Acts 2:38

In Acts 2:38 Paul preached the gospel and told the people: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Jesus said that without being born AGAIN of Water and Spirit or Water and the Word you CANNOT, SHALL NOT enter into His kingdom or rule which is the Ekklesia or Christian synagogue or school of the Bible. The seven "spirits" of Isaiah 11:1-4 which would rest on the BRANCH are all related to forms of spiritual knowledge. Jesus said "My Words are Spirit and Life." Therefore, you might join a venue for Rock and Roll peddled as "worship" but Jesus Christ WILL NOT be your free-of-charge Teacher until He washes your spirit or mind. Only then do you have access to the seven spirits represented by the Menorah or Candlestick which gave LIGHT to the Holy Place along with the table of bread and the incense altar. Each Christian "priest" must look into the Most Holy Place with their own prayers. Then, you can enter into the Most Holy Place to meet God. Jesus said that the ONLY new PLACE is the human spirit as it gives heed to the Spirit of Truth through the Word. Don't believe the lie that "musical teams" lead you into the presence of God: that makes them claim to be God standing in the Holy Place. Not in the vilest pagan temple could singers and musicians enter into the holy precincts on the penalty of death. Don't follow people making "Christianity" viler than paganism. If you are part of the 5 out of 13,000 congregations then you have become a laughing stock just like the musical idolatrs at Mount Sinai which forfeited and continues to forfeit the Covenant of Grace.

People who refute this have a "spirit" which intends to hurt you real bad.

The Gospel on Pentecost

When Peter and the other Apostles who had been eyewitnesses of the resurrected Jesus and received power as He breathed the Spirit upon them (taught them in Acts through the Holy Spirit) the watching, celebrating crowd just thought that they were a bunch of drunken street preachers who always sold songs, sermons, poems, dances and musical performance at these gatherings. We are not much different: when we see a street preacher we tend to think that he might be drunk or "tetched." This does not mean that he was speaking in tongues as some for of gibberish.

Peter replied:

But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; Acts 2:16

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: Acts 2:17

Turn you at my reproof: behold,

I will pour out my spirit unto you,

I will make known my words unto you. Proverbs 1:23

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing:

the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Jn 6:63

The signs Joel prophesied of were like a baptism of Spirit (truth) but also of fire which would be poured out upon the unbelievers within their lifetime. However, those who appealed to God as Lord Jesus Christ would be saved:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name (singular) of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21

Peter showed that baptism is just the time and place where we call upon the name of the Lord and ask that He remit our sins so that we can have a clean conscience:

The like figure whereunto even baptism does also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the request for a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:21

In a similar sense, when we follow God's rules for getting food we simply apply His supernatural principles of planting and watering and then call upon Him to give the increase. Our effort is not the "earning" or "giving" part but the "receiving" part.

So far, the gospel was just the facts that they had killed their Messiah Who was God Incarnate Who had fully demonstrated His full Deity. He was the free Gift of God but they refused to unit themselves with His supernatural truth:

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Acts 2:22

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Acts 2:23

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. Acts 2:24

The literal David as a visible king (to replace God) was never going to return to allow them to continue their body worship in the temple, in the streets or in the legalistic festivals:

For David speaketh concerning him, I forsaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Acts 2:25

Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Acts 2:29

Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; Acts 2:30

He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. Acts 2:31

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Acts 2:32

All authority of the Godhead is under the name of Jesus or Jehovah-Saves. He "sat down" at the right hand of the Majesty He laid aside (as God):

Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Acts 2:33

For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Acts 2:34

Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Acts 2:35

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:36

The gospel meant the rejection of a secular nation ruled by David when Israel rejected God so that they could be a secular state and worship like the nations. They had to abandon an earthly leader and live in relationship with God the Spirit as the Mind of Christ (1 Cor 2). This meant the temple worship would be gone and their worship would be in spirit (in the mind) and in truth.

When Jesus told Peter to preach the Gospel it consisted of two parts: preach the gospel and obey or accept the gospel through baptism. The free gift of food as God's miracle must be accepted by "turning on" God's principles of growing food. The free gift of God through the gospel must be energized by "planting and watering" of the dying "seed."

How would they know about baptism if baptism was not part of the good news? Peter fully comprehended the commandment attached to the Gospel. Therefore, when the people on the Day of Pentecost needed God's grace Peter told them how to obey the gospel:

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

What was the second part or the secret to receiving the power of the Gospel: Jesus said: "He that believes the Gospel and is baptized shall be saved." The good news to them was that they could be saved. Not being disobedient to the explicit command of Christ,

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

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. Acts 2:39

Baptistht--- Dip in or under water-	hekastos--- each, every one--	EIS------ into the--	Aphesin----- letting go, dismissal--	Hamartin fault committed--
Kataduo----- [duck whole person]	every single one--	within one's power	discharge from a bond-	of guilt and sin-

Because the Spirit is the Mind or Mental Disposition of God Who is pure or Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2), to have God's Spirit is to think like God. It does not mean that any of the people at Pentecost who heard the gospel and obeyed ever spoke in tongues. People in representative groups spoke in tongues as a sign of the authority of the Apostles who were always present when someone spoke in tongues.

The supernatural signs which "follwed" in the Great Commission were performed by the Apostles.

Not a Jewish Gospel

This was not a "Jewish" gospel but it was an "into all the world" even to the nations or Gentiles.

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21

Next, Paul insists that we can do something to receive the free gift of God just as we plant and water to get God's free food:

And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Acts 2:40

Save is from the Greek:

Sozo (g4982) sode'-zo; to save, i.e. deliver or protect (lit. or fig.): - heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be (make) whole

How can we participate in God's free gift? Remember that Peter is doing what Jesus commanded him to do:

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

The people did what Peter told them to do when he preached the gospel:

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. Acts 2:41

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:42

The signs which followed were performed by the Apostles and not by each baptized and saved person:

And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. Acts 2:43

So, you see, we cannot add one iota to God's free gift of food, but we can get free food by planting and watering in accordance with God's revealed plan for getting free food.

In the same way, we cannot die for our own sins but we can save ourselves simply by "accepting the will of God for our lives." That is, we follow the rules laid down by the Incarnate God of the universe.

Those who do not believe what Jesus clearly said and commanded do so "reject the counsel of God for their lives" and Jesus said that they would be damned which is just the opposite of being saved.

Rejecting the Gospel

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but

he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16

Jesus does not Judge or Condemn us

Jesus came to preach His gospel and those who rejected His commandements rejected Him and therefore rejected God Himself:

I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. John 12:46

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. John 12:47

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48

For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. John 12:49

And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. John 12:50

The common people believed the commandments about John's baptism but the experts tried to slither away from Him:

And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29

But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30

Christian baptism is commanded by the same counsel of the same God. Therefore, those who refuse to obey the only command Jesus issued by which we might be saved are not repudiated by Jesus: the Words of Jesus which He called the one and which was Spirit and Life (John 6:63) will still be there staring those who refuse to obey the gospel in the face.

Kenneth Sublett

 

The Free Gift of God By Faith

Living Waters

Beginning of the Gospel

What is the Gospel - Baptized For the Dead

The New Birth

First Command of the Gospel

The Gospel at Pentecost

Paul, the Gospel and Baptism

 

Home Page

E-Mail