Bible Study

Bible Study

November  18, 2025

“A Vital Church Grows”

Acts  2:37 – 40  (NKJV)

37 “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”  40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

What should a message do for the hearer? There are times a pastor delivers a message which is not what he wants to say but what the Holy spirit wants said. That is the message preached that day by Peter. So, what should a message do for the hearer?

Peter begins his message with a stunning “stab” to the heart of the hearers that day. He says they killed the Messiah. That is a serious indictment. Paul outlines what must be done in this case. First he tells them “they must repent.” What does repentance involve? Genuine repentance knows sin must be forsaken (sorry for it), a willingness to turn the other way (one-hundred and eighty degree turn), and we embrace the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Once saved, forgiven by God the next step is baptism. The word baptism literally means “be dipped or immersed.” I cannot find any place in the scriptures that teaches anything other than immersion. The scriptures simply do not teach ‘sprinkling” or “pouring” that I am aware of.

This is the first time many Jews experienced baptism. Many had experienced the baptism of John and were familiar with the baptism of Gentile converts into Judaism. Why do you think Peter added “in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins?” Baptism does not provide forgiveness of sin nor the cleansing from sin. Forgiveness of sin precedes baptism. Genuine repentance brings forgiveness from God and because of the all new believers were to be baptized. Every believer enjoys the forgiveness of sins and baptism should follow.

Peter says “all who are afar off (those are the Gentiles, here it could mean non-Jews or non-believers). Gentiles were able to share in the gift of salvation because the Jews rejected Jesus and He went to non-Jews known as Gentiles.

God Bless.