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Act_2:37-41
The address, and the exhortations which followed it, resulted in the conversion of three thousand souls, who were added by Baptism to the disciples of Jesus
Act_2:38. Repent, etc.—Peter gladly imparts the instructions which they seek, and may be regarded as fulfilling a special pastoral duty, when he explains the way of salvation to those who now were open to conviction, or were awakened. He prescribes a twofold duty, and promises a twofold gift. He demands that these persons should, (1) change their minds, (their whole moral state should undergo a change, ìåôáíïåῖôå ), and (2) be baptized in the name of Jesus ( ἐðὶ ôῷ ὀíüìáôé Ἰçá . ×ñ ., as an expression of their faith in Jesus, or a recognition of him, and as a pledge of their submission to him as the Lord and Messiah). Peter assumes that his hearers already possess a certain amount of knowledge concerning Baptism as an outward act, having derived it from the well-known practice of John the Baptist, and also from the course pursued by Jesus himself. [Joh_4:1-2]. Peter’s demand, therefore, embraces a change of mind, and faith, in addition to the outward Baptism; the latter is here viewed, on the one hand, as a moral act of the person who is baptized, but, on the other hand, (in consequence of the promise that is immediately subjoined) unquestionably, also, as a means of grace proceeding from God. The apostle promises to those who repent, and receive Baptism, (1) the remission of sins, and (2) the gift of the Holy Ghost.—A general view is presented in Act_2:40, of additional statements and exhortations, by means of which, as Peter had reason to hope, his hearers would be conducted to an immediate and final decision, before the impressions which they had received, should fade away. It was the general purpose of his remarks to urge all who were awakened, to save themselves by accepting the offered grace, to withdraw from the perverse generation around them, and to avoid all participation in the guilt and ruin of the latter.
Act_2:39. For the promise is unto you.—The apostle, after having taught his hearers to hope with confidence that the same gift of the Holy Ghost which he and other disciples had already received, would be imparted to them, proceeds to exhibit the firm foundation of that hope. He specifies those for whom this promise of God was intended: (a) It concerns “you,” the Israelites; (b) also “your children,” i.e., it is not restricted to the present moment, but extends to the future, and comprehends the generations in Israel that are still unborn. And yet the whole extent of the promise has not been presented to their view; it belongs, further, to (c) ðᾶóé ôïῖò åἰò ìáêñÜí , all nations, i.e., heathens, dwelling at a distance, as many as God shall summon [or, call forward unto the kingdom of the Messiah (Meyer), ðñïòêáëÝóçôáé .—Tr.], Beza supposed that the words re- ferred to distant generations (longe post futuri), but these are already included in ôÝêíá ὑìῶí . Meyer and Baumgarten understand ðᾶóé ôïῖò å . ì . on the other hand, as indicating Israelites dwelling in distant countries, and they allege that the context does not suggest that Gentiles are meant. Yet the latter will appear to be really the case, when the gradual enlargement of the circle in which Peter’s words move, is noticed. He unquestionably regards his hearers as representatives of the entire nation; the Jewish diaspora [Jam_1:1], moreover, did not need a special call, since those who were “scattered abroad” originally had an interest in the promise as fully as those who were accidentally here present. Hence the interpretation adopted by Brenz, Calvin, Bengel, Lange, etc.,—that the words refer to heathens—is preferable to any other.
Act_2:41. They received the word.—The ultimate result was wonderful; a multitude, consisting of about three thousand souls, promptly and sincerely received the word which they had heard, submitted to be baptized, and were added as new members to the church of Jesus. They were baptized in the course of “that day” by the twelve apostles.—That all who came together, Act_2:6, and had been hearers, were also converted, is, of course, not implied here, for those who mocked, Act_2:13, had also been hearers, and it cannot be assumed that all of these, without an exception, changed their views.—But it fully accorded with the commandment of Jesus, Mat_28:19, that all those who received the witness concerning Jesus in sincerity, should at once be baptized; the principle was recognized, that every one who honestly desired to be a disciple of Jesus, should be baptized; fuller instructions in the doctrine could afterwards be appropriately imparted.
2. Baptism, according to the view presented in this section, is a twofold act: a human and a divine. It is a human act, first, in so far as the individual who receives baptism, thereby confesses Jesus as his Lord (in other words, confesses that the triune God is his God), and pledges himself to serve Him; secondly, in so far as the Church of Christ which imparts Baptism to him, now receives him as a member, or incorporates him with itself, ver 41. Baptism is a divine act, in so far as God separates the individual from a perverse and sinful generation ( óþèçôå , in Act_2:40, implies that grace is a saving power to which man yields), remits his sins, and bestows the Holy Ghost upon him, Act_2:38. This ἄöåóéò ἁìáñôéῶí is unquestionably connected more intimately and directly than the gift of the Holy Ghost with the baptismal act; the former, [ ἄöåóéò ] namely, is indicated by the word åἰò [for the remission, etc.,] as the immediate purpose of Baptism, and as the promise inseparably connected with it, while general terms are all that now succeed, viz.: “and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” But these terms do not by any means imply that the apostle’s hearers should at once receive the Holy Ghost in and with Baptism itself.
3. The congregation, or the Church of Christ. The fact that the day of Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, has always been recognized. The latter was founded by or through the work of Jesus Christ, as a Prophet, High Priest, and King, through the calling and installation of the Apostles, and the gathering together of larger numbers of disciples, and through the institution of the Lord’s Supper and Holy Baptism. But after the Head of the Church was enthroned invisibly in heaven, and before the Pentecostal festival arrived, the Church of Jesus resembled the human body, after God had formed it of the dust of the ground, and before the spirit which was from God, was breathed into it; it was only after that influence reached man that he became a living soul, Gen_2:7. [Job_23:4]. The Church of Christ, viewed as the new collective person, was formed and set forth in the world; but it was now only, on the day of Pentecost, that the Spirit was suddenly breathed into it, and that it became a living soul. And from that moment the growth also of the Church of Christ could regularly proceed, by the assimilation and incorporation of other souls. Irenæus says: Ubi ecclesia, ibi et spiritus Dei; et ubi spiritus Dei, illic ecclesia et omnis gratia. The second member of this entire proposition is abundantly confirmed by the contents of the chapter before us, but the general terms of the former are not sustained, since, according to Acts 1. and Acts 2 ver 1 ff., the Church of Christ existed, even when the Spirit of God was not yet present. And this fact, which cannot be controverted, shows that at other times also, the Church of Christ may be brought into such a state, that the Spirit of God can with difficulty be found in it.
Act_2:38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, etc.—When the fisher observes that his net is full of fishes, he is doubly careful in handling it. But it is a very sad spectacle, when a fisher of men has had no experience of his own, and, unable to give wise counsel to those who are awakened by his words, permits them to escape, or even casts them forth again from the net. (Apost. Past.).—If we desire to explain God’s word in a profitable manner, we must ourselves have first experienced its power. Peter had obtained a practical knowledge of repentance, after his fall, and had tasted the joy which the remission of sins produces, (ib.).—Like John the Baptist and Christ himself, the Church, too, begins her saving work by exclaiming aloud: “Repent!” For repentance is the beginning of all true Christianity. (Leonh. and Sp.).—And ye shall receive, etc.—When a pastor finds souls before him, on whom the word has made an impression, and who begin to inquire with deep seriousness, he may well spread out his sails with reanimated hope, and open his mouth with increased joy and confidence. To such souls we may promise many precious gifts, and need entertain no fear that God will withhold that which we have promised in his name, from those who submissively walk in the way which he appoints, (ib.).—There is no true repentance without a change of the heart and the mind.—Baptism is an efficient means of regeneration and the remission of sins. (Tit_3:5).—Days of humiliation which are appropriately kept, constitute a Pentecostal commemoration on which the divine blessing rests. The Holy Ghost does not proceed from us, but is a gift which we receive from God.—And thou, O Christian, art baptized. But thy Baptism should continue to manifest its efficacy in thee. Let each day appear to thy soul as thy baptismal day. Thou shouldst every morning be buried anew in thy Lord Jesus Christ, (Ahlfeld).—The men of Israel had asked: What shall we do? They are now told that they should, in a submissive spirit, yield to the operations of the Holy Ghost.—They would have made every sacrifice, in order to call back Jesus of Nazareth, to embrace the knees of Him who was crucified, to be raised up by him, and to hear him personally say; “Your sin is forgiven!” And now, behold, their desire was fulfilled. The triune God has connected his gracious presence, as revealed in the new covenant, with the water of Baptism. (Besser).—This doctrine must therefore abide, as one that is true and permanently established, namely, that the Holy Ghost is given through the ministry of the Church, that is to say, through the preaching of the Gospel and through Baptism. Let all those who desire the Holy Spirit, seek him there; let them not despise the little flock, in the midst of which the sound of the Gospel is heard; let them, much rather, join themselves unto those who are gathered together in the name of Christ, and let them assist in prayer. (Luther).—That we are saved, not so much through that which we do, as through that which the triune God does in us: I. Our repentance, which is commanded, is already a result of the preventing grace of God, by which he draws us to his Son; II. We are brought by our Baptism into the most intimate communion with Christ, our Saviour; III. Our conscious and continued preservation in this communion through the Word and the Sacraments, is one of the gracious operations of the Holy Ghost. (Langbein).
Act_2:39. For the promise is unto you, and to your children.—The gracious promises of God are of vast extent; hence we can repeat them with confidence to all who are willing to hear. (Apost. Past.).—And to your children.,—The church and the people of God had hither-to been so constituted, that not only adults but also little children belonged to the people of God, and with all these he made a covenant that he would be their God. Let us now suppose that on the day of Pentecost Peter had thus addressed the Jews: ‘Brethren, repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins; but your little children shall not be baptized; they shall remain in their sins, continue in their state of condemnation, and be counted among the people of Satan, until they grow up and reach the years of understanding.’ What answer would the devout Jews have made? (Bugenhagen).—And to all that are afar, etc.—However distant the heart may be from God, it can nevertheless hear his voice. (Starke).—God is still willing to call men unto himself, and he has still room for all who come to him, Luk_14:21. (Lindheim).
Act_2:40. And with many other words did he testify and exhort.—Testifying and exhorting belong together. Our exhortations must be founded on God’s word and testimony, and the divine testimony must be applied to the hearts of our hearers through the medium of our exhortations. (Apost. Past.).—Save yourselves, etc.—No result is produced by the operations of the Holy Ghost, as long as the soul resigns itself to the corrupting influences of society; Christians are required to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, and to sever every tie that attaches them to a sinful world. (Apost. Past.).—True conversion to God implies an entire separation from the creature. Avoid the company of the corrupt; it is better for thee to dwell in solitude, than to be found in the congregation of the wicked. (Quesnel).
Act_2:41. Then they…received the word.—A prompt acceptance of the word is the beginning of true conversion. (Starke).—Salvation or damnation may be the consequence of a single sermon or exhortation that was accepted or rejected, (id.).—Were baptized.—They were delivered through the means of this saving flood from theperverse generation which was given over to destruction, and were added to the assembly of those who were gathered together in the true ark of salvation; 1Pe_3:20 f. (Besser).—Were added…souls.—This was an amazing draught of fishes on the part of Peter. (Apost. Past.).—If the apostles had made Holy Baptism, which is the true door of the kingdom of heaven, narrower, by instituting a baptismal examination, as those deluded spirits do, who degrade the Sacrament of Baptism to the rank of an exhibition of certificates of their full-grown “believers” (“it would be dreadful,” says Luther, “if I should be baptized on my faith”), then these three thousand could never have been added on the same day. (Besser).
ON THE WHOLE SECTION, Act_2:37-41. The Christian’s way of salvation: it is a life spent, I. In repentance toward God [Act_20:21], our Father in Christ; II. In faith toward the Son of God, our Redeemer; III. And sustained by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Leonh.).
The gracious work of the triune God: I. The Father decrees man’s redemption, in eternal love; II. The Son completes the work, in voluntary obedience; III. The Spirit appropriates that salvation to us through the Word and the Sacraments, in repentance and faith. (Leonh. and Sp.).
Repentance unto life [Act_11:18]: I. Repentance first of all produces deep grief (sorrow for sin); II. Then, it conducts to true blessedness (remission of sins); III. And the heart, strengthened anew by the message of peace, serves the Lord without ceasing, (ib.).
The effect produced by the apostolic discourse, an evidence of the indwelling of the Holy Ghost in the Apostles.
What are the results of the faithful preaching of the Gospel? I. Deep feeling in the heart; II. Determination of the will.
Only be thou not so moved, that thou movest not from the place! The vital question: ‘What shall we do?’ The vast difference between the answer of John the Baptist, and that of the apostles of Jesus, to the same question: ‘What shall we do?’ Comp. Luk_3:10 ff. There, the Law, here the Gospel. The evangelical order of salvation, that is, calling, illumination, conversion, justification, renewal or sanctification. The Word and the Sacraments, the indispensable means of grace. Repentance and the remission of sins, both in the name of Jesus Christ; Act_2:38, and comp. Luk_24:47. The gift of the Holy Ghost, a general promise. The kingdom of God with its promises and blessings, governed by the law of progress. The wonders of the divine call: I. It exercises vast power, and is nevertheless consistent with the liberty of man; II. It embraces all things, and is nevertheless characterized by a gradual advance.
The opposite effects of conversion: I. It excludes, Act_2:40; II. It unites, Act_2:41. (Lechler).
The discourse on the day of Pentecost, addressed by the Spirit to the whole world: the office of the Spirit, manifested, I. In instructing, (Act_2:32; Act_2:37); II. In convincing of sin (Act_2:38); III. In consoling (Act_2:38-39). (C. Beck: Hom. Rep.).
Who is it that receives the Holy Ghost? I. All men may and should receive the gift; II. But it is bestowed on those alone who repent and believe. (Kapff.).
I, too, I. Can be baptized with the Holy Ghost; II. Such is my duty; III. And my desire. (Pressel).
The first sermon, and the first baptism. (Palmer).
It still continues to be the office of the Church of Christ, I. To receive from Christ; from the Holy Ghost; II. To possess fellowship; the Word; the Sacraments; III. To impart to those who repent and believe. (Beck: Hom. Rep.).
The Pentecostal, I. Question; II. Answer; III. Life. (Hamm.).
The effusion of the Holy Ghost, the act, and the glorification, of our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Haackh.).
The Pentecostal sermon of the Apostle, the testimony of the Holy Spirit delivered through the medium of the spirit of a man (Act_2:32; Act_2:41); I. It honors God; II. Instructs men; III. Convinces those who seek salvation; IV. Establishes and extends the Church. (Florey).
The gift of the Holy Ghost: I. How is the desire for it awakened in the heart? II. When is the heart prepared to receive it? III. What effects does it produce in us? (O. v. Gerlach).
The building up of the holy Pentecostal temple in the world and Christendom (in the Old Test, the counterpart the building of the tower of Babel; the type the building of Solomon’s temple); I. The preparations for building; II. The master who directs; III. The materials; IV. The plan; V. The completion of the building. (With references to the entire passage; A. Schmidt: Predigtstudien).
What shall I do, that I may receive the gift of the Holy Ghost? I. Look up, in faith, to the Son of God; he sends that gift from his throne in heaven, Act_2:33; II. Smite upon thy breast in sorrow, and see that thou repentest, Act_2:38; III. Attach thyself to the people of the Lord, and separate thyself from the worldly-minded, Act_2:38-40.
ON THE WHOLE PENTECOSTAL NARRATIVE.
The events of the day of Pentecost continue to occur even in our age, in order that the Christian Church may be sustained and extended: I. The commemoration of the wonderful works of God in different tongues, Act_2:11; II. The piercing of the heart, Act_2:37; III. The harmony of believers, and their steadfast continuance in the apostles’ doctrine, in breaking of bread, and in prayers, Act_2:1; Act_2:42 ff. (Schleiermacher).
How does the Holy Ghost in our day preserve and extend the Church? I. By proclaiming the wonderful works of God; II. By the powerful awakening of the minds of men; III. By the use of the appointed means of salvation. (Schütz).
It is the Spirit whose divine power creates man anew: I. He breathes into man a new breath of life, Act_2:2-4; II. Opens his mouth for the praise of God, Act_2:6-11; III. Brings loving companions to him [Gen_2:22]; Gen_2:14-21; Genesis 37-41.
“To us, O Holy Spirit, come!” Grant us, I. True repentance, Act_2:37-38; II. A joyful faith, Act_2:38-39; III. Brotherly love, Act_2:41 ff.
The festival of Pentecost, a spiritual vernal festival: I. The breezes of Spring the sound, as of a rushing wind, and the still, small voice from heaven, Act_2:2-4; II. The voices of Spring the animated voices of the apostles, praising the wonderful works of God, Act_2:6-11; Act_2:14 ff., and the trembling voices of awakened men, inquiring for the way of salvation, Act_2:37 ff.; III. The blossoms of Spring childlike faith, and brotherly love, Act_2:41 ff.
The wonderful draught of Peter, the fisher of men. [Mat_4:19]. (“Fear not: from henceforth thou shalt catch men,” Luk_5:10.): I. The deep sea before him (“Launch out into the deep,” Luk_5:4)
the agitated multitude of people in Jerusalem, Act_2:5-13, and, indeed, the vast sea of mankind, Act_2:39; II. The good net which he casts (“Cast the net on the right side” [Joh_21:6])
his discourse concerning Jesus Christ, the Crucified and Risen One, delivered with an earnestness that rebuked, and a love that melted, the heart, Act_2:14-40; III. The successful draught (“they enclosed a great multitude of fishes” [Luk_5:6]) on that day about three thousand souls at once, Act_2:41. And to-day, here, among you is there not perhaps such a soul here?
Footnotes:
Act_2:41. ἀóìÝíùò follows ïὖí in the text. rec. [as in E. Syr.]. But it is a later addition, intended to add to the force of the text, and is wanting in important MSS. [in A. B. C. D., Cod. Sin.,] in ancient versions [Vulg., etc.,] and Church Fathers; hence Lachm. and Tisch. [and Alf.] cancel it.