Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and
be baptized 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.
Acts 2:38
III. This verse is the only verse that, in my opinion, really holds any weight at all in this doctrinal debate; yet, it is certainly not conclusive.
A. Notice some things about this verse.
1. First, it mentions REPENTANCE as a condition of salvation. Repentance is always a condition of salvation, even though it is not always mentioned. Of the six verses that the Church of Christ like to use to prove their belief, this is the only one that mentions repentance. That is not a jab against them. It is a reminder to us all that we must not base any major doctrines on a single Bible verse. The WHOLE Bible must be studied to get the WHOLE understanding of Scripture.
2. Second, notice FAITH or BELIEVING is NOT mentioned as a condition of salvation; yet, we also know that Peter was NOT saying that these people could be saved without faith. Again, this is not a jab at the Church of Christ. It simply shows us that this verse is a summary verse. This is not ALL that Peter preached to the people that day. No doubt, Peter preached a detailed message concerning Jesus, faith and repentance, and baptism; yet from this verse, all we are getting is a summary of it.
B. The part of this verse that makes it confusing to those who reject Baptismal Regeneration is the word "for." The Greek word is a common preposition used more than 1500 times in the New Testament. It has several meanings.
1. It can mean "in order to get, or to become, or to have." That is what the Church of Christ believe it to mean. They read it, "be baptized in the name of Jesus TO GET remission of sins (salvation)." That is one possibility; and because it is a possibility, this is the only verse—in my opinion—that could lend any credibility at all to the doctrine of Baptismal Regeneration. But there is another definition for the same word.
2. The same word can also mean "because of, as a result of." It is used that way in:
The men of Nineveh shall rise in
judgment with this generation, and shall condemn
it: because they repented AT the preaching of
Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
Matthew 12:41
a. Here the word is translated AT.
b. "As a result" of the preaching of Jonah, the men of Nineveh repented.
c. It is the same exact word, just translated differently because it was obvious that definition was the correct usage here.
d. And, in Acts 2:38, "as a result" of the men receiving remission of sins, every one of them needed to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
e. Or more simply translated, it would say, "...be
baptized in the name of Jesus AT the remission of
sins...."
GotQuestions.org
C. So this verse does not settle anything. Those who believe in Baptismal Regeneration will believe "for" means "in order to get;" and those who reject the doctrine will believe the word means "because of" or 'AT." We still need something more.
