Acts · Chapter 2 · Forgiveness
Acts 2:38 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
What has been forgiven, you can forgive.
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Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
KJV · King James Version
"Then1161 Peter4074 said5346 unto4314 them846, Repent3340, and2532 be baptized907 every one1538 of you5216 in1909 the name3686 of Jesus2424 Christ5547 for1519 the remission859 of sins266, and2532 ye shall receive2983 the gift1431 of the Holy40 Ghost4151."
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses then, unto, remission, shall, while the WEB renders these as forgiveness, will, spirit. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
Acts 2:38 in Acts 2
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Acts 2:38 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Acts 2. Read the full chapter →
- v.36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
- v.37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
- v.38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- v.39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
- v.40 With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
Book background
About the Book of Acts
- Testament
- New Testament
- Genre
- Church history
- Author
- Luke
- Date written
- c. 62 AD
- Audience
- Theophilus and the early church
- Chapters
- 28
Acts traces the gospel's spread from Jerusalem to Rome — from Pentecost (chapter 2) through the apostolic ministry of Peter and the missionary journeys of Paul. It is the Holy Spirit's book as much as the apostles' — the Spirit is the active agent in nearly every chapter. The book ends mid-action: Paul preaching in Rome, "with all boldness, unhindered."
Setting: A history of the church's first three decades — Jerusalem to Rome.
Key themes: Holy Spirit · mission · witness · church growth · persecution
Memorisation aid
How to memorise Acts 2:38
Acts 2:38 contains 33 words in 6 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
Peter said to them
PSTT
- 2
“Repent
R
- 3
and be baptized
ABB
- 4
every one of you
EOOY
- 5
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins
ITNOJC
- 6
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
AYWRTG
Frequently asked
FAQ about Acts 2:38
What does Acts 2:38 say?
Acts 2:38 reads: "Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." — from the New Testament, Acts (Church history). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is Acts 2:38 in?
Acts 2:38 is in the book of Acts, traditionally attributed to Luke and written around c. 62 AD. Acts is church history in the New Testament, originally addressed to Theophilus and the early church. Best known for Pentecost and the missionary journeys of Paul.
What is Acts 2:38 about?
Acts 2:38 is primarily a Bible verse about Forgiveness. Within Acts, Acts traces the gospel's spread from Jerusalem to Rome — from Pentecost (chapter 2) through the apostolic ministry of Peter and the missionary journeys of Paul. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between Acts 2:38 in WEB and KJV?
Acts 2:38 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "Then1161 Peter4074 said5346 unto4314 them846, Repent3340, and2532 be baptized907 every one1538 of you5216 in1909 the name3686 of Jesus2424 Christ5547 for1519 the remission859 of sins266, and2532 ye shall receive2983 the gift1431 of the Holy40 Ghost4151.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is Acts 2:38?
Acts 2:38 is 33 words in the WEB translation (170 characters), broken into 6 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 10 seconds.
How can I memorise Acts 2:38?
To memorise Acts 2:38, split it into its 6 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does Acts 2:38 matter in Acts?
Acts traces the gospel's spread from Jerusalem to Rome — from Pentecost (chapter 2) through the apostolic ministry of Peter and the missionary journeys of Paul. It is the Holy Spirit's book as much as the apostles' — the Spirit is the active agent in nearly every chapter. The book ends mid-action: Paul preaching in Rome, "with all boldness, unhindered." Acts 2:38 sits within this larger story — Acts as a whole emphasises Holy Spirit, mission, witness.
How can I apply Acts 2:38 today?
Many readers use Acts 2:38 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Acts 2:38 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
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10 verses to read next
A fresh set of verses every visit — each on its own photo background. Tap any card to open the full study page.
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Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
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1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
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Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
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2 Chronicles 7:14
“if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will fo…”
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Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,”
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James 5:16
“Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.”
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1 Peter 4:8
“And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.”
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-
Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
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Psalms 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.”
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Psalms 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
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