Acts 2:41 (KJV)

Passage

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Nearby Context

Acts 2:39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call.

Acts 2:40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gladly", "received", "word", "baptized", "same", "added", "three", and "thousand". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "gladly" and "received", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 40's "And with many other words did he..." into verse 42's "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles...", so "gladly" and "received" belong inside that flow. In Acts context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "gladly" and "received" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.