Why wait any longer? (Jerusalem Bible “And now why delay?”) is a colloquial Greek idiomatic expression. Get up in Greek is actually a participle which may be taken either as an imperative, as in the Good News Translation, or as a Semitic idiom describing the initiation of some action. Most scholars understand it in the way the Good News Translation has rendered it.

In Greek the two verbs be baptized and have your sins washed away are both in the so-called middle voice. They mean something like “have yourself baptized and have your sins washed away,” but most translations render the first verb as “be baptized.” It seems preferable to do this in English, since in meaning there is no difference between the command “to be baptized” and “to have oneself baptized.” In the New Testament (and especially in the book of Acts) there is a close connection between baptism and the forgiveness of sins. However, the New Testament does not imply that baptism is the means by which one’s sins are forgiven. In a number of languages it is impossible to have an imperative passive such as be baptized. One can, however, in some languages say “cause someone to baptize you” or “enter into the rite of baptism.” Similarly, have your sins washed away may be rendered as “cause your sins to be washed away” or “cause God to wash away your sins.”

The participle by calling on his name is an aorist participle and must be taken as action prior to the main verb or verbs with which it is connected. In the present context it is difficult to know if this participle is connected with both verbs, be baptized and have your sins washed away, or only with the latter of the two. Most translations are about as ambiguous as the Greek here, though the Good News Translation appears to take the participle only with the verb have your sins washed away (note Jerusalem Bible “It is time you were baptized and had your sins washed away while invoking his name”). The New English Bible connects this participle only with the first of these verbs, something which is quite difficult to do on the basis of the Greek: “Be baptized at once, with invocation of his name, and wash away your sins.” An American Translation* is typical of what most other translators have done: “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.” However, in translation it may be necessary to say “calling on the name of the Lord” or even “calling on the Lord.” This latter expression would be used to avoid the implication that the name of the Lord was merely employed as a part of some magical incantation or formula.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .