June 21, 2025 • 17 mins
Some claim Matthew 3:11 and 12:41 support a causal reading of eis in Acts 2:38—suggesting baptism follows forgiveness. In this episode, we take a closer look at these texts and show why they don't overturn the forward-pointing meaning of eis. Careful interpretation reveals a consistent message about baptism, repentance, and forgiveness.
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(Music)
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical
sermons or Bible studies.
(00:20):
My name is Eddie Lawrence.
Some say Matthew 3:11 and 12.41 support
the view that we're
baptized because of forgiveness.
A closer look challenges that.
(Music)
(00:41):
One Greek word has shaped how millions
understand salvation.
That Greek word is "eis,"
transliterated as "e-i-s."
It appears over 1700 times in the New
Testament and almost
always points forward.
It means into, unto, or toward.
(01:03):
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
(01:25):
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.
This interpretive challenge highlights a
crucial methodological point about
(01:45):
biblical interpretation.
As Aaron Gallagher notes, "One must be
careful not to impose the meanings of the
English preposition "for"
onto the Greek preposition "eis."
Bill Mounts even states that, in his
opinion, there is no reason ever to do an
English word study anymore.
Mounce says, "There is no approximation
(02:07):
between English and Greek words.
Therefore, in studying the English word,
we are at best making an
approximation of the Greek word."
This principle guides
our examination of "eis."
We must understand it through Greek usage
patterns, not English assumptions.
(02:28):
In episode 62, we defined "eis" and
showed that it always
expresses forward motion or purpose.
In episode 64, we examined how A.T.
Robertson and Julius Mantey, driven by
their denominational creeds, tried to
redefine "eis" to support
(02:50):
salvation before baptism.
Their arguments have been completely
refuted by leading scholars like Ralph
Marcus, Edward Hobbs, Dan Wallace, J.C.
Davis, and Everett Ferguson.
Still, proponents claim that a few verses
support the causal theory.
(03:12):
In this final episode about "eis," we'll
examine the two most common,
Matthew 3:11 and Matthew 12.41, and see
whether they really support the claim.
Matthew 3:11 says, "I baptize you with
water for repentance."
(03:33):
This is talking about John's baptism, and
some argue that "eis" in
Matthew 3:11 means "because of."
They claim people were baptized because
they had already repented.
But Mark 1, verse 4, a parallel passage,
shows us why this interpretation fails.
(03:56):
Mark 1:4 says John preached a baptism of
repentance for, and that's the Greek word
"eis," for the forgiveness of sins.
The word "for" translates "eis," and it's
the same Greek word
found in Matthew 3:11.
So here's the question.
Does "eis" mean "because of" in Mark 1:4?
(04:20):
Did John baptize people because they had
already received forgiveness?
Well, that makes no sense.
John called sinners to immersion
precisely because
they lacked forgiveness.
His baptism aimed at obtaining
forgiveness, not celebrating
(04:41):
forgiveness already received.
Mark 1:4 proves that "eis"
points forward to a goal.
John's baptism moved people toward
forgiveness they didn't yet possess.
As an aside, this odd
phrase "baptism of repentance"
(05:01):
is grammatically ambiguous.
Dan Wallace notes that Koine Greek
genitives can be tricky
to interpret precisely.
He suggests staying non-committal in this
translation, something similar to a
baptism that is somehow
related to forgiveness.
(05:22):
Ferguson captures this uncertainty more
succinctly, calling it simply a
"repentance baptism."
Anyway, back to the point.
Because of Mark 1:4, we can get more
clarity on Matthew 3:11.
Matthew says John baptized
with water for "eis repentance."
(05:44):
If "eis" points forward in Mark 1:4, it
points forward in Matthew 3:11 as well.
The same word carries the
same meaning in both passages.
Matthew 3:11 means "John baptized people
toward repentance, not
because they had already repented."
(06:05):
In John's ministry, baptism was the first
step in turning to God.
It marked the beginning of
repentance, not its completion.
This makes perfect
sense in John's ministry.
John called crowds of unrepentant people
to the Jordan River.
(06:26):
He didn't baptize them
because they had already changed.
He baptized them to
initiate a process of change.
The parallel between Mark 1:4
and Matthew 3:11 is striking.
Mark says baptism for forgiveness, which
points toward what they liked, and
(06:48):
Matthew says that baptism for repentance,
pointing toward what they needed to do.
Both passages show eis moving people
toward something they didn't yet possess.
But there's a key distinction.
This pattern in John's ministry differs
from later Christian baptism.
(07:09):
In Christian practice, repentance comes
immediately before baptism, but John's
situation was different.
He was calling entire communities to
begin the process of turning to God.
For them, baptism launched repentance
rather than following it.
(07:29):
John's baptism was a
doorway, not a destination.
It launched the
process of turning to God.
Stepping into the Jordan wasn't a
celebration of repentance.
It marked their first
step toward turning to God.
That's what eis almost always means.
Movement toward a goal.
(07:52):
Matthew 12.41 is quoting Jesus when he
talked about Jonah and his preaching to
the people of Nineveh.
He said, "They repented
at the preaching of Jonah."
Proponents of the causal interpretation
point to Matthew 12.41 as their strongest
evidence that eis can mean because of.
(08:16):
In this verse, Jesus says the Ninevites
repented at, and that word at there is
the Greek word eis, they
repented at the preaching of Jonah.
Since the Ninevites clearly repented
because of Jonah's preaching,
advocates argue this proves
eis can have a causal meaning.
(08:38):
If eis means because of in Matthew 12.41,
they contend, then it can
mean because of in Acts 2.38.
This argument
deserves careful examination.
Throughout this short series about eis,
I've been saying eis
usually points forward.
(08:59):
Matthew 12.41 shows why it
doesn't always point forward.
This instance of eis falls under B.Dag's
10th definition with the
heading "Other Uses of eis."
B.Dag glosses eis under this 10th
definition as "at" or "in the face of."
(09:22):
Now the Ninevites clearly repented
because of Jonah's preaching.
The narrative makes it clear that they
repented because of Jonah's preaching.
No one disputes this fact.
The book of Jonah tells us that God's
prophet proclaimed judgment on the city.
The Ninevites heard his message and
(09:43):
turned from their wickedness in response.
The causal relationship between Jonah's
preaching and their
repentance is undeniable.
However, we don't learn this causal
relationship from the
preposition eis itself.
The broader biblical narrative teaches us
(10:04):
the cause and effect connection, not the
grammar of Matthew 12.41.
When Jesus says the Ninevites repented
"at" or "eis" the preaching of Jonah, He
uses eis to describe their response when
confronted with Jonah's message.
The preposition captures the moment of
(10:25):
the encounter, not the
reason for their action.
For example, if I say we wept at the news
of her passing, I
describe when we wept, not why.
That's a subtle but
important distinction.
The preposition "at" identifies the
(10:46):
response, in this case not its cause.
That's how eis works in Matthew 12.41.
The Ninevites repented when Jonah
preached, but we don't learn this because
"eis" means because of.
Bdag's definition of "at" or "in the face
of" perfectly fits this context.
(11:08):
The Ninevites repented when they came
face to face with Jonah's proclamation.
They repented upon
hearing His message of judgment.
Let's test this.
When we substitute a word's definition
for the word itself, the sentence will
(11:28):
maintain its sense and meaning.
So let's apply this to Matthew 12.41
using Bdag's definition "in the face of"
and we'll use a few
other synonymous phrases.
So again, replacing the word "at" with
the definition of "eis."
(11:49):
They repented in the face
of the preaching of Jonah.
Here's a couple of synonymous phrases,
phrases that are
synonymous with "in the face of."
They repented when faced
with the preaching of Jonah.
They repented upon
hearing the preaching of Jonah.
(12:11):
They repented when confronted
with the preaching of Jonah.
This conveys their immediate response to
encountering the preaching,
not a causal relationship.
Think of it as describing what happened
when they met Jonah's message head-on.
The preposition conveys the
(12:33):
immediacy of their repentance.
The Ninevites didn't deliberate for weeks
after hearing Jonah's message.
They repented right when they
encountered His proclamation.
This immediacy fits the biblical
narrative perfectly.
The book of Jonah describes swift,
comprehensive repentance
(12:53):
throughout the entire city.
This distinction matters greatly for
understanding Acts 2.38.
If eis carried inherent
causal meaning in Matthew 12.41,
we would expect to see that everywhere.
But major lexicons reject this causal
(13:13):
interpretation precisely because eis
doesn't function that way in Greek.
The preposition describes orientation,
direction, and response, never causation.
In this context, the narrative provides
the causal connection, while eis simply
(13:36):
indicates how the people responded when
confronted with the message.
The evidence is overwhelming.
In over 1700 New Testament uses, eis
almost always points forward.
Careful analysis of Robertson and Manty's
(13:57):
claims, along with the supposed
exceptions in Matthew 3:11 and 12.41,
leads to one clear conclusion.
eis keeps its normal forward-pointing
meaning in Acts 2.38.
The attempts to make eis causal have
failed at every level.
(14:20):
Linguistically, major lexicons reject the
causal interpretation.
Grammatically, context determines
causation, not the preposition itself.
Historically, the early church understood
Peter's command exactly as it reads,
"Repentance and baptism for the
(14:40):
forgiveness of sins, not because of
forgiveness already received."
When Peter stood before that Pentecost
crowd and commanded them to repent and be
baptized, every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your
sins, he used language that pointed
(15:02):
unmistakably forward.
The crowds had asked, "What shall we do?"
Peter's answer was clear.
Move toward forgiveness through
repentance and baptism.
This is an inconvenient truth that
conflicts with many
Protestant traditions.
(15:24):
The battle over this one Greek word
reveals something deeper
than linguistic precision.
It highlights the challenge of setting
aside deeply held traditions when they
conflict with biblical evidence.
The scholarly refutation of
causal eis has been thorough.
It was dismantled decades
(15:45):
ago by leading scholars.
Yet some continue to
hold to this interpretation.
This suggests the difficulty that arises
when denominational understanding
conflicts with exegetical findings.
When we allow eis to carry its natural
meaning, Peter's message becomes simple.
(16:09):
Forgiveness awaits those who will respond
to God's call through
repentance and baptism.
The word "eis" has been pointing the way
forward for two millennia.
Perhaps it's time we stop
trying to make it point backward.
(16:29):
Thanks for listening to the podcast.
We hope this episode has deepened your
understanding of Scripture.
If you found this content valuable,
please share it with your friends.
For more biblical studies, visit our
website at readyforeternity.com.
That's the word "ready," the number four,
and the word "eternity."
Readyforeternity.com.
(16:50):
Be sure and leave a comment on the Ready
for Eternity Facebook
page or reach out on Twitter.
That's all for now.
Keep studying your Bible, growing closer
to God, and getting ready for eternity.
See you next time.
(Music)
Welcome to the Ready for Eternity
podcast, a podcast and blog dedicated to
inquisitive Bible students exploring
biblical truths that might not be fully
explored in typical
sermons or Bible studies.
(00:20):
My name is Eddie Lawrence.
Some say Matthew 3:11 and 12.41 support
the view that we're
baptized because of forgiveness.
A closer look challenges that.
(Music)
(00:41):
One Greek word has shaped how millions
understand salvation.
That Greek word is "eis,"
transliterated as "e-i-s."
It appears over 1700 times in the New
Testament and almost
always points forward.
It means into, unto, or toward.
(01:03):
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
(01:25):
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.
This interpretive challenge highlights a
crucial methodological point about
(01:45):
biblical interpretation.
As Aaron Gallagher notes, "One must be
careful not to impose the meanings of the
English preposition "for"
onto the Greek preposition "eis."
Bill Mounts even states that, in his
opinion, there is no reason ever to do an
English word study anymore.
Mounce says, "There is no approximation
(02:07):
between English and Greek words.
Therefore, in studying the English word,
we are at best making an
approximation of the Greek word."
This principle guides
our examination of "eis."
We must understand it through Greek usage
patterns, not English assumptions.
(02:28):
In episode 62, we defined "eis" and
showed that it always
expresses forward motion or purpose.
In episode 64, we examined how A.T.
Robertson and Julius Mantey, driven by
their denominational creeds, tried to
redefine "eis" to support
(02:50):
salvation before baptism.
Their arguments have been completely
refuted by leading scholars like Ralph
Marcus, Edward Hobbs, Dan Wallace, J.C.
Davis, and Everett Ferguson.
Still, proponents claim that a few verses
support the causal theory.
(03:12):
In this final episode about "eis," we'll
examine the two most common,
Matthew 3:11 and Matthew 12.41, and see
whether they really support the claim.
Matthew 3:11 says, "I baptize you with
water for repentance."
(03:33):
This is talking about John's baptism, and
some argue that "eis" in
Matthew 3:11 means "because of."
They claim people were baptized because
they had already repented.
But Mark 1, verse 4, a parallel passage,
shows us why this interpretation fails.
(03:56):
Mark 1:4 says John preached a baptism of
repentance for, and that's the Greek word
"eis," for the forgiveness of sins.
The word "for" translates "eis," and it's
the same Greek word
found in Matthew 3:11.
So here's the question.
Does "eis" mean "because of" in Mark 1:4?
(04:20):
Did John baptize people because they had
already received forgiveness?
Well, that makes no sense.
John called sinners to immersion
precisely because
they lacked forgiveness.
His baptism aimed at obtaining
forgiveness, not celebrating
(04:41):
forgiveness already received.
Mark 1:4 proves that "eis"
points forward to a goal.
John's baptism moved people toward
forgiveness they didn't yet possess.
As an aside, this odd
phrase "baptism of repentance"
(05:01):
is grammatically ambiguous.
Dan Wallace notes that Koine Greek
genitives can be tricky
to interpret precisely.
He suggests staying non-committal in this
translation, something similar to a
baptism that is somehow
related to forgiveness.
(05:22):
Ferguson captures this uncertainty more
succinctly, calling it simply a
"repentance baptism."
Anyway, back to the point.
Because of Mark 1:4, we can get more
clarity on Matthew 3:11.
Matthew says John baptized
with water for "eis repentance."
(05:44):
If "eis" points forward in Mark 1:4, it
points forward in Matthew 3:11 as well.
The same word carries the
same meaning in both passages.
Matthew 3:11 means "John baptized people
toward repentance, not
because they had already repented."
(06:05):
In John's ministry, baptism was the first
step in turning to God.
It marked the beginning of
repentance, not its completion.
This makes perfect
sense in John's ministry.
John called crowds of unrepentant people
to the Jordan River.
(06:26):
He didn't baptize them
because they had already changed.
He baptized them to
initiate a process of change.
The parallel between Mark 1:4
and Matthew 3:11 is striking.
Mark says baptism for forgiveness, which
points toward what they liked, and
(06:48):
Matthew says that baptism for repentance,
pointing toward what they needed to do.
Both passages show eis moving people
toward something they didn't yet possess.
But there's a key distinction.
This pattern in John's ministry differs
from later Christian baptism.
(07:09):
In Christian practice, repentance comes
immediately before baptism, but John's
situation was different.
He was calling entire communities to
begin the process of turning to God.
For them, baptism launched repentance
rather than following it.
(07:29):
John's baptism was a
doorway, not a destination.
It launched the
process of turning to God.
Stepping into the Jordan wasn't a
celebration of repentance.
It marked their first
step toward turning to God.
That's what eis almost always means.
Movement toward a goal.
(07:52):
Matthew 12.41 is quoting Jesus when he
talked about Jonah and his preaching to
the people of Nineveh.
He said, "They repented
at the preaching of Jonah."
Proponents of the causal interpretation
point to Matthew 12.41 as their strongest
evidence that eis can mean because of.
(08:16):
In this verse, Jesus says the Ninevites
repented at, and that word at there is
the Greek word eis, they
repented at the preaching of Jonah.
Since the Ninevites clearly repented
because of Jonah's preaching,
advocates argue this proves
eis can have a causal meaning.
(08:38):
If eis means because of in Matthew 12.41,
they contend, then it can
mean because of in Acts 2.38.
This argument
deserves careful examination.
Throughout this short series about eis,
I've been saying eis
usually points forward.
(08:59):
Matthew 12.41 shows why it
doesn't always point forward.
This instance of eis falls under B.Dag's
10th definition with the
heading "Other Uses of eis."
B.Dag glosses eis under this 10th
definition as "at" or "in the face of."
(09:22):
Now the Ninevites clearly repented
because of Jonah's preaching.
The narrative makes it clear that they
repented because of Jonah's preaching.
No one disputes this fact.
The book of Jonah tells us that God's
prophet proclaimed judgment on the city.
The Ninevites heard his message and
(09:43):
turned from their wickedness in response.
The causal relationship between Jonah's
preaching and their
repentance is undeniable.
However, we don't learn this causal
relationship from the
preposition eis itself.
The broader biblical narrative teaches us
(10:04):
the cause and effect connection, not the
grammar of Matthew 12.41.
When Jesus says the Ninevites repented
"at" or "eis" the preaching of Jonah, He
uses eis to describe their response when
confronted with Jonah's message.
The preposition captures the moment of
(10:25):
the encounter, not the
reason for their action.
For example, if I say we wept at the news
of her passing, I
describe when we wept, not why.
That's a subtle but
important distinction.
The preposition "at" identifies the
(10:46):
response, in this case not its cause.
That's how eis works in Matthew 12.41.
The Ninevites repented when Jonah
preached, but we don't learn this because
"eis" means because of.
Bdag's definition of "at" or "in the face
of" perfectly fits this context.
(11:08):
The Ninevites repented when they came
face to face with Jonah's proclamation.
They repented upon
hearing His message of judgment.
Let's test this.
When we substitute a word's definition
for the word itself, the sentence will
(11:28):
maintain its sense and meaning.
So let's apply this to Matthew 12.41
using Bdag's definition "in the face of"
and we'll use a few
other synonymous phrases.
So again, replacing the word "at" with
the definition of "eis."
(11:49):
They repented in the face
of the preaching of Jonah.
Here's a couple of synonymous phrases,
phrases that are
synonymous with "in the face of."
They repented when faced
with the preaching of Jonah.
They repented upon
hearing the preaching of Jonah.
(12:11):
They repented when confronted
with the preaching of Jonah.
This conveys their immediate response to
encountering the preaching,
not a causal relationship.
Think of it as describing what happened
when they met Jonah's message head-on.
The preposition conveys the
(12:33):
immediacy of their repentance.
The Ninevites didn't deliberate for weeks
after hearing Jonah's message.
They repented right when they
encountered His proclamation.
This immediacy fits the biblical
narrative perfectly.
The book of Jonah describes swift,
comprehensive repentance
(12:53):
throughout the entire city.
This distinction matters greatly for
understanding Acts 2.38.
If eis carried inherent
causal meaning in Matthew 12.41,
we would expect to see that everywhere.
But major lexicons reject this causal
(13:13):
interpretation precisely because eis
doesn't function that way in Greek.
The preposition describes orientation,
direction, and response, never causation.
In this context, the narrative provides
the causal connection, while eis simply
(13:36):
indicates how the people responded when
confronted with the message.
The evidence is overwhelming.
In over 1700 New Testament uses, eis
almost always points forward.
Careful analysis of Robertson and Manty's
(13:57):
claims, along with the supposed
exceptions in Matthew 3:11 and 12.41,
leads to one clear conclusion.
eis keeps its normal forward-pointing
meaning in Acts 2.38.
The attempts to make eis causal have
failed at every level.
(14:20):
Linguistically, major lexicons reject the
causal interpretation.
Grammatically, context determines
causation, not the preposition itself.
Historically, the early church understood
Peter's command exactly as it reads,
"Repentance and baptism for the
(14:40):
forgiveness of sins, not because of
forgiveness already received."
When Peter stood before that Pentecost
crowd and commanded them to repent and be
baptized, every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your
sins, he used language that pointed
(15:02):
unmistakably forward.
The crowds had asked, "What shall we do?"
Peter's answer was clear.
Move toward forgiveness through
repentance and baptism.
This is an inconvenient truth that
conflicts with many
Protestant traditions.
(15:24):
The battle over this one Greek word
reveals something deeper
than linguistic precision.
It highlights the challenge of setting
aside deeply held traditions when they
conflict with biblical evidence.
The scholarly refutation of
causal eis has been thorough.
It was dismantled decades
(15:45):
ago by leading scholars.
Yet some continue to
hold to this interpretation.
This suggests the difficulty that arises
when denominational understanding
conflicts with exegetical findings.
When we allow eis to carry its natural
meaning, Peter's message becomes simple.
(16:09):
Forgiveness awaits those who will respond
to God's call through
repentance and baptism.
The word "eis" has been pointing the way
forward for two millennia.
Perhaps it's time we stop
trying to make it point backward.
(16:29):
Thanks for listening to the podcast.
We hope this episode has deepened your
understanding of Scripture.
If you found this content valuable,
please share it with your friends.
For more biblical studies, visit our
website at readyforeternity.com.
That's the word "ready," the number four,
and the word "eternity."
Readyforeternity.com.
(16:50):
Be sure and leave a comment on the Ready
for Eternity Facebook
page or reach out on Twitter.
That's all for now.
Keep studying your Bible, growing closer
to God, and getting ready for eternity.
See you next time.
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