Here we go again trying to state the obvious and even using scriptures, and you even highlight parts yet overlook the meaning in your responses.
It's you who overlooks the obvious and you even redefine the meaning of these scriptures (Acts 3:19; 10:43-47; 11:17,18; 15:8,9; 16:31) in your desperate attempt to get around the truth and accommodate your biased theology.
Let me show you by color coding the two verses from Acts 2:38 and Acts 3:19 to show how they say the same thing of both repentance and baptism in Christ (immersed in water) to receive the remission of sins.
That is absolutely
false. In Acts 3:19, Peter makes
no reference to baptism, but
links forgiveness of sins to
repentance. So does Luke in Luke 24:47 - and that
repentance and
remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. In Mark 1:15, we read
repent and
believe the gospel. Converted is not baptism just as believe the gospel is not baptism. If you truly believed the gospel then you would understand this.
Same color shows what corresponds to one another:
(Acts 2:38) 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.
(Acts 3:19) Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Notice that Peter
did not say repent
and be baptized and be converted in Acts 3:19.
Repentance is clearly linked with the
remission of sins, not baptism. So once again, 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.
In Matthew 3:11, we read - I baptize you with water "for" repentance.. Is this baptism for "in order to obtain" repentance or for
"in regards to/on the basis of" repentance? The answer is obvious. As Greek scholar AT Robertson points out - One will decide the use here according as he believes that baptism is essential to the remission of sins or not. My view is decidedly against the idea that Peter, Paul, or any one in the New Testament taught baptism as essential to the remission of sins or the means of securing such remission. So I understand Peter to be
urging baptism on each of them who had already turned (repented) and for it to be done in the name of Jesus Christ on the basis of the forgiveness of sins which they had already received. Amen!
Repentance > change of mind > new direction of this change of mind > faith in Christ for salvation. Two sides to the same coin. In Acts 10:43 we clearly read - ..whoever
believes in Him will receive
remission of sins. BEFORE water baptism (Acts 10:47). Placing faith in Jesus Christ for salvation constitutes "believes in Him" which takes place
BEFORE water baptism. Discussing the event that took place in Acts 10, we read in Acts 11:17 that they
received the gift of the Holy Spirit when they
believed on the Lord Jesus Christ which was
BEFORE water baptism (Acts 10:43-47). This was
repentance unto life (Acts 11:18). Acts 16:31 clearly states -
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved, not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and get water baptized and you will be saved. *The truth is crystal clear.
Being converted is being baptized in the name of the Lord, and we know this by Matthew 28:19;
(Matthew 28:19) "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We are made disciples (sons and daughters) of Christ by being baptized in His name, which here is the Greek word Baptizo that stands for immersion in water.
Absolutely
false. You are just as confused as plain talk is about water baptism. In Matthew 28:19-20, we have a command of Christ to go and make disciples of all nations, and then baptize them. However, it does not say here that baptism is what magically makes them become disciples or that baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation.
Becoming a disciple of Jesus is a heart decision made prior to getting water baptized. If Jesus taught that water baptism is absolutely necessary for salvation, then why did He not mention it in these 9 verses? - (John 3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26). What is the
ONE requirement that Jesus mentions in each of these verses that He links to receiving eternal life? -
BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics. Just in case you are thinking, "what happened to repentance?" Jesus did not need to spell out repentance here in these 9 different verses because those who
BELIEVE have
already repented in the process of changing their mind and choosing to
BELIEVE. Repentance and faith/belief are inseparable in receiving salvation. Not so with baptism. You can repent and believe the gospel BUT NOT YET BE WATER BAPTIZED (Acts 10:43-47; 11:17,18).
A man and a woman become united through their wedding vows and the ring
symbolizes this. Just as we become united with Christ through faith and water baptism
symbolizes this. Consider the following conversation:
Q. Are you married?
A. Yes, I am married; see, I’m wearing this ring.
Q. What does the ring signify?
A. It means that I gave my consent to my wife and, therefore, I am united to her. Strictly speaking, the husband is united to his wife because of the marriage vows rather than the ring. Yet since the latter is the sign of their union, it is natural to speak of the ring to mean the reality it represents. He is married because he wears a marriage ring.
It's the same with baptism. It
signifies that I have been buried with Christ and also raised up with Him through faith and, therefore, I am united to Him.
Baptism is like the receiving of rings as tokens of the covenant. The rings, like baptism, is not what actually unites the hearts of two people, but is the formal acknowledgment of it. The ring is not what causes the change in our marital status and neither does water baptism cause the change in our spiritual status, yet during the wedding ceremony, vows are exchanged, "with this ring I thee wed." The symbol is used as the picture of the reality, just as in baptism.