耶穌基督的教會是在耶穌復活以後的第五十天建立的。教會被建立的第一天就有三千多人成為基督徒。基督教會的建立和開始，被一位耶穌的門徒，名叫路加，記載在〈使徒行傳〉里。〈使徒行傳〉是《聖經》里的一卷書。路加在“使徒行傳”第二章記載教會的建立。當天的過程包括眾人聆聽諸位使徒講論耶穌基督的福音，尤其是使徒彼得的教訓和勸勉。
彼得的口才很好，讓聽眾明白，五十天之前，他們釘十字架的那位就是上帝的兒子，就是他們多年所期待的彌賽亞。耶穌既是無罪的行善者，他又是人類救世主。彼得不但說服聽眾耶穌從墳墓里復活了，他還使得他們承認自己犯了罪。
因此，聽眾問彼得說，“我們怎麼辦呢？”（普通話本）。彼得回答說：“你們個人要悔改，奉耶穌基督的名受洗，叫你們的罪得赦，就必領受所賜的聖靈”（使徒行傳2:38）。
朋友，對基督教來說，彼得所講的這句話，非常重要。今天不跟您講別的，只要解釋一下這句話所告訴我們有關“洗禮”的意義。彼得告訴聽眾他們要“奉耶穌基督的名受洗。”彼得清楚地告訴聽眾說，悔改是洗禮的先決條件。彼得又說，洗禮所產生的結果有兩個：
第一， 洗禮“叫你們的罪得赦，”
第二， 受洗時“就必領受所賜的聖靈。”
張三的罪得到赦免完全依靠神的恩典和耶穌的寶血。人不能拯救人；只有神才能拯救人。
但是在這裡彼得說明張三怎麼樣讓神的恩典透過耶穌的寶血拯救張三。彼得說，一，“你們個人要悔改，”二，要“受洗。”當受洗的時候，一，“罪得赦，”二，“領受所賜的聖靈。”（兩取兩得。）
朋友，現在您知道為什麼基督徒那樣重視洗禮。虔誠的基督徒回想他受洗的日子，就知道那是神赦免他的罪的日子，也是他領受聖靈的日子。基督徒因此而感到很快樂。
我請您參與他們的快樂，好嗎？我請您信仰耶穌基督，而接受使徒彼得的話，“悔改，奉耶穌基督的名受洗，叫你們的罪得赦，就必領受所賜的聖靈。”
【洗禮】六：兩舉兩得
“Baptism” 06: Two Actions, Two Results
作者：謝德華 ©By Edward Short
Two Actions, Two Results
Acts 2:38
The church of Jesus Christ was established fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus. On the very first day of the existence of the church, more than 3,000 people became Christians. The establishment of the church of Christ was recorded by Luke, a disciple of Jesus. This history is written in the second chapter of the book of Acts, one of the books of the New Testament portion of the Bible. As events unfolded that day, the crowd heard the apostles discuss the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the speakers was the apostle Peter who taught and encouraged.
Peter was an excellent speaker, and he enabled those present to understand that the person they had nailed to a cross some fifty days earlier was the Son of God and the Messiah. The Jews had longed for this Messiah for many years. Jesus not only was a sinless man who went from place to place doing good things, he was also the Savior of mankind. Peter not only convinced the crowd that Jesus was raised from the grave, he also persuaded them that they had committed sin.
In reaction to Peter’s message, the audience responded with the question, “What shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” [Acts 2:38, NIV].
As far as Christianity is concerned, these words spoken by Peter are very important. My purpose in this brief study is simply to explain what Peter said regarding the meaning of baptism. Peter told his audience that they should “be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ.” Peter indicated that baptism must be preceded by repentance, and that baptism produces two results:
1) Baptism is “for the forgiveness of your sins” and
2) When a person is baptized he “will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
A person cannot receive forgiveness of sins except by God’s grace and through the blood of Jesus. Man cannot save himself; only God can save man.
In this Scripture, however, Peter explains clearly how God’s grace is extended through the blood of Jesus to save us. Peter says, 1) “Repent . . . every one of you,” and 2) “be baptized, every one of you.” When someone is baptized, 1) it is “for the forgiveness of your sins,” and 2) “you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Now you understand why Christians place so much emphasis on baptism. Whenever a sincere Christian thinks back to the day he was baptized, he happily remembers that that was the day when God forgave his sins and he received the Holy Spirit.
I invite you to join in that same joy! I urge you to place your faith in Jesus Christ and accept Peter’s admonition, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”