| Topic: |
Religions > Bible |
| User: |
"Carl" |
| Date: |
03 Feb 2008 05:05:33 PM |
| Object: |
Baptism and Acts 2:38 |
Some folks who promote water baptism (a work of man) as a requirement for
salvation mistakenly attempt to use Acts 2:3 (probably the most wrongfully
interpreted passage) to support their erroneous claim. Matthew Slick shows
why Acts 2:38 actually doesn't support that claim.
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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Baptism and Acts 2:38
by Matthew J. Slick, B.A., M. Div.
Acts 2:38 is one of the more controversial verses in the Bible regarding
baptism and whether or not it is the requirement for salvation. Some use
this verse to say that one must be baptized in order to be saved. But when
you look at the verse, and others, you will see that it does not teach
baptismal regeneration, that baptism saves, or that baptism is necessary for
salvation.
First of all, rarely is doctrine ever made from a single verse. We need to
look at all of what God's words says about a subject in order to accurately
understand what it teaches. I will briefly tackle of this verse in the
following manner.
Examination of the verse's syntax, grammar and structure.
Examine other verses dealing with the forgiveness of sins.
Examine the verse in its covenant context.
Grammar and Structure of Acts 2:38
In Acts 2:38 the main verb is metanoesate (change mind), the aorist direct
imperative (a command) of metanoeo which means to repent (change mind). This
refers to that initial repentance of the sinner unto salvation. The verb
translated "be baptized" is in the indirect passive imperative (a command to
receive; hence, passive voice in Greek1) of baptizo, which does not give it
the same direct command implied in "repent." The preposition "for" in the
phrase "for the remission of sins" in Greek is "eis," unto or into, and it
is in the accusative case (direct object). It can mean "for the purpose of
identifying you with the remission of sins." It is the same preposition we
find in 1 Cor. 10:2 in the phrase "and were baptized unto Moses." Note that
both contexts are dealing with baptism and identification. In 1 Cor. 10:2
the people were baptized or spiritually identifying themselves with the
purposes and vision of Moses.
Repentance, therefore, is presented as identifying an individual with the
remission of his sins, even as baptism following repentance provides an
external identification visible by others. Repentance is something that
concerns an individual and God while baptism involves others. That is why
baptistheto (let be immersed) is in the passive voice indicating that one
does not baptize himself, but is baptized by another usually in the presence
of others. Repentance, however, is an act taking place within a person's
heart as the Holy Spirit moves in the sinner.
But, all this Greek stuff may be confusing. Let me break it down. All
people are commanded to repent for their sins. This is what believers have
already done by becoming Christians. Baptism, then, is the outward
identification with being a Christian for those who have already repented.
Also, as the Israelites were "baptized into Moses" (1 Cor. 10:2), so too,
Christians are baptized into Jesus. That is, they are identifying
themselves, publicly, with Christ. Likewise, in Rom. 6:1-5 where baptism is
related to death, burial, and resurrection, it is again and identification
with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. That is why it is said
of Christians that we have died to sin (Rom. 6:2, 11; Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:20;
Col. 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:24).
This verse is not demonstrating that baptism is essential for salvation, but
that baptism is the thing which we receive, in order to publicly identify
ourselves completely and totally with Christ as a manifestation of the
inward work God has done within us.
Other verses dealing with salvation
Justification is the work of God where the righteousness of Jesus is
reckoned to the sinner so the sinner is declared, by God, as being righteous
under the Law (Rom. 4:3; 5:1,9; Gal. 2:16; 3:11). This righteousness is not
earned or retained by any effort of the saved. Justification is an
instantaneous occurrence with the result being eternal life. It is based
completely and solely upon Jesus' sacrifice on the cross (1 Pet. 2:24) and
is received by faith alone (Rom. 4:5; 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9). No works are
necessary whatsoever to obtain justification. Otherwise, it is not a gift
(Rom. 6:23). Therefore, we are justified by faith (Rom. 5:1).
Nowhere in the Bible does it state that we are justified by grace and
baptism or faith and baptism or faith and anything else. On the contrary,
baptism is excluded from the gospel message. Paul said that he came to
preach the gospel, not to baptize: "I am thankful that I did not baptize any
of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized
into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that,
I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to
baptize, but to preach the gospel..." (1 Cor. 1:14-17).
Likewise, Paul told us exactly what the gospel that saves is. He said in 1
Cor. 15:1-4, "Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached
to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, 2 by which also
you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you
believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I
also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4
and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to
the Scriptures." Note that Paul state and that the gospel is what saints
and he did not include baptism in the definition of the gospel.
So, we must ask if baptism is necessary for salvation, then why did Paul
downplay it and even exclude it from the description of what is required for
salvation? It is because baptism isn't necessary for salvation.
Further proof that baptism is not a requirement of salvation can be found in
Acts 10:44-46. Peter was preaching the gospel, people became saved, and
then they were baptized. Acts 10:44-46 says,
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who
heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were
astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the
Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then
Peter said, 'Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water?
They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.' So he ordered that they
be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with
them for a few days" (NIV).
These people were saved. The gift of the Holy Spirit was on the Gentiles and
they were speaking in tongues. This is significant because tongues is a gift
given to believers, see 1 Cor. 14:1-5. Also, unbelievers don't praise God.
They can't because praise to the true God is a deep spiritual matter that is
foreign to the unsaved (1 Cor. 2:14). Therefore, the ones in Acts 10:44-46
who are speaking in tongues and praising God are definitely saved and they
are saved before they are baptized. This isn't an exception. It is a
reality. This proves that baptism is not necessary for salvation and that
Acts 2:38 is not teaching its necessity either. But, if it isn't saying
that, then why is baptism mentioned here?
Biblical Covenant Context
A covenant is a pact or agreement between two or more parties. Very often,
covenants have visible signs to represent them. The elements of bread and
wine in the communion support are good examples of this. Circumcision was
both a covenant sign and and the initiatory rite into the Abrahamic covenant
(Gen. 17:10). But this covenant sign did not save anyone.
God said to Abraham, "I will establish my covenant as an everlasting
covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the
generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after
you" (Gen. 17:7, NIV). God later instructed Abraham to circumcise not only
every adult male, but also eight day old male infants as a sign of the
covenant (Gen. 17:9-13). If the children were not circumcised, they were not
considered to be under the promissory Abrahamic covenant. This is why Moses'
wife circumcised her son and threw the foreskin at Moses' feet after Moses
failed to circumcise him, (Exo. 4:24-25). She knew the importance of the
covenant between God and her children. But at the same time we must
understand that circumcision did not guarantee salvation to those who
received it. It was a rite meant only for the people of God, who were born
into the family of God (who were then the Jews). It was an outward sign of
the covenant promise. To reject it was to reject the covenant. But,
accepting it did not guarantee salvation.
Another theological debate at risk here
There is debate within Christianity on the nature of baptism and to whom it
may be administered. I am not here trying to convince anyone of the proper
objects of baptism whether it be infant baptism or adult only baptism. I
only present the following information as a proof that baptism is a covenant
sign, and not essential to salvation.
In the New Testament, circumcision is mentioned many times. But with respect
to baptism it is specifically mentioned in Col. 2:11-12: "In him you were
also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a
circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by
Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through
your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead" (NIV). In
these verses, baptism and circumcision are related. The extent of that
relationship is still being debated. Nevertheless, Paul also says in Rom.
2:29, "But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which
is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not
from men, but from God." As you can see, for the Christian, circumcision is
of the heart. And because it is, we Christians are now included the
Abrahamic covenant where before, we, the Gentiles, were not. "Remember that
you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth
of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and
without God in the world," (Eph. 2:12, NASB).
In Gal. 3:8, Paul calls the promise of the Abrahamic covenant, the gospel.
He says, "And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles
by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'All the
nations shall be blessed in you, 9 So then those who are of faith are
blessed with Abraham, the believer.'" (Gal. 3:8-9). So, Paul calls the
Abrahamic covenant, the gospel. The sign of this Abrahamic covenant was
circumcision.
Here is the catch. Since the Abrahamic covenant is still valid (we are
justified by faith -- Gal. 3:8), then is there a covenant sign for us today?
I think the answer is a resounding, yes. I believe that baptism replaces
the Old Testament covenant sign of circumcision because 1) there was a New
Covenant in the communion supper (Luke 22:20), and 2) in circumcision there
was the shedding of blood, but in baptism no blood is shed. The covenant
sign has changed now that the Law has been fulfilled in Christ.
If you understand that baptism is a covenant sign, then you can see that it
is a representation of the reality of Christ circumcising our hearts (Rom.
2:29; Col. 2:11-12). It is our outward proclamation of the inward spiritual
blessing of regeneration, of "heart-circumcision." It comes after faith
which is a gift of God (Rom. 13:3) and the work of God (John 6:28). Again,
baptism is the covenant sign of our covenant with God.
Acts 2:39 and "The Promise"
This would explain why Peter in verse 39 of Acts 2 says, "For the promise is
for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord
our God shall call to Himself." What promise is Peter speaking of when he
says "the promise"? Notice that he does not say "this promise" but "the
promise." If Peter was referring to baptism as the promise he would have
said "this promise." Instead, he used a phrase "the promise." This is
significant.
The phrase "the promise" occurs in 26 Bible verses in the New Testament. It
is used in reference to several different topics.
The Holy Spirit, (Luke 24:49; Acts 2:33; Gal. 3:14).
God's promise to Abraham to multiply his descendents in Egypt, physical as
well as spiritual, (Acts 7:17; Heb. 6:13, 15, 17).
The promise of the Messiah, (Acts 13:32; Acts 26:6-7; Rom. 4:13,14,16; Gal.
3:17,19,22; Eph. 3:6; 2 Tim. 1:1).
The promise of eternal redemption (Heb. 9:15; 1 John 2:25).
The promise that Sarah would have a child (Rom. 4:20; Gal. 4:23).
The promise that through Isaac, the world would be blessed, (Rom. 9:8).
The promise of Jesus' return (2 Pet. 3:4).
The promise to kill Paul by Paul's adversaries (Acts 22:21).
But, we are most interested in its context in Acts 2 which begins with the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-13). Peter then preaches a sermon
and quotes many OT scriptures (Acts 2:14-35). In verse 2:22, Peter
specifically says, "Men of Israel, listen to these words..." Peter is
speaking to the Jews. It was to the Jews that "the promise" of the
outpouring of the Spirit was given. Peter is speaking covenant language of
God as He quotes the OT. Since Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 in Acts 2:17-18,
we can easily see what Peter is talking about when speaking of "the promise"
in Acts 2:39.
"And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'that I will pour forth of My
Spirit upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams,
Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth
of My Spirit," (Acts 2:17-18).
See also, "For I will pour out water on the thirsty land, and streams on the
dry ground; I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring, And My blessing on
your descendants," (Isaiah 44:3).
Peter states in Acts 2:38, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit." Peter is clearly speaking of the promise of
God to grant the Holy Spirit in a new and better way. But is he saying that
people become saved by baptism in water or that baptism is part of
salvation? Not at all. Peter is simply speaking covenantally about the
covenant sign. Baptism!
Consider this proof, from Peter, that people are saved before baptism.
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all
those who were listening to the message. 45And all the circumcised believers
who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had
been poured out upon the Gentiles also. 46For they were hearing them
speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, 47"Surely no
one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy
Spirit just as we did, can he?" 48And he ordered them to be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days," (Acts
10:44-48).
Notice that Peter had been preaching the gospel and the Holy Spirit fell
upon the people. In verse 45 we see that "the gift of the Holy Spirit had
been poured out upon the Gentiles also." These people were saved. The gift
of the Holy Spirit was on the Gentiles and they were speaking in tongues.
This is significant because tongues is a gift given to believers, see 1 Cor.
14:1-5. Also, unbelievers don't praise God. They can't because praise to the
true God is a deep spiritual matter that is foreign to the unsaved (1 Cor.
2:14). Therefore, the ones in Acts 10:44-48 who are speaking in tongues and
praising God are definitely saved and they are saved before they are
baptized. This simply isn't an exception. It is a reality.
Conclusion
Acts 2:38 so closely ties repentance and baptism because it is contextually
covenant language and covenant concept. It is not stating that you must be
baptized in order to be saved. It is saying that baptism is the complete
and total covenantal identification with Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection. It is not the covenant representation (baptism) of what
Christ did that saves us, but the reality of His sacrifice which we receive
by faith (Rom. 5:1; Gal. 3:8). That is why we can see in Acts 10:44-48 a
group of people who are saved before they are baptized.
Baptism is not what saves. It is not part of salvation. It is something
someone does who is already saved.
_______________
1. Active voice is "I hit the ball." Passive voice is "The ball hit me."
Middle voice is "I was hit by the ball." In active voice, "I" performed the
action. In passive voice, "I" received the action. In middle voice, "I"
did something to myself.
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| User: "Carl" |
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| Title: Re: Baptism and Acts 2:38 |
03 Feb 2008 07:31:00 PM |
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Acts 16:25-31
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and
the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a
violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once
all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27 The
jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and
was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28
But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul
and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to
be saved?"
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and
your household."
May God bless,
Carl
my website -- http://www.nettally.com/saints/
my blog -- http://www.anniemayhem.com/cgi-bin/wordpress/
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| User: "SheBlewHimDidYouBlowHim" |
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| Title: Re: Baptism and Acts 2:38 |
03 Feb 2008 08:41:44 PM |
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"Carl" <saints@nettally.com> wrote in message
news:fo5psm$j3c$1@news.utelfla.com...
Acts 16:25-31
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,
and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such
a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At
once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27
The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his
sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had
escaped. 28 But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul
and Silas. 30 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to
be saved?"
31 They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you
and your household."
just more ***** carl from superstitious cave dwellers and goat fuckers
hasn't your HORSESHIT sky pixie god said anything NEW lately?
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| User: "SheBlewHimDidYouBlowHim" |
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| Title: Re: Baptism and Acts 2:38 |
03 Feb 2008 05:40:57 PM |
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just more cave dweller and goat fucker *****
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