The Meaning of Acts 22:16 Explained

Acts 22:16

KJV: And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

YLT: and now, why tarriest thou? having risen, baptize thyself, and wash away thy sins, calling upon the name of the Lord.

Darby: And now why lingerest thou? Arise and get baptised, and have thy sins washed away, calling on his name.

ASV: And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  now  why  tarriest thou?  arise,  and be baptized,  and  wash away  thy  sins,  calling on  the name  of the Lord. 

What does Acts 22:16 Mean?

Study Notes

sins
Sin.
sinned
Sin, Summary: The literal meanings of the Heb. and (Greek - ἀλεκτοροφωνία sin," "sinner," etc)., disclose the true nature of sin in its manifold manifestations. Sin is transgression, an overstepping of the law, the divine boundary between good and evil Psalms 51:1 ; Luke 15:29 , iniquity, an act inherently wrong, whether expressly forbidden or not; error, a departure from right; Psalms 51:9 ; Romans 3:23 , missing the mark, a failure to meet the divine standard; trespass, the intrusion of self-will into the sphere of divine authority Ephesians 2:1 , lawlessness, or spiritual anarchy 1 Timothy 1:9 , unbelief, or an insult to the divine veracity John 16:9 .
Sin originated with Satan Isaiah 14:12-14 , entered the world through Adam Romans 5:12 , was, and is, universal, Christ alone excepted; Romans 3:23 ; 1 Peter 2:22 , incurs the penalties of spiritual and physical death; Genesis 2:17 ; Genesis 3:19 ; Ezekiel 18:4 ; Ezekiel 18:20 ; Romans 6:23 and has no remedy but in the sacrificial death of Christ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Acts 4:12 availed of by faith Acts 13:38 ; Acts 13:39 . Sin may be summarized as threefold: An act, the violation of, or want of obedience to the revealed will of God; a state, absence of righteousness; a nature, enmity toward God.

Verse Meaning

Acts 22:16 has been a problem to some readers of Acts because one might understand it to say that water baptism washes away sins. The writers of Scripture present water baptism elsewhere not as the agent of spiritual cleansing but as the illustration of spiritual cleansing that has already taken place ( 1 Corinthians 6:11; 1 Peter 3:21). The agent of spiritual cleansing is faith in Christ. Paul referred to faith in this verse as "calling on His name" (cf. Joel 2:32). Paul evidently experienced regeneration on the Damascus road; he believed that Jesus of Nazareth was the divine Messiah predicted in the Old Testament ( Acts 22:10; cf. Galatians 1:11-12; Acts 9:17-18). He experienced baptism in water after he called on the Lord for salvation. The Lord washed Paul"s sins away when he called on the Lord. Then Paul arose and received baptism. The Greek word epikalesamenos, translated "calling on," is an aorist participle meaning "having called on."
"Baptism symbolized the method of salvation (identification with Christ) and washing symbolized the result (cleansing from sin)." [1]

Context Summary

Acts 22:1-16 - How His Life Was Changed
What a sermon Paul preached! His pulpit, the steps that ascended from the Temple level to the Castle of Antonia. His audience, the frenzied crowds who filled the court below him, but who were calmed to silence as they heard the venerable Hebrew speech, which was unintelligible to the Romans around them. His text, the real and personal interposition of the living Christ to arrest his course of persecution and convert him. Here was a fact, which to the Apostle was the greatest of all facts, namely, that he had seen Jesus Christ, and had been transformed by what he had seen and heard. No light thing could have revolutionized his life. His zeal for the Old Covenant and his persecution of the Christian sect were guarantees of his anti-Christian bias. He was not shallow or fickle, or likely to be moved by anything less than an imperative revelation.
We must obey a step at a time. God says much to us directly, but He loves to employ servants like Ananias, who live in immediate touch with Him. Paul never forgot that salutation, Brother. Be very careful how you treat young converts; they need the kindest and most sympathetic handling as they step out into their new life.
We are chosen of God for three things: to know His will; to see Him; and to hear His voice, Acts 22:14. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 22

1  Paul declares how he was converted to the faith,
17  and called to his apostleship
22  At the very mentioning of the Gentiles the people exclaim on him
24  He would have been scourged;
25  but claiming the privilege of a Roman, he escapes

Greek Commentary for Acts 22:16

By baptized [βαπτισαι]
First aorist middle (causative), not passive, Get thyself baptized (Robertson, Grammar, p. 808). Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:2. Submit yourself to baptism. So as to απολουσαι — apolousai Get washed off as in 1 Corinthians 6:11. It is possible, as in Acts 2:38, to take these words as teaching baptismal remission or salvation by means of baptism, but to do so is in my opinion a complete subversion of Paul‘s vivid and picturesque language. As in Romans 6:4-6 where baptism is the picture of death, burial and resurrection, so here baptism pictures the change that had already taken place when Paul surrendered to Jesus on the way (Acts 22:10). Baptism here pictures the washing away of sins by the blood of Christ. [source]
Wash away [ἀπόλουσαι]
See on Acts 16:33. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 22:16

Luke 5:2 Were washing []
From the sand and pebbles accumulated during the night's work. Luke uses four different words for washing or cleansing: πλύνω , here, see also Revelation 7:14; ἀπομάσσω , of wiping the dust from the feet, only at Luke 10:11; ἐκμάσσω , of the woman wiping Christ's feet with her hair, Luke 7:38, Luke 7:44; ἀπολούω , of washing away sins, Acts 22:16; λούω , of washing the prisoners' stripes and the body of Dorcas, Acts 16:33; Acts 9:37. The reading ἀποπλύνω is rejected by the best texts, so that ἀπομάσσω is the only one peculiar to Luke. All the words were common in medical language. [source]
Luke 5:2 Were washing [επλυνον]
Imperfect active, though some MSS. have aorist επλυναν — eplunan Vincent comments on Luke‘s use of five verbs for washing: this one for cleaning, απομασσω — apomassō for wiping the dust from one‘s feet (Luke 10:11), εκμασσω — ekmassō of the sinful woman wiping Christ‘s feet with her hair (Luke 7:38, Luke 7:44), απολουω — apolouō of washing away sins (symbolically, of course) as in Acts 22:16, and λουω — louō of washing the body of Dorcas (Acts 9:37) and the stripes of the prisoners (Acts 16:33). On “nets” see note on Matthew 4:18 and note on Mark 1:16. [source]
Acts 3:17 And now [και νυν]
Luke is fond of these particles of transition (Acts 7:34; Acts 10:5; Acts 20:25; Acts 22:16) and also και τα νυν — kai ta nun (Acts 4:29; Acts 5:38; 22:32; Acts 27:22), and even και νυν ιδου — kai nun idou (Acts 13:11; Acts 20:22). [source]
Acts 7:59 Receive my spirit [δεχαι το πνευμα μου]
Aorist middle imperative, urgency, receive it now. Many have followed Stephen into death with these words upon their dying lips. See, Acts 9:14, Acts 9:21; Acts 22:16. [source]
Acts 8:26 Toward the South [κατα μεσημβριαν]
Old word from μεσος — mesos and ημερα — hēmera midday or noon as in Acts 22:16, the only other example in the N.T. That may be the idea here also, though “towards the South” gets support from the use of κατα λιβα — kata liba in Acts 27:12. [source]
Acts 9:18 As if it were scales [ως λεπιδες]
Chiefly late word (lxx) from λεπω — lepō to peel, and only here in the N.T. See Tobit 11:13, “The white film peeled from his eyes” Luke does not say that actual “scales” fell from the eyes of Saul, but that it felt that way to him as his sight returned, “as if” Medical writers use the word λεπις — lepis for pieces of the skin that fall off (Hobart, Medical Language of St. Luke, p. 39). Luke may have heard Paul tell of this vivid experience. Was baptized (εβαπτιστη — ebaptisthē). First aorist passive indicative. Apparently by Ananias (Acts 22:16) as a symbol of the new life in Christ already begun, possibly in the pool in the house of Judas as today water is plentiful in Damascus or in Abana or Pharpar (Furneaux), better than all the waters of Israel according to Naaman (2 Kings 5:12). [source]
Acts 9:18 Was baptized [εβαπτιστη]
First aorist passive indicative. Apparently by Ananias (Acts 22:16) as a symbol of the new life in Christ already begun, possibly in the pool in the house of Judas as today water is plentiful in Damascus or in Abana or Pharpar (Furneaux), better than all the waters of Israel according to Naaman (2 Kings 5:12). [source]
1 Corinthians 6:11 But ye were washed [απελουσαστε]
First aorist middle indicative, not passive, of απολουω — apolouō Either direct middle, ye washed yourselves, or indirect middle, as in Acts 22:16, ye washed your sins away (force of απο — apo). This was their own voluntary act in baptism which was the outward expression of the previous act of God in cleansing “These twin conceptions of the Christian state in its beginning appear commonly in the reverse order” (Findlay). The outward expression is usually mentioned before the inward change which precedes it. In this passage the Trinity appear as in the baptismal command in Matthew 28:19. [source]
2 Timothy 2:22 Call on the Lord [ἐπικαλουμένων τὸν κύριον]
A Pauline phrase, only here in Pastorals. See Romans 10:12, Romans 10:13, Romans 10:14; 1 Corinthians 1:2. See also Acts 2:21; Acts 9:14; Acts 22:16. [source]
Revelation 1:5 Washed [λούσαντι]
Read λύσαντι loosedTrench remarks on the variation of readings as having grown out of a play on the words λουτρόν , a bathing, and λύτρον aransom, both of which express the central benefits which redound to us through the sacrifice and death of Christ. He refers to this play upon words as involved in the etymology of the name Apollo as given by Plato; viz., the washer ( ὁ ἀπολούων ) and the absolver ( ὁ ἀπολύων ) from all impurities. Either reading falls in with a beautiful circle of imagery. If washed, compare Psalm 51:2; Isaiah 1:16, Isaiah 1:18; Ezekiel 36:25; Acts 22:16; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5. If loosed, compare Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:6; 1 Peter 1:18; Hebrews 9:12; Galatians 3:13; Galatians 4:5; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 14:3, Revelation 14:4. [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 22:16 mean?

And now why delay you Having arisen be baptized wash away the sins of you calling on the name of Him
καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ

νῦν  now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: νῦν  
Sense: at this time, the present, now.
τί  why 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
μέλλεις  delay  you 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
ἀναστὰς  Having  arisen 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀναπηδάω 
Sense: to cause to rise up, raise up.
βάπτισαι  be  baptized 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: βαπτίζω  
Sense: to dip repeatedly, to immerse, to submerge (of vessels sunk).
ἀπόλουσαι  wash  away 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Middle, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολούω  
Sense: to wash off or away.
ἁμαρτίας  sins 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Plural
Root: ἁμαρτία  
Sense: equivalent to 264.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
ἐπικαλεσάμενος  calling  on 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἐπικαλέω  
Sense: to put a name upon, to surname.
ὄνομα  name 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ὄνομα  
Sense: name: univ.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.