悔改
彼得讲说那作工、受死、复活、并升天的主耶稣以后,就教导并劝勉那些受灵感动的人悔改、受浸并得救。悔改就是心思转变,生出懊悔而转移目标。悔改一辞,原文意此后想法不同;即心思改变。悔改就是心思改变,懊悔已往,为着将来而转变。在消极方面,在神面前悔改,不仅是为着罪与过犯悔改,也是为着世界及其败坏悔改(这世界及其败坏,霸占并败坏神为祂自己所造的人);且是为着我们已往弃绝神的生活悔改。在积极方面,悔改乃是在每一面、每一事上转向神,为着达成神造人的目的。所以,这是悔改归向神(徒二十21)。
靠耶稣基督的名受浸
彼得也教导受那灵感动的人靠耶稣基督的名受浸。受浸就是浸入象征死亡的水里。悔改的人要受浸,这命令指明这样的人一无用处,只配埋葬。所以,受浸象征旧人的了结,使新的开始能在复活里得以实化,这新的开始是由基督这赐生命者带来的。在圣经里,受浸含示死与复活。浸入水里就是置于死地,并埋葬;从水里上来,就是从死里复活。
在马太二十八章十九节,复活的基督吩咐门徒要去,使万民作主的门徒,将他们浸入父、子、圣灵的名里。施浸的目的,是要带悔改的人脱离老旧的光景,进入新的境地;这是藉着了结他们老旧的生命,并以基督的新生命重生他们。主耶稣完成了祂在地上的职事,经过了死与复活的过程,并成了赐生命的灵以后,就吩咐门徒,将作祂门徒的人浸入三一神里面。这浸有两面:看得见的一面是藉着水,看不见的一面是藉着圣灵。前者是后者的彰显和见证,后者是前者的实际。没有看不见的灵浸,那看得见的水浸就是徒然的;没有看得见的水浸,那看不见的灵浸就是抽象和不实际的。因此,两面都不可缺。
主耶稣吩咐门徒实行这浸以后,就在五旬节那天(徒一5,徒二4),并在哥尼流家里(徒十一15-17),将他们和全教会都浸在圣灵里(林前十二13)。以后,基于这事实,门徒将新悔改的人不仅浸入水里,也浸入基督的死(罗六3-4)、基督自己(加三27)、三一神(太二八19)、以及基督的身体(林前十二13)。
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Concerning Repentance and Baptism – Acts 2:37-38
Repentance
After Peter spoke concerning the Lord Jesus in his work, death, resurrection and ascension, he instructed and entreated the Spirit-moved ones to repent, to be baptized and to be saved. Literally, the Greek word for repent means to think differently afterward, that is, to have a change of mind. To repent is to have a change of mind with regret for the past and a turn for the future. On the negative side, to repent before God is to repent not only of sins and wrongdoings, but also to repent of the world and its corruption that usurp and corrupt people whom God made for himself, and to repent of our God-forsaking life in the past. On the positive side, to repent is to turn to God in every way and in every thing for the fulfilling of his purpose in making men. Therefore, it is a repentance unto God (Acts 20:21).
Concerning Baptism upon the Name of Jesus Christ
Peter also instructed the Spirit-moved ones to be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ. To baptize people is to immerse them, to bury them in water, signifying death. The command that a repentant one be baptized indicates that such a one is good only for burial. Baptism, therefore, signifies the termination of the old person so that a new beginning may be realized in resurrection by Christ as the Life-giver. Baptism in the Bible implies death and resurrection. To be baptized into the water is to be put into death and buried. To be raised up from the water means to be resurrected from death.
In Matthew 28:19 the resurrected Christ charged the disciples to go and disciple all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of baptism is to bring repentant people out of their old state into a new one by terminating their old life and germinating them with the new life of Christ. After the Lord Jesus accomplished his ministry on earth, passed through the process of death and resurrection, and became the life-giving Spirit, he charged his disciples to baptize the discipled people into the Triune God. This baptism has two aspects: the visible aspect by water and the invisible aspect by the Holy Spirit. The visible aspect is the expression, the testimony, of the invisible aspect, whereas the invisible aspect is the reality of the visible aspect. Without the invisible aspect by the Spirit, the visible aspect by water is vain; and without the visible aspect by water, the invisible aspect by the Spirit is abstract and impractical. Therefore, both are needed.
Not long after the Lord Jesus charged the disciples to carry out this baptism, he baptized them and the entire church in the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) on the day of Pentecost (Acts 1:5; 2:4) and in the house of Cornelius (11:15-17). Then, based on this, the disciples baptized the new converts, not only visibly into water but also invisibly into the death of Christ (Rom. 6:3-4), into Christ himself (Gal. 3:27), into the Triune God (Matt. 28:19) and into the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13).