Acts 22:16 kjv
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16 nkjv
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'
Acts 22:16 niv
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.'
Acts 22:16 esv
And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.'
Acts 22:16 nlt
What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.'
Acts 22 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Mk 16:16 | Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved... | Connects belief and baptism to salvation. |
| Acts 2:38 | Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins... | Direct command linking repentance, baptism, and forgiveness. |
| Acts 8:36 | ...what prevents me from being baptized? | Emphasizes the immediate availability of baptism. |
| Rom 6:3-4 | Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death...? | Baptism as identification with Christ's death and resurrection. |
| Gal 3:27 | For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. | Baptism as putting on Christ and new identity. |
| Col 2:12 | ...having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him... | Baptism as spiritual burial and resurrection with Christ. |
| 1 Pet 3:21 | Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt... | Baptism as an appeal to God for a good conscience. |
| Tit 3:5 | ...he saved us, not because of works done by us... but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration... | Washing as regeneration by the Holy Spirit, associated with new birth. |
| Isa 1:16 | Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds... | Old Testament call to cleansing and repentance. |
| Ezek 36:25 | I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses... | Prophetic cleansing for the New Covenant. |
| Zech 13:1 | On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David... for sin and uncleanness. | Prophetic source of spiritual cleansing. |
| Psa 51:2 | Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! | Plea for divine cleansing from sin. |
| 1 Jn 1:7 | ...the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. | Emphasizes Christ's blood as the source of cleansing. |
| Joel 2:32 | ...everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved... | Old Testament promise for calling on God's name. |
| Rom 10:9 | ...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him... | Connects confession and belief to salvation. |
| Rom 10:13 | For "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." | Direct New Testament reaffirmation of Joel 2:32. |
| 2 Cor 6:2 | ...Behold, now is the day of salvation. | Urgency of responding to God's call without delay. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts... | Warning against spiritual delay and hardened hearts. |
| Heb 4:7 | Again, he sets a certain day, "Today," saying through David so long afterward... | Emphasis on immediate response to God's invitation. |
| Acts 9:18 | And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized... | Immediate act of baptism following Paul's conversion. |
| Acts 2:21 | And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. | Peter's sermon, linking calling on the name with salvation. |
| Acts 10:48 | And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. | Commands Peter gave for Cornelius' household baptism. |
| 1 Cor 6:11 | And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus... | Links spiritual washing with the name of Jesus and justification. |
| Eph 5:26 | ...that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word... | The cleansing power of God's Word in conjunction with water. |
Acts 22 verses
Acts 22 16 Meaning
This verse conveys an urgent command to Saul (later Paul) to immediately respond to God's calling. It instructs him to cease all delay, physically rise, and be baptized as an outward and public declaration of his newfound faith in Jesus Christ. This act of baptism is explicitly connected to the washing away of sins, a spiritual cleansing made effective through sincerely invoking and believing in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 22 16 Context
Acts chapter 22 recounts Paul's defense before a hostile Jewish crowd in Jerusalem. Having been seized and about to be scourged by Roman soldiers, Paul, identifying as a Jew, requests to address his countrymen. He then delivers a personal testimony, detailing his zealous persecution of Christians, his dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, and his subsequent conversion. Verse 16 contains the instructions given to him by Ananias, a devout Jew and Christian, to act immediately on his newfound faith. This context highlights Paul's radical transformation and the critical, immediate steps required for him to enter into his new life in Christ, publicly renouncing his past and embracing his new identity.
Acts 22 16 Word analysis
- And now (καὶ νῦν kai nyn): Marks a critical transition from Ananias's initial encouraging words to a direct, urgent command for action. It stresses the present moment's significance.
- why do you wait? (τί μέλλεις; ti melleis): A rhetorical question in Greek. It translates to "why are you delaying?" or "why do you hesitate?" It conveys impatience and urgency, demanding an immediate end to procrastination regarding a vital spiritual act.
- Rise (ἀναστὰς anastas): Aorist participle used imperatively, literally "having risen." This signifies a physical action of standing up, but in this context, it implies readiness and determination to act decisively. It's a preparatory command for what follows.
- and be baptized (καὶ βάπτισαι kai baptisai): Aorist passive imperative. Literally, "get yourself baptized" or "allow yourself to be baptized." It denotes full immersion in water, symbolizing identification with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 6). It's an outward, obedient act initiating entry into the Christian community and new life.
- and wash away (καὶ ἀπόλουσαι kai apolousai): Aorist middle imperative. "Wash yourself off," "cleanse yourself." While linked to baptism, this refers to the spiritual cleansing from sins, not that the water physically removes guilt. Baptism is the symbolic outward expression of this inward, divine cleansing that happens through faith.
- your sins (τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου tas hamartias sou): Refers to the totality of Saul's past transgressions against God's law and his vehement persecution of Christians. These are the burdens needing spiritual removal and forgiveness.
- calling on (ἐπικαλεσάμενος epikalesamenos): Aorist middle participle. This describes the manner or means by which the washing away of sins occurs. It means "to invoke," "to call upon," "to appeal to." It highlights active personal faith and prayer.
- his name (τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ to onoma autou): Refers directly to Jesus Christ. "Name" here encompasses the person, authority, power, and salvific work of Jesus. The cleansing from sins and salvation are obtained through faith in, and invocation of, Christ's very person.
Words-group analysis:
- "Why do you wait? Rise and be baptized...": This sequence of commands emphasizes both the urgency of response and the readiness for public commitment to Christ through baptism. There should be no hesitation once the call is clear.
- "...wash away your sins, calling on his name.": This phrase directly links spiritual cleansing and forgiveness to two interconnected actions: baptism (the outward symbol) and calling upon Jesus' name (the inward act of faith and invocation). It clearly places the efficacy of the cleansing not in the water, but in the power and person of Jesus accessed by faith.
Acts 22 16 Bonus section
- The structure of the Greek verbs—imperatives "be baptized" and "wash away," followed by the participle "calling on his name"—suggests that the cleansing (washing away of sins) happens through or by means of calling on Jesus' name, which baptism outwardly signifies. The efficacy is divinely provided upon an act of faith.
- Ananias's counsel confirms that God's forgiveness is freely offered even to the most ardent persecutors, challenging the strict Jewish notions of merit and establishing a clear path to cleansing through Christ's name.
- The passive voice "be baptized" (βάπτισαι) implies that Saul is submitting to an action performed by another, usually a community elder, underscoring the communal and ecclesial aspect of conversion.
Acts 22 16 Commentary
Acts 22:16 is a critical summary of Ananias's instruction to the recently converted Saul, encapsulating the immediate, tangible steps for a believer in the early church. It emphasizes the urgency of responding to divine calling ("Why do you wait?"). Baptism, presented as an imperative, serves as the public demarcation point of Paul's radical life change—from persecutor to disciple. The phrase "wash away your sins" clarifies the spiritual significance of this act; it's a visible declaration of the cleansing from sin that God provides. Crucially, this spiritual cleansing isn't inherent in the water of baptism but is actualized "calling on his name." This signifies personal faith in Jesus, expressed through invoking His name for salvation and identification. It underscores that salvation, and the forgiveness of sins, flows from the person and work of Christ, received by active faith and repentance, with baptism serving as its symbolic and obedient expression.