"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 2:38} Depending on who you ask, even in the Lord's church, you could receive varying answers concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit. For example:
2. The gift is a "measure of the Holy Spirit."
3. The gift is a blessing that the Holy Spirit bestows.
4. The Holy Spirit personally comes into the believer and dwells within him.
5. The Holy Spirit bestows the ability to perform miracles -- especially to speak in tongues.
Obviously, these answers cannot all be correct. To arrive at the correct answer, we must examine all that the Scriptures say concerning the Holy Spirit's work and Person. The following quote from Franklin Puckett shows where the problem begins. "In Biblical expression there is often a great deal of ambiguity in the terms and word-forms employed. Many of the forms and thought patterns found in the NT writings, and commonly employed by Old Testament prophets, and their meaning and proper use were quite familiar to the Jews of the first century. We should then seek to project ourselves back to their time and circumstances that we might better understand their use of such terms and expressions. The way they used them is the way we must understand them." (The Holy Spirit, by Franklin Puckett)
An Exegesis of the Passage
Let us study the passage grammatically to see what the text says -- and what it DOES NOT say. Verse 37 says they were "pricked in their heart." So they asked a question to learn what they MUST do to be saved. Peter, speaking by the power of the Holy Spirit, answered that they must "repent and be baptized." This command applied to all who were present in the audience. Obedience must be in the name of (by authority of) Jesus Christ. The purpose and design of these actions (repentance and baptism) was to receive remission of sins. The promise of the gift was given to those who believed, repented, and were baptized.
The passage states that those who comply with the conditions given "shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." THAT'S ALL IT SAYS! It does not say they shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as a Person who will immediately dwell directly within their physical bodies! We must not assume a position. For any conclusion to be correct, in our study, we must have proof.
Denominational scholars argue about the Greek and how, grammatically, the phrase" gift of the Holy Spirit" can be either "possessive genitive" or "objective genitive" (depending on the Greek scholar's reasoning). All of this makes the denominational scholars' conclusions somewhat suspect. If they correctly understood doctrinal truth, and the necessary harmony of the scriptures, they would not arrive at the conclusions they offer. Similar passages may offer some help. In the first two of the following passages, the genitive (God and Christ) is clearly the giver of the gift; and in the third passage, the genitive (Holy Spirit) could be the giver of the gift, rather than the gift itself.
2. Ephesians 4:7 - gift of Christ.
3. Acts 2:38 - gift of the Holy Spirit."
After determining whether the genitive is subjective or objective, one is still faced with the problem of deciding whether it is to be understood metaphorically or literally.
2. Ephesians 5:18 - Filled with the Spirit. Does this mean "filled with the Person of the Holy Spirit"? In Colossians 3:16, we read that it is the "word" that dwells within us.
3. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 - Quench the Spirit. This discusses the hindering of the Spirit's work.
If we could prove grammatically (and we can not) that the genitive used in Acts 2:38 is objective and not subjective, the gift could refer to the effect produced by the Holy Spirit, rather than to the Holy Spirit as a Person. The meaning of this passage cannot be determined by dissecting it grammatically. It must be decided on the grounds of doctrinal soundness and uniformity with other Scriptures.
The Holy Spirit -- the Giver or the Gift? In some passages, the Holy Spirit is the gift bestowed:
2. Acts 10:44,45 - the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
3. Acts 11:15-17 - the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
At other times, He is the one who bestows the gifts:
2. Hebrews 2:4 - God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit.
There is only ONE Spirit (Ephesians 4:4); but there are different gifts of the Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12). How were such gifts imparted? Only twice in the NT do we read of the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in baptism.
2. At the conversion of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert (Acts 11:15-17).
Whatever the gift of Acts 2:38, it cannot be placed in either of these two classes; it is not supernatural or miraculous.
Miraculous powers were imparted through the laying on of the apostles' hands. "Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit." {Acts 8:14-17} These gifts ceased with completion of divine revelation and the death of the last apostle and those upon whom the apostles laid their hands. Please read 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.
Considering Acts 2:39. Is the gift the Holy Spirit Himself, as a divine Being, bestowed on those who repent and are baptized? Or is it something that the Holy Spirit bestows on those who repent and are baptized? A study of verse 39 (part of Peter's answer) may shed some light on the answer to our question.
The conjunction "for" (gar) that connects verse 39 to the preceding one is most commonly used to introduce the reason for, or to give an explanation of, that which precedes. It follows, the reason for the statement, "ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." The promise is to those "...who are afar off, even as many as the Lord shall call." Whatever the promise is, it extends to the Jews, their posterity, and all Gentiles. Please read Ephesians 2:11-16.
There are many promises, but this particular promise extends to succeeding generations of Jews and Gentiles who meet the stipulated conditions.
What is the "gift" involved in this promise?
- Is the gift Holy Spirit baptism? The question is: Do all who are called of God receive Holy Spirit baptism? No--it was not given to those in Acts 2:38 and 39.
- Is the gift the power to perform miracles? No--this power was imparted by the laying on of the apostles' hands (Acts 8:16).
- Is the gift the literal indwelling of the third Member of the Godhead, the divine being Himself, completely separate and apart, as a person, in the physical bodies of those who repent and are baptized in the name of Christ, for the remission of their sins? If so, please provide the book, chapter, and verse where the scriptures contain such a promise. If this position is correct, who is accountable when I sin?
- Is the gift a blessing given by the Holy Spirit, bestowed in keeping with a definite promise, upon those who meet the conditions stipulated? Grammatically, it may be; definitively, it could be; doctrinally, it is. It extends to "all whom the Lord calls."
Considering Acts 2:33. Is the promise referred to in verse 39 the same as the promise of the Spirit in verse 33?
At this time (in verse 33), they heard and saw a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. They saw a divine, miraculous demonstration and heard divine revelation. This isn't the same as the gift in Acts 2:38. All who repent and are baptized do not see and hear manifestations of the Holy Spirit.
If verse 33 refers to a promise made by the Spirit, that promise was fulfilled in Christ's resurrection and exaltation to David's throne, as the Spirit foretold through the prophets (2 Samuel 7:12; Psalm 16:8-10; 89:35-37; 132:10-12; 110:1-4; Zechariah 6:13).
The meaning of verse 33. Having been raised from the dead and exalted to the throne of David, as promised by the Spirit, Christ kept His promise to the apostles (John 14:16,17,26; 15:26; 16:7-13; Acts 1:4,5). Remember, this promise was to the apostles--not to ALL believers. The giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy--the promise became reality.
Joel said "It shall come to pass afterward." Peter said "It shall come to pass in the last days," (during the gospel dispensation). Joel said "pour out My Spirit upon all flesh;" Peter said "I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh." God did not pour out the Spirit, Himself; He poured out something from the Spirit.
God did the pouring. He poured out of (from) the Spirit, denoting the origin of that which He poured. He did not pour out the Holy Spirit; He poured out the blessings and effects that proceeded from the Spirit:
2. Miraculous demonstration (Joel; 2:30,31: Acts 2:19,20)
3. Spiritual salvation (Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21).
These are "gifts of the Spirit." The Spirit gave prophetic revelation to the apostles. By the laying on of their hands, those apostles could pass the same power to others. The same Spirit also gave deliverance to all "who call upon the name of the Lord" (Acts 2:21).
Deliverance equates to salvation for those who call on His name. We call on the name of the Lord when we obey the conditions upon which He offered salvation (Rom.10:13-16).
So then, salvation is a gift of (or from) the Holy Spirit, poured out along with, and at the same time that, divine revelation and miraculous demonstrations of the Spirit were given to usher in the gospel dispensation.
The supernatural gifts were poured out for a limited time, upon a select few, for the purpose of inspiration, revelation, and confirmation; but salvation is a spiritual gift poured out for all time upon ALL (Jews and Gentiles) who obey the gospel. This fulfills the promise in verse 39. These conclusions are in complete harmony with the Abrahamic covenant of promise, the predictions of the prophets, and the revelations in the gospel.
What were the promises of the Abrahamic covenant? God gave a number of promises to His people; but, in the minds of the Jews, only one promise stood out from the others. This was the promise He made to Abraham long ago--"through thy seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:1-3; 18:18; 22:16-18). This was a promise of an inheritance, conditioned upon faith. The promise was fulfilled through the seed, Jesus Christ. "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ." {Galatians 3:16} The prophets foretold the coming of Christ. "For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.' Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant that God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities." {Romans 3:22-26}
Let us, for a moment, examine Psalm 2:1-8.
- Verses 1-3 were fulfilled when the Jews opposed and rejected Christ (Acts 4:23-30).
- Verses 4-6 were fulfilled in the resurrection and exaltation of Christ (Acts 13:26-33; Hebrews 1:1-5; 5:5).
- Verse 7 was fulfilled when Christ came forth from the grave and the Father extended the blessings of an everlasting gospel--the gospel of Christ (Acts 13:34; Isaiah 53:3; Hebrews 13:20,21) and the forgiveness of sins (Romans 4:6-8; Psalm 32:1-5).
Forgiveness became possible only after Christ offered His blood (Hebrews 9:13-17, 22; 10:1-4).
- Verse 8 was fulfilled in Christ's inheritance of the heathen nations for a possession (Ephesians 1:15-18; Acts 10,11).
The promise and the inheritance are joined together (Romans 4:13-16). When the inheritance is received, the promise is fulfilled.
The obedient inherit imputed righteousness (Romans 4:20-25). Righteousness is imputed to the man who, through the obedience of faith, obtains forgiveness of sins (Romans 4:4-8). The one who complies with the conditions of pardon obtains the blessing; the promise is fulfilled. Acts 2 harmonizes with Psalm 2!
How did God fulfill His promise to Abraham and his seed? Who is the Seed? In Galatians 3:16, Paul wrote that the seed is Jesus Christ. Paul also wrote to the church at Rome: "That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed."{Romans 9:8} He equated the seed with the children of God. How can this be?
2. The body of Christ is made up of many members (1 Corinthians12:12,20). That body is Abraham's seed and the recipient of the promise.
3. The promise to Abraham and to His seed (the spiritual body of Christ) is then fulfilled when those who, through God's grace and faith like Abraham's faith, obtain forgiveness of sins (Romans 4:3-8,16). (What kind of faith did Abraham have?)
The promised blessing is the blessing given to Abraham because he believed God (Romans 4:3,22). Abraham's belief (faith) was accounted as righteousness, or justification (guiltless, innocent, pardoned) (Romans 4:5).
b. This justification (pardoned and not guilty) through faith is the blessing God graciously bestows on those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered (Romans 4:6-8).
c. God gracefully forgives the sins of those who meet the conditions He stipulated; but the promise does not apply to those who fail to meet those conditions. He did not promise to forgive their sins.
d. The blessing (justification), accounted to Abraham on the basis of his obedient faith (Genesis 15:6; Romans 4:3), was also granted to his seed (God's children, both Jews and Gentiles) who follow in Abraham's steps (Romans 4:9-12, 22,25).
What made the blessing possible? The blessing was not made possible by obedience to law (Galatians 3:10-12), but by the death of Christ (Galatians 3:13,14). The Spirit promised the blessing to Abraham and his seed (Acts 3:24-26).
How and where is the blessing obtained and enjoyed?
- We become God's children, and Abraham's seed, through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26).
- The phrase "in Christ Jesus" refers, not merely to the object of our faith, but to inclusion in the spiritual relationship denoted in the phrase. This involves uniting and becoming one with Christ.
- Those who, by faith, are baptized into Christ are God's children in Him (Galatians 3:27).
- In Christ, all of God's children become one (Abraham's seed) and heirs according to the promise (justification by faith) made to Abraham and his seed--a spiritual family composed of Christians (Galatians 3:8,16).
These doctrinal truths are in perfect agreement with the context and with Acts 2.