A New Baptist Wrinkle On Acts 2:38
A new approach has been made by some of our Baptist friends on Acts 2:38. It is no longer a controversy over the Greek preposition "eis" or what baptism is "in. order to," but now it simply does not apply to the Gentile nations.
The other day, in conversation with a Baptist preacher of this city, I was informed that Acts 2, was specifically to the Jew and not to the Gentile. It is therefore not a part of the gospel of grace, but a part of the Jewish law. Any serious Bible student can readily see the multitude of difficulties that such a theory would involve one in, but following are a few observations that prove that the scripture teaches that Acts 2 is a record of the beginning of the gospel of the grace of God.
1. All parties admit that the gospel is the good news about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. (I Cor. 15:1-4)
2. All admit that through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ that remission of sins is now granted to all that believe. (Rom. 5:8, 9)
3. All admit that the gospel is the power of God to save not only the Jew, but also the Greek. (Rom. 1:16)
4. All admit that there is one gospel only that saves anyone — whether Jew or Greek. (Gal. 1:6-9)
5. All admit that repentance and remission of sins was to be preached beginning in Jerusalem and to all nations for the first time in the name of Christ. (Luke 24:47)
6. All admit that the Apostle Peter preached remission of sins, beginning in Jerusalem for the first time in the name of Christ. (Acts 2:38)
From the above admissions, we conclude that Peter did preach the gospel of the grace of God to believing Jews and that they did accept it and were added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 2:47) Since only one Gospel is authorized to be preached that will bring remission of sins when obeyed, we conclude that the gospel preached by Peter on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, in the city of Jerusalem, in the name of Jesus Christ, is the gospel that now saves us and now is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.