Acts 2 41

Acts 2:41 kjv

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:41 nkjv

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:41 niv

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Acts 2:41 esv

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:41 nlt

Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day ? about 3,000 in all.

Acts 2 verses

Acts 2 41 Meaning

Acts 2:41 records the immediate and dramatic response to Peter's Spirit-anointed sermon on the Day of Pentecost. It illustrates the sequence of conversion: individuals heard and affirmatively accepted Peter's message about Jesus Christ, publicly declared their new faith through baptism by water, and were consequently added by divine action into the rapidly expanding community of believers, which marks the birth and initial growth of the Christian church.

Acts 2 41 Context

Acts chapter 2 recounts the momentous Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles and other disciples as promised by Jesus. This event enabled them to speak in various languages, drawing a large crowd of devout Jews from different nations who were residing in Jerusalem. Peter, empowered and filled by the Holy Spirit, delivered the first sermon of the Christian era, powerfully proclaiming Jesus as the crucified, resurrected, and ascended Messiah and Lord. He skillfully utilized Old Testament prophecies to interpret the current events and call his hearers to repentance. Verse 41 captures the immediate and overwhelming response to this sermon, marking a pivotal moment in the establishment and initial rapid expansion of the church. The verse occurs directly after Peter's direct challenge and offer of salvation in Acts 2:38-40.

Acts 2 41 Word analysis

• So: Greek `Oun` (οὖν). A conjunctive particle denoting consequence, result, or inference. It logically connects the overwhelming response described in this verse to Peter's preceding sermon and call for repentance and baptism in Acts 2:38.
• those who welcomed: Greek `hoi apodechomenoi` (οἱ ἀποδεχόμενοι). This present participle indicates an ongoing, active, and affirmative reception. The verb `apodechomai` means "to receive kindly, to accept gladly, to welcome." It suggests a willing and positive disposition, not merely hearing, but an internal embracing of the message presented. This contrasts with mere intellectual assent, highlighting a genuine and saving faith.
• his message: Greek `ton logon autou` (τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ). `Logos` means "word, message, discourse." Here it specifically refers to the substance of Peter's sermon: the announcement of Jesus as Messiah and Lord, crucified by them but raised by God, and the call to repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the Gospel kerygma, the core proclamation about Christ.
• were baptized: Greek `ebaptisthēsan` (ἐβαπτίσθησαν). This is an aorist passive indicative verb. The passive voice ("were baptized") implies that the action was performed to them, indicating their obedience to the command and perhaps implicitly acknowledging the divine role in the process. `Baptizō` means "to immerse, submerge." In this context, it signifies a public act of initiation into the Christian community, symbolizing purification, a new life, and identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6:3-4).
• and about three thousand persons: Greek `kai hōsei trischilioi psychai` (καὶ ὡσεὶ τρισχίλιοι ψυχαί). "About" (`hōsei`) indicates an approximate number, but the figure itself is massive and unprecedented for a single day of ministry. "Persons" (`psychai`) literally means "souls," referring to individuals. This number profoundly illustrates the power of the Holy Spirit's outpouring and the compelling force of the preached Gospel on that day, marking a momentous foundational growth for the nascent church.
• were added: Greek `prosetethēsan` (προσετέθηsan). Again, an aorist passive indicative verb. The passive voice highlights God's sovereignty in adding people to the church (cf. Acts 2:47; Acts 5:14; Acts 11:24). `Prostithemi` means "to add, to put to, to join." It signifies integration into the existing fellowship of believers, emphasizing that conversion is not solely an individual event but also leads to incorporation into God's new covenant community, the church.
• that day: Greek `en tē hēmera ekeinē` (ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ). This temporal phrase stresses the immediacy and astonishing speed of the conversions. It underscores the extraordinary impact of the Day of Pentecost and the inauguration of the church age, highlighting divine intervention and the urgency of the Gospel call.

• "So those who welcomed his message were baptized": This phrase succinctly presents the pathway to initiation into the early Christian community. It emphasizes the sequential, volitional steps: inward reception of the Gospel (faith) precedes and motivates the outward confession of that faith through water baptism. It sets a foundational pattern for conversion.
• "and about three thousand persons were added that day": This group of words conveys the staggering scale of divine activity and the miraculous birth and growth of the church. The number itself signifies God's blessing and the effectiveness of Peter's Spirit-filled preaching. "Were added" again points to God's initiative in bringing individuals into the fellowship, signifying that the church's expansion is fundamentally a work of God. The immediacy ("that day") underlines the transformative power unleashed at Pentecost.

Acts 2 41 Bonus section

• The overwhelming numerical response described in Acts 2:41 created an immediate need for practical fellowship, teaching, and shared life among believers, as detailed in Acts 2:42-47. The logistics of integrating such a large influx of new converts highlight the powerful communal dynamics of the early church.
• The phrase "his message" implicitly roots Peter's proclamation in Old Testament prophecies, showcasing the continuity between God's ancient promises and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Peter's sermon explicitly quotes from Joel and Psalms, affirming that this new work of God was the culmination of long-anticipated divine promises.
• The immediate, large-scale conversion "that day" in Jerusalem served as a powerful sign not only to the diverse Jewish diaspora present but also indicated a divine shift, marking the transition from an old covenant economy focused on temple ritual to the new covenant church, emphasizing Spirit-empowered living and universal Gospel proclamation.

Acts 2 41 Commentary

Acts 2:41 records the extraordinary fruit of the Spirit's inaugural outpouring and Peter's Pentecost sermon. It provides a foundational pattern for early Christian initiation: an active, personal reception of the Gospel message concerning Jesus (faith), followed by an immediate public declaration of that faith through water baptism. The overwhelming response of approximately three thousand new believers being "added" underscores both the divine power operating through the apostles and the communal nature of salvation from the church's inception. It highlights that the process is not merely individualistic, but leads to incorporation into God's assembly, the church. This rapid growth testified to the authentic outpouring of the Holy Spirit and established the visible Christian community as a significant and immediate divine work.An example of this process today might involve a person hearing and believing the good news of Jesus Christ through preaching, then choosing to be baptized as a public symbol of their new faith, and subsequently being welcomed into the fellowship of a local church.