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“Does the New Testament say what baptism is for?” Acts 2:38 states (KJV): “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (emph. DM).
While Peter’s words seem clearly to teach that men must repent and be baptized in order to receive remission of sins, many argue otherwise. They aver that the preposition for is capable of more than one meaning, affecting the meaning of Peter’s statement. For is indeed capable of two meanings, almost opposites, depending on its usage, as our daily conversations illustrate. We “automatically” interpret the intended meaning, depending on context.
If one enters a store for a loaf of bread, he does so in order to get a loaf of bread. If, however, one is in prison for bank robbery, he is not there in order to rob, but because he has robbed, a bank. In the first case, for refers to a desired, unattained, result. In the second case, for refers to a result already attained. Those who reject the Scriptural purpose of baptism assert for remission of sins in Acts 2:38 means that men should be baptized because they have received remission of their sins. This cannot be Peter’s meaning for several reasons:
- First, Acts 2:38 inseparably joins repentance and baptism by the coordinate conjunction, and, which makes them equally related to their common object, “remission of sins.” They are spiritual “Siamese twins.” Where one goes in relation to remission of sins, the other must go, also. Thus, if baptism is because of remission of sins, then so is repentance. However, one will search the Bible in vain to find a single instance in which God promised or pronounced forgiveness of any sin prior to repentance. Since repentance must precede remission of sins, so also must baptism.
- Second, in instituting the Lord’s supper, Jesus said of the fruit of the vine: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Mat. 26: 27–28, emph. DM). What for the remission of sins means in one statement, it must mean in both. Jesus did not shed His blood because the sins of men had already been forgiven, but that they may be forgiven. So it is with baptism and remission of sins.
- Third, the Greek preposition, eis, translated for, points forward rather than backward, as the American Standard Version correctly reflects: “Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins” (emph. DM).
- Fourth, many other passages teach that baptism is a condition of pardon (Mark 16:16; John 3:5; Acts 22:16; Gal. 3:27; Eph. 5:25–27; Tit. 3:4–5; 1 Pet. 3:21; et al.).
[Note: I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, November 23, 2007].
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
