What Is the Gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38?

In his sermon on Pentecost Peter charged his listeners with crucifying the Son of God. Many of those listeners responded, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:36-38).

Peter promised penitent, baptized believers two things: remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. While it is obvious what Peter meant by the expression “remission of sins,” the “gift of the Holy Spirit” is a little more difficult to define. By the phrase “remission of sins” Peter meant the absolute forgiveness of all past sin. He would later use the expression “blotted out” to describe what happens when sin is forgiven (Acts 3:19). Ananias would later tell Saul (Paul) that his sins would “washed away” by baptism (Acts 22:16; see also 1 Peter 3:21). Paul told the saints at Rome that their obedience to the gospel had made them “free from sin” (Romans 6:17-18). That is, they had been pardoned and delivered from the consequences of all past sins. One thing is obvious — The gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 cannot be the remission of sins, for the gift of the Spirit was promised in addition to the remission of sins.

So what did Peter mean when he told obedient people that they would receive “the gift of the Holy Spirit”? Bible commentators, preachers and teachers have offered a wide variety of explanations over the years. Before giving my explanation of the text, I would like to briefly examine a few of the more prominently held views of this passage.

Some say that Peter was promising the Holy Spirit Himself. They say that the “gift of the Holy Spirit” is the gift being the Spirit rather than a gift from the Spirit. They claim that Peter was promising the personal and direct indwelling and operation of the Holy Spirit. Some who hold this view believe that the Spirit performs the “fruits of the Spirit” in their lives. While it is true that Christians are to produce “the fruits of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23), the Bible nowhere teaches that this either requires or is accomplished by any “direct operation” of the Holy Spirit. Those who make such arguments about the indwelling of the Spirit show that they understand neither the nature of God nor the nature of man.

Some believe that the “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 is the same thing as the “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 10:45. This leads people to erroneously conclude that Peter was promising the baptismal measure of the Holy Spirit to all Christians — even people living today! This is obviously not correct.

Acts 10:45 says, “And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.” Acts 11:17-18 even uses the word “gift” to refer to this baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is easy to see why so many people have reached this conclusion. If one fails to consider the immediate context of each passage, he will conclude from the use in both passages of similar words and phrases that the gift of Acts 2:38 must be the same gift as Acts 10:45. However, let us remember that the use of similar terms and expressions in different Bible passages does not necessarily demand the same interpretation or application of those passages. Some words have many different applications. For example, the Greek word pneuma has a dozen different uses in the New Testament. The context of each passage must be carefully considered in order to avoid confusion and error. While it is true that chapters 2 and 10 of Acts both deal with the promised outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the context of Acts 2:38 differs from that of Acts 10:45. In Acts 2 the pouring out of the Spirit was described as happing prior to Peter’s instructions to the believers in verse 38. One must go back to verses 1-4 to read about the outpouring of the Spirit in Acts chapter 2, and it happened to the apostles not to everyone that was gathered. This is easily learned from the antecedent of the word “they” in Acts 2:1, which is Matthias and the 11 apostles of the previous verse (1:26). It is also seen in Acts 2:14 which states that the tongue-speaking of verses 3-4 was done by Peter and the other 11 apostles. This is consistent with Mark 16:14-20 which clearly shows that the ability to perform miracles would be given to the apostles, not to everyone. Acts 2:33 tells that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit had already happened by the time of Peter’s instructions to the Jews in Acts 2:38 and was in fact what enabled to apostles to do what they did on that day. Jesus had promised the apostles that they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit and that is exactly what happened on the day of Pentecost (Matthew 3:11; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:4). The “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 10:45 was not the same as the “gift” in Acts 2:38.

Others cite the “gift of God” language of Acts 8:20, claiming it to be parallel to Acts 2:38. They then conclude that Peter was promising some miraculous gift to his hearers, such as tongue-speaking or some other gift of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 for a complete list). There are two problems with this argument and this is easily seen from a simple reading of Acts 8:18-20. Luke recorded, “And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, ‘Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’ But Peter said to him, ‘Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!’”

Simon was not attempting to buy the Holy Spirit (or some miraculous endowment of the Spirit), but the ability to lay his hands upon others and them receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:12-18 and 19:6 prove that the ability to perform miracles required the laying on of an apostle’s hands. Since no apostles are alive today there is no way for this power to be conferred upon people today. If the Acts 2:38 “gift” is the same as the Acts 8:20 “gift,” then Peter was promising baptized believers the ability to lay their hands upon others and them then receive the Holy Spirit! This is obviously NOT what the proponents of this view are trying to prove. They misunderstand Acts 2:38 because they misunderstand Acts 8.

Related to this error is the one that makes the Acts 2:38 “gift of the Holy Spirit” be some one of Spirit’s works that are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. They argue that upon conversion, one is given by God some one of the works of the Spirit, whether miracles, healing, prophecy, tongue-speaking or other. Of course, this would contradict the plain teaching of Acts 8:14-18 and 19:6, which demonstrate that mere conversion does not confer upon the believer some type of miraculous power — it required the laying on of an apostle’s hands. The Acts 2:38 “gift” must be something else.

It should also be noted that while the phrase “gift of God” is used of special divine intervention in Acts 8:20 and Acts 10:45, it is not so used in other passages. For example, the “gift of God” is “eternal life” in Romans 6:23. The “gift of God” refers to God’s “grace” in Ephesians 2:8. It refers to the right of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7:7 and it refers to the right of people to enjoy the fruits of their labor in Ecclesiastes 3:13 and 5:19.

Some believe that the gift of the Spirit is salvation. While this explanation is correct in a general sense, Peter was a bit more specific in Acts 2:38. To fully identify the “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts chapter 2 we must consider the context.

The Significance of Psalm 132

After promising penitent baptized believers that they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter immediately said, “For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” (Acts 2:39). The Spirit’s “gift” was the subject of some “promise.” What promise? Tracing back through the context in Acts 2, we find this “promise” referenced in verses 33 and 30. Quoting from Psalm 132:11, Peter explained that Christ was the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that one of his offspring would “sit upon the throne.” The Psalmist had said, “The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: ‘I will set upon your throne the fruit of your body. (12) If your sons will keep My covenant and My testimony which I shall teach them, their sons also shall sit upon your throne forevermore.’”

Peter affirmed in Acts 2:32-33 that Jesus was the recipient of this promise. He had “received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost.” However, the Psalm prophecy did not end in Psalm 132:11 with Jesus. It continued into verse 12 which says, “If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne forevermore.” As David’s throne-prophecy did not end in Psalm 132:11 with Jesus, neither did Peter’s reference to it end in verses 30 and 33 of Acts 2. He referred to it again in verse 39. Peter’s “promise” (of the gift of the Holy Spirit) in Acts 2:38b and 39a hearkens back to Psalm 132:12. The promised “gift” was the privilege of being seated together with Christ upon His throne. This exact concept is expressed elsewhere in Scripture. To the Laodiceans Jesus promised, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:21). The promise that Christ here makes to the faithful is the same promise that God had made to the covenant-keepers of Psalm 132:12. Forgiveness allows us access to God’s “throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16). Another parallel is seen in Ephesians 1:20 and 2:6. Paul said that the Father had raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand. He then spoke of saints “sitting together in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 2:6). Revelation 3:21 and Ephesians 2:6 constitute a direct parallel to Psalm 132:11-12 and Acts 2:38-39.

While the “remission” of (past) sins is necessary for salvation, God promises the obedient much more than just remission of past sins. He promises them fellowship with Him (1 John 1:3-7; 2 John 9).

“Inheritance” — Acts 26:18

Acts 26:18 contains another parallel to Acts 2:38 and Psalm 132:12. Jesus told Paul that his mission to the lost was “to open their eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” Acts 2:38 speaks of receiving the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 26:18 speaks of receiving forgiveness of sins and inheritance (among the sanctified). Paul describes the saved as being “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) “Inheritance” with Christ is precisely what Psalm 132:12 described. The keepers of God’s covenant and testimony would sit with Christ upon His throne. They would be seated in fellowship with Him.

Conclusion

While any number of scriptural terms and descriptions could be used, the basic concept is clear. The “gift of the Holy Spirit” in Acts 2:38 is the blessing of fellowship with God. It is the privilege of being seated with Christ in a sustained spiritual relationship. It is the promise of inheritance with Christ. Gospel obedience saves us from our past sins (Mark 16:16), but the gift of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:38 is salvation beyond the remission of past sins. Peter promised salvation in the sense of a sustained spiritual relationship with God and the hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2). Of course, as demonstrated in Acts 8:20-23, abiding in this state of salvation is conditioned upon our continued faithfulness to God. One must continue to “walk in the light” (of God’s council) if he wishes to retain fellowship with God (1 John 1:7). He must acknowledge and repent of his sins if he wishes to be forgiven and have lost fellowship restored (1 John 1:5-10). Let us take comfort in the Spirit’s promise that when we do our part God will certainly do His!

—Tim Haile