Acts 2:41 (WEB)

Passage

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

Nearby Context

Acts 2:39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

Acts 2:40 With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:42 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.

Acts 2:43 Fear came on every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "gladly", "received", "word", "baptized", "added", "three", "thousand", and "souls". 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 "With many other words he testified and..." into verse 42's "They continued steadfastly in the apostles teaching...", 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.