Romans
3:21 But now the righteousness of God
without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ
unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the
glory of God; 24 Being justified freely
by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in
his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are
past, through the forbearance of God; 26
To declare, I say, at
this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him
which believeth in Jesus.
Notice here how baptism is used as an entry point to fellowship as
part of the church. Typically, Baptists use baptism like this, as a public
statement of belief and as the public expression of entry into the body of
Christ, something that occurred sometimes months earlier when a recognition of
the truth turned a person’s heart to God through Christ. No one gets saved when
they get baptized like no one realizes they love someone at the marriage altar.
That commitment is made long before the ceremony, if it is true.
There will be variations in the order of baptism and receiving the
Holy Ghost that takes place when one believes. The error of modernism is to
read the Bible like a textbook or the owner’s manual to your car. It is more
like a conversation between your Creator and yourself in your response to it.
The following line means these things happen when you believe. They are not
1-2-3 like the instructions on the settings guide for your cellphone.
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
These are not necessarily linear events like the Jews had to be
baptized before they received the Holy Ghost. This, like in eternity, is
everything as now, taking place when one is saved. As a similar statement see
in Revelation;
Revelation
11:18 And the nations were angry, and
thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give
reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear
thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
That was a general statement of events happening in the time frame
covered by what was to come after this point. This does not by necessity
represent an order of events.
The Jews present responded to Peter’s sermon were baptized and
received the Holy Ghost but was this a presentation of a strict order of events
making their salvation different from Gentile salvation?
See the order presented here in the text. First, with Philip and
the Ethiopian eunuch there is no mention of receiving the Holy Ghost but it is
assumed.
Acts
8:26 ¶ And the angel of the Lord spake
unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth
down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 27 And he arose
and
went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under
Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and
had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 28
Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go
near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30
And Philip ran thither to him,
and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou
readest? 31 And he said, How can I,
except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up
and sit with him. 32 The place of the
scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and
like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken
away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the
earth. 34 And the eunuch answered
Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself,
or of some other man? 35 Then Philip
opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain
water: and the eunuch said, See, here
is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all
thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded
the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip
and the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39
And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord
caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way
rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at
Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to
Caesarea.
Then, with the Roman centurion and company and Peter where it is
implied that they believed what they heard and then they received the Holy
Ghost and are then baptized.
Acts
10:44 ¶ While Peter yet spake these
words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed
were astonished, as many as came
with
Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with
tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should
not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the
name of the Lord.
Then
prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Now, do you honestly think that each of these situations were
different in that in one instance you are baptized then you receive the Holy
Ghost after that and yet in another you get baptized because you believe and it
is implied that you received the Holy Ghost upon belief and in another instance
you believe and receive the Holy Ghost and then are baptized? How many
dispensations do you want to create? Christians often don’t have a problem with
belief. They have a problem with reading comprehension. This is a lot like
those people who believe Noah walked off the Ark with a white son, a black son,
and an Asian son when it nowhere says that but they read back into the text
what they want to believe.
Earlier in Acts 8 you will have people believing and being
baptized but not receiving the Holy Ghost until Peter and John lay hands on
them. In Acts 16 Lydia believes and is baptized but no mention is made of the
Holy Ghost. In the same chapter the jailor believes and is baptized and no
mention is made of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 9 it is implied that Paul believed
and then he received the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. In Acts 22 he
relates that he was baptized after that. Again, if you are going to read the
Bible like a textbook how many dispensations do you want to create?
When you get saved it is because you believed, were given faith,
and received the Holy Ghost. At some point, to fulfill all righteousness as
Jesus said, you should get baptized as an outward manifestation of your inward
change and faith.
In any event Jesus Himself puts the focus on your belief, not your
baptism.
Mark
16:16 He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Verse 40 says And with many
other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this
untoward generation.
Untoward is
defined by some 17th century dictionaries as unwilling, obstinate,
stubborn, and perverse. Peter preached
salvation from that stiff-necked generation of Jews who stubbornly refused to
accept their Messiah, even having killed Him.
God added three thousand to the early church at that time. It was
God’s work accomplished by God using men and women.
No comments:
Post a Comment