Acts 2:39,40 - Save yourselves from this corrupt generation

2:39

The universal nature (not universalism!) of the gospel is emphasised here. The gospel is for all. “All who are far off”. Jesus had told His disciples that they would preach the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:19; Acts 1:8). At this stage they did not realise the full significance of that, and Peter would have a lot of learning to do. Sometimes we preach beyond our understanding. The promise of the Holy Spirit is for all “whom the Lord our God calls to Himself”. This again would be especially relevant when Cornelius and his household get saved. Notice also the centrality of the work of God. It is God who calls people to Himself.

2:40

“With many words he warned them...” It is all too common today for preaching to focus just on being “nice”, telling people that Jesus loves them and how wonderful they are. Well this is a rather unbiblical approach to things. It is also a rather unsuccessful approach in terms of producing disciples. Of course, it is equally wrong to go to the other extreme and preach nothing but hell and damnation, but warnings are a key part of the gospel. They were also a key part of Jesus’ teaching. Indeed, we can only appreciate the extent and the nature of God’s love when we appreciate the seriousness of sin and our sinfulness. Moreover, Peter did not warn them in order to condemn them, but he was pleading with them to “save yourselves from this corrupt generation”. The people of Jerusalem were in a terrible mess. The Son of God had come to them and they had crucified him! Forty years later Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed and much suffering would be involved. The generation was working against God and was heading for deep trouble. The people needed to turn to God. Things are not that much different in our day. Each day there seems to be more and more evidence of our Western societies being an evermore corrupt generation. Those parts of the church which advocate condoning what society is doing are utter fools and demonstrating no love at all. In so many ways society is going against God’s ways and people need to “save themselves from this corrupt generation”, and the only way to do that is to repent and turn to Jesus Christ.