Is Peter's message of Acts 2 and 3 different than Paul's of Romans 3:21-28?
Let's start by setting the scene and looking at the bigger picture. We know the OT record shows that Israel was waiting for the Messiah to come and set up His Kingdom on earth (Jer 23:5-6), and that this Kingdom was proclaimed to be at hand during our Lord's earthly ministry (Matt 4:17, 23). We also know that at the time of the Messiah's arrival as a baby in Bethlehem, Israel was under the Law (Lk 2:22; Gal 4:4), and that Jesus Christ not only taught the Law but made it even more challenging — The Sermon on the Mount — with a view to establishing His Kingdom (Matt 5:18-20; 7:12; 8:4; 19:17; 23:2-3; Mk 1:44; Lk 5:14). But Israel repeatedly turned away from Jesus Christ in disbelief. Events continued to unfold and Christ was crucified, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven, telling His disciples He would send them a comforter. The day of Pentecost (a Jewish feast)* arrived, at which every male's attendance was required by law (Ex 23:14-17; Lev 23:16). It was at that time that the eleven elected a twelfth apostle to replace Judas (see Matt 19:28; Lk 22:28-30) and the Holy Spirit was given (Acts 2).
Now let's look at the second chapter of Acts, specifically verse 38. The Greek plainly says this: "And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It's interesting, and sad, that many preachers and teachers leave off the last part of this verse in their efforts to make it fit with Pauline theology. Here are but two examples:
"And if these considerations be not enough, is not Peter's message in Acts 2:38 imperative as to it? — 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you,' etc."
"Acts 2:38, 'Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized...'"
The first author substitutes an "etc." and the second, an ellipsis, for the last part of the verse.
But obviously, two conditions prior to the forgiveness of sins were necessary at that time — repentance and water baptism. If a professed believer refused either of these conditions, or both, he could not have claimed the promise of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins. This harmonizes perfectly with Mark 16:16 — "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved..." The requirements for salvation here are no different than those previously stated by John the Baptist because Mark 1:4 says that "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." The only difference between Peter's proposition in Acts 2:38 and John's is one of historical development. The Holy Spirit had come so Peter could add: "and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." But there was no change in the meaning of the ordinance because at John's baptism too "they had confessed their sins" (Matt 3:6); both Peter and John were operating under the Law.
"Now wait just a minute," you may be thinking, "are you trying to tell me that Peter at Pentecost was not preaching 'the gospel of the grace of God?'" Well yes, I am. Let me be plain. What exactly is "the gospel of the grace of God?" It's simply that we are sinners, that Christ died for our sins and that whoever believes in His shed blood will be eternally saved, wholly by grace through faith, right? Can that be found anywhere in Peter's Pentecostal address? Some may point to 2:21, "'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'" But what did Peter tell them to do when they did call? He told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.
Moreover, how did Peter deal with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ? Did he proclaim it as good news? Did he say that "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace?" Did he offer his hearers salvation by faith in the blood of the One who had recently died on Calvary? Did he say anything about being reconciled to God by the cross, or about the cross having put away the enmity between God and man? In a word, was it Peter's purpose to offer salvation to his hearers through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ? No, nor did he make such an offer.
What Peter presents to his hearers is that the One whom they dared to crucify is the Messiah, and that their Victim is alive again. He presses home this truth through reason (Acts 2:24), Scripture (Ps 16 and 110), circumstances (Acts 2:33), and the testimony of the apostles (Acts 2:32). Peter strikes the final blow in verse 36, proclaiming:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.
Clearly it was Peter's purpose to convict his hearers of their guilt and to bring them to repentance. And again, how did he answer their troubled question, "What shall we do?"
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 (Acts 2:38).
What a vast difference between Peter at Pentecost, demanding repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, and Paul later proclaiming Christ's righteousness for the remission of sins (Rom 3:21-28).
It's important to remember that salvation has always been by grace through faith, but, up to this point in Scripture — Acts 2 — no new revelation had yet been given that salvation was to be by grace through faith alone.** In fact, we will not clearly see the "gospel of the grace of God" until Paul comes on the scene. The keys of the kingdom were committed to Peter; "the gospel of the grace of God" to Paul (Matt 16:19; Acts 20:24; Eph 3:1-3), and Peter learned of the gospel of God's grace and the delay in Christ's return only as he heard it later from Paul (Gal 2:2, 7, 9; 2 Pet 3:9, 15-16).
Peter didn’t offer his hearers (Israel) salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ, but he did present them with a different offer — the offer of the Messiah and His earthly Kingdom (Acts 3:13-21). This was, in fact, the main purpose and thrust of Peter's message. And all the "wonders and signs" of the Kingdom, as predicted in the ancient prophets, and which had marked the offer of the Kingdom by the Messiah during the period of the Gospels, must have encouraged these Israelites. But first they had to "repent and return" in order to meet the spiritual and moral demands of this Kingdom, which in every age were attached to the enjoyment of the great social, economic, and political blessings of the Kingdom.
In fact, we are given a definition of this Kingdom, which is still to come (Rom 11), in Acts 3:19-21: It will bring “the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time”; it will come when God “send[s] Jesus, the Christ” back from His present session in “heaven”; and its coming is contingent upon the repentance and conversion of Israel.
*Pentecost was an integral part of the Law given by God at Sinai when the Theocratic Kingdom was established. According to Jewish tradition, it commemorated the very day when the Law was given and the Kingdom established, as recorded in Exodus 19.
**"Faith will most assuredly approach God in God’s way at any time, and to seek to gain acceptance with Him in any other way would, of course, be unbelief and self-will. Thus, while works never did or could save as such, they did once save as expressions of faith…..Does this mean that works will be efficacious in themselves? No! They will avail only as the expression and evidence of faith..."
(to be continued)
Let's start by setting the scene and looking at the bigger picture. We know the OT record shows that Israel was waiting for the Messiah to come and set up His Kingdom on earth (Jer 23:5-6), and that this Kingdom was proclaimed to be at hand during our Lord's earthly ministry (Matt 4:17, 23). We also know that at the time of the Messiah's arrival as a baby in Bethlehem, Israel was under the Law (Lk 2:22; Gal 4:4), and that Jesus Christ not only taught the Law but made it even more challenging — The Sermon on the Mount — with a view to establishing His Kingdom (Matt 5:18-20; 7:12; 8:4; 19:17; 23:2-3; Mk 1:44; Lk 5:14). But Israel repeatedly turned away from Jesus Christ in disbelief. Events continued to unfold and Christ was crucified, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven, telling His disciples He would send them a comforter. The day of Pentecost (a Jewish feast)* arrived, at which every male's attendance was required by law (Ex 23:14-17; Lev 23:16). It was at that time that the eleven elected a twelfth apostle to replace Judas (see Matt 19:28; Lk 22:28-30) and the Holy Spirit was given (Acts 2).
Now let's look at the second chapter of Acts, specifically verse 38. The Greek plainly says this: "And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." It's interesting, and sad, that many preachers and teachers leave off the last part of this verse in their efforts to make it fit with Pauline theology. Here are but two examples:
"And if these considerations be not enough, is not Peter's message in Acts 2:38 imperative as to it? — 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you,' etc."
"Acts 2:38, 'Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized...'"
The first author substitutes an "etc." and the second, an ellipsis, for the last part of the verse.
But obviously, two conditions prior to the forgiveness of sins were necessary at that time — repentance and water baptism. If a professed believer refused either of these conditions, or both, he could not have claimed the promise of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins. This harmonizes perfectly with Mark 16:16 — "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved..." The requirements for salvation here are no different than those previously stated by John the Baptist because Mark 1:4 says that "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." The only difference between Peter's proposition in Acts 2:38 and John's is one of historical development. The Holy Spirit had come so Peter could add: "and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." But there was no change in the meaning of the ordinance because at John's baptism too "they had confessed their sins" (Matt 3:6); both Peter and John were operating under the Law.
"Now wait just a minute," you may be thinking, "are you trying to tell me that Peter at Pentecost was not preaching 'the gospel of the grace of God?'" Well yes, I am. Let me be plain. What exactly is "the gospel of the grace of God?" It's simply that we are sinners, that Christ died for our sins and that whoever believes in His shed blood will be eternally saved, wholly by grace through faith, right? Can that be found anywhere in Peter's Pentecostal address? Some may point to 2:21, "'AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.'" But what did Peter tell them to do when they did call? He told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.
Moreover, how did Peter deal with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ? Did he proclaim it as good news? Did he say that "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace?" Did he offer his hearers salvation by faith in the blood of the One who had recently died on Calvary? Did he say anything about being reconciled to God by the cross, or about the cross having put away the enmity between God and man? In a word, was it Peter's purpose to offer salvation to his hearers through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ? No, nor did he make such an offer.
What Peter presents to his hearers is that the One whom they dared to crucify is the Messiah, and that their Victim is alive again. He presses home this truth through reason (Acts 2:24), Scripture (Ps 16 and 110), circumstances (Acts 2:33), and the testimony of the apostles (Acts 2:32). Peter strikes the final blow in verse 36, proclaiming:
Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified.
Clearly it was Peter's purpose to convict his hearers of their guilt and to bring them to repentance. And again, how did he answer their troubled question, "What shall we do?"
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 (Acts 2:38).
What a vast difference between Peter at Pentecost, demanding repentance and baptism for the remission of sins, and Paul later proclaiming Christ's righteousness for the remission of sins (Rom 3:21-28).
It's important to remember that salvation has always been by grace through faith, but, up to this point in Scripture — Acts 2 — no new revelation had yet been given that salvation was to be by grace through faith alone.** In fact, we will not clearly see the "gospel of the grace of God" until Paul comes on the scene. The keys of the kingdom were committed to Peter; "the gospel of the grace of God" to Paul (Matt 16:19; Acts 20:24; Eph 3:1-3), and Peter learned of the gospel of God's grace and the delay in Christ's return only as he heard it later from Paul (Gal 2:2, 7, 9; 2 Pet 3:9, 15-16).
Peter didn’t offer his hearers (Israel) salvation through faith in the death and resurrection of Christ, but he did present them with a different offer — the offer of the Messiah and His earthly Kingdom (Acts 3:13-21). This was, in fact, the main purpose and thrust of Peter's message. And all the "wonders and signs" of the Kingdom, as predicted in the ancient prophets, and which had marked the offer of the Kingdom by the Messiah during the period of the Gospels, must have encouraged these Israelites. But first they had to "repent and return" in order to meet the spiritual and moral demands of this Kingdom, which in every age were attached to the enjoyment of the great social, economic, and political blessings of the Kingdom.
In fact, we are given a definition of this Kingdom, which is still to come (Rom 11), in Acts 3:19-21: It will bring “the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time”; it will come when God “send[s] Jesus, the Christ” back from His present session in “heaven”; and its coming is contingent upon the repentance and conversion of Israel.
*Pentecost was an integral part of the Law given by God at Sinai when the Theocratic Kingdom was established. According to Jewish tradition, it commemorated the very day when the Law was given and the Kingdom established, as recorded in Exodus 19.
**"Faith will most assuredly approach God in God’s way at any time, and to seek to gain acceptance with Him in any other way would, of course, be unbelief and self-will. Thus, while works never did or could save as such, they did once save as expressions of faith…..Does this mean that works will be efficacious in themselves? No! They will avail only as the expression and evidence of faith..."
(to be continued)
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