要得救脱离这弯曲的世代
彼得劝勉人说，“你们要得救，脱离这弯曲的世代。”在这里，“要”是主动的，“得救是被动的；因此，要得救是“主动－被动”的语态。得救是神作的，但人需要主动接受神所要作的。五旬节的时候，凡与神完全的救恩有关的事都豫备好了，圣灵也已浇灌下来，作为神救恩的应用和完全的福，准备好了给人接受。在这事上，神在等候着人，人需要采取主动。虽然我们不能救自己，但我们必须愿意被神拯救。神愿意且豫备好要救我们，但我们需要采取主动接受神的救恩。
在二章四十节，彼得在他信息的结语中不是说，要得救脱离神的定罪或永远的沉沦，乃是说，要得救脱离这弯曲的世代。这里弯曲的世代是指今世悖谬的犹太人；他们弃绝神的基督（徒二36），就被神视为现今邪恶的世代（加一4）。这些弯曲的犹太人若是要得救，脱离现今邪恶的世代，就需要为他们对神的弯曲有真实的悔改，真正转向神。这指明他们不仅需要从他们的罪转向神，也需要从当时的世代，即犹太社会，包括犹太宗教，转向神。这样救恩的结果不是叫他们进入天上，乃是叫他们进入新的世代，就是教会。因此，他们得救的人要从犹太社会分别出来归于教会。这样得救，包含从神的定罪和永远的沉沦蒙拯救，归于神永远的定旨和祂的喜悦（弗三11，弗一9）。
四十一节说，“于是领受他话的人，就受了浸，那一天约添了三千人。”这些人是藉着水（徒十47-48）受了浸。这节里的“人，”原文作魂，指神所创造的人（创二7）。
犹太人还是非常顽梗
按照四十一节，约有三千人领受彼得的话并受了浸。这无疑是对彼得讲说基督的良好反应。然而，那些领受话并受了浸的人，只是当时在耶路撒冷人中的小部分。五旬节那天，那城里许许多多的犹太人中，只有三千人得救。这指明犹太人还是非常顽梗。许许多多犹太人住在耶路撒冷，还有许多犹太人来到城里庆祝五旬节。所以，比较上说，五旬节那天得救的人数并不多。在这里我们看见那个弯曲世代的顽梗。难怪彼得说，“你们要得救，脱离这弯曲的世代。
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Being Saved from this Crooked Generation – Acts 2:40
Peter entreated the people saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation!” Here “be” is active, and “saved” is passive; hence, we may say “be saved” is in the “active-passive” voice. It is to be done by God, but man needs to be active to receive what God intends to do. At the time of Pentecost, everything concerning God’s full salvation was prepared, and the Holy Spirit was poured out as the application and full blessing of God’s salvation ready for man to receive. In this matter God is waiting for man, and man needs to take the initiative. Although we cannot save ourselves, we must be willing to be saved by God. God is willing and prepared to save us; nevertheless, we need to be saved; that is, we need to take the initiative to receive God’s salvation.
Peter, at the conclusion of his message, does not say, “Be saved from God’s condemnation,” or, “Be saved from eternal perdition.” Instead, he says, “Be saved from this crooked generation!” This crooked generation refers to the perverted Jews in this age who rejected God’s Christ (Act 2:36) and were considered by God as the present evil age (Gal. 1:4). For the crooked Jews to be saved from their present evil age requires a genuine repentance of their crookedness toward God and a real turn to God. This indicates that they need to turn to God not only from their sins but also from their generation, their Jewish society, including their Jewish religion. The result of such a salvation is not an entrance into heaven; it is an entrance into a new generation – the church. Thus, the saved ones will be separated from Jewish society unto the church. To be saved this way implies to be saved from God’s condemnation and eternal perdition unto God’s eternal purpose and his pleasure (Eph. 3:11; 1:9).
Acts 2:41 says, “Those, then, who welcomed his word were baptized, and there were added in that day about three thousand souls.” These ones were baptized by water (10:47-48). In this verse “souls” denote persons created by God (Gen. 2:7).
The Stubbornness of Jews
According to 2:41, about three thousand souls received Peter’s word and were baptized. This, no doubt, was a good response to Peter’s speaking concerning Christ. However, those who received the word and were baptized were only a small percentage of the ones in Jerusalem at that time. Of the many thousands of Jews in the city, only three thousand were saved on the day of Pentecost. This indicates that the Jewish people were still very stubborn. A great many Jews lived in Jerusalem, and a large number had come to the city for the celebration of the feast of Pentecost. Therefore, comparatively speaking, the number who were saved on the day of Pentecost was not great. In this we see the stubbornness of that crooked generation. It is not surprising, then, that Peter said, “Be saved from this crooked generation!”