"Crucible" index

"Repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" Acts 2:38

Enquiries

There is a novel doctrine that Peter did not mean his hearers were to be baptised in water for their sins to be forgiven, despite the fact that it has been understood that Peter did mean that ever since Christianity began.

THE CONTEXT

The end of Peter's sermon on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts chapter 2 of the King James' translation :-

Acts 2 v.36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. "   v.37 "Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? "   v.38 "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized¹ every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. "   v.39 "For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. "   v.40 "And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. "   v.41 "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. "   v.42 "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers "   v.47 " . . .  And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (AV)

THE ERROR - AS STATED

<< Acts 2.38. ... the verse no longer can be used to support any view of baptismal regeneration or baptismal remission of sin.>>

This statement is found in the following quotation taken from the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge edited by Jerome H. Smith. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1992 (NTSK). In it the writer makes a glaring error in elementary clause analysis on which he bases an assertion that verse 38 of Acts chapter 2 no longer can be used to support any view of baptismal regeneration or baptismal remission of sin.

<< Acts 2.38. Repent. The English text does not adequately convey the grammar of this verse. When the grammar is understood, the verse no longer can be used to support any view of baptismal regeneration or baptismal remission of sin.

The phrase “every one of you” is mistakenly understood to be the subject of the verbs “repent” and “be baptized,” with the phrase “for the remission of sins” modifying this alleged compound predicate. There are three clauses in this verse (1) "Ye" understood subject, second person, plural number. "Repent" verb, aorist tense, active voice, imperative mood, second person, plural number. (2) "every one of you" subject, third person, singular number. "be baptized "verb, aorist tense, passive voice, imperative mood, third person, singular number. for the remission of sins. modifying phrase, expressing the ground or basis of the baptism commanded (if understood of ritual water baptism), or the result (if understood of real baptism) of the baptism received. (3) "ye" subject, second person, plural number. "shall receive" verb, future tense, indicative mood, passive voice*, second person, plural number. "the gift of the Holy Ghost" direct object of the verb. Note particularly in the above analysis that the first and third clauses agree with each other in that both are in the second person and plural number for their subject and verb. The second clause does not agree in person and number of its subject and verb with the preceding or following clause. This makes it impossible to make “every one of you,” which is third person singular, the subject of both “repent” (second person plural) and “be baptized” (third person singular), for subjects and verbs must agree in person and number. A. T. Robertson observes that this change in person and number “marks a break in the thought here that the English translation does not preserve” (Word Pictures, vol. 3, p. 34).>> [Emphasis mine.  *see the ADDENDUM]

1) CLARIFYING POPULAR MISUNDERSTANDINGS

First: Acts 2.38 does not say "remission of sin." It says "remission of sins" [amartiwn  plural]. It has nothing to do with Adam's "original sin" It is talking of the sins we do ourselves.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins [amartiwn] and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Second: Acts 2.38 does not say that the water of baptism regenerates a person. God forgives the repentant believer who, in willing obedience, submits to being baptised.

2) REMOVING A RED HERRING

<<This makes it impossible to make “every one of you,” which is third person singular, the subject of both “repent” (second person plural) and “be baptized” (third person singular)>>

The NTSK correctly points out that there are three separate clauses. Then it treats the first two clauses as if they were one clause. The first two clauses are joined by a co-ordinate conjunction. "repent and be baptised ..." So these two clauses are grammatically independent of each other. Grammatically, therefore, they do not share the same subject. The subject of the word "repent" is an integral part of the verb in the Greek text and has to be supplied in English. It is the third person singular "you" - "you [singular] repent"

It is also worth noting that the verb is an imperative command. So, in response of the heart smitten believers appeal "what shall we do?"  Peter told them what they must "do". He commanded all of them to repent. So it was within their own power to either obey the command to repent or to refuse to repent.  Repentance was not something irresistibly imposed on them by the Holy Spirit. They had to do the repenting.

3) NTSK's BASIC PREMISE EXAMINED

Note that NTSK's claim is based on the assertion that the whole phrase << "every one of you,” ... is third person singular ...>>. If this assertion is false then the rest of the argument collapses.

Is "every one of you,” third person singular ?

It is not. It is seriously misleading because it is a half truth. The NTSK wrongly combines  "every one"  with  "of you"  treating them as one word as though both are the combined subject of the verb "be baptised."

"every one" [ekastoV]

In the original Greek text, "every one" is 3rd person singular. It is also in the nominative case. In other words it is the subject of the verb "be baptised" which is also 3rd. person singular.  So the subject - "every one" - does agree with its verb.

It is also worth noting that the verb "be baptised":-

a) is an imperative command. So it was within their own power either to obey or to refuse the command to be baptised . This baptism was not something irresistibly imposed on them by the Holy Spirit.

b) is in the passive voice. So Peter is commanding them to submit to being baptised. And those who "gladly received his word were baptized." [verse 41]

"of you" [umwn]

In the original Greek text,"of you" is a second person plural pronoun, but it is also in the genitive case. So, it is not the subject of any verb . It does not have to agree with any verb.

The genitive case indicates possession or source. In this instance the source of possible candidates for baptism - which was the people Peter was speaking to. Peter was commanding each individual person to submit to being baptised.

So, only the first word - "every one" - is the subject of (baptisqhtw) "be baptized". The second word - "of you" is not the subject of (baptisqhtw) "be baptized".

So NTSK's assertion is false and the whole argument that NTSK bases on that assertion collapses. It is therefore unnecessary to comment on other arguments derived from this false premise because they are moot.

SUMMARY

Elementary grammatical errors of such magnitude call into question the NTSK author's and perhaps even the NTSK editor's credibility.

The plain meaning of the passage is that, in response to their question "What shall we do?" (verse 37), Peter is telling all those heart stricken believers in his audience to repent, commanding each one of them to submit to being baptized for the remission of sins.

It is up to the reader to decide either to accept the truth of what he says as stated or to reject it in total but not to alter its meaning.

The gospel consists of facts to be believed and commands to be obeyed.

In the name of the Christ we appeal to you to obey the gospel.

A GRAMMATICAL ANALYSIS OF ACTS 2:38

Click here for a comprehensive grammatical analysis of Acts 2:38.