Acts 2:37-40 The gospel

Acts 2:37-40 Peter exhorts his listeners to repent, be saved, and be baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit. Verse 37 reports that the Jews who heard this were pierced to the heart and cried out 'What shall we do?' Peter's response has since become the standard for altar calls since that time. The listeners who were convicted of their own sin should (1) repent, (2) be baptized in the name of Jesus, and (3) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. And then Peter goes on to say, that this altar call is expansive in both time and space, as it includes all the descendants of his hearers, and all who are in far off lands. It applies to anyone The Lord calls. There is no limitation to Jews, or to people who are in Jerusalem (perhaps reflecting Jesus' words in Acts 1:8), and no limitation in time. The end times have begun, and although we may not know when they will be completed or consummated, in the meantime, this is what God is doing. He calls people; if they respond in repentance, they are to be baptized in the name of Jesus, and they are to accept the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then pours forth that which they both saw and heard.

          Baptism in water as practiced by John is here being repurposed. John the Baptist had baptized people for repentance from sin. Those who respond to God's call and are baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins receive far more than making a symbolic act of repentance, they are receiving forgiveness. Forgiveness from God far transcends mere repentance, and is only possible through identification with Jesus' death. How this identification results in forgiveness remains a mystery. How can God take the guilt of our sin and put it on Jesus on the cross, and then take the righteousness of Christ and put it on us? That it happens is confirmed to us through both the Scriptures and personal experience. But the means of this miracle transcend my feeble understanding.

          The overall message that Peter gave on the day of Pentecost is the epitome or archetype of presenting the gospel message. There are multiple instantiations of the gospel, including the four books written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, and several other messages recorded in Acts, and Paul's explanation in various epistles. But what is its essence, the underlying and unifying theme of the gospel?

          Certainly one key element is the atoning death of Christ on the cross and the forgiveness of sins to those who repent and receive Him. But Peter and others did not present this in isolation. A much more inclusive version of the story seems to have the theme that God is about the business of establishing His kingdom on the earth, and that Jesus has come to reign as king over that kingdom. A key element of God's kingdom on earth is that He has appointed humankind to act as His representatives, ambassadors as it were, to the earth, which includes those people who are separated from Him, and the physical planet including both plants and animals. This describes His dealings with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David, the kingdom of Israel and Judah, and the Jewish people. But humans up to the time of Christ had failed. And so God's ultimate consummation of His plan was to send the Son of God, Jesus, who was the promised Jewish Messiah, and took care of the sin problem in two ways. The penalty for sin was paid through His death, and the power to actually live the way God commands (including doing all of the impossible things Jesus taught and commanded in the Sermon on the Mount) was imparted through the agency of the Holy Spirit. And the good news is ultimately the promise that one day Jesus will return in power to judge the earth and establish God's eternal kingdom on earth. And it will be glorious! Humankind will live in full and continuous communion with and obedience to God, exhibiting His nature and character of love and holiness, and rule the earth as God's representatives. The good news is that God invites every person to join in this kingdom-building right now.

          A significant question is how much of the context, scope, and balance of the different aspects of the gospel are essential to its presentation. The context of God's dealings with humankind before Christ seems to have been included to some degree in virtually every gospel presentation recorded in Acts, although the specifics vary from message to message. That is, in every case, it appears that the apostles discussed either the Old Testament efforts to build the kingdom of God, or the law and the prophets which Jesus came as direct fulfillment of. As regards scope, in every case, it appears that the gospel presentation included some aspect of the purpose or outcome of a person becoming a Christian as it would affect their daily life on earth. In other words, receiving Christ was never presented as simply how to get to heaven. The scope of the gospel includes what it means to be a Christian in this life, on earth. And the role of entering the Kingdom of God as part of the good news seems to be included in most messages. Balance in the presentation of the gospel is hard to judge from the gospel accounts, because it is most likely that what is recorded are summaries or highlights of the actual sermons that were given. Acts 2:40 alludes to additional things that Peter said that are not recorded here. So the most we can infer about balance is that which is contained within the Bible as a whole.