The apostles spoke plainly of the great sin of the Jews in rejecting and putting to death the Prince of life; but they were careful not to drive their hearers to despair. "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just," Peter said, "and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." "And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled." He declared that the Holy Spirit was calling upon them to repent and be converted, and assured them that there was no hope of salvation except through the mercy of the One whom they had crucified. Only through faith in Him could their sins be forgiven.

Apostlene talte lige ud om den store synd, jøderne havde begået ved at forkaste og dræbe livets fyrste, men de tog sig i agt for ikke at drive deres tilhørere til fortvivlelse. "I fornægtede den hellige og retfærdige," sagde Peter, "og bad om, at I måtte få en morder benådet. Livets banebryder dræbte I, men Gud opvakte ham fra de døde; derom er vi vidner." Nu ved jeg vel, mine brødre, at I har handlet i uvidenhed, både I og jeres rådsherrer. Men på den måde har Gud ladet det gå i opfyldelse, som han forud havde forkyndt gennem alle profeternes mund, at hans salvede skulle lide." Han erklærede, at Helligånden kaldte dem til anger og bod, og forsikrede dem, at der ikke var håb om frelse uden ved hans nåde, som de havde korsfæstet. Kun ved tro på ham kunne de få tilgivelse for deres synder.