Word Studies

One Greek word has shaped how millions understand salvation. That word is eis. It appears over 1,700 times in the New Testament and almost always points forward—into, unto, or toward. But in Acts 2:38, some argue it means “because of.” That shift changes everything. If eis is causal, baptism follows forgiveness. If it retains its normal meaning, baptism leads to forgiveness. The difference is massive, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s an inconvenient truth for those who believe baptism has nothing to do with salvation, yet the text speaks with stubborn clarity.

In the previous article, we explored the meaning of the Greek preposition eis in Acts 2:38 and found that it consistently points forward to something, never backward. According to BDAG, the leading Greek lexicon, eis in Acts 2:38 means “for forgiveness of sins, so that sins might be forgiven.”³ 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 means into, toward, or with a view to—always pointing ahead. It speaks of direction, result, or purpose. This forward-looking sense is consistent throughout the New Testament. 

Yet some scholars argue that eis can be causal, meaning “because of,” suggesting that baptism in Acts 2:38 happened because forgiveness had already taken place. In this article, we will examine those claims. In a subsequent post, we’ll evaluate the New Testament passages often used to support that view.

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.”