"To-mart-oes,
"To-mart-oes,
To-mate-oes”
Remission?
Redemption?
It's
Acts 2:38 - "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)
Which
denominations use this
verse?
Roman
Catholics, Pentecostals, Mormons, Church of
Christ, Seventh-Day Adventists, Presbyterians, Church of God, Greek
Orthodox,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Nazarenes, Mennonites,
Coptics,
Armenians, Charismatics, a few Baptists and all those that add works to
getting
saved and staying saved.
No,
of course not. It says get water baptized "for
the remission of sins'', not for the redemption of sins. For
redemption,
no water baptism is necessary.
The
phrase "for the remission of sins" is used
five times in the New Testament and not once does it mean "so that you
can
get your sins forgiven". It means "because you have already had
your sins forgiven."
A
newspaper headline might read "The man was jailed
for stealing." Now, no reader in their right mind would think that this
man is being jailed, because he was going to steal. No. The thief is
jailed
because he stole (past tense). Another example would be "The boy got
the
cane for throwing a rock through the school window." Similarly, he gets
the cane because he has thrown the rock already. He does not get the
cane
because he is thinking about throwing the rock in the future.
"So
what's your
point?"
As
the thief is jailed because he has stolen, so the
Jews in Acts 2:38 are to be water baptized because their sins had
already been
remitted. Let me explain, the key is Romans 3:25 which says: "Whom God
hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to
declare his
righteousness for the remission of sins that are past,
through
the forbearance of God;"
"Go
on..."
Put
it this way. Saints in the Old Testament had their
sins remitted which meant they were temporarily forgiven and covered,
but not
taken away. These repetitive and ongoing rituals were done by the blood
of
animals. This is confirmed in Hebrews 10:4 "For it is not possible that
the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
So,
Peter says at Pentecost "Look you Jews, your
sins have already remitted, but now, you will need to be water baptized
in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. This will enable to get the Holy Ghost
and in so
doing, you will be classed as redeemed."
So
where do you get the blood
of Jesus is for the redemption of sins if he only says "for the
remission
of sins"?
The
following scriptures say "In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches
of his
grace;" (Ephesians 1:7) and "In whom we have redemption through
his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:" (Colossians 1:14) and
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood
he
entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption
for us." (Hebrews 9:12).
To
be redeemed means that all sins past, present and
future would be taken away as stated in Revelation 1:5 "And from Jesus
Christ, ....Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own
blood,"
So
in Acts 2:38, Jesus' blood
did two things for the Pentecost Jews?
Yes.
If they would get water baptized, their past
remission + their future redemption would be combined under one
umbrella. The
blood of Jesus would absorb their past and give them assurance for the
future.
Why
can believing in Acts
2:38 for today, send people to a burning hell?
Very
simple. There are two classes of people. Unlike
Pentecost Jews, all people today do not start with remitted, forgiven
and
covered sins that are past.
At
Pentecost, a "water work" was needed to be
saved and receive the Holy Ghost. Today, Paul's gospel is to the
unforgiven,
uncovered and unremitted gentile (and of course to unsaved Jews). Two
different
gospels and two different ways to be saved. Peter's gospel is dead and
buried
and no longer relevant. It has been superceded by a "no works needed"
belief to get saved. No water baptism needed.
Until
the shed blood of Jesus, saints who died went to
Abraham's bosom and did the "dog-paddle" till Jesus came and got them
for heaven. Why? They only had their sins remitted. Their sins were
still
there, being covered only by the blood of animals which couldn't get
you into
heaven.
Remission
of sins was for sins past. The Jews' sins weren't taken away
but only covered by the blood of animals. The best a Jew could do was
get to
Abraham's bosom. Redemption is not just for past sins, but
present and
future ones. Today, this can only be had by trusting in the shed blood
of
Jesus. Those who are redeemed bypass the no-longer relevant Abraham's
bosom as
eternal rest awaits in heaven.
There
have been many gospels. John the Baptist had a
gospel for the Jews. Peter had another gospel for the Jews at
Pentecost. But
the gospel for today is Paul's gospel. It is not addressed to
law
abiding, blood sacrificing, forgiven Jews with remitted and covered
sins.
Paul's gospel is all men everywhere - "Believe that the shed blood of
Jesus has paid your debt. All sins - past, present and future, have
been paid
for. Will you believe this?"
Christ
should be made of none effect."
(1Corinthians1:17).
In
conclusion:
Acts
2:38
was God's gospel, through Peter, to the Jews of the nation of
Israel at Pentecost. It was a one-off, one-time, special
formula for them
only. Be warned. Trusting in performing the work of water
baptism
instead of the shed blood of Christ alone, for your salvation, may see
you burn
forever.
