Luke 3:3: says, “And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” The word for (Greek: eis) in “for the remission of sins” can mean with a view to or because of. Those who responded to John’s invitation of baptism had already heard his message of coming judgment and of the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). They responded to baptism based on the convicting message they had already heard. The word eis is also translated at in Matthew 12:41, where it says the men of Nineveh “repented at the preaching of Jonas.” Did the men of Nineveh repent in order to get the preaching of Jonas? Or did they repent because of the preaching of Jonas? The latter, of course, is the proper answer.

See more on Acts 2:38 and 1 Peter 3:21.

For other passages discussing common passages used by Latter-day Saints, click here.