Question 10

What does "for" mean? In Question #3, under "A Matter Of Faith", you stated that The believers, on that day of Pentecost, showed their faith (or belief) in the gospel message, from Peter, by being baptized for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38). Why do you assume that "for" means "to meet some sort of requirement" to obtain remission of sins? Have you ever considered that "for" could mean "because of" remission of sins?

Answer: Good question! The way we use words can really make a big difference in our understanding. When considering the Bible, great care must be exercised to insure scriptural validity. A close examination of your question is definitely in order.

In your question, you offered "because of" and "to meet the requirements of" for consideration. Let's use these as we examine your question, What does "for" mean?

for: "to meet the requirements of"

Used in Acts 2:38: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ to meet the requirements of the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

for: "because of"

Used in Acts 2:38: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ because of the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Because God's word is the best source for providing insight

to other passages in the Bible, let's look at Jesus' words in Matthew 26:28.

Matthew 26:28 is employed because it, like Acts 2:38, makes identical use of the words "for the remission of sins".

Let's perform the same exercise as above on Matthew 26:28

for: "to meet the requirements of"

Used in Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many to meet the requirements of the remission of sins.

for: "because of"

Used in Matthew 26:28: For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many because of the remission of sins.

After examining the two proposed meanings of the word "for", it is clear in Matthew 26:28 that it could not possibly mean "because of". If so, it would mean that Jesus' blood was shed because sins were already forgiven prior to His being crucified upon the cross of Calvary. Logically, this cannot be true. We can conclude therefore that the blood of the New Testament is "to meet the requirements" necessary for the remission of sins.

It follows that when one applies the same logical conclusion to Acts 2:38, baptism, like the blood of Jesus, is necessary to meet the requirements for the remission of sins.

While we are engaged in this study, let's examine another word from Acts 2:38 that illustrates the importance of the meaning of words when studying this important topic.

We have looked carefully at the word "for". Now let's examine, for a moment, the word "and".

The word "And" defined:

"A logical operator that returns a true value only if both operands are true".

IE: 2 and 2 = 4.

The conjunction, "and", as it is found in Acts 2:38, applies the same as in the equation example.

Acts 2:38...... "Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins....." or...

Repent and Baptism = Remission of Sins

"And" places equal importance on what comes before and after the "and". If one side is necessary, then the same is true of the other side. Likewise, if one side is unnecessary, then so is the other. What "and" enforces upon baptism is also enforced upon repentance. If Peter actually meant to say that those who had already received remission of sins should be baptized, then he was also saying that those who had already received remission of sins should repent. Small words like "for" and "and" really make a difference.

Proper obedience to God's will is directly proportionate to proper understanding. May the Lord bless all seekers to come to both.

Questions to answer:

According to Matthew 26:28, Is the shed blood of Jesus necessary for the remission of sins?______________
According to Matthew 26:28, May one have remission of sins without Jesus' shed blood?_________________
According to Acts 2:38, Are repentance and baptism necessary for the remission of sins?_________________
According to Acts 2:38, May one have remission of sins without repentance and baptism?________________
_______________ &_________________ are for the remission of sins in Acts 2:38.
Jesus' shed ___________ is for the remission of sins in Matthew 26:28.
Which (repentance or baptism) puts one in contact with Jesus' death where His blood was shed? Rom. 6:4
Can one be saved without contacting Jesus' blood?_________________
According to Acts 2:38, Can one be saved without repenting?______________________
According to Acts 2:38, Can one be saved without being baptized?_________________