Paul says "believe" because he is addressing an individual Gentile under grace, not the Jewish nation under the Law.
Peter's "repent and be baptized" was given to the nation of Israel in Acts 2. Paul's "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" was given to the Philippian jailer as a single Gentile. Les shows this is a change of program, not a contradiction, and the belief includes the gospel that Christ died and rose again.
Acts 2:38 — Records Peter's answer of repentance and baptism to the Jewish nation in Acts 2.
Acts 16:31 — Records Paul's answer to the Philippian jailer: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved."
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 — Summarizes the gospel Paul preached, which is the content of the belief he called for.
In Acts 2:37-38, the Jews listening to Peter ask, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter answers, "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." In Acts 16:30-31, the Philippian jailer asks Paul and Silas, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" and they answer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Paul later summarizes the gospel he preached in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Romans 1:16 states that the gospel is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth."
Les Feldick explains the difference by comparing the two settings. In Acts 2, Peter is addressing the covenant nation of Israel, and the question is "What must we do?" Les says that was the Jewish program for the nation. In Acts 16, Paul is on Gentile ground speaking to one individual, the Philippian jailer, who asks "What must I do?" God deals with individual Gentiles under grace rather than with the nation under the Law. Les stresses that Paul's answer is not "repent and be baptized" but simply "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ." The content of that belief is the gospel Paul preached: Christ died for sins, was buried, and rose again. Les says the jailer was not told to do anything; he was told to believe that everything necessary for salvation had already been accomplished.
In Acts 2, the listeners are Jews asking Peter, "What shall we do?" and Peter gives the answer of repentance and baptism. In Acts 16, the Philippian jailer is a Gentile asking Paul and Silas, "What must I do to be saved?" Les notes that the first is the nation of Israel speaking, while the second is one individual. He says Peter's setting was the Jewish program for the nation, while Paul's setting was an individual Gentile under grace.
Paul and Silas answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31). Les points out that the verse does not say "repent and be baptized." If that were the criteria, he says, it would have been in the text. Instead, the jailer was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and Les connects that belief to Paul's gospel: Christ died for sins, was buried, and rose again.
Les says you can search Paul's letters from Romans through Hebrews and you will not find Paul teaching repentance and baptism for salvation. He says the Jewish program involved repentance and baptism, but the Gentile program is simply to believe the gospel. Les warns against mixing the two, saying they are different economies.
Les distinguishes between believing in God and believing God. Believing God means resting on what God has said. The gospel is that Christ died for sins, was buried, and rose again. Les also says genuine saving belief is not mere mental assent; it is Holy Spirit-driven, with one's eternal destiny resting on what Christ did on the cross.
Comparing the Two Questions
Les compares Acts 2:37 with Acts 16:30 to show Peter addressed the Jewish nation asking "What shall we do?" while Paul addressed an individual Gentile asking "What must I do?"
Jewish Program vs. Paul's Answer
Peter's "repent and be baptized" was for the nation of Israel; Paul's answer to the Gentile was "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ," not "repent and be baptized."
The Jailer's Simple Response
The jailer was told not to do anything but to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gospel he was to believe is that Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
Believing God vs. Believing in God
Paul does not require repentance, baptism, or church membership; the requirement is to believe that Jesus died and rose again. Saving belief is "believing God," not just "believing in God."
Individual, Not Nation
The jailer asks as one individual, "What must I do to be saved?" while Acts 2 asks as the covenant nation, "What must we do?" This highlights individual dealing under grace.
No Repentance and Baptism in Paul's Letters
Les says you can search Paul's letters and you will not find repentance and baptism for salvation; to the Jew it was repent and be baptized, to the Gentile it is believe the gospel.
Paul's Gospel Defined
Paul's gospel is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day; this gospel opens the door for both pagans and legalists.
Genuine Saving Belief
Saving belief is not mental assent; it is a genuine, Holy Spirit-driven belief that one's eternal destiny is based on what Christ did on the cross.
Acts 2:38: 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.
Records Peter's answer to the Jewish listeners who asked what they should do.
Acts 16:30: And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
The Philippian jailer's individual question to Paul and Silas.
Acts 16:31: And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
The direct answer given to the jailer, calling for belief rather than ritual action.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4: For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Paul's summary of the gospel that defines what a person must believe.
Romans 1:16: For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Connects the gospel to salvation for everyone who believes.
Les says no. He challenges readers to search Paul's letters from Romans through Hebrews, and says you will not find Paul teaching repentance and baptism for salvation. That was the Jewish program in Acts 2, not the gospel for the Gentile.
He was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31). Les says the jailer was not told to do anything; he was to believe that Christ died, was buried, and rose again.
Peter was speaking to the nation of Israel. The Jews asked "What shall we do?" and Peter gave the answer for that Jewish program. Paul later answers an individual Gentile differently.
No. Les distinguishes between believing in God and believing God. Genuine saving belief is Holy Spirit-driven and rests on what Christ did on the cross for the believer.
Watch the Teaching: What Must I Do to Be Saved? Acts 16 Explained