Acts 2:38

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Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38 (NKJV)

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 (NIV)

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.

Acts 2:38 (KJV)

Peter replied, "Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38 (NLT)

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."

Acts 2:38 (ESV)

Peter said to them, "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 (NASB)

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

Peter said to them, "Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38 (AMP)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 (AMPC)

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), Copyright © 1954, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org

"Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Acts 2:38 (MSG)

Scripture quotations from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

New Covenant Meaning

Repentance Is a Change of Direction, Not a Season of Punishment

When the crowd at Pentecost was cut to the heart and asked what to do, Peter's first word was repent. The Greek word is metanoeite, which means to change the mind, to turn in a new direction. It is not about feeling bad enough for long enough. It is about turning: turning from your old way of thinking and living toward God. Repentance in the New Covenant is not a punishment you endure. It is a doorway you walk through. It is the acknowledgment that the old direction was not working, and the decision to move toward the one who is life. That decision is the beginning of everything.

The Gift of the Holy Spirit Is the Promise, Not the Exception

Peter closes the verse with a promise: you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is not a maybe. It is a declaration. The Holy Spirit is not a reward for spiritual achievement. He is a gift, meaning He is given freely by the Father through Jesus Christ to everyone who repents and is baptized. The presence of the Spirit inside the believer is the defining reality of New Covenant life. He is not given to the most dedicated believers. He is given to every person who turns to Jesus. The ordinary Christian carries extraordinary power because of the ordinary gift every believer receives at the start.

Acts 2:38 is the New Covenant entry point. It describes what happens when a person responds to the gospel: they turn, they are identified with Christ through baptism, their sins are released, and they receive the Spirit. Everything that follows in the New Covenant life flows from this beginning. Galatians 3:14 says the blessing of Abraham has come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. The Spirit is the inheritance. The Spirit is what makes every other promise in the New Testament accessible. What Peter offered that day was not just forgiveness. It was the beginning of life in the Spirit.

Application for Your Life

Let the Finished Work of Baptism Speak to Your Present Identity

If you have been baptized, that event in your past carries present significance. Romans 6:4 says you were buried with Christ through baptism and raised to walk in newness of life. Your baptism is a declaration that the old life is gone and the new has begun. When the enemy tries to define you by your past failures, you can point to your baptism: I died with Christ and I was raised with Him. The sins are forgiven. The old identity is buried. The new has come. Let the reality of what your baptism declared shape what you believe about yourself today.

Draw on the Gift You Have Already Received

The Holy Spirit is not a concept to believe in. He is a person who lives in you. If you have come to Christ, the gift Peter promised has already been given. The question is whether you are drawing on what you have. The Spirit who lives in you is the spirit of wisdom, of revelation, of power, of love. He intercedes for you, guides you into truth, and produces fruit in your life. Stop waiting for a moment of spiritual intensity to access what is already yours. Ask the Spirit who lives in you to be actively at work in your life right now. He is already there.

Prayer Based on This Verse

Father, I thank You for the gift You gave when I turned to You. My sins are forgiven through Jesus Christ and I have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. I receive these realities fully today. I do not carry the weight of sins that have already been remitted. I live as someone who has been washed clean and filled with Your Spirit. Holy Spirit, be active in me today. Lead me, guide me, produce Your fruit through me. I am not living in my own strength. I am drawing on the gift You have placed inside me. Thank You for the New Covenant. Thank You for all of it. In Jesus name. Amen.