Acts 2:38-39

Primary
38 Then Peter said unto them, 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. 39 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.

What this passage establishes

The gift of the Holy Ghost is promised to repentant believers across generations and distance.

Why it matters in the argument

Acts gives observable accounts of people receiving the promised Spirit. Those narratives supply the Bible’s clearest pattern for recognizing Spirit reception.

Apostolic connection

Apostolic teaching distinguishes the initial sign of tongues when the Spirit is received from the later congregational gift that requires interpretation.

Common misunderstanding

Paul’s question ‘do all speak with tongues?’ concerns distributed gifts in the assembled body, not the repeated initial sign in Acts.

How to use it in conversation

Start with the promise, then compare Acts 2, 10, and 19. Use 1 Corinthians only after distinguishing initial sign, private prayer, and public gift.

Scripture connections

See which passages advance, clarify, or answer the argument

Nearby curated context

Acts 2:32-36God raises and exalts Jesus, fulfilling Psalm 110 and installing the crucified Messiah in royal authority.Acts 2:37Convicted hearers ask the apostles for the proper response to the gospel.Acts 2:41Those who gladly received the apostolic word were baptized and added to the church.