What Does the Bible Say?
What does the Bible say I must do to obey God’s Word and have heaven as my eternal home?
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
World English Bible Classic · Read Peter’s sermon and what happened next
A free Bible study sponsored by Silsbee Church of Christ.
What does the Bible teach about salvation?
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Read four short passages and consider one question after each. All Scripture in this study is from the World English Bible Classic.
36 “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”
40 With many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.
42 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
Consider. What had Peter just said about Jesus, and how did his listeners respond?
1 Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
Consider. What does Paul say Christ did for us?
4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus;
8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,
9 not of works, that no one would boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.
Consider. What does God give, and what kind of life does he prepare us to live?
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 May it never be! We who died to sin, how could we live in it any longer?
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
Consider. How does Paul connect baptism with Christ’s death, resurrection, and the way we live?
Compare your response with Scripture · Continue to the full guided study
What if something you have always believed is different from what the Bible teaches? Wouldn’t you want to know? We invite you to open God’s Word and examine the evidence for yourself.
Did I do what the Bible teaches, or did I follow something I was taught that I cannot establish from Scripture?
Explore difficult Bible questions and studies on obedience
Choose one question to begin. Scripture links open in a new tab. Read the short study first if you would like to read passages here.
Read first. Acts 2:37–41 · Acts 22:16
Read the surrounding verses. Acts 2:22–42
Context note. In Jerusalem, Peter answers people who have just heard him proclaim the risen Jesus. In Acts 22, Paul recounts what Ananias told him after his encounter with Jesus.
Consider. What Scriptures support what I was taught to do to become a Christian?
Read first. Acts 2:37–41 · Acts 8:26–39 · Acts 16:30–34 · Acts 22:6–16
Read the surrounding verses. Acts 16:25–34
Context note. The people in Jerusalem and the jailer ask what to do. The Ethiopian asks about baptism after hearing about Jesus. Saul asks the Lord what he should do and later hears Ananias’s instruction. Read what each person heard and how each responded.
Consider. What details would I miss if I stopped at the first answer in each account?
Read first. Acts 17:11 · James 1:22
Read the surrounding verses. James 1:19–25
Context note. The Bereans receive the message eagerly and examine the Scriptures. James compares hearing without doing to looking in a mirror and walking away unchanged.
Consider. What would I do differently if I found that a passage challenged a belief I hold?
Read first. Acts 8:35–39 · Acts 17:11
Read the surrounding verses. Acts 8:26–39
Context note. Philip begins with the Scripture the traveler is reading and tells him the good news about Jesus. The Bereans later examine the Scriptures to test what they hear.
Consider. Which passage would I open first, and what could I show directly from it?
Read first. Romans 10:9–10 · Acts 2:38 · Romans 6:3–4
Read the surrounding verses. Acts 2:36–42
Context note. Paul connects confessing Jesus with believing that God raised Him. Peter calls his hearers to repent and be baptized. Paul describes baptism in relation to Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Consider. How do these passages help me explain faith, repentance, confession, and baptism together?
Read first. Acts 2:38 · Acts 22:16 · Romans 6:3–4 · 1 Peter 3:21
Read the surrounding verses. 1 Peter 3:18–22
Context note. Peter speaks of forgiveness in Acts 2. Ananias speaks of washing away sins and calling on the Lord. Paul describes burial and new life with Christ. First Peter connects baptism with a good conscience toward God and Christ’s resurrection.
Consider. How does what I was taught compare with the purpose and meaning these passages give baptism?
Read first. Acts 9:11 · Acts 22:16 · Acts 16:30–34
Read the surrounding verses. Acts 9:10–19
Context note. Acts says Saul was praying before Ananias came to him. Paul’s retelling gives Ananias’s further instruction. In the jailer’s account, read the answer alongside what was taught and what followed that night.
Consider. Where does Scripture teach the response I relied on, and how does it compare with these accounts?
Read first. Mark 7:6–9 · Colossians 3:17
Read the surrounding verses. Mark 7:5–13
Context note. Jesus gives a concrete example of a tradition that set aside God’s command about honoring parents. Paul calls Christians to do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Consider. Is there a teaching I have accepted because it is familiar? What does the passage actually establish?
Read first. Ephesians 2:8–10 · Titus 3:4–7
Read the surrounding verses. Ephesians 2:4–10
Context note. Paul credits God’s mercy and grace for salvation. Ephesians then describes good works as part of the life God created for us in Christ.
Consider. How do these passages help me distinguish the basis of my hope from the way I live in response?
Read first. Luke 9:23 · John 14:15 · Revelation 2:10
Read the surrounding verses. Revelation 2:8–11
Context note. Jesus calls disciples to follow Him daily and connects love for Him with keeping His commands. In Revelation, He urges the church in Smyrna to remain faithful through suffering.
Consider. What part of following Jesus deserves renewed attention in my daily life?
Read first. Matthew 7:21–23 · John 12:48
Read the surrounding verses. Matthew 7:15–27
Context note. Jesus distinguishes calling Him Lord from doing His Father’s will. He follows with the picture of two builders. In John, Jesus says His word will judge the one who rejects it.
Consider. What words of Jesus guide my confidence and the choices I make now?
Read first. 2 Corinthians 13:5 · 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Read the surrounding verses. 1 Thessalonians 5:19–22
Context note. Paul urges the Corinthians to examine whether they are in the faith. His instruction to test everything in Thessalonians comes alongside counsel about hearing prophetic words and holding fast to what is good.
Consider. What question could I bring to Scripture with a willingness to listen and change?
On the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, Peter told the crowd that Jesus had been crucified, God had raised Him from the dead, and God had made Him both Lord and Christ. After Peter’s answer, he spoke about God’s promise. Those who received the message were baptized and continued learning and worshiping together. (Acts 2:22–42)
What did Peter tell the crowd about Jesus? Acts 2:22–36.
What did Peter tell them to do, and what did they do? Acts 2:37–41.
How did they live afterward? Acts 2:42–47.
Read the linked Scriptures first. Each opens in a new tab so you can keep your place here. The study notes summarize points to look for in the surrounding verses.
Genesis 1:26–28 · John 3:16–21 · 1 Peter 1:13–16
Study note. God made people in His image. He loves the world and sent His Son to save it. God is holy, and He calls His people to reflect His holiness in how they live.
Romans 3:21–26 · Romans 6:20–23
Study note. Paul says that all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory. Sin brings death. In the same passage where Paul describes our need, he points to the forgiveness and right standing God provides through Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:1–8 · Acts 2:22–36
Study note. Paul summarizes the good news he preached. Christ died for our sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day. The people who saw Him alive are part of Paul’s account.
Study note. God saves by grace through faith. Grace is His undeserved kindness. Paul says salvation is God’s gift and goes on to explain that God creates us in Christ to do good works.
Romans 10:14–17 · John 3:16–18 · John 8:21–30
Study note. Paul connects faith with hearing the message. Jesus calls us to believe in Him. Read what He says about who He is and what God has done through Him.
Study note. The Bible calls this repentance. At Pentecost, Peter calls his hearers to repent. In Athens, Paul calls all people to repent and points to the coming judgment and Jesus’ resurrection.
Romans 10:9–13 · Matthew 10:26–33
Study note. Paul connects confessing Jesus as Lord with believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Confessing means openly acknowledging your faith in Him.
Acts 2:38–41 · Acts 22:12–16 · Romans 6:3–4 · Galatians 3:26–29
Study note. Peter calls his hearers to repent and be baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins. Ananias tells Saul to be baptized and wash away his sins, calling on the Lord. Paul describes baptism as burial with Christ and rising to live a new life.
Acts 2:41–42 · 1 John 1:5–10 · Revelation 2:8–11
Study note. The first Christians continued in the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayer. John teaches believers to walk in the light and confess their sins. Jesus urges the church in Smyrna to remain faithful even through suffering.
1 Peter 1:3–9 · Romans 6:23 · John 3:16
Study note. Peter connects our living hope to Jesus’ resurrection and describes an inheritance kept in heaven. Paul calls eternal life God’s gift in Christ Jesus.
Study summary. Taken together, these passages show a response of trusting, obedient faith. We hear and believe the gospel, turn from sin, confess Jesus as Lord, are baptized into Christ, and keep following Him. The hope of salvation rests on what God has done through Jesus.
Read Ephesians 2:4–10. Paul begins with God’s mercy, describes salvation as a gift received through faith, and then explains where good works belong in the life God gives us.
In Mark 16:15–16, the risen Jesus sends His disciples to preach the good news and connects believing and being baptized with salvation. Verse 16 is part of Mark 16:9–20, a section some ancient manuscripts omit. See the translation’s footnote and compare Acts 2:37–42 · Romans 6:3–4 · Galatians 3:26–29.
You can start with one chapter. Read Acts 2 and ask who is speaking, what the listeners heard, and what they did. Write down any questions you want to explore.
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Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Classic, a public-domain translation.