Let us first of note that the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 is not speaking of receiving the miraculous measure of the Spirit. In Acts 8, when the apostles Peter and John went to Samaria to impart spiritual gifts on new Christians in that city, we read: "Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus" (vs. 15-16).

Baptism "in the name of the Lord Jesus" is the baptism spoken of in Acts 2:38. Those at Samaria had been baptized with the baptism of Acts 2:38 and yet had not received the miraculous measure of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 is not speaking of receiving spiritual gifts.

The words "of the" in Acts 2:38 can be understood two different ways. They can mean "the Holy Spirit's gift" or they can mean that the gift is the Holy Spirit. Thus, as George Winer notes in his Grammar of the New Testament Diction, the distinction between these two possible renderings "depends, not on grammatical, but on doctrinal reasons, and that these are to be carefully deduced from an accurate comparison of parallel passages" (p. 199). Let us now proceed with a study of such comparisons.

Please observe that the verse following Acts 2:38 reads, "For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him" (v. 39, my emph, sw). Thus, the promise is used in connection with the words of verse 38. With this in mind, please notice the following chart based on Galatians 3:6-14:

Let it first be noted that "of the" in the phrase "the promise of the Spirit" is the same "of the" found in "the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). Both verses speak of something being 'of the Spirit.' Further, we see that the promise of the Spirit is used as another way of describing the blessings promised in Christ through Abraham which appear along with it in the right-hand column of the above chart. Hence, the promise of the Spirit comes as a result of a faithful response to God (left-hand column) and likewise does justification. Thus, they speak of the same thing. Further, justification here in Galatians 3 and remission of sins in Acts 2:38 are two ways of saying the same thing. Understanding the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 to refer to remission of sins and the promise of Acts 2:39 as further reference to that blessing thus makes perfect sense. Therefore, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise of the Spirit would refer to the same thing.

Let us now notice a further helpful point to be made in Galatians 3 relevant to this study. Verse 7 tells us that those of faith are "sons of Abraham" and we have noted that this phrase is used parallel to the other terms found on the right hand side of the above chart. In Galatians 3:26-29 baptism into Christ results in one becoming a "child of God" (v. 26), being "in Christ" (v. 28), and being "Abraham's seed" (v. 29, cp. "sons of Abraham," v. 7). If one is Abraham's seed that person is an "heir according to promise" (v. 29). Thus, we see a connection between being a "son of Abraham" (v. 7), justification (vs. 8, 11), baptism (v. 26), and being an "heir according to promise" (v. 29). Let it be observed that we now have connection between baptism and the promise in Galatians 3, and baptism and the promise in Acts 2:38-39. (Admittedly, the article "the" is not in verse 29, but it appears often in this context, cf. vs. 14-22, making it likely that reference to no other promise but the promise is made in verse 29). As previously noted, the promise is referred to as "the promise of the Spirit" in verse 14 which harmonizes with "the gift of the Holy Spirit" and "the promise" in Acts 2:38-39.

A final comparison is found in Galatians 4. As we recall the relation in Acts 2:38-39 between the gift of the Holy Spirit and the promise, please note the relation between the two in the following verses.

"Howbeit the son by the handmaid is born after the flesh; but the son by the freewoman is born through promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, so also it is now" (vs. 28-29).

Thus, we see promise and the Spirit used interchangeable in these verses. This gives support to arguments made above regarding the way both terms were used in Acts 2:38-39 and Galatians 3.

It is hoped that this article will be a helpful contribution to the study of this subject.