So many people are confused as to what scripture says about the remission of sins.
Please look at
http://www.biblestudytools.com and do a search in the King James version for remission. Then look at every passage which has that word in the New Testament. Then look at the meaning of the words in each passage.
To summarize it, to be baptized for the remission of sin is NOT to be baptized so one will be forgiven (have remission) of sin, but because one has forgiveness of sins.
Let’s look at this in more detail:
Matthew 26:28 tells us, “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
In Mark 1:4, we see, “John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance FOR the remission of sins.”
In Luke 3:3, we see, “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance FOR the remission of sins.”
In Acts 2:38, we see, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent , and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ FOR the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Now, before you get confused that people must be baptized in order to have the remission of sin, there are two ways to use the word “for.” What is meant by the phrase “Billy the Kid is wanted for murder”? It can either mean he is wanted so he can murder someone, or it can mean he is wanted because he murdered someone. Obviously, we understand the phrase to mean the latter – he was wanted because he murdered someone. This is the same usage of the word translated as “for” (the Greek word is
Eis) in Matthew 26:28, Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3: Christ shed his blood because people would receive salvation through faith in what He did, and people should be baptized because of what Christ did – not so they will receive forgiveness, but because of the forgiveness they have already received when they believed. The idea is we should be baptized because of what Christ did for us (shed blood so our sins could be forgiven when we have faith) – not so we will receive forgiveness of sin.