CHAPTER II - The Apostles preach salvation by faith

The Apostles understood and preached
that salvation is obtained by faith in Jesus Christ

Peter, Paul, Philip, all the apostles, teach that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. When Peter preaches his first sermon to the Jews, he teaches about a Christ that had died and resurrected, and calls them to baptism and repentance. They repented. This is what Peter said:

a) You put Jesus to death and crucified Him.

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know, Him, being delivered by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it (Acts 2:22-24).

b) It was not possible for the Holy One to see corruption.

For David says concerning Him... You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption... Therefore, (David) being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses (Acts 2:25,27,30-32).

c) God has made this Jesus, both Lord and Christ.

Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36).

d) You must repent and be baptized.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said to them: Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:37-38).

Those who believed were baptized; they lived together and divided their possessions as anyone had need; they continued with one accord breaking the bread and praising God.

Those who gladly received the word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers... All who believed were together, and had all things in common; and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved (Acts 2:41-42,44-47).

Commentary and explanation. This was the first preaching of Peter to the Jews, on Pentecost day. He first tells them about Jesus' death, well known by them, and then he tells them about His resurrection. This is the most important point, because the fact of the resurrection is the motive and foundation to accept Jesus as Christ and Lord.

vv 22-32. As the Jewish people believed the Scriptures (the Old Testament), and the promises made by God to king David, Peter quoted to them Psalm 16 in which David says: You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. About whom does David speak? Not about himself, Peter said, because David was both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ (Acts 2,29,30,31 in part).

v 36. If God, then, raised Jesus, of which we are all witnesses (v. 32), it is because He is the Holy One about whom David spoke, to sit him in His throne (v.30). Therefore let all know that God has made this Jesus both Lord and Christ (v. 36).

This was an eloquent invitation and a direct call to all Jews to recognize their mistake of having put Jesus to death, and to accept Him as Lord and Christ, that is, the Messiah and Savior.

vv 37,38. They understood this that way, because they said immediately to Peter and the rest of the apostles: What shall we do? Peter gave them a double answer: Repent and be baptized.

Repent, means accept the mistake, recognize that killing Jesus was wrong, and do not reject Him any more, as they have done in the past. (See Imputation and forgiveness, Step 51 to 59).

The second part was: be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins (v. 38). Peter is not speaking here about a rite or ceremony, as we could think today. Peter is telling them: you must be baptized, because when you are baptized, you are recognizing Jesus as Lord, and accepting Him as Messiah and Savior, and you are promising to follow and to obey Him. In other words, baptism is a sign of faith in Jesus Christ.

vv 41-47. The Jews understood the meaning of baptism and in fact they did what it meant. From that moment on they changed their conduct, radically. Verses 41 to 47 detail the changes of their lives. It is written: they had all things in common; they shared among all, as anyone had need; they prayed daily with one accord, breaking the bread, that is, they celebrated the Lord's Supper or Eucharist in remembrance of Him, praising God and having favor with all the people.

This narrative, that goes back to the apostles, shows all the elements that are confluent in the process of salvation, that can be summed up as faith in Jesus Christ and change of life, because the change of life is the proof that faith in Jesus is for real, and that obedience to Jesus as Lord must be shown in deeds, not only in words.

This process of salvation and its elements is valid today as it was then; more is not required but less is not demanded. If faith in Jesus is true faith, a change of life must take place, in our relationship with God, and in our relationship with our neighbors. If these elements are not present, there is not faith of conversion, which is the only one that gives salvation.

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Step 7

Peter announces Christ to the Gentiles and says
that those who believe in Jesus will receive forgiveness

(Jesus) commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and dead. To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name. whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins (Acts 10:42-43).

Commentary and explanation. Peter has come to Cornelius' house, a Gentile, because —although a Jew should not approach a stranger or Gentile (that is, a non-Jew person),— Peter has had a vision where God showed him that he should not call any man common or unclean (Acts 10:28).

His preaching at Cornelius' house begins: In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him (Acts 10:34-35).

Peter tells them, next, about Jesus of Nazareth, annointed by the Holy Spirit and power... whom they killed by hanging on a tree. Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly... to the witnesses chosen before by God, even to us... and He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead (Acts 10, part of verses 38 to 42).

This time, the gospel or good news of salvation is announced to the Gentiles (not to the Jews). This step is important, because many Jews believed that the Messiah would be the liberator of the Jewish people only. This is the first time that we see, in the Acts of the Apostles, that the non-Jews were called also to receive the blessings of the gospel.

Later on, in Acts 15, we see that the call of the Gentiles to faith in Jesus Christ, was officially recognized by the first council of the church, in Jerusalem. The message is the same for the Gentiles as it was for the Jews: in Jesus Christ is salvation, and is obtained through faith in Him. (Compare Step 6.)

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Step 8

Paul preaches a Christ that died and resurrected,
and how everyone who believes is justified by Him

Paul was at the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia, stood up, and motioning with his hand said:

Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent. For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him (Jesus), not even the voices of the Prophets... and though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. Now when they have fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead. He was seen for many days by those who are His witnesses to the people. And we declare to you glad tidings, —that promise which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm: "You are my Son, today I have begotten You;" and... "You will not allow Your Holy One to see corruption"... Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses (Acts 13:26-33, 35,38,39).

Commentary and explanation. Here is Paul the one who preaches to the Jews at the synagogue of Antioch. After having told them that Jesus died and resurrected, he says to them: Through Him the forgiveness of sins is preached to you. How? By Him everyone who believes is justified. Believe in Him, and you will be justified; follow Him, follow His commands, obey His doctrine, surrender to Him, and you will receive the forgiveness of sins.

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Step 9

Philip says to the Ethiopian that the only condition to be baptized
is that he believe in Jesus Christ. Which kind of faith?

An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: "Arise and go toward the south..." And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip: "Go near and overtake this chariot." So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said: "Do you understand what you are reading?" And he said: "How can I, unless someone guides me?" The place which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so He opened not His mouth..." So the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?" And beginning at this Scripture preached Jesus to him. Now, as they came to some water, the eunuch said: "What hinders me from being baptized?" Then Philip said: "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him (Acts 8:26-32,33-38).

Commentary and explanation. We have here, once again, that the only condition required to be baptized is faith in Jesus Christ.

"I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," said the Ethiopian; that is, I believe that He is my God and Lord; I accept Him and surrender to Him; from now on, my life is for obeying Him and serving Him; I accept His teachings, I accept His commandments, and I am ready to fulfill them all my life.

The Ethiopian has been saved, by faith in Jesus Christ. That was the only condition that Philip asked of the eunuch; we should not put any more. Much less think that by our own works will we be able to receive salvation. Salvation is grace, is gift, is not the fruit of our works.

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Step 10

Paul told the jailer that the only condition to be saved
is to believe in Jesus Christ

When the magistrates... had laid many stripes on them (Paul and Silas), they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed. And the keeper of the prison, awaking from the sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here." Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in this house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized (Acts 16:22-33).

Commentary and explanation. Once again Paul teaches us, with his words and example, that the only condition to be saved is faith in Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household; these were his words.

Therefore, to enter into God's plan of salvation, faith in Jesus Christ is the essential requirement. This faith, of course, goes farther than only words; this faith is a commitment with Jesus Christ to make Him the Lord of the life and all deeds. This faith is, then, a radical change of life: it is a total surrender and conversion to the Lord, it is a filial and loving obedience to all His commandments. (See also Step 11, and Romans 1:16,17).

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