Hi all, I was baptized today and wanted to encourage everyone here to learn about the Gospel and what is involved. There are many different Christian faiths, but the key to understanding the Gospel involves three things...repent, baptism and salvation. Repent or returning from your sin is the hardest one for most people, as living without sin or trying not to sin is truly difficult. Baptism is the symbolic removal of sin via immersion with Christs blessing. Salvation is the concept of accepting Jesus as your personal savior and understanding that it comes through him. This is just a snippet of the ideas involved but I cannot recommend enough researching these topics learning for yourself. God Bless, V.
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Acts 10:44-48 (ESV) While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.
Now…you show me where the text says that this is the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.” I’ll wait…and I’ll be waiting for a long time because it doesn’t. In fact it clearly delineates between baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit…just as it does in Acts 2
You can’t simply cling to one passage and ignore other passages that do not align with your understanding of your favorite interpretation. The entirety of God’s Word aligns and while you properly see a distinction here it has to be understood in the context of the day. While the apostles were instructed to baptize in the Triune name, the Holy Spirit did not descend upon the Apostles until Pentecost, thus their baptism was fully realized at Pentecost. Subsequently, the Holy Spirit is given at the time of baptism. Thus making distinction between descriptive texts (informing us what happened) and prescriptive texts (informing us of how we respond). You’ve got to look at all of the baptismal passages to gain a full understanding…
Yeah…still waiting, because you’re just making stuff up. Jesus Christ instituted baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit…The Church therefore baptizes in the Holy Spirit. One baptism, not two. Notice what Peter says when asked “what shall we do?” His response? “Repent and BE BAPTIZED” for what? “For the forgiveness of your sins” clear passage as to baptismal regeneration…then what? “You will receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit” a clear delineation between baptism and being gifted the Holy Spirit. You can marginalize baptism all you want, but you are engaging in false teaching that diminishes the gift of God, we call this heresy and you are bending the text to fit your contrived theology.
Acts 2:37-38 (ESV) Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
There is no dispute that faith in Christ is what saves… you’re understanding is that baptism is a work of man, but that is flawed…Jesus even asked the rhetorical question to the Pharisees regarding John’s baptism, is it from heaven or from men? They refused to answer, but we know that John’s baptism was from heaven. If John’s baptism is from heaven, would we then conclude that Christs baptism is from men? I’m sorry that you’ve had such awful instruction to subordinate scripture to your own flawed logic. You disparage God’s gift as getting dunked.
Mark 16:16 (ESV) Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Don’t be like Naaman, rejecting what God ordains because of its simplicity…. It’s because of the simplicity of His gifts that you have no excuse.