《圣经新约》里，有几个主题作者提到一百多次。其中的一个是“洗礼。”因为《圣经》讲洗礼，讲一百多次，我想，我们应该因此而觉得洗礼这件事情，在神眼前，显得很重要。
我们可以由洗礼的目的明白它的重要。使徒彼得在使徒行传第二章，告诉我们有关洗礼。彼得说：“你们各人要悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦，就必领受所赐的圣灵”（使徒行传2:38）。我写这篇短文，强调“叫你们的罪得赦”一词。彼得告诉我们，当我们信仰耶稣，悔改我们的罪，而奉耶稣的名受洗时，神要“叫你们的罪得赦。” “叫…罪得赦”就是洗礼的目的之一。
但是，彼得的讲道词里，“叫…罪得赦”这个词，并不是第一次用在《新约》里。耶稣基督设立主餐（圣餐）时，他“拿起杯来，祝福，说，‘你们都喝这个，因为这是我立约的血，为多人流出来，使罪的赦’”（马太福音26:27-28）。耶稣说的“使罪得赦，”和彼得讲的“叫…罪得赦,”原文是一模一样的。
《圣经新约》的原文是希腊文。马太福音记录耶稣设立主餐，说，“使罪得赦，”和使徒行传记录的彼得的讲道词，“叫你们的罪得赦,” 这两句希腊原文都写在下面：[εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν] (eis a-phesin ha-mar-ti-on)。耶稣讲的和彼得说的，希腊原文是一样的三个字。
请问，什么事情才会“使罪得赦”呢？当耶稣设立主餐时，他肯定他的宝血“使罪得赦。”那时，耶稣很快就要被钉十字架，所以他说这个杯里面的葡萄汁代表他的血；他的宝血要“使罪得赦。”那时，耶稣还没有死，所以世人的罪孽还没有得到赦免。
使徒彼得讲道时，彼得说，“叫你们的罪得赦。”彼得说什么事情才会叫他们的罪得赦呢？彼得说，“你们各人要悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦。”悔改和洗礼使罪得赦。彼得的听众还没有悔改，还没有受洗，所以他们的罪还没有得到赦免。
同样，您我还没有悔改、受洗以前，我们的罪还没有得到赦免。彼得所告诉听众的过程是，一，悔改，二，受洗。还没有受洗，罪还没有得到赦免；这就是“你们各人要悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦”的意思。
请注意！耶稣设立主餐时，他说，“你们都喝这个，因为这是我立约的血，为多人流出来，使罪得赦。”耶稣要流他的宝血为的是“使罪得赦。”彼得劝观众“…悔改…受洗，叫…罪得赦。”因为这两句话的希腊原文是一模一样的: [εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν] (eis a-phesin ha-mar-ti-on),“使罪得赦,”如果洗礼不是为要“叫…罪得赦,”耶稣的宝血“流出来,”也不会“使罪得赦。”
其实，信仰耶稣的人都知道，也都相信，马太福音26章28节，耶稣的宝血“流出来使罪得赦。”同样的真理，我们都应该相信，也应该接受，使徒行转2章38节，“奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦。”使徒彼得把洗礼的一个目的，写得很清楚，是“使罪得赦。”
从此可知，洗礼是我们沐浴在耶稣的宝血的时候，是我们接受神恩的时刻，是我们得到救赎的时间，是我们的罪得到赦免的时候。换句话说，奉耶稣的名受洗就是我们成为基督徒之际。
耶稣基督的故事，百听不厌。请您快一点相信此故事，快一点“悔改，奉耶稣基督的名受洗，叫你们的罪得赦。”
【洗礼】十四：叫你的罪得赦
“Baptism” 14: For the Forgiveness of Sins
作者：谢德华 ©By Edward Short
Baptism: “For the Forgiveness of Sins”
Acts 2:38
There are several topics in the New Testament that are discussed over one hundred times each. One such topic is baptism. Since it’s mentioned over one hundred times, I think we should realize that in the eyes of God, baptism is very important.
We can tell something about the importance of baptism from its purpose. The apostle Peter says some specific things about baptism in the second chapter of Acts. Peter says, “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). Today, in this article, I am emphasizing the phrase “for the forgiveness of your sins.” Peter tells us that when we put our trust in Jesus, repent of our sins, and are baptized in the name of Jesus, our sins will “be forgiven” by God. One of the purposes of baptism is, therefore, “so that your sins may be forgiven” （NRSV).
Peter’s sermon is not the first time that this phrase “forgiveness of sins” is used in the New Testament. When Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion), he “took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matthew 26:27-28 NIV). In the original language, Jesus’ statement, “for the forgiveness of sins,” and Peter’s statement, “for the forgiveness of your sins,” are exactly the same words. The New Testament was written in Greek. Printed below is the Greek text of what Jesus said in Matthew when he instituted the Lord’s Supper, the phrase, “for the forgiveness of sins” as well as what Peter said in his sermon in Acts, “for the forgiveness of your sins” [ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ] (eis a-phe-sin ha-mar-ti-on). The Greek words that Jesus said and that Peter said, were the same three words.
What can forgive sins? When Jesus instituted the Lord’ Supper, he affirmed that his precious blood would be poured out “for the forgiveness of sins.” Shortly after Jesus spoke these words he would be crucified, so he said that the grape juice inside the cup represented his blood; his blood would result in “the forgiveness of sins.” At that time, however, Jesus had not yet died, so the sins of the world still stood unforgiven.
In the sermon preached by the apostle Peter, he said, “for the forgiveness of your sins.” What did Peter say could cause their sins to be forgiven? Peter said, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (NIV). (The NRSV translates this as: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.”) Repentance and baptism would cause their sins to be forgiven. Peter’s audience had not yet repented and had not yet been baptized, so their sins had not yet been forgiven. In the same way, before you and I repent and are baptized, our sins are not yet forgiven.
The process that Peter told the multitude who heard him speak was, first, to repent, and second, to be baptized. Their sins were not forgiven until baptism; this is the meaning of, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Note that when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, he said, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus shed his blood “for the forgiveness of sins.” Peter exhorted his audience to “repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of sins.” Because the original Greek for both phrases is the same, [ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ] (eis a-phe-sin ha-mar-ti-on), if baptism is not “for the forgiveness of sins,” Jesus’ blood also cannot be “for the forgiveness of sins.”
In fact, all who trust in Jesus know and believe Matthew 26:28— that the blood of Jesus is “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” In the same way, we should also believe and accept Acts 2:38, “…Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” The apostle Peter tells us clearly that one of the purposes of baptism is “for the forgiveness of your sins.”
From this we can see that in baptism, one is washed in the blood of Jesus and receives the grace of God. Baptism is when one’s sins are forgiven; baptism in the name of Jesus is the moment when one becomes a Christian.
One never tires of hearing the story of Jesus Christ. I hope you’ll believe the story about Jesus and “Repent, and be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven.”