The+Relationship+of+Baptism+and+Salvation+in+Acts

toc

= = =//**The Relationship of Baptism and Salvation in Acts **//=

= =

Despite the works-based religions that claim the Bible teaches baptism as a qualifier for salvation, scripture clearly articulates that salvation is not of man’s works, but solely through God’s grace and power. Baptism does not merit salvation or act as a means to receive the Holy Spirit. Several passages in Acts teach that it is the preaching of the Word of God and the sinner’s heart receiving that gospel message and repenting that is the way of salvation; baptism is a fruit that comes from the contrite sinner that has received God’s gift of grace and is positioned as redeemed.

Often misinterpreted and taken out of context, the second chapter of Acts, verse 38, offers excellent support of the truth that salvation occurs when sinners repent; the passage does not teach that baptism saves a person. At this point in Acts, it was the day of Pentecost, and the Holy Spirit had just come upon the group of one hundred and twenty believers, and the Jews in Jerusalem were astonished and wary about the people speaking in tongues. Peter had just given these questioning Jews his sermon proclaiming the gospel: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified,” (Acts 2:36). The reaction of Peter’s Jewish audience was a genuine one: “They were cut to the heart,” (2:37) and asked the apostles what could be done in light of this burden of sin and guilt. Jack Cottrell comments on the state of the Jewish audience as, “A primary example of the point made earlier while discussing Matthew 28, that even the most faithful Jews, when confronted with the new revelation of the gospel of Christ, became lost sinners unless and until they accepted Jesus as their Savior and Messiah,”[|[1]]. With the thought of crucifying Jesus, who was God, looming over them, the feeling of guilt was evidently impending upon them as they asked Peter for help. This was a repentant step: the hearts of the Jewish listeners were penetrated by the word of God and they knew they were responsible to respond with change.

Peter responds in verse 38 to the audience’s question saying, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the Holy Spirit.” It cannot be emphasized enough how vital it is to examine the grammar in the Greek with this verse that seemingly presents baptism as a qualifier for the remission of sins. The command to repent is given in the plural number and second person, whereas the command to be baptized is given in the singular number and third person; and the remission of sins is paired with the “you” plural that is called to repentance[|[2]]. Peter is calling everyone to repent for remission of sins and receiving Holy Spirit, and calling each one to be baptized. You (plural) repent and you (plural) will be forgiven your sins. The remission of sins is therefore the result of repentance, not baptism.

A second passage to defend the claim of salvation through baptism is Acts 8:35-38. Phillip preaches to the Ethiopian eunuch out of Isaiah 53 and the eunuch believes and is baptized along the road. Some argue that this passage teaches the manner of salvation: the eunuch’s baptism was the final step in the process of salvation. The reasoning is that baptism must be part of “preaching Jesus” which the eunuch received from Phillip; otherwise the eunuch would not have known to be baptized; and if the gospel (preaching Jesus) is the way of salvation, and baptism is part of that gospel, then baptism must be integral in salvation. Unfortunately, this conclusion is wrong and completely ignores the context and order of events in the passage. First of all, the eunuch was more than likely familiar with baptism; verse 27 gives the context that he was traveling to Jerusalem to worship. Also, Paul never preached baptism in connection with the gospel, so why would Phillip do this? With all of this in consideration, it is clear that nowhere in the text does it mention Phillip advocating baptism as necessary for salvation.

Acts 10:48 is a commandment to be baptized and it is often misconstrued and presented as a proof text for baptism regenerationists. This commandment is simply to be baptized, it does not teach baptism is vital to salvation; when this conclusion is reached it indicates a disregard for the context and intentionally taking meaning out of the text that is not there. The context of Acts 10 is Peter speaking to Cornelius and others. In verse 47, Peter asks surrounding believers if anyone could withhold water for Cornelius and his friends to be baptized; Peter refers to the first group as, “Having received the Holy Ghost as well as us.” In the following chapter, Peter claims that refusing these Gentile believers baptism would hinder God: the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the case of Cornelius, instead of eliminating the need for water baptism, was the justification for administering it[|[3]]. Peter acknowledged that Cornelius and his friends were believers, and that was the basis for the baptism; it was an act that was to achieve solidarity among the body of believers. Baptism is sign and seal of membership in the church, an outward profession based on confession of faith in Jesus Christ, an essential mark of discipleship[|[4]]. In his book on the reformed position on baptism, J.V. Fesko quotes F.F. Bruce: “Baptism in the Spirit is an inward work; baptism in water now becomes its external token…[it] continued to be the visible sign by which those who believed the gospel, repented of their sins, and acknowledged Jesus as Lord were publicly incorporated into the Spirit-baptized fellowship of the new people of God,”[|[5]]. Those that Peter said should be baptized were already saved since they received the Holy Spirit, so there is not option for baptism to act as a qualifier for salvation. The conclusion reached when the context is observed is that Cornelius and his friends with already saved when Peter commanded them to be baptized. Context is everything; this is seen in the grave mistake of perceiving this text to prove baptism as necessary for salvation, whereas Peter was clearly indicating that baptism is for believers.

Heeding the original language and the context unlocks the meaning of a text; this is vital when it comes to drawing doctrine out of a passage. Without observing the context and language of Acts 22:16, many have interpreted the text to support baptism as the means for washing away sins. Even a simple look at the English translation shows that there is a clear separation between the two acts: being baptized and calling on the name of the Lord. In the Greek, the acts of “calling” are paired with the result of the remission of sins.

A major reason that discredits the interpretation of baptism regeneration in Acts or any part of the Bible is that Paul’s teaching of the Gospel did not include baptism. From the opening chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church, he makes a clear separation from the Gospel and baptism in verses 14-17: “Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” The text does not get much clearer than that. In Romans 1:16 Paul describes the Gospel as the power of God unto salvation; baptism is nowhere connected with this embodiment of God’s miraculous power. The text of Acts 22:16 clearly ties calling on the name of the Lord with forgiveness of sins; Paul has stated this truth earlier in Acts 16:31 and does again in Romans 10:9-10.

Bibliography Beisner, Carl. //Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation.// Milwaukee: Christian Apologetics, 1980. Cottrell, Jack. //Baptism: A Biblical Study.// Joplin: College Press, 2006. Ferguson, Everette. //Baptism in the Early Church.// Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009. Fesko, J.V. //Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism.// Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2010. Malone, Fred A. //The Baptism of Disciples Alone.// Cape Coral: Founders Press, 2003.

[|[1]] Cottrell, Jack. //Baptism: A Biblical Study.// Joplin: College Press, 2006; p. 45. [|[2]] Beisner, Carl. //Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation.// Milwaukee: Christian Apologetics, 1980; p. 14. [|[3]] Ferguson, Everette. //Baptism in the Early Church.// Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009; p. 177. [|[4]] Malone, Fred A. //The Baptism of Disciples Alone.// Cape Coral: Founders Press, 2003; p. 8. [|[5]] Fesko, J.V. //Word, Water, and Spirit: A Reformed Perspective on Baptism.// Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2010; p. 223.

media type="custom" key="9721848"

media type="custom" key="9721850"