Saul of Tarsus was not saved on the road to Damascus.

Agreed. Disagree. Yes, it's opinion. [/QUOTE]

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:16

Where does it state that???
This is an opinion and a rather poor one.

This is the text:

14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

The "he" in this text is Paul and he is stating that his sins were washed away after his meeting with Ananias.

You need a new opinion.

if we say, "it is always like this"
and find that sometime is isn't,
then it simply is not true that it is "always" that way.

acts of mercy aren't exceptions to law, they are exceptions to punishment

"And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." Acts 22:16[/QUOTE]

Oh boy, but it doesn't save you!!!

The word says those who are willing to seek God WILL find Him. I believe that is the key. Do we love God enough to study His word. And if necessary make adjustments when what we thought to be true does not line up with His word. Jesus said, true disciples will obey Him and in doing so will know the truth, and the truth shall set them free. (John 8:31-32)

Note the following scriptures:
"...if thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." Deut 4:29

"I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me." Prov 8:17

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8


"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;" Matt 6:33

same man described it this way:
"while we were yet sinners, He saved us"

so did he consider himself saved before his sins were washed away or before, while he still was in sin?

and do we ever see him referring to water baptism as the pivot point of salvation? or to faith?

what do you think of sins comitted after a person is baptized?

can they be forgiven?
if so how?

Read it, they received the Holy Spirit, then they were baptized.

Read it, they received the Holy Spirit, then they were baptized......and then they were saved.

yes, the text says the reason Paul went to Ananias was to receive his sight, not his salvation.
and Ananias also told him to be baptized, washing his sins away. so this is related to sight, as God defines "sight"

can the blind be saved?
or must they first see?

careful. we see now only dimly, like through a glass.

How would God give an exception to any man to the law, without becoming unjust and being in conflict with His very character? Indeed, the very reason Jesus had to die on the cross for us was so that God could be merciful to us, whilst still maintaining His justice. The mercy is granted to all men who believe on Jesus, that their sins be forgiven. But God cannot forgive the sins of those who do not believe on Jesus, as He must act justly.

The thief on the cross believed and was saved without baptism, as did Abraham before circumcision, as do all of us who are saved. Those who believe in baptism for their salvation believe in a works based religion and a false gospel - to them the same warning applies as Paul gave to the Galatians about circumcision.

Nope, the received the Spirit first, then baptized.

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

They were baptized after they were saved.

Are you asking how is a person forgiven after he has been forgiven?

I will response after you clarify this.

Nope, speaking in tongues does not prove you are saved.

And this is what you are implying.

Read what Peter said. "They have received the Holy Spirit". Are you arguing that an unbeliever can receive the Holy Spirit? Or just that Peter was wrong about them receiving the Holy Spirit, and he therefore shouldn't have baptised them? (If so, perhaps he was also wrong about the whole circumcision debate, and we should add this to church membership requirements?)

The chapter's introduction, "At that moment," shouldn't be overlook and neither readily dismissed as not inclusive of the subsequent occurrences. Paul arose and was baptized and then he ate after not eating or drinking for three days. All in a moment. Why should we assume there was a popup baptismal on hand?

"Drink of this water and you will thirst again..."

Yes nothing to disagree with their brother . He also says a lot of other things such as he would make people able to do what he calls then to do , that he is forebearing and patient with us as we learn as babes and grow into young and then later mature Christian’s over time

like before we do anything , he is within us working to change our Will and our actions which follow after ect

It’s really his promise to save the one who hears and comes to him that is the place to start and this is only found in the gospel

“And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: that in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:15-18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“and I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭26:4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“His name shall endure for ever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him: All nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: And let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭72:17-19‬ ‭KJV‬‬
“Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, When his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭2:6-8, 12‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. … he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭42:1, 3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:24-26‬ ‭

“The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭16:16‬ ‭

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭1:1-5, 9-11, 14-15‬ ‭

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:14‬ ‭

“And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28:18-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

really the best and simplest summary in scripture is mark 16

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16, 19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

We then are waiting in his promises for the end of this world and his return when the New Testament prophecy is fulfilled

“but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. ….But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. ….Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:7, 10, 13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. ( whoever believes the gospel ) Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:6-9, 26-29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Whew, those guys came back with a vengeance - I’m gonna win that argument $&@!#%. 10+ pages later…