You’re sitting at the kitchen table with an open Bible and a friend who’s eager to learn. You’ve just read Acts 2:38 out loud: “Repent and be baptized…for the forgiveness of your sins.” Your friend pauses. “But I thought baptism isn’t necessary for salvation. My pastor said the word ‘for’ is a translation of the Greek word eis, which means ‘because of.’ So, someone baptized them because God had already forgiven their sins.”
Maybe you’ve heard that before. Maybe you’ve even wondered if it’s true. After all, if eis really means “because of,” then Peter wasn’t saying baptism has anything to do with receiving forgiveness. But if eis means “in order to receive” or “into,” then this verse teaches something far more serious. One small word, eis, is the centerpiece of a debate over whether baptism is symbolic or essential. To understand how this tiny word affects our interpretation, let’s examine what eis means in Greek and how it’s used in the New Testament.
Defining eis in Acts 2:38
The Greek word eis (pronounced “ice,” as in ice cube), which appears over 1,800 times in the New Testament, is best understood by examining how ancient sources used it. To understand what this word means, we will turn to BDAG, the most respected Greek lexicon for New Testament studies. Named after its editors Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich, BDAG provides detailed definitions based on how words were actually used in ancient texts. Scholars value it because it draws from thousands of sources, letters, inscriptions, and classical literature, to show what Greek words meant in the world of the New Testament. So, how does BDAG define eis? The full entry runs nearly 4,000 words; about nine pages when pasted into a Word document. What follows is a summarized version.
BDAG lists ten major categories for the preposition eis.1 Most involve movement into, toward, or resulting in something; it can also mark time—such as “until.” Though the list is extensive, covering physical motion, purpose, result, and temporal limits, the core idea stays consistent: eis expresses direction. Depending on the context, it can mean “into,” “toward,” “unto,” “for,” or “until,” whether in a literal sense (like walking into a house) or a figurative one (like believing into Christ or being baptized into forgiveness).
Eis always looks forward
BDAG shows that eis always looks forward toward a goal or destination. It signals movement into or toward something. This movement can be physical, temporal, or purposeful. The preposition never looks backward or refers to a past event. Even in time expressions, it points to what lies ahead, not what is behind. Thus, eis always carries a forward-looking meaning.
No major Greek lexicon defines eis as meaning “because” or pointing backward. BDAG, Mounce, Thayer, Louw-Nida, and Strong’s all agree. They show eis usually means into, toward, or for—always pointing ahead. It often speaks of direction, result, or purpose. These sources do not support reading eis as looking back or giving a reason.
While some argue that eis can mean “because,” even BDAG’s earlier edition lists those examples as controversial and not definitive. On this point, J.C. Davis in Restoration Quarterly states that no standard Greek lexicons agree that eis is causal:
“The standard Greek lexicons are in agreement on the meaning of eis in Acts 2:38. … The standard Greek lexicons give no support for the ‘causal’ use of eis elsewhere in the New Testament. Although Arndt and Gingrich, in the first edition, mention the ‘causal’ use of eis in Matthew 12:41; Luke 11:32; Romans 4:20; and Matthew 3:11; they list it as ‘controversial.’”2
What does Davis mean by a “causal” definition of eis in Acts 2:38? Causal would indicate something happens because of a prior condition, rather than pointing forward toward a result or purpose.
Eis used in the New Testament
Here are a few examples showing that eis always points forward to a result—never backward to something already completed.
- Matthew 26:28 – “This is my blood… poured out for many for [eis] the forgiveness of sins.”
- Jesus poured out His blood to bring about forgiveness, not because we already had forgiveness.
- Matthew 28:19 – “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in [eis] the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
- Immersion brings believers into full identification with the triune God, not because they already were.
- John 3:16 – “Whoever believes in [eis] him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- We put our trust in him, not because of him; eis points to a living faith directed toward Jesus.
- Acts 11:18 – “God has granted repentance that leads to [eis] life.”
- Repentance moves toward life. We don’t repent because we already have eternal life.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 – “And we all, with unveiled face… are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to [eis] another.”
- Transformation progresses toward ever-increasing glory, not because we have already reached the final state.
- Galatians 3:27 – “All of you who were baptized into [eis] Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
- God clothes us with Christ when we undergo immersion, not because we are already clothed with Christ.
The inescapable implication of eis in Acts 2:38
Given the consistent, forward-looking meaning of eis, Acts 2:38 clearly teaches that baptism leads to forgiveness. Peter’s message was not that forgiveness had already occurred, but that it would come through repentance and baptism. Until one repents and submits to baptism, they remain unforgiven.
No major Greek lexicon supports reading eis in a causal sense. The idea that eis means “because of” in Acts 2:38 is not a linguistic conclusion, it’s a theological assumption imposed on the text. Those who argue otherwise must ignore or revise how the New Testament consistently uses the word.
If we are to be faithful to the language and context of Peter’s sermon, we must also be faithful to its implications. Baptism is not a symbolic afterthought. It is the point at which one receives the forgiveness of sins.
What’s next
Some claim eis has a broader range of meaning and cite a few New Testament passages as evidence that it can be causal. In a follow-up article, we’ll examine those claims and test whether they stand up under closer scrutiny. But for now, the evidence is clear: eis points forward, not backward. And Acts 2:38 teaches that forgiveness comes through baptism—not before it.