Therefore, with all of these things in mind, what did the Apostles actually do? They taught just as Jesus had instructed them, saying:
ACTS 2:37 ¶ 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 2:38 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 2:39 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 2:41 ¶ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Peter taught the same two points that Jesus Christ (and John the Baptist) did: Peter preached 1) repentance, and 2) remission of sins, exactly per Christ's instructions at Luke 24:46-47. Note the 1-to-1 correlation to 1) repentance and 2) remission of sins between Acts 2:38 and Luke 24:47. It should also be noted that both repentance and baptism are required for the remission of sins. In accordance with Luke 24:46-47, these things were to be preached in the name of [Jesus] Christ, just as Peter did, at Acts 2:38.
5.1.1 This event, in Acts 2, deals with unsaved people becoming saved people. That is, this deals with about 3000 people being "born again." (People becoming saved is a different issue than people remaining saved. For example, each of us had come out of our mother's womb one time only, yet since that time, we've eaten and brushed our teeth many times. Becoming alive, and remaining alive are slightly different topics.)
5.1.2 Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost when he said Acts 2:38. Peter is mentioned by name (at Acts 1:13-15) as being among the 120 disciples who waited to be filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts 1:4-5). Since "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost," (Acts 2:4) then so was Peter, being among them.
5.1.3a The people asked "what shall we do?" They were never told to believe (even though it is apparent that they were just convinced). Nevertheless, it is understood that those 3000 who were saved that day believed. Paul later wrote:
HEBREWS 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
5.1.3b The people asked "what shall we do?" They were told what to do: "repent," which is a verb and therefore an 'action.' You cannot see someone's repentance; you can only see the evidence of someone's repentance (which is the meaning of John 3:8).
5.1.3c The people asked "what shall we do?" They were told what to do: "be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ." This is not baptism in the Holy Ghost, for Peter said "ye shall receive...the Holy Ghost" in the future tense, referring to a promise. According to the very next verse (Acts 2:39), baptism in the Holy Ghost is a promise, not a commandment. Acts 2:38 refers to baptism (immersion) in water.
5.1.4 Baptism is to be done in the name of "Jesus Christ." Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost when he said this (see observation 5.1.2, above). Peter understood what Jesus meant when He said Matthew 28:19: that the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is Jesus Christ! In the book of Acts, nobody was ever baptized with the words "in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost"—not even once. On the other hand, many people were baptized in the name of "Jesus Christ," "Jesus of Nazareth," "the Lord Jesus," or some other variation of His name. This is consistent with Jesus' own words:
LUKE 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
LUKE 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
LUKE 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Either Jesus contradicted Himself, or there is something between Matthew 28:19 and Luke 24:46-47 that must be understood. Remember that Peter was among those who Jesus personally "opened their understanding," in Luke 24:45 above. Later, the apostle Paul understood and taught this as well. Such an understanding is perfectly consistent with:
COLOSSIANS 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
This includes baptism; baptism is to be done in the name of Jesus Christ. The "traditions of men" may ignore this, but Jesus spoke badly about those who kept the traditions of men instead of the commandments of God (Matthew 15:3,7-9, Mark 7:6-7,13).
In previous Bible Studies, we discussed at great length that God had indeed come to the earth in the Old Testament in various different forms, or "manifestations," and we pointed out that God had come in the form of a man on no less than five (5) previous occasions.
5.1.5 Baptism is for the remission of sins. Peter did not say (and read this aloud:) "repent for the remission of sins, and be baptized, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." He said (and read this aloud too):
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.
Just as there is no life in the flesh without first being born, there is no eternal life without first being born-again: "born of water and of the spirit" (John 3:5)
5.1.6 Earlier, in Luke 24:47, we saw that Jesus said that 1) repentance, and 2) remission of sins was to be preached in Jesus' name:
LUKE 24:46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
LUKE 24:47 And that 1) repentance and 2) remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
This is precisely, point-by-point, what was preached by Peter on that day:
ACTS 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, 1) Repent, and 2) 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.
5.1.7 Baptism is not for the purpose of any kind of "identification with," or "public testimony," or "outward sign of an inward change," or anything like that. Jesus said not to do our alms for the purpose of being seen by men:
MATTHEW 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
MATTHEW 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
MATTHEW 6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
MATTHEW 6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.
5.1.8 Baptism is part of faith. Regarding those people who heard Peter's instructions at Acts 2:38, the Bible says:
ACTS 2:41 ¶ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Just as it is written:
MARK 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
5.1.9 The three thousand who were baptized in water did not speak in tongues.
ACTS 2:41 ¶ Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
There are people who teach that you must also speak in tongues to be saved. (Actually, they say that in addition to water baptism, you must also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost to be saved, and that speaking in tongues is always the initial evidence of this.) In this incident at Acts 2, there is no record whatsoever of these three thousand souls having ever spoken in tongues. They were, nevertheless, "added unto them," (i.e., these three thousand were saved).
The fact that the 120 disciples were filled with the Holy Ghost, and did in fact speak with "other tongues" should not simply be ignored. Many will make a distinction between speaking with "new tongues," (as stated at Mark 16:17, meaning a change of the topic and manner of conversation due to personal repentance), and speaking with "other tongues" (a gift of the Holy Ghost, as stated in 1Corinthians 14). On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples spoke with "other tongues:"
ACTS 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Concerning the purpose of "other tongues," Paul wrote:
1 CORINTHIANS 14:21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
...where "them that believe not" means not merely them that don't believe in Jesus Christ, but more generally, them that don't believe whatever particular point God is making.
This speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:4) was for the benefit of all the unbelievers at Jerusalem on that day. (3000 later became saved, per Acts 2:41). This phenomenon will figure prominently again, in Acts 10, Acts 11, and Acts 15! It will be discussed in more detail in section 13.