Correct:
Now
when they heard this, they were pierced to the
heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the
apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?" 38
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 2:37-38 (NAS)
The Gospel of Jesus Christ:
Peter was the first of the apostles to preach the
gospel of Jesus...namely who Jesus was and the good
news of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection (see
Acts 2:22-36).
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the message of
first importance...as it shows us how, through
Jesus' death on the cross, He allows us to be
reconciled back to God (see Lesson 1). Without
Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection from the
grave, we would not have a kingdom or church to
enter.
Obedience to the Gospel:
Upon
hearing the gospel, Peter then told the people who
heard and believed how to become obedient to the
gospel. They were told to repent (to change
their hearts and mind and turn away from sin) and to
be baptized (a Greek word meaning to dip or to
immerse).
The Promise:
They were to repent and be baptized
to receive
forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit
(see verse 38) and so that the Lord would add them
to the number of those being saved. The New King James Version says:
"...praising
God and having favor with all the people. And
the Lord
added to the church daily those who were
being saved." Acts 2:47 (NKJ)
Paul says in Colossians 1:13:
"For
He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and
transferred
us to the kingdom of His beloved Son..."
Colossians 1:13 (NAS)
Through Faith in the Working of God:
Those that were obedient to the gospel were
delivered from the domain of darkness to Jesus'
kingdom...having faith in the working of God:
"...having been buried with Him
in baptism, in which you were also raised up with
Him through faith in the working of God, who raised
Him from the dead." Colossians 2:12 (NAS)
For information about the prophecies of Jesus'
church/kingdom, click on "Kingdom
Prophecies" below. Then, click on "Question 9" to
continue... |