The Elder tries to prove that the people on Pentecost were regenerated before Peter addressed them. He says they had good hearts. I will admit they had honest hearts, but they were the betrayers and murderers of Jesus, and their hearts were sinful. (J. H. Lawson, a Campbellite minister, From his debate In 1898. With Elder John M. Thompson, on church identity. “This was a written debate.”)

The question being addressed is whether the hearers of Peter's address on the Day of Pentecost, had been regenerated before they obeyed and were baptized. We will admit the possibility that some portion of them might have been born of the Spirit while they were listening to Peter, since the new birth can happen at any time and under any circumstances; but it is not logical to think that all of them fell into that category. Some of the Jews were amazed, and marveled; and they were by the Scriptures set in opposition to those who mocked. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that if they marveled beforehand and marveled after Peter spoke, their hearts did not change while he was speaking.

When these men heard Peter, they were pricked in their hearts. Not all the Jews present were pricked in their hearts, but these were. Paul told the Thessalonians, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in Word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. He knew that they were of God's elect because the gospel Came to them in power. There are few recorded instances when the gospel came in any Greater power than did Peter's. Preaching on the Day of Pentecost, So we can conclude from that fact that the men who were pricked in their hearts had been born again.

Those who heard Peter ask, “what shall we do?” They were convicted by his preaching and felt that they ought to be doing something of a religious nature, but they were not sure what it was they should be doing; so Peter told them, “Repent, and be baptized, everyone of you.” Paul taught Titus that the grace of God has appeared to all manner of men, and when it does, it teaches us that “denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.” These men felt that they ought to be serving God, and thus, they inquired what they should be doing. If they manifested a genuine desire to serve God, then they manifested grace in their hearts.

“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized.” They received Peter's preaching before they were baptized, and therefore it was too late for them to have been regenerated by their baptism. Belief and repentance are absolute prerequisites to scriptural baptism, and where those gracious factors are manifested, we may be sure, that grace has already been at work in each individual's heart.

Yes, these men had been the murderers of Jesus, and that was a sin; but was Mr. Lawson implying that he, himself had no sin? If Jesus died for his sins (Mr. Lawson's sins), then his sins were the reason why Jesus died; and he is no more blameless than were the Jews who lived in that day. His comment there smacks of great self righteousness.