At least Wansvic has "pet verses". You on the other hand have none.
Wansvic is absolutely obsessed with water baptism and would walk around mountains of grace in order to find water. I have multiple passages of scripture which make it clear that we are saved through
belief/faith - "apart from additions or modifications." (John 1:12; 3:15,16,18,36; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 15:7-9; 16:31; 26:18; Romans 1:16; 3:24-28; 4:5-6; 5:1-2; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 2:16; 3:6-14, 26; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:39; 1 John 5:13 etc..).
Now you don't need to add the word "alone" next to "belief/faith" in each of these passages of scripture in order to figure out that the words, "belief/faith"
stand alone in connection with receiving eternal life/salvation. Hence, FAITH ALONE. Do these many passages of scripture say belief/faith "plus something else?" Plus baptism? Plus works? NO. So then it's
faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone.
*Not to be confused with an
empty profession of faith/dead faith that remains "alone" -
barren of works. (James 2:14-24)
I am assuming that you are a follower of faith alone regeneration theology?
Faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone for salvation regeneration theology. We are regenerated the moment we are saved by faith.
If you are, you are following a theology that has no example.
Here are some examples below:
John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, to those who
believe in His name: 13
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God.
Ephesians 1:13 - In Him you also
trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the
gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having
believed, you were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Ephesians 2:4 - But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were
dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For
by grace you have been saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves; it is the
gift of God, 9
not of works, lest anyone should boast.
1 John 5:1 - Whoever
believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is
begotten of Him.
Even cults have an example that they will point to as prima facie of their false theology.
Cults and false religions (including Roman Catholicism, Mormonism and Campbellism) typically teach salvation by water baptism + other works.
Where is your "pet verse" that "on the surface" appears to teach salvation by faith alone.
You have none, for if you did you would have presented it by now.
Where have you been? I've presented multiple verses that teach salvation by faith in Christ alone for salvation on multiple occasions. These verses not merely "on the surface" teach salvation by faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone but actually do teach it. (Romans 5:1-2; Galatians 2:16; 3:26; Ephesians 2:8,9; 2 Timothy 3:15; 1 John 5:4 etc..).
Once again, the Bible clearly states in many passages of scripture that we are saved through belief/faith
"apart from additions or modifications." (John 1:12; 3:15,16,18,36; 5:24; 6:29,40,47; 11:25,26; Acts 10:43; 13:39; 15:7-9; 16:31; 26:18; Romans 1:16; 3:24-28; 4:5-6; 5:1-2; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:21; Galatians 2:16; 3:6-14, 26; Ephesians 2:8,9; Philippians 3:9; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:39; 1 John 5:13 etc..). This is not hard to understand. It's just hard for you to accept.
Your attempts to present generalities as a means to negate the prima facie of more definitive verses goes against core tenets of hermeneutics.
I properly harmonize scripture with scripture before reaching my conclusion on doctrine instead of distorting and perverting passages of scripture in an effort to "patch together" a works-based false gospel as you do, which is called "flawed hermeneutics."
Example: You are implying the qualifier "alone" into your understanding of the verses. You are now changing the meaning of the verses into something that the writer may or may not have meant. (Rule of Inference without Cause)
What is left over when you have salvation by faith, not works? Faith + works or faith alone? It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out.
Example: All Bibles translate Acts 2:38 as either "for", "in order to" or "so that you will" receive the remission of sins and receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit. This goes for ancient and modern translations, as well as Bibles in other languages. For you or anyone else to imply that the true meaning is "because of" is a sign of a church bias. (Rule of Precedent)
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) 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 -
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
when 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*
John 3:16 and Acts 2:38 can both be taken at "face value"
So what happened to baptism in John 3:16? What about John 3:18? John 3:18 - He who
believes in Him is not condemned; but he who (is not water baptized? - NO)
does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (been water baptized? - NO)
because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The Bible is already in harmony. It does not need you to fix it
Your works-based false gospel is not in harmony with the Bible and does need to be fixed. Let me know when you are ready to believe the gospel.