted righteousness? When he believed God.

The same response goes for the concept “initial” justification. It faces the same problem.

First of all, just like “re-justification” and “instantaneous” justification the idea of “initial” justification is unwarranted. All of these qualifiers change the biblical meaning of justification by faith as it is taught in Scripture. As I have stated, justification is not a process, the equal of sanctification. It is a once-for-all-time work of God. Here is the fundamental reason it is not a process: the righteousness by which one is justified is Christ’s righteousness and not one’s own.

Justification is a whole, occurring at the moment of truth faith (as I recently blogged) and is effective for the rest of one’s walk of faith. Justification as an event is not a process, neither is it a progressive work, as if we become increasing justified or need to renew or recharge our justification. Nonetheless, its effect is an ongoing reality in the life of the justified. There is a progressive effect of justification on our lives as we learn the power of living the justified life. This is certainly a process as we live by faith. But this does not define the meaning of justification as a progressive process.

View complete article at Is Justification a "Component" of Salvation?

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• What is justification? (codybateman.org)

Justified at the Moment of True Faith

Do the Scriptures teach that a person is justified by faith alone? Those who believe that salvation is not by faith alone, in the matter of justification by faith, attempt to redefine faith in a less than biblical manner. Others endeavor to make faith a mere part of the equation. The further questions are, does justification take place at the moment of truth faith in Christ? Is a person saved at the moment of truth faith in Jesus Christ? Simply reading the many passages below makes it clear that one is justified at the moment of true faith. [Underscore and italics below are mine; translation NIV]

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Luke 7: 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little." 48 Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." 49 The other guests began to say among themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" 50 Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. . . . 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. . . . John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

Acts 13:38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.

Acts 15: 7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

This passage refers to the events of Acts 10 and 11.

Acts 11:17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

This refers to the event when Peter preached these words:

Acts 10:39 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

Acts 16:31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household."

Romans 3:22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. 27 Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law. 29 Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, 30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.

Romans 4: 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Romans 10: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

Galatians 2:16 know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 3:6 Consider Abraham: "He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 7 Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. 8 The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." 9 So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." 11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Galatians 3:24 So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. 26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Philippians 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. . . . 10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.

View this article in pdf at "Justified at the Moment of True Faith"

"Instantaneous" Justification

I have read some from the UPCI who state that Paul received "instantaneous" justification when he "experienced" Acts 2:38.

This is another unique phrase used to caricature the biblical idea of justification. The word instantaneous is added to justification as if there were several kinds of justification.

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The phrase “instantaneous justification” is redundant and misleading. One might be led to think there is one kind of justification that is “instantaneous” and another kind that is gradual or progressive. There is only one kind of justification in the Bible. The biblical justification is instantaneous, and does not need the unnecessary modifier. In the Bible, when a person believed God, they were justified at that moment. “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Rom. 4:3 ESV) The context of Romans 4 Paul is discussing the nature of justification as illustrated in the faith of Abraham. In Galatians, Paul teaches that NT believers are children of Abraham by faith. (Galatians 3: 6-14) When was Abraham counted righteousness? When he believed God. He did not build or work his faith up to a sufficient point to where it was enough to justify him. The Scriptures are very clear: “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.” This is the pattern throughout the Old and New Testaments.

In Acts 15:9 Peter explains to the Jerusalem council how God accepted the Gentiles in Caesarea. He tells them: “God . . . made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.” The Gentiles of Cornelius’ house were forgiven of their sins – justified – the moment they believed in Christ. This was verified for Peter when the Holy Spirit fell on them. This incident was not a pattern of how everyone must speak in tongues to receive the Spirit, but rather shows the inception of Gentiles being included by God into His Church. They received the Gospel, believed in Christ, and God cleansed their hearts and baptized them with His Spirit.

To confuse the matter more, some claim that Paul “experienced Acts 2:38” when he was “instantaneously justified.” The UPCI says that Acts 2:38 teaches we must be baptized by the formula “in the name of Jesus” only, in order for sin to be remitted. It also claims that Acts 2:38 teaches we must speak in tongues as the initial evidence of Spirit baptism. Paul does not tell us anywhere in his epistles that he was baptized “in the name of Jesus” only. Never. Paul also never mentions or hints that he spoke with tongues as evidence that he received the Holy Spirit. It would seem that if Paul believed these were absolutely necessary for salvation, he would have devoted significant space in his writing to make that clear. But he never, one time, proposes or even alludes to the idea that speaking in tongues is the ‘initial evidence’ of Spirit baptism. Thus, there is no statement in the NT to support that Paul “experienced” Acts 2:38 as the UPCI teaches it.

View article in pdf at "Instantaneous" Justification

Knowing "About" the Lord, but not "Knowing" Him

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Email Question: Is repentance an act that saves? I believe it is.

My Response: The reason that I do not understand repentance as an act that saves or obtains salvation is because of the nature of salvation. The Bible teaches that our condition in sin is so total that God is the only one who can do anything to save us. When we understand how serious our condition is and how holy God is, we would understand that we cannot even respond to God unless His Spirit enables us.

I would be interested in how you would answer a couple of questions. The first is, “Saved from what?” That would tell a lot about what you mean by repentance and where you base your faith. The Bible says that we are saved from God’s wrath. (Romans 1:18; 2:5, 8; 3:5; 4:15; 5:9; 9:22; Eph. 2:3; 5:6; I Thess. 1:10; 2:16; 5:9; Rev. 6:16, 17). The depth of our sin against God is so profound that it is impossible for any human to calculate it. When Adam & Eve sinned, they did so not only defying the authority of God, but more seriously questioning the goodness of God. Rather than live in unbounded love and enjoyment of God and living for His glory, they turned their love inward toward themselves, enjoying things other than God and seeking their own glory (Rom. 2). This dishonoring of God shook humanity to its core and corrupted human nature until now (Gen. 11:1; Eph. 4:22; 2 Pet. 1:4). This sin against God’s goodness, glory and sovereignty was so great that it evoked nothing less than righteous anger from God (Rom. 1:18; 5:9; Eph. 2:3; 5:6). Not petty human or emotional anger, but wrath in the sense of God’s justice working to reconcile or restore what the unrighteousness of sin defiled and destroyed (Acts 17:31).

The second question is: “Saved by what?” The Bible does not teach that repentance is salvation itself. It teaches that repentance is “unto” salvation (2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Tim. 2:25), which is accomplished by God. A perfect sacrifice was required under Moses (Ex. 12:5; 1 Pet. 1:19). But Romans and Hebrews tell us that none of the Old Covenant sacrifices were able to forgive sin (Rom. 3: 25; Heb. 10:4). Only the one sacrifice of Jesus upon the Cross quenched the wrath of the Father and remitted our sins (Heb. 7:27; 9:12; 10:10). Therefore, repentance in itself does not save; it turns us to Jesus, and Jesus saves!

Read the full article in pdf at "Knowing 'About' the Lord, but not 'Knowing' Him"

Piper on Acts 2:38

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I recently read an article by John Piper. In this article he commented on Acts 2:38. I have excerpted those comments but have left the title and links to the article to give him full credit and to allow you to visit his site and read the entire article. I believe his understanding of Acts 2:38, especially with respect to water baptism, is very sensible, sound and biblically accurate. Note this statement in particular:

• “If you take the whole witness of the New Testament into account, it becomes clear that we are justified by faith alone (Romans 3:28; 5:1) and that baptism is a proper and Christ-mandated expression of that faith."

Read the excerpt below. If you you have the time, please read the entire article. I would be interested in your comments.

Treasuring Christ Together as a Church on Multiple Campuses

By John Piper November 4, 2007

“When Peter later reports to the church in Jerusalem that Cornelius and the Gentiles had believed in Christ and received the Holy Spirit, these very people who are here being converted say in Acts 11:18, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” The reason they say “to the Gentiles also” is because they knew that is what happened to them on this day of Pentecost. They were granted repentance. It was a gift of God. When an unbelieving person hears the word of God—a person who has been guilty of crucifying the Lord of glory (by their hands or by their shouts or by their sins)—only a miracle of sovereign grace explains why some cry out, “Away with such men,” and others say, “What must I do to be saved?”

“So God brings them to conviction, and in verses 38-39, Peter answers them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” It would be a terrible misuse of these verses to build a whole theology of baptismal regeneration on it—that is, to say as some denominations do that the act of baptism is the instrument that connects you to Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and until you are baptized you are not forgiven, and not justified. I have dealt with many people over the years because those denominations capture many vulnerable students at the university.

“Get Your Hat and Run”

“The mere statement that we should repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins does not tell us how baptism works in relation to the forgiveness of sins. If I say, “Get your hat and run, or you’ll miss the train,” I am not saying that “getting your hat is part of what gets you to the train on time. I’m just saying that there are good reasons to get your hat as you run. But it’s the running that makes the difference whether you get to the train on time. And when Peter says, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, he does not tell us whether the baptism or the repentance or both are the instrument that connects us with forgiveness.

“In fact, in Acts 3:19, Peter says, “Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out.” No mention of baptism. But the promise of forgiveness is still given. And in Acts 16:31, Paul says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” No mention of baptism, but the assurance of salvation given.

“If you take the whole witness of the New Testament into account, it becomes clear that we are justified by faith alone (Romans 3:28; 5:1) and that baptism is a proper and Christ-mandated expression of that faith. So I would paraphrase verse 38 like this: “Repent, that is, turn from your unbelief and put your faith in Christ, and give expression to that faith in baptism. This faith will connect you to Jesus Christ, and on the basis of what he has done for you, you will be forgiven all your sins, even the sin of crucifying the Lord of glory. And in that forgiven state, you will receive the enjoyment of Holy Spirit and all his fruit in your life.”

Visit John Piper's website at Desiring God