The Fire Ignites Part 2

I. Initial Response (37-41)

Acts 2:37–47 NASB95

37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 2:37–41 NASB95

37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.

acts 2 37-

A. Repentant Question (37)

Discipleship:

Repentance = a total change of mind, heart, belief and will from evil to God. These Jews didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah and were in agreement that He was to be crucified. They changed their mind that He was a dead rabbi to understanding that He was alive when they heard Peter’s explanation of the Scriptures. They changed their belief that Jesus was just another good teacher to believe that He was the Promised One of God. They changed their will from following the crowd dedicating their lives to the risen Savior. And, they changed their hearts from cold indifference about Jesus to warm affection for their rightful King.

each of you - must be an individual choice.

be immersed in (upon or with respect to) the name of Jesus Christ - according to His authority, His command, His character.

for the forgiveness of your sins - not in order to have your sins forgiven, but because your sins have been forgiven.

Shampoo comes in many varieties. One is “for oily hair.” Is that “in order to get oily hair” or “because you have oily hair and need change it?”

B. Repentant Action (41)

1. They Receive God’s Word

2. They were Immersed in water

3. The church accepted them

II. Lasting Response (42-47)

Acts 2:42–47 NASB95

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

A. Actions of a Spirit Filled Church (42)

1. Devotion to Teaching

2. Devotion to Fellowship

3. Devotion to Communion

4. Devotion to Prayer

5. Reverent

6. Significant

7. Unified

8. Equal

9. Caring

10. United in Purpose

11. Intimate

12. Worshipful

13. Winsome

14. Growing

Believer’s Bible Commentary D. The Day of Pentecost and the Birth of the Church (2:1–47)

Peter assured them that if they repented and were baptized, they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. To insist that this order applies to us today is to misunderstand God’s administrative dealings in the early days of the church. As H. P. Barker has so ably pointed out in The Vicar of Christ, there are four communities of believers in the Book of Acts, and the order of events in connection with the reception of the Holy Spirit is different in each case.

Here in Acts 2:38 we read about Jewish Christians. For them, the order was:

1. Repentance.

2. Water baptism.

3. Reception of the Holy Spirit.

The conversion of Samaritans is recorded in Acts 8:14–17. There we read that the following events occurred:

1. They believed.

2. They were baptized in water.

3. The apostles prayed for them.

4. The apostles laid their hands on them.

5. They received the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 10:44–48 the conversion of Gentiles is in view. Notice the order here:

1. Faith.

2. Reception of the Holy Spirit.

3. Water baptism.

A final community of believers is made up of disciples of John the Baptist, Acts 19:1–7:

1. They believed.

2. They were rebaptized.

3. The Apostle Paul laid his hands on them.

4. They received the Holy Spirit.

Does this mean there were four ways of salvation in the Book of Acts? Of course not. Salvation was, is, and always will be on the basis of faith in the Lord. But during the transition period recorded in Acts, God chose to vary the events connected with the reception of the Holy Spirit for reasons which He knew but did not choose to reveal to us.

Then which of these patterns applies to us today? Since Israel nationally has rejected the Messiah, the Jewish people have forfeited any special privileges they might have had. Today God is calling out of the Gentiles a people for His Name (Acts 15:14). Therefore, the order for today is that which is found in Acts 10:

Faith.

Reception of the Holy Spirit.

Water baptism.

We believe this order applies to all today, to Jews as well as to Gentiles. This may sound arbitrary at first. It might be asked, “When did the order in Acts 2:38 cease to apply to Jews and the order in Acts 10:44–48 begin?” No definite date can be given, of course. But the Book of Acts traces a gradual transition from the gospel’s going out primarily to Jews, to its being repeatedly rejected by the Jews, to its going out to the Gentiles. By the end of the Book of Acts the nation of Israel had been largely set aside. By unbelief it had forfeited any special claim as God’s chosen people. During the Church Age it would be reckoned with the Gentile nations, and God’s order for the Gentiles, outlined in Acts 10:44–48, would apply.