Why is Acts 2:38 so important?

A valid question sometimes asked is, “Why is Acts 2:38 so important as a salvation scripture?” or “Why not use Matthew 28:19, John 3:16, Acts 16:31, or the ‘Roman Road’ to tell someone how to be saved?” This study deals with this very important issue.

In order to properly understand the significance of Acts 2:38, one must first have a fundamental understanding of the background preceding the verse. It is imperative that you understand that the Holy Ghost had not yet been given prior to the second chapter of Acts. This is clearly stated in John 7:39:

(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:39)

While it is true that there were special cases of people who had the Spirit “move upon them” in the Old Testament and even those who received the Holy Ghost for special purposes (John the Baptist, for example) in the New Testament, the Holy Ghost had not yet been poured out on all flesh. It was not yet available to all.

Some will argue that Jesus’ disciples already had the Holy Ghost prior to Pentecost, and the verse commonly used to support this view is John 20:22:

And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

However, it must be clearly understood that this is a command from Jesus, not a statement – and His disciples fulfilled this command on the day of Pentecost when they actually received the Holy Ghost.
In Luke’s version of what happened in John 20:22, we find the following words:

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. (Luke 24:49)

There is more proof that the disciples did not have the Holy Ghost until the Day of Pentecost. For example, if Peter had already received the Holy Ghost prior to Pentecost, he would not have denied Jesus. He would have had the power that Jesus promised in Acts 1:8, and the boldness that enabled him to preach to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost after he received the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, the other disciples would not have forsaken Jesus had they already possessed the power that the Holy Ghost gives.

Note the words of Jesus before He ascended:

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8)

Why would Jesus make such a statement if his disciples already had the Holy Ghost? Furthermore, why even tarry (or wait) at Jerusalem if they already had the Holy Ghost? What were they waiting for?

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

Note that they (the 120 in the upper room) were all filled with the Holy Ghost. The infilling was not selective; every one of the 120 was filled. This is contrary to modern doctrines which teach that the Holy Ghost is an added blessing given to certain saved people. The Bible never makes this distinction; it automatically assumes that everyone who is saved has the Holy Ghost, and vice versa. The Holy Ghost is not something reserved for a spiritual few; it is for everyone. Acts 5:32 tells us that the Holy Ghost is given to all them who obey Him.

The outpouring in Acts 2 was as the Spirit gave them utterance. This is important because some teach that tongues are “of the devil,” but the Bible teaches that true tongues come from the Spirit, so any connection between such tongues and the devil is dangerously close to blasphemy.
Note that it was not as the Spirit uttered, but as the Spirit gave them utterance. Some people never receive the Holy Ghost because they are waiting on the Holy Ghost to do the uttering, and they are afraid they will say something on their own. However, though it is still your vocal chords that speak, it is the Spirit that tells you what to say.

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5)

Key Point: Those who heard Peter’s sermon that day were devout men out of every nation under heaven!

God chose this day (the day of Pentecost) for a specific reason. The feast of Pentecost was a celebration of the completion of the wheat and barley harvests, and people were finally finished harvesting their crops. During Pentecost they brought the first fruits to the temple in Jerusalem for tithes. There was a great multitude of people present here, much more than on most other days, and God chose this day to maximize the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost and Peter’s message.

It was important that there was more than just a large crowd present; God planned the outpouring so that devout Jews from all over the world would be present, and these Jews would return to their homes and tell others what they had received in Jerusalem, and what Peter preached.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

It is sometimes taught that the purpose of the tongues on the day of Pentecost was to preach to the multitudes; however, the problem with this is that Greek was the universal language of the day and most likely everyone present understood it, making any other language unnecessary. Furthermore, the scriptures tell us that Peter lifted up his own voice to speak to the people (verse 14), removing any possibility of the tongues being used to preach. Even if the disciples did use tongues to preach to the multitudes, such an explanation fails to explain the reason for tongues in Acts 10 or Acts 19, since in each case there was no one to preach to!

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

Some thought the 120 were drunk, further proof that they were not preaching to the multitudes in tongues. If they were simply preaching, no one would have accused them of being drunk.

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

Peter identified what they received and did on that day as “that” spoken of by the prophet Joel. One preacher said, “if this is not that, then please tell me what is this and where is that.” This statement by Peter is more proof that the Holy Ghost had not yet been poured out on all flesh, since he claimed that the Day of Pentecost, and not earlier, was the fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy.

17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:…

Some teach that the experience that the disciples received on the day of Pentecost is not for everyone. The Bible, however, said God would pour out his 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:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? (Acts 2:37-38)

KEY POINT: The answer of Peter to these people here is critical. These people would all return to their homelands, their friends, and their families with nothing but what he said at this moment, and what they received today. There was no Matthew 28:19; Matthew had not yet been written. There was no John 3:3 or John 3:5 talking about being born again. These people had never heard of Nicodemus’ conversation with Jesus in John 3. There was no John 3:16, no conversion of the Philippian jailor (which would not come until after Paul’s conversion, years later), and no “Roman Road” of salvation; the book of Romans was 30 years in the future. There was no book of Galatians; it was decades away. Whatever Peter preached here would become the foundation of the church for the next thirty years, until the books of the Bible began to be written. It would be the only plan of salvation for that thirty year period!

Peter did not say, “accept Christ as your personal savior,” as most churches teach today, so this phrase (or some variation of it) was not going to be the foundational doctrine of the church.

38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Some teach that the Holy Ghost is only for a select few, or only those on the day of Pentecost, but notice again the words of Peter:

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

What was the Apostles’ doctrine? Remember: there was no Matthew 28:19, no John 3:16, no Romans. Therefore the Apostle’s doctrine is Acts 2:38. This is the message that became the foundation of the church, and remains so today.

©2004 Michael E. Crocker

Posted under Bible Studies