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Does the Word “For” in “For the
Remission of Sins" in Acts 2:38 Signify that Water
Baptism Remits Sin?
© Copyright March 31, 2003. Bernie L.
Gillespie.
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this book/paper may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical,
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written permission from the author.
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Introduction:
What is at Issue?
Does Acts 2:38 teach us that one’s sins are only remitted in the
act of water-baptism? Does it mean that we cannot appropriate
the work of the Cross unless we keep the command to be baptized?
Should we understand that one cannot be forgiven and thus saved,
unless one obeys the correct pattern of baptism? Does true faith
consist of obeying the “three-step” pattern of Acts 2:38? The
United Pentecostal Church, International (hereafter UPCI) would
answer “Yes,” to each of these questions. The issue I wish to
address is whether the Bible also answers yes. Does Peter intend
his listeners, in Acts 2:38, to believe the above statements, or
does he intend us to understand that water-baptism is?
In this paper we will: (1) look at the importance of Acts 2:38
in the UPCI’s doctrine of salvation; (2) characterize the place
of Acts 2:38 in salvation history; (3) weigh some of the
grammatical considerations for interpreting Acts 2:38 properly;
(4) examine the UPCI’s unique hermeneutic for their
understanding of Acts 2:38; (5) analyze the roots of the UPCI’s
baptismal remission teaching; (6) explore the UPCI view of the
“language of appropriation” in their practice of water-baptism;
(7) study the possible meanings of eis in Acts 2:38; (8)
follow that by giving attention to the phrase “for the remission
of sins” asking if it means that one is only forgiven by
water-baptism; (9) look at other key passages cited by the UPCI
to support baptismal remission; (10) talk about the disjunction
in the UPCI view of the sacraments; (11) assert the need to seek
the balance of Scripture for a proper understanding that faith
is the means of the remission of sins.
