In Acts 2:38, the order of experience is first ____ and then ____.

• A. Baptism; Repentance
• B. Repentance; Baptism
• C. Faith; Forgiveness
• D. Forgiveness; Baptism

Answer: (B)

In Acts 2:38 the sequence shown is that repentance comes first, then baptism. Peter’s exhortation—“Repent, and be baptized … for the remission of sins”—shows turning away from sin and turning toward God as the initial response, with baptism following as the next step of obedience and public identification with Christ. Repentance prepares the heart to receive what baptism symbolizes: cleansing, new life, and the accompanying promise of the Holy Spirit.

Why this order fits best: repentance is the inward turning that aligns a person with God, making baptism appropriate as the outward expression of that new direction. Baptism is not presented as a prerequisite for repentance; rather, it follows repentance as a visible commitment to the faith. The other sequences don’t align with the explicit directive in the verse, which places repentance before baptism and ties the act of baptism to the reception of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit.