What Now?

The Witness Spreads

Acts 2:12–41 ESV

And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, “ ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’ “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

“Freedom is the color of red. It is saturated with the blood of those who fought to attain it, and it will continue to be colored by the blood of those who fight to protect it.” ― Richelle E. Goodrich, Being Bold: Quotes, Poetry, & Motivations for Every Day of the Year

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. Benjamin Franklin

The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission. John F. Kennedy

The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day or July 4th—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the 18th century and the American Revolution. On July 2nd, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. From 1776 to the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence, with festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues. The Fourth of July 2022 is on Monday, July 4, 2022.

1) Peter is preaching to unbelievers The mandate given to the Church by Christ is clear: to preach the Gospel to the whole world for the salvation of souls. Pentecost is often called the “birthday of the Church” because it is on that day the Apostles, strengthened by the Holy Spirit, started that task. Notice that the task of the Church isn’t to make people feel comfortable about themselves or even simply to exhort fellow Christians. The Church’s primary task, following the example of Peter, is to go out to the streets and preach the Gospel to people who are not already saved. 2) He quotes extensively from the Old Testament Peter quotes extensively from the Old Testament books of Joel and Psalms in his short sermon. But wait, why is he focusing so much on the old? Won’t he bore people? Shouldn’t he just focus on Jesus? While it’s true that he was preaching to Jews who would already have an appreciation for the Old Testament, it’s also important to remember that the Gospel of Jesus Christ didn’t come to the world in a vacuum, but came as the culmination of centuries of God preparing his people to receive it. The Old Testament isn’t boring or unnecessary. Not only is it just as inspired as the New Testament, the Old Testament preaches Christ and is indispensable for understanding the Gospel. 3) He points out their sin “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” (v. 23) “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” (v. 36) Whoa! Is Peter being too harsh? If he points out people’s sin and its consequences, won’t he turn people off? Maybe he should just stay positive and talk about how much Jesus loves them. Except that you can’t understand the Gospel without understanding sin! Salvation from our sins is precisely what the Gospel is! Jesus’ very name means “God saves,” and it was given to him “because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1.21) If people don’t know that they are sinners in desperate need of God’s grace for salvation, then it won’t be clear why they need Jesus at all in the first place. 4) He preaches repentance After hearing Peter’s clear preaching about their sinfulness and about Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, Scripture tell us: “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?'” (Acts 2.37) Peter gives a direct answer: “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”” (Acts 2.38) There is an important difference between a condition of salvation and a requirement for salvation. The Bible is clear that belief is both a condition and a requirement, but the same cannot be said for baptism. The Bible does not say that if a man is not baptized then he will not be saved. One can add any number of conditions to faith (which is required for salvation), and the person can still be saved. For example if a person believes, is baptized, goes to church, and gives to the poor he will be saved. Where the error in thinking occurs is if one assumes all these other conditions, “baptism, going to church, giving to the poor,” are required for one to be saved. While they might be the evidence of salvation, they are not a requirement for salvation. (For a more thorough explanation of this logical fallacy, please see the Question: Does Mark 16:16 teach that baptism is required for salvation?). The fact that baptism is not required to receive forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit should also be evident by simply reading a little farther in the book of Acts. In Acts 10:43, Peter tells Cornelius that “through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins” (please note that nothing at this point has been mentioned about being baptized, yet Peter connects believing in Christ with the act of receiving forgiveness for sins). The next thing that happens is, having believed Peter’s message about Christ, the “Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message” (Acts 10:44). It is only after they had believed, and therefore received forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, that Cornelius and his household were baptized (Acts 10:47-48). The context and the passage are very clear; Cornelius and his household received both forgiveness of sins and the Holy Spirit before they were ever baptized. In fact, the reason Peter allowed them to be baptized was that they showed evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit “just as Peter and the Jewish believers” had. In conclusion, Acts 2:38 does not teach that baptism is required for salvation. While baptism is important as the sign that one has been justified by faith and as the public declaration of one’s faith in Christ and membership in a local body of believers, it is not the means of remission or forgiveness of sins. The Bible is very clear that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone (John 1:12; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:21-30; Romans 4:5; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 3:9; Galatians 2:16). 5) He warns them After explaining what they needed to do, Scripture tells us: “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”” (Acts 2.40) While the very nature of faith demands that every person have full freedom with regards to choosing or rejecting the Gospel, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t consequences one way or the other. Sin is serious and the consequences are just as serious. Peter doesn’t spend any time trying to win people over by telling them how great they are. The world is fallen and the life Christ calls us to is radical. If you are living the way most people around you are living, you are probably on the wrong track. 6) 3,000 people were converted in one day Even though Peter was interrupting unbelievers in the course of their normal day, quoted the Old Testament, called them sinners, told them to repent and be baptized, and warned them to save themselves from their “corrupt generation,” 3,000 people turned to Christ on that first day.