SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:38
Y Pedro les dice: Arrepentíos, y bautícese cada uno de vosotros en el nombre de Jess, el Cristo, para perdn de los pecados; y recibiris el don del Espíritu Santo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 2:38
Verse 38. Peter said unto them, Repent] metanohsate; Humble yourselves before God, and deeply deplore the sins you have committed; pray earnestly for mercy, and deprecate the displeasure of incensed justice. For a definition of repentance, see on Matt. iii. 2. And be baptized every one of you] Take on you the public profession of the religion of Christ, by being baptized in his name; and thus acknowledge yourselves to be his disciples and servants.
For the remission of sins] eiv afesin amartiwn, In reference to the remission or removal of sins: baptism pointing out the purifying influences of the Holy Spirit; and it is in reference to that purification that it is administered, and should in consideration never be separated from it. For baptism itself purifies not the conscience; it only points out the grace by which this is to be done.
Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.] If ye faithfully use the sign, ye shall get the substance. Receive the baptism, in reference to the removal of sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, by whose agency alone the efficacy of the blood of the covenant is applied, and by whose refining power the heart is purified. It was by being baptized in the name of Christ that men took upon themselves the profession of Christianity; and it was in consequence of this that the disciples of Christ were called CHRISTIANS.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 38. Then Peter said unto them , etc.] Being the mouth of the apostles, and being ready to give advice, and speak a word of comfort to their distressed minds: repent : change your minds, entertain other thoughts, and a different opinion of Jesus of Nazareth, than you have done; consider him, and believe in him, as the true Messiah and Saviour of the world; look upon him, not any more as an impostor, and a blasphemer, but as sent of God, and the only Redeemer of Israel; change your voice and way of speaking of him, and your conduct towards his disciples and followers; a change of mind will produce a change of actions in life and conversation: bring forth fruits meet for repentance; and make an open and hearty profession of repentance for this your sin. And this the apostle said, to distinguish between a legal and an evangelical repentance; the former is expressed in their being pricked to the heart, on which they were not to depend; the latter he was desirous they might have, and show forth; which springs from the love of God, is attended with views, or at least hopes of pardoning grace and mercy, and with faith in Christ Jesus: it lies in a true sight and sense of sin, under the illuminations and convictions of the Spirit of God; in a sorrow for it, after a godly sort, and because it is committed against a God of love, grace, and mercy, and it shows itself in loathing sin, and in shame for it, in an ingenuous acknowledgement of it, and in forsaking it: and this is moreover urged, to show the necessity of it, as to salvation, for such that God would not have perish, he will have come to repentance; so to their admission to the ordinance of baptism, to which repentance is a pre-requisite; and to which the apostle next advises: and be baptized everyone of you ; that repents and believes; that is, in water, in which John administered the ordinance of baptism; in which Christ himself was baptized, and in which the apostles of Christ administered it; in this Philip baptized the eunuch; and in this were the persons baptized that were converted in Corneliuss house; and it is distinguished from the baptism of the Spirit, or with fire, the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the last clause of this verse; and which ordinance of water baptism was administered by immersion, as the places, Jordan and Aenon, where John performed it, and the instances of it particularly in Christ, and in the eunuch, and the end of it, which is to represent the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, as well as the primary signification of the word, show. And this is to be done, in the name of Jesus Christ ; not to the exclusion of the Father, and of the Spirit, in whose name also this ordinance is to be administered, ( Matthew 28:19) but the name of Jesus Christ is particularly mentioned, because of these Jews, who had before rejected and denied him as the Messiah; but now, upon their repentance and faith, they are to be baptized in his name, by his authority, according to his command; professing their faith in him, devoting themselves to him, and calling on his name. The end for which this was to be submitted to, is, for the remission of sins ; not that forgiveness of sin could be procured either by repentance, or by baptism; for this is only obtained by the blood of Christ; but the apostle advises these awakened, sensible, repenting, and believing souls, to submit to baptism, that by it their faith might be led to Christ, who suffered and died for their sins, who left them buried in his grave, and who rose again for their justification from them; all which is, in a most lively manner, represented in the ordinance of baptism by immersion: the encouragement to it follows, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost : not the grace of the Spirit, as a regenerator and sanctifier; for that they had already; and is necessary, as previous to baptism; unless it should mean confirmation of that grace, and stability in it, as it appears from ( Acts 2:42) they afterwards had; but rather the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, particularly the gift of speaking with tongues, which Christ had received from the Father, and had now shed on his apostles; (see Acts 19:5-6).
Ver. 39 For the promise is unto you , etc.] Either of the Messiah, and salvation by him, which was particularly given forth to the people of the Jews; or of the remission of sins, which was a branch of the covenant made with the house of Israel, in a spiritual sense, even the whole household of God; or of the pouring forth of the Spirit: and this promise was not only to them, but to theirs, even to as many of them as belonged to the election of grace; and whom the Lord their God would effectually call by his grace, as the last and limiting clause of the text, and which is to be connected with every part of it, shows: and to your children : this is the rather mentioned, because these awakened, and converted souls, were not only in great concern about themselves, for their sin of crucifying Christ, but were in great distress about their children, on whom they had imprecated the guilt of Christs blood, as upon themselves; the thought of which cut them to the heart, and made their hearts bleed, within them: wherefore to relieve them, and administer comfort to them in this their distress, the apostle informs them, that the promise of Christ, and of his grace, was not only to them, who were now called, but it was also to their children; to as many of them as the Lord God should call; and who are the children of the promise, which all the children of the flesh were not, ( Romans 9:6) and to these the promise should be applied, notwithstanding this dreadful imprecation of theirs: and to all that are afar off ; either in place, as those that were dispersed, among the several nations of the world; and so carried in it a comfortable aspect on the multitude of Jews, that were of every nation under heaven; or in time, who should live in ages to come; or else the Gentiles are intended, who were afar off from God and Christ, and the way of life and salvation by him; (see Ephesians 2:12-13,17) even as many as the Lord our God shall call: not externally only, by the ministry of the word, but internally, by his grace and Spirit; with that calling, which is according to the purpose and grace of God, and is inseparably connected with eternal glory; the promise is to all such, and is made good to all such, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, fathers, or children, greater or lesser sinners. The Syriac version reads, whom God himself shall call.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 37-41 - From the first delivery of that Divine message, it appeared that ther was Divine power going with it; and thousands were brought to the obedience of faith. But neither Peter's words, nor the miracle the witnessed, could have produced such effects, had not the Holy Spiri been given. Sinners, when their eyes are opened, cannot but be pricke to the heart for sin, cannot but feel an inward uneasiness. The apostl exhorted them to repent of their sins, and openly to avow their belie in Jesus as the Messiah, by being baptized in his name. Thus professin their faith in Him, they would receive remission of their sins, an partake of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. To separate from wicked people, is the only way to save ourselves from them. Those wh repent of their sins, and give up themselves to Jesus Christ, mus prove their sincerity by breaking off from the wicked. We must sav ourselves from them; which denotes avoiding them with dread and holy fear. By God's grace three thousand persons accepted the gospe invitation. There can be no doubt that the gift of the Holy Ghost which they all received, and from which no true believer has ever bee shut out, was that Spirit of adoption, that converting, guiding sanctifying grace, which is bestowed upon all the members of the famil of our heavenly Father. Repentance and remission of sins are stil preached to the chief of sinners, in the Redeemer's name; still the Holy Spirit seals the blessing on the believer's heart; still the encouraging promises are to us and our children; and still the blessings are offered to all that are afar off.
Greek Textus Receptus
πετρος 4074 N-NSM δε 1161 CONJ εφη 5346 5713 V-IXI-3S προς 4314 PREP αυτους 846 P-APM μετανοησατε 3340 5657 V-AAM-2P και 2532 CONJ βαπτισθητω 907 5682 V-APM-3S εκαστος 1538 A-NSM υμων 5216 P-2GP επι 1909 PREP τω 3588 T-DSN ονοματι 3686 N-DSN ιησου 2424 N-GSM χριστου 5547 N-GSM εις 1519 PREP αφεσιν 859 N-ASF αμαρτιων 266 N-GPF και 2532 CONJ ληψεσθε 2983 5695 V-FDI-2P την 3588 T-ASF δωρεαν 1431 N-ASF του 3588 T-GSN αγιου 40 A-GSN πνευματος 4151 N-GSN
Vincent's NT Word Studies
38. Repent. See on Matt. iii. 2.In the name (epi tw onomati). Lit., upon the name. See on Matthew xxviii. 19.
Remission. See on Luke iii. 3; Jas. v. 15.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:38 {Repent ye} (metanoesate). First aorist (ingressive) active imperative. Change your mind and your life. Turn right about and do it now. You _crucified_ this Jesus. Now _crown_ him in your hearts as Lord and Christ. this first. {And be baptized every one of you} (kai baptisqetw hekastos h-mwn). Rather, "And let each one of you be baptized." Change of number from plural to singular and of person from second to third. this change marks a break in the thought here that the English translation does not preserve. The first thing to do is make a radical and complete change of heart and life. qen let each one be baptized after this change has taken place, and the act of baptism be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ" (en twi onomati iesou cristou). In accordance with the command of Jesus in #Mt 28:19 (eis to onoma). No distinction is to be insisted on between eis to onoma and en twi onomati with baptizw since eis and en are really the same word in origin. In #Ac 10:48 en twi onomati iesou cristou occurs, but eis to onoma in #8:16; 19:5. The use of onoma means in the name or with the authority of one as eis onoma profetou (#Mt 10:41) as a prophet, in the name of a prophet. In the Acts the full name of the Trinity does not occur in baptism as in #Mt 28:19, but this does not show that it was not used. The name of Jesus Christ is the distinctive one in Christian baptism and really involves the Father and the Spirit. See on Mt 28:19 for discussion of this point. "Luke does not give the form of words used in baptism by the Apostles, but merely states the fact that they baptized those who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah or as Lord" (Page). {Unto the remission of your sins} (eis afesin twn hamartiwn h-mwn). this phrase is the subject of endless controversy as men look at it from the standpoint of sacramental or of evangelical theology. In themselves the words can express aim or purpose for that use of eis does exist as in #1Co 2:7 eis doxan hemwn (for our glory). But qen another usage exists which is just as good Greek as the use of eis for aim or purpose. It is seen in #Mt 10:41 in three examples eis onoma profetou, dikaiou, mathtou where it cannot be purpose or aim, but rather the basis or ground, on the basis of the name of prophet, righteous man, disciple, because one is, etc. It is seen again in #Mt 12:41 about the preaching of Jonah (eis to kerugma iwna). They repented because of (or at) the preaching of Jonah. The illustrations of both usages are numerous in the N.T. and the _Koin_ generally (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 592). One will decide the use here according as he believes that baptism is essential to the remission of sins or not. My view is decidedly against the idea that Peter, Paul, or any one in the New Testament taught baptism as essential to the remission of sins or the means of securing such remission. So I understand Peter to be urging baptism on each of them who had already turned (repented) and for it to be done in the name of Jesus Christ on the basis of the forgiveness of sins which they had already received. {The gift of the Holy Ghost} (ten dwrean tou hagiou pneumatos). The gift consists (#Ac 8:17) in the Holy Spirit (genitive of identification).
