The early apostolic preaching regularly comprises four elements (not always in the same order): (1) the announcement that the age of fulfilment has arrived; (2) an account of the ministry, death, and triumph of Jesus; (3) citation of Old Testament scriptures whose fulfilment in these events proves Jesus to be the one to whom they pointed forward; (4) a call to repentance. These four elements are present in Peter’s proclamation here.

It was the divine purpose, revealed through the prophets, that the Messiah should suffer

It was not possible that the chosen one of God should remain in the grip of death; “the abyss can no more hold the Redeemer than a pregnant woman can hold the child in her body.”

The words, “you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let your holy one see corruption,” refer therefore to the Messiah of David’s line, “great David’s greater Son,” whom David himself prefigured and in whose name he spoke those words by the Spirit of prophecy.

Jesus of Nazareth is therefore the expected Messiah.

It was a matter of public knowledge in and around Jerusalem that David—the “patriarch,” as Peter calls him (because he was the founder of a dynasty)—died and was buried and had never been raised from the tomb where he lay to the south of the city, near Siloam.

Like David, Jesus had died and been buried, but even if his tomb could be pointed out, there was no need to do so because, unlike David, he was risen; he was no longer there.

He had received from his Father the promised gift of the Holy Spirit, and had now poured out that Spirit on his followers; all Peter’s hearers had just witnessed the external tokens of this outpouring.

The invitation to sit at God’s right hand was not addressed to David: David did not ascend personally to heaven to share the throne of God. The invitation was addressed to the son of David, and has found its fulfilment in Jesus. He has been exalted not only by God’s right hand (as has been stated in v. 33) but to take his place at God’s right hand, the position of supremacy over the universe

This exaltation of Jesus, in accordance with Ps. 110:1, is an integral part of the primitive apostolic message, as it remains an integral part of the historic Christian creeds.

The attested facts point to one conclusion: God has made the crucified Jesus both Lord and Messiah.

The first apostolic sermon concludes with the first apostolic creed: “Jesus is Lord” (cf. Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11)—“Lord” not only as bearer of a courtesy title but as bearer of “the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9).

Indeed, in this very context it may well be that the promise of Joel 2:32, “all who call on Yahweh’s name shall be delivered,” is viewed as being fulfilled in those members of Peter’s audience who repentantly invoke Jesus as Lord.

Let them repent of their sin and turn to God; let them submit to baptism in the name of Jesus, confessed as Messiah. Then not only would they receive forgiveness of sins, but they would receive also the gift of the Holy Spirit—the gift which had been bestowed on the apostles themselves only a few hours before.

As in John’s preaching, a call to baptism is conjoined with the call to repentance.

Baptism in the Spirit is an inward work; baptism in water now becomes its external token.

baptism in water continued to be the visible sign by which those who believed the gospel, repented of their sins, and acknowledged Jesus as Lord were publicly incorporated into the Spirit-baptized fellowship of the new people of God.

It would indeed be a mistake to link the words “for the forgiveness of sins” with the command “be baptized” to the exclusion of the prior command to repent.

So here the reception of the Spirit is conditional not on baptism in itself but on baptism in Jesus’ name as the expression of repentance.