Acts 2:38

2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ¹  in the name of Jesus Christ ²  for ³  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ⁴ 

Matthew 18:19

18:19 Again, I tell you the truth, ⁵  if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ⁶ 

John 14:13-14

14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, ⁷  so that the Father may be glorified ⁸  in the Son. 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

John 16:23-24

16:23 At that time ⁹  you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁰  whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. ¹¹  16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, ¹²  so that your joy may be complete.

Philippians 1:19

1:19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance ¹³  through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

[2:38]  ¹ tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.

[2:38]  ² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  ³ tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, “for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins”). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of “for” or “unto.” Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of “baptism” in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, “Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…” Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, “Acts,” EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.

[2:38]  ⁴ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[18:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:19]  ⁶ tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.

[14:13]  ⁷ tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”

[14:13]  ⁸ tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”

[16:23]  ⁹ tn Grk “And in that day.”

[16:23]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[16:23]  ¹¹ sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.

[16:24]  ¹² tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:19]  ¹³ tn Or “salvation.” Deliverance from prison (i.e., release) is probably what Paul has in view here, although some take this as a reference to his ultimate release from the body, i.e., dying and being with Christ (v. 23).