Peter’s Baptism Doctrine in Progression

1. Peter’s Early Preaching: Baptism Required for Israel’s Remission

In Acts chapter 2, Peter stood before “ye men of Israel” (Acts 2:22) during the feast of Pentecost. The Holy Ghost had just been poured out in fulfillment of prophecy, and Peter declared that what was happening was “that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16). His message was still entirely within Israel’s prophetic framework. When the convicted Israelites asked what they must do, Peter answered, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).

At that point, baptism was not symbolic, t was required for Israel’s forgiveness and entrance into the promised kingdom. Peter’s command matched what John the Baptist had preached earlier: “the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:4). The nation was to repent and show that repentance through water baptism as a sign of cleansing and faith in their Messiah. Everything Peter taught in Acts 2 and Acts 3 looked forward to Israel’s restoration on earth. He told them, “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come” (Acts 3:19). Baptism was tied to that national repentance, not individual Gentile salvation.

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2. The Turning Point: God Reveals Faith Without Water (Acts 10–11)

Peter’s understanding began to shift in Acts 10 when God sent him to preach to Cornelius, a Gentile. Peter’s message there still followed his earlier pattern, he proclaimed remission of sins “through his name” to those that believe (Acts 10:43). But before Peter could finish, “the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word” (Acts 10:44). The Spirit was given to believing Gentiles before any water baptism took place.

This moment was unlike anything Peter had ever seen. Up to that point, the Spirit had followed baptism, but here, it preceded it. Peter recognized what God was showing him and said, “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?” (Acts 10:47). He baptized them afterward—not for remission, but as a recognition of what God had already done by faith.

When Peter reported this to the other apostles in Acts 11, he said, “The Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning… Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us… what was I, that I could withstand God?” (Acts 11:15–17). Peter was forced to admit that God was now granting cleansing and acceptance apart from water. The baptism that once brought forgiveness was no longer operating as before.

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3. Peter’s Testimony Before Israel’s Leaders (Acts 15)

In Acts 15, the Jerusalem council gathered to determine how Gentiles could be saved. This meeting revealed how far Peter’s understanding had come. He stood and declared, “Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe… God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:7–9).

No mention of water baptism or ceremonial cleansing appears here. Peter testified that God had already cleansed hearts by faith alone, and he concluded, “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” (Acts 15:11). To Israel’s leaders, Peter affirmed that the former water requirement was no longer in effect. His statement marked a decisive change in his doctrine for Israel’s salvation—moving from outward water to inward faith.

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4. Peter’s Later Understanding in His Epistle

When Peter wrote his first epistle, his view of baptism had shifted completely. He still addressed Israelite believers scattered abroad (1 Peter 1:1), but his meaning of baptism now stood on spiritual ground rather than physical washing. He wrote, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).

That phrase “not the putting away of the filth of the flesh” directly denies that the water itself had any saving effect. The focus is now on the resurrection of Christ, the source of a cleansed conscience. Peter calls baptism a figure a symbol, not a requirement. The very act that once brought remission for Israel (Acts 2:38) now serves only as an outward testimony of faith already present. His own words in 1 Peter show that the ritual washing had lost its former function.

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5. Conclusion: Peter’s Progression for Israel

From Acts 2 to 1 Peter, Peter’s doctrine of baptism shows clear progression within Israel’s prophetic program.

1. Acts 2–3: Baptism commanded for Israel’s remission of sins and entry into the kingdom.

2. Acts 10–11: God reveals that faith alone cleanses hearts, with the Spirit given before water.

3. Acts 15: Peter publicly confirms that salvation comes by grace through faith, not ceremony.

4. 1 Peter 3:21: Baptism is only a figure, not the physical removal of sin.

Peter’s journey reflects God’s unfolding revelation to His chosen nation. What began as a water-based call to repentance for Israel’s restoration ended as a recognition that the true cleansing came through faith in the risen Christ. The command in Acts 2 for Israel to “repent and be baptized” no longer carried the same meaning once God showed Peter that belief in the resurrection alone brings remission. His final words on the matter cancel any notion that the water itself ever saved, it was always God’s grace responding to faith.