Was John’s baptism for (eis) looking forward to repentance in Matthew 3:11? I baptize you with water for (eis) "in order to obtain" repentance or "with reference to" repentance? Repentance precedes baptism so baptism looks back at repentance and baptism is not the means by which sins are forgiven but is a sign that one has truly repented. The remission of sins is signified, yet not procured in the waters of baptism (Acts 10:43-47). As Greek scholar AT Robertson said - Certainly John did not mean that the baptism was the means of obtaining the forgiveness of their sins or necessary to the remission of sins. Probably "with reference to" is as good a translation here as is possible. The baptism was on the basis of the repentance. Amen! It’s the same in Matthew 3:11.
By refusing baptism, the Pharisees and lawyers demonstrated that they rejected John's call to repentance (which is the means of having their sins remitted, which is signified in baptism, which demonstrates that they rejected God Himself. Luke 7:29 - When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they justified God/acknowledged God's justice, (SIGNIFIED BY) having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, (SIGNIFIED BY) not having been baptized by John.
You sound like a dispensationalist who is arguing progressive revelation. Prior to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection, we read John 3:16..whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life John 3:18..he who believes in Him is not condemned..The thief obviously believed in Him and was saved, yet you want to argue the content of what was believed. Was the thief on the cross saved by works? How many works did he accomplish on that cross just prior to his death? Prior to the cross, what was the message "repent and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:15) in regards to?
The fact that the thief was being put to death for being a thief and he mocked, blasphemed and shook his head at Jesus prior to his repentance is all the proof I need. In regards to these quitters, in John 6:64-66, Jesus said - But there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. 65 And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father." 66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. In John 8:31, Jesus said - "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine. They did not continue; they were not truly His disciples.
I've heard multiple interpretations for Hebrews 6:4-6 (lost salvation, hypothetical statement, not genuine Christians) and your interpretation does not fit the thief previously being a disciple/Christian who fell away then got saved all over again. Verse 6 says "after they fall away, it is impossible to renew them again unto repentance." So the thief does not fit your argument here.
Hebrews 6:9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.
The Pharisees knew plenty about Christ. Does that mean they were His disciples? You are grasping for straws here.
Our sins are forgiven because we are deserving? Where did you come up with that? The wages of sin (what we earned, deserve) is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The thief was saved through faith and we are saved through faith, even though we are not hanging on a cross next to Jesus when we receive salvation through faith. You can argue all you want that the content of the faith of the thief and the content of our faith is different (because of progressive revelation), yet it's still saved through faith and the object of faith for the thief and for us is still Christ.
What was repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15) prior to the cross? What did the thief live under? Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life..He who believes in Him is not condemned.. Did the thief believe in Him and receive eternal life? Romans 1:16 states - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who BELIEVES.. According to your 4 step gospel plan, those who BELIEVE are not saved yet and must accomplish a list of "additional requirements" AFTER they believe in order to become saved.
Through your dispensational progressive revelation argument, Christ is not contradicting Himself. What was revealed to the thief about Christ up to that time? The thief obviously believed in Christ and was saved. Did the thief simply believe that Jesus was the Son of God and would save the world from their sins, but just didn't understand the whole story on how he would do that up to that time? What works did he accomplish after he believed that supposedly saved him as well?
Repentance actually precedes saving belief in Christ. Through poor semantics and flawed hermeneutics, you reverse the order of repentance and faith in receiving salvation. To the contrary we find: Matthew 21:32 - For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him Mark 1:15 - Repent and believe the gospel (not believe the gospel then afterwards repent). Acts 20:21 - testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. *Notice the order.
In Matthew 10:32-33, the broader context of this passage relates to the fact that the Pharisees had continuously denied Jesus while the disciples spoke about Him in every city they visited. We might paraphrase His teaching this way: "Whoever confesses me before men (such as you disciples), I will confess him before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before men (like these Pharisees do on every occasion they get), I will deny him before my Father in heaven. Those who confess Jesus are those who recognize Him as being the true Messiah and trust exclusively in Him for salvation. Those who deny Jesus (and those who give mere lip service confession) but refuse to trust exclusively in Him alone for salvation place themselves beyond any possibility of salvation, since salvation is found only in Him (John 3:16; 10:9; 14:6). The word for "deny" is an aorist tense. This points to the fact that Jesus is not talking about a single instance of denial (as was the case with Peter, who actually denied Him three times - Luke 22:34), but is referring to life in its entirety. Hence, the person who throughout his life denies Christ (as was typically the case with the Pharisess and includes unbelievers who may even give mere "lip service confession" - Matthew 7:21-23, but lack saving faith) will be denied by Christ before the Father.
In Mark 16:16, He who believes and is baptized will be saved (general cases without making a qualification for the unusual case of someone who believes but is not baptized) but he who does not believe will be condemned. The omission of baptized with "does not believe" shows that Jesus does not make baptism essential to salvation. Condemnation rests on unbelief, not on baptism. So salvation rests on belief. NOWHERE does the Bible say "baptized or condemned." If water baptism is absolutely required for salvation, then why did Jesus not mention it in the following verses? (3:15,16,18; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26). What is the ONE requirement that Jesus mentions 9 different times in each of these complete statements? BELIEVES. *What happened to baptism? *Hermeneutics. Continue to meditate on Acts 10:43-47; 11:17-18; 15:8-9.