What good would it do to have assorted verses on Baptism Saves when one is standing on their principles or even teaching
that it is through out the bible that says Salvation can occur without Baptism. The members of the Church of Christ will come right out and tell you that without the proper immersion baptism, after one has faith that you are not saved and not heaven bound. For them... and possibly you also?... it is the coming up out of the water that is the born again experience. Other churches also have their own thoughts on the subject. But the truth is... there is enough in the pages of the New Testament that allows one to see that the first part of Mark 16 is not the total story.
They need not be all mixed together, unless you are having a debate on the subject. This was not started as that, and should not end up that way,
26And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
27And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.
28But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,
30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
32And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.
33And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.
34And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
BAPTISM CAME LAST, AFTER "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."
So the report of the Jailer is wrong. ....? Interesting
How about Stephanus?
The household of Stephanas is first mentioned in
1 Corinthians 1:16, where Paul states, "Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not remember if I baptized anyone else." This indicates that Stephanas and his household were among the first converts in Achaia, a region in Greece, and were personally baptized by Paul. Their conversion is significant as it marks the spread of Christianity beyond the Jewish community to the Gentile world.
So, here again the Baptism came after.
Lydia, Oh Lydia... Do you remember the song?
14 Now a certain woman named Lydia heard
us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God. The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she begged
us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” So she persuaded us.
So she worshipped God and then heard Paul.... THEN was Baptized.
Shall we go into the Eunuch who heard while traveling and then was Baptized after.?
Every one of these, as far as can be determined Heard, Believed, and were Baptized. No mention of repenting, confession.
Just think about this for a moment. If there had been, do you honestly think it would have been smart to mention it is the bible?
That would give an out and out license to keep right on sinning.
Of those we have hear... there is no indication that they continued in their earthly ways.
in ALL gospel conversions in Acts ALL were baptized because
(1) baptism is commanded (Acts 2:38) and disobedience to God's commands is sin and sin is what separates the lost from God.
(2) baptism is for remission of sins, hence no one in Acts could be saved apart from obedience to God's will, apart from having sins remitted.
(3) "
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized" (Acts 2:41) this means those Jews who rejected Peter's gospel words of salvation rejected being baptized. The logical implication is this; being baptized is HOW one receives the gospel word and not being baptized is HOW one rejects the gospel word.
Acts 8:14
when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, HOW did those in Samaria receive the word of God? from Acts 2:41 by being baptized..."
when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women" v12 for rejecting baptism is rejecting the word of God.
Acts 11:1
"
And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God." HOW did the Gentiles receive the word of God? Acts 10:47-48 by being water baptized per Acts 2:41.
God COMMANDED water baptism and it cannot be said in any sense that one
receives the word of God if
while one is rejecting God's word in disobeying the command to be water baptized. Not being water baptized IS rejection of God's word.
(4)
2 Thess 1:8
"
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:"
a) this verse makes it plain that obedience is the separating line between the saved and the lost (those in flaming fire)
b) to be saved (not be in flaming fire) one must OBEY the gospel of Christ
c) the gospel of Christ is the death burial and resurrection of Christ 1 Cor 15:1-4
d) how does one obey the death burial and resurrection of Christ then? Rom 6:3-5 to become a Christ one must die to sin, the old man of sins DIES is BURIED then RAISED up from the watery grave of baptism to walk in newness of life
This means ALL those in the book of Acts to be saved (not be in flaming fire) they must have obeyed the gospel of Christ by dying to sin, buried in a watery grave then raised up from (resurrected) from that watery grave to then walk in newness of life.
No obedience to the gospel of Christ is rejecting the gospel word per Acts 2:41
Numbers 1 through 4 above means salvation for the jailer, Lydia, etc would be
impossible APART from receiving God's word. APART from obedience to God's command to be baptized, APART from obeying the gospel of Christ. APART from having remission of sins.
Acts 18:31 the jailer was
commanded to believe, not command to "believe alone". In v31 the jailer had not yet even been told what to believe. But in verse 32 they spake unto him
the word of the Lord as Peter spoke it to those in Acts 2. And for the jailer to receive the word of the Lord as those in Acts2, as the Samaritans Acts 8, as the Gentiles in Acts 10-11 required obedience to the command to be water baptized, obey the gospel of Christ or else be in flaming fire per 2 Thess 1:8 having rejected the word of the gospel by not being baptized Acts 2:41.
What happened after the word of the Lord was spoken to the jailer?
He received the word. How do we know he received it? He was baptized in verse 33. Again, NOT being baptized is disobeying God, not receiving remission of sins (acts 2:38) not receiving the gospel, (Acts 2:41); not obeying the gospel of Christ 2 Thess 1:8.
Again, God commanded water baptism therefore
in no sense can it be said one has received God's word while one is rejecting God's word by not obediently being baptized as God word commands/instructs.