has someone said "don't be baptized" ?
the prevailing thought among the first believers was that salvation was not for the Gentiles, but only the Jews.
and then at Cornelius' house, God corrected them by filling with His Spirit a group of Gentiles who had done absolutely nothing more than heard the gospel of Christ and believed. (Acts 10)
i think before this Peter assumed that the Holy Spirit - God's earnest of our salvation (Ephesians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:22) - was only given by baptism. that's what i see when i read his joyfully sarcastic assessment of the situation in front of him: "who can forbid their baptism now??"
the sign worked by God is greater than any sign done by human hands.
God felt it necessary to send three visions to convince Peter to go to with these 'unclean men' at all.
when he later explained what had happened to the believing Jews, he said that moment was when he remembered that Jesus had said He would baptize with spirit, where John only baptized with H[SUB]2[/SUB]O. (Acts 11:16)
which brings us to this..
Jesus was baptized by John - whose baptism was unto repentance - "to fulfill all righteousness"
this is not the baptism that we are baptized with. (Acts 19:1-7)
this was not the immersion that Jesus told the disciples to immerse with, making disciples.
if the like picture is Christ's baptism in H[SUB]2[/SUB]O, and it is in the same way "to fulfill all righteousness" then as it was not Christ that needed to be baptized of John, but John of Him, H[SUB]2[/SUB]O baptism does not save, but salvation is in the one who is sent by God to confess and be baptized. (Matthew 3:14)
wouldn't you agree?
has someone rejected being baptized by H[SUB]2[/SUB]O ?
is a public baptism not tantamount to confessing Jesus the Son of God crucified and risen? (every baptism i've ever witnessed, this statement was first publicly made by the believer - is that regional?)
if public baptism ~ public confession, then yes, for sure whoever will not confess Him before men will not be confessed by Him before the Father!
but what about a person who submits to being baptized by H[SUB]2[/SUB]O, teaches that all that believe should also be baptized in H[SUB]2[/SUB]O publicly, but insists that "everyone that calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Joel 2:32)? what about a person who concedes all judgement to Christ and refuses to call anything but Him the way of salvation? what if a person claims that spiritual life begins at spiritual conception?