If verses like John 3:16 truly are all-encompassing then we really do have a contradiction.
There is no contradiction. Whoever
believes in Him "apart from additions or modifications" shall not perish, but have eternal life and there is a clear distinction between believing in Him "AND" getting water baptized afterwards.
There is no way to harmonize such verses as Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16 or 1st Peter 3:21 with John 3:16 as a definitive statement.
There certainly is. In Acts 2:38, "for the remission of sins" does not refer back to both clauses, "you all repent" and "each one of you be baptized," but refers only to the first. Peter is saying "repent unto the remission of your sins," the same as in Acts 3:19. The clause "each one of you be baptized" is parenthetical. This is exactly what Acts 3:19 teaches except that Peter omits the parenthesis.
*Also compare the fact that these Gentiles in Acts 10:45 received
the gift of the Holy Spirit (compare with Acts 2:38 -
the gift of the Holy Spirit) when they BELIEVED and this was
before water baptism (Acts 10:47).
*In Acts 10:43 we read
..whoever believes in Him receives remission of sins. Again, these Gentiles received
the gift of the Holy Spirit - Acts 10:45 - (compare with Acts 2:38 -
the gift of the Holy Spirit)
when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ - Acts 11:17 - (compare with Acts 16:31 -
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved)
BEFORE water baptism - Acts 10:47 - this is referred to as
repentance unto life - Acts 11:18.
*So the only logical conclusion
after properly harmonizing Scripture with Scripture is that faith in Jesus Christ "implied in genuine repentance" (rather than water baptism) brings the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 10:43-47; 11:17,18; 15:8,9; 16:31; 26:18). *Perfect Harmony*
In regards to Acts 22:16, as Greek scholar AT Robertson points out, baptism here
pictures the washing away of sins by the blood of Christ, but it does not literally wash away our sins, contrary to your conclusion. In Acts 10:43, receiving remission of sins is connected with "believes in Him" and not with baptism (Acts 10:43-47). In Acts 9, Jesus told Ananias that Paul "is a chosen vessel unto Me" (v. 15), although the apostle had not yet been baptized. Before Paul was baptized, Christ had already commissioned him to "bear [His] name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15); such a commission is not God’s portion for one still lost and under wrath. Before Paul’s baptism, Christ had set him aside as one who would "suffer for His name’s sake" (9:16). Can one who is a child of the devil, as all the lost are (Ephesians 2:1-3, John 8:44), really suffer for Christ’s sake? NO. God accepted Paul’s prayers before his baptism (Acts 9:11). People in the church of Christ teach that God does not hear an unsaved man's prayer, quoting in this regard John 9:31 - "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will." Well, Paul was a worshipper of God, calling Christ "Lord" and then setting out to do His will. All of these things characterized Paul
before he was baptized. So, Paul had already believed in Christ when Ananias came to pray for him to receive his sight (Acts 9:17). It also should be noted that Paul at the time when Ananias prayed for him to receive his sight, he was
filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17)--this was
before he was water baptized (Acts 9:18). Verse 17 connects his being filled with the Spirit with the receiving of his sight. We know that he received his sight prior to his baptism. *No Scripture is to be interpreted in isolation from the totality of Scripture. Practically speaking, a singular and obscure verse is to be subservient to to multiple and clear verses, and not vice versa. *Perfect Harmony* with John 3:16.
In 1 Peter 3:21, Peter tells us that baptism now saves you, yet when Peter uses this phrase he
continues in the same sentence to explain exactly what he means by it. He says that baptism now saves you-
not the removal of dirt from the flesh (that is, not as an outward, physical act which washes dirt from the body--that is not what saves you),
"but an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (that is, as an inward, spiritual transaction between God and the individual, a transaction that is symbolized by the outward ceremony of water baptism). Just as the eight people in the ark were "saved THROUGH water" as they were IN THE ARK. They were
not literally saved "by" the water. Hebrews 11:7 is clear on this point (..built an
ARK for the
SAVING of his household). *NOTE: The context reveals that ONLY the righteous (Noah and his family) were DRY and therefore SAFE. In contrast, ONLY THE WICKED IN NOAH'S DAY CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE WATER AND THEY ALL PERISHED. *Perfect Harmony* with John 3:16.
Any attempt to do so is clearly forced and extreme logic and grammar leaps are needed.
Says you.
Accepting John 3:16 as it was meant to be (general in nature) makes perfect sense and follows the flow and form of the Old and New Testament.
You accept John 3:16 ONLY AFTER you erroneously try to "shoe horn" baptism "into"
believes in Him.
I am not surprised by your refusal to answer my question about how you would label such verses as Proverbs 22:6. Most "faith alone" sects will not.
I'm not surprised that you would resort to such faulty human logic which does not prove your point about John 3:16. Most "faith IN CHRIST ALONE sects" don't like to play games with works-salvationists. Proverbs 22:6 would include multiple instructions on how to train up a child. John 3:16 does not include a check list of works. The Bible is inspired by God and is not simply a novel that we come to fully understand through mere human intelligence.
So unless you can tell me how you decide which verses are absolute I must assume you are cherry-picking them. You seem intent on choosing only verses that fit into your "faith only" gospel as definitive and all others as auxiliary to the definitive.
You are making this out to be much more complicated than it really is. Unless you can tell me what it truly means to "believe in Him/believe the gospel" I must assume that you don't truly believe the gospel. You seem intent on choosing only verses that that fit your "watered down" works based false gospel. You must harmonize Scripture with Scripture before reaching the proper conclusion on doctrine instead of distorting and perverting passages of Scripture in an effort to "patch together" your so called gospel plan.
This gospel is one of your own making. Your gospel may seem attractive to many but an elementary search of scripture proves it to be false.
The gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) and is the
power of God unto salvation for everyone who
BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16). That is scriptural and is not of my own making. Your gospel of salvation by "water and works" on the other hand is of your own making.
The carnal man wishing to sleep at night accepts this message but the spirit-filled Christian knows better.
The spirit-filled Christian understands that salvation is by grace through faith, not works (Ephesians 2:8,9). The natural man does not understand...and is spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). The gospel is hid to those who don't believe (2 Corinthians 4:3,4).
Taking general statements and labeling them absolute is faulty reasoning. This is true in both secular and biblical writing.
Whoever
believes in Him "apart from additions or modifications" shall not perish, but have eternal life is
absolutely true. "Adding" water baptism and other works to "believes in Him" is faulty reasoning no matter how you label it. You obviously don't understand what it truly means to
"believe in Him/believe the gospel."