I suggest people are over simplifying it and don't really understand it.
Of these 3,000 that were added to Christ., the bible tells us they were baptized then were added. Is this water baptism?
Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
turbosixx,------your taking one verse out of Context and trying to make it say what your think it says ----you need to read this verse in Context to get the true message -----
I personally think
if your a saved person then you are still Milk fed and cannot grasp what you are trying to understand -----the Holy Spirit will only reveal what your able to handle ------and it seems your still a Babe in Christ and on the Milk phase ----not the meat phase ------
You need to read the whole Chapter of Acts 2 to find out what is going on ------
And I do believe that this Baptism is of water ---but you need to understand why this is -------No one was or is Saved by water baptism --your saved By Grace through faith In the Blood of Jesus now -----and you receive the Holy Spirit in you at that moment when you receive Jesus in your heart ------
Peter is speaking to Jews here ------they Jews knew John the Baptise was using Water Baptism for Repentance only -------these people being Baptised in water by John the Baptist were admitting they were sinners in need of a saviour ----they had a mind change ------that is it ------these people were not Saved by Water dunking -----
Strong's Concordance
metanoia: change of mind, repentance
especially the
change of mind of those who have begun to abhor their errors and misdeeds, and have determined to enter upon a better course of life, so that it embraces both a recognition of sin and sorrow for it and hearty amendment, the tokens and effects of which are good deeds
Acts 2 -----first part
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were
filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[
a] as the Spirit enabled them.
2nd part ---Peter speaks to the Jewish people here --
Peter Urges The Crowd To Repent And Be Baptized. About 3,000 Respond
These Jews after hearing Peter speak ---then needed to REPENT ------and to Show that they were serious about their repentance and faith in Jesus -----Peter is telling them to be Baptised in water to show that they are serious about Receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit ----3,000 respond --so this is saying there were more than 3,000 Jews listening to Peter ---
3;000 responded --other did not ------then after they were Baptised in water they received the gift of Holy Spirit and joined the Saints ---------
The Jews listening to Peter were familiar with the water Baptism for Repentance because John The Baptist came to use water baptism for Repentance only -----so they would have heard that this was the process to receiving the Gift of the Holy Spirit and so Peter said what they would have been familiar with ------
Commentary on this verse Acts 2:38
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
The apostle exhorted them to repent of their sins, and openly to avow their belief in Jesus as the Messiah, by being baptized in his name.
Thus professing their faith in Him,
Today we dunk ourselves in Water Baptism as a profession of our Faith in Jesus and we do this after we are Saved today -------and it is optional --you cannot loose your Salvation if you do not submerge yourself in water ------
Grow in your Faith and rely on the Holy Spirit to direct you into the Meaning of the Scripture -------as I said your confusing yourself cause your trying figure out what your not able to on your own power ----let the Holy Spirit guide your steps He knows where your at in your Faith walk with Christ ----and will feed you what you can handle ------