Bible Questions and Answers

A visitor writes,

"Is Acts 2:38 essential for salvation?"

Acts 2:38  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.
For salvation we must:
1. Believe the Gospel. 
The Gospel consists of the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ.
Acts 8:12  But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
2. Repent of our past sins – change the way that we think and behave.
3. Be baptised by immersion in water.
Mark 16: 15  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16  "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 
4. Live a new life by obeying the commandments of Jesus Christ.
John 15:13  "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14  "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.
Matthew 7:24  "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25  "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26  "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: 27  "and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
Spirit is used in two senses:
Firstly, Spirit is the way that we think. We must change the way that we think to the way that Jesus Christ thinks.
Luke 9:55  But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 3  For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4  that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6  For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8  So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.10  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. 12  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father."
Galatians 4:6  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"
John 3:5  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
Secondly, Spirit is the power of God.
By the Spirit power of God Jesus performed miracles.
Matthew 3:16  When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
Matthew 12:28  "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Acts 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
At Pentecost, following Christ’s ascension, the 12 Apostles were baptised with the Holy Spirit giving them supernatural powers.
Luke 24:49  And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3  Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
They had the power to speak and understand languages they had not learned. 
They had the power to perform miracles.
They had the power to give gifts of the Spirit to those who were baptised, by the laying on of their hands.
Paul, chosen to be the apostle to the gentiles, was subsequently given the same powers as the other apostles.
Paul describes these gifts:
1 Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant: 2  You know that you were Gentiles, carried away to these dumb idols, however you were led. 3  Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. 4  There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5  There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6  And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8  for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9  to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10  to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Those who received Holy Spirit gifts by the laying on of the apostles’ hands could not pass them on to others.
Following the deaths of the apostles, these gifts were no longer available.
Thus, we can be confident that the Holy Spirit available to all believers does not consist of the ability to speak in tongues or work miracles.
Holy Spirit gifts in the sense of supernatural powers were available to first century believers only.
The Holy Spirit or Spirit of holiness comes by having the mind of Christ and keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ in our lives.
Thus, we become holy.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
Hebrews 12:14  Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
John 3:5  Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
In conclusion, baptism and obeying the commandments of Jesus Christ are essential for salvation. The receiving of Holy Spirit supernatural powers is not.
I hope this helps.
God bless,
Glenn