| One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 12:31pm On Aug 02, 2015 |
by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Three times in the book of Acts, Luke the physician recorded non-Christians asking what they needed to do to be saved, and three times a different answer was given.
The heathen jailor from Philippi asked
Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” and was told: “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED” (16:30-31).
The Jews on Pentecost asked the apostles, “Men and brethren,what shall we do?,” and were instructed to“REPENT AND BE BAPTISED ” (2:37-38).
A few years later, Saul (later called Paul
Acts 13:9) asked Jesus, Who appeared to
Saul on his way to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6; 22:10). After being told to go into Damascus to find out what he “must do” to be saved, Ananias, the Lord’s servant, commanded Saul to “RISE AND BE BAPTISED, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16).
The question that many ask is: “Why are three different answers given to the same question?” Are these answers contradictory, or is there a logical explanation for their differences?
The reason that three different answers
were given to the question of salvation is because on each occasion the
questioners were at different “locations”
on the road to salvation. The rationality
of such answers can be illustrated by
considering what a person is told in
reference to his physical distance from a certain city. If a friend calls me to ask
how far it is from his house in Jackson,
Tennessee to my parents’ house in
Neosho, Missouri, I would inform him
that he is 475 miles from Neosho. If he
calls me back the next day, notifying me
that he is now in Little Rock, Arkansas,
and asks about the distance to Neosho, I would give him a different answer. He
now would be 260 miles from Neosho. If,later that evening, he called me one last time and asked how far Fort Smith is from Neosho, again I would give him a different answer— 130 miles. No rational person would accuse me of contradicting myself, since each question was asked from a different reference point. Three different answers were given, but all three were correct. Likewise, the New Testament records three different answers given to the question, “What must I do to be saved,” because the sinners who asked these questions were at different places of understanding on the road to salvation.
The Philippian jailor was commanded to
believe in Christ, because he had not yet heard and believed the saving message of Jesus (Acts 16:31-32; Romans 10:17). It would have been pointless for Paul and Silas to command the jailor to repent and/or be baptized when he had not yet even heard the Gospel. If today, a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, asked a Christian the same question the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, the same answer would need to be given.
Before ever teaching a Muslim about the essentiality of repentance and baptism, he first must express belief in Jesus as the Son of God. If this step (i.e.,
believing) is never taken on the road to
salvation, the other steps are
meaningless. [NOTE: The Bible reveals
that after Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” to the jailor and his
household, they believed and
“immediately” were baptized (Acts 16:33).
By implication, Paul and Silas must have
taught the jailor and his family about the essentiality of baptism after stressing the need to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Acts 8:35-36,38). Question: If water baptism has nothing to do with salvation, then why were the jailor and his household immersed in water not long after midnight (cf. Acts 16:25,33)?]
The Jews on Pentecost had already heard Peter’s sermon when they asked their question about salvation (Acts 2:37). Peter knew that they already believed,and that such belief came from hearing the message he preached (cf. Romans10:17). The Jews had passed the point of belief (being “pricked in their heart”), and were told to “repent and be baptized” in order to obtain salvation (cf. Mark 16:16).
Still, someone might wonder why
Ananias told Saul neither to believe nor
repent when he informed him about how to have his sins washed away. The
reason: Saul already was a penitent
believer in Christ by the time he came in contact with Ananias. Saul did not need to be told to believe or repent, since he had already done so. He knew the Lord existed, having spoken directly with Him on the road to Damascus, and he expressed a penitent attitude by praying to God and fasting for three days (Acts 9:9,11). At this point, Saul lacked only one thing: he needed to be baptized (Acts 22:16).
The reason these sinners were told three different things regarding salvation was because they were at different starting points when given the various answers. It is as if the jailor were in Jackson, Tennessee, the Jews on Pentecost in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Saul in Fort Smith. All wanted to go to the same place, but were at different starting points when they asked the question,“What must I do to be saved?” The unbeliever was told to believe. The
believers were told to repent. And the
penitent believer was told to be
baptized. The three statements may be
different, but they are not contradictory.
For a person to become a child of God,
he or she must do all three (see John
8:24; Luke 13:3,5; Matthew 28:19; Mark
16:16). 7 Likes 3 Shares |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by oyestephen(m): 1:09pm On Aug 02, 2015 |
*claps hand* wonderful 1 Like |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by orisa37: 9:04pm On Aug 02, 2015 |
TO be saved, you shall be BbB orn Again! |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 7:58am On Aug 03, 2015 |
. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 10:18pm On Aug 03, 2015 |
malvisguy212:
by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Three times in the book of Acts, Luke the physician recorded non-Christians asking what they needed to do to be saved, and three times a different answer was given.
The heathen jailor from Philippi asked
Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” and was told: “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED” (16:30-31).
The Jews on Pentecost asked the apostles, “Men and brethren,what shall we do?,” and were instructed to“REPENT AND BE BAPTISED ” (2:37-38).
A few years later, Saul (later called Paul
Acts 13:9) asked Jesus, Who appeared to
Saul on his way to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6; 22:10). After being told to go into Damascus to find out what he “must do” to be saved, Ananias, the Lord’s servant, commanded Saul to “RISE AND BE BAPTISED, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16).
The question that many ask is: “Why are three different answers given to the same question?” Are these answers contradictory, or is there a logical explanation for their differences?
The reason that three different answers
were given to the question of salvation is because on each occasion the
questioners were at different “locations”
on the road to salvation. The rationality
of such answers can be illustrated by
considering what a person is told in
reference to his physical distance from a certain city. If a friend calls me to ask
how far it is from his house in Jackson,
Tennessee to my parents’ house in
Neosho, Missouri, I would inform him
that he is 475 miles from Neosho. If he
calls me back the next day, notifying me
that he is now in Little Rock, Arkansas,
and asks about the distance to Neosho, I would give him a different answer. He
now would be 260 miles from Neosho. If,later that evening, he called me one last time and asked how far Fort Smith is from Neosho, again I would give him a different answer— 130 miles. No rational person would accuse me of contradicting myself, since each question was asked from a different reference point. Three different answers were given, but all three were correct. Likewise, the New Testament records three different answers given to the question, “What must I do to be saved,” because the sinners who asked these questions were at different places of understanding on the road to salvation.
The Philippian jailor was commanded to
believe in Christ, because he had not yet heard and believed the saving message of Jesus (Acts 16:31-32; Romans 10:17). It would have been pointless for Paul and Silas to command the jailor to repent and/or be baptized when he had not yet even heard the Gospel. If today, a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, asked a Christian the same question the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, the same answer would need to be given.
Before ever teaching a Muslim about the essentiality of repentance and baptism, he first must express belief in Jesus as the Son of God. If this step (i.e.,
believing) is never taken on the road to
salvation, the other steps are
meaningless. [NOTE: The Bible reveals
that after Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” to the jailor and his
household, they believed and
“immediately” were baptized (Acts 16:33).
By implication, Paul and Silas must have
taught the jailor and his family about the essentiality of baptism after stressing the need to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Acts 8:35-36,38). Question: If water baptism has nothing to do with salvation, then why were the jailor and his household immersed in water not long after midnight (cf. Acts 16:25,33)?]
The Jews on Pentecost had already heard Peter’s sermon when they asked their question about salvation (Acts 2:37). Peter knew that they already believed,and that such belief came from hearing the message he preached (cf. Romans10:17). The Jews had passed the point of belief (being “pricked in their heart”), and were told to “repent and be baptized” in order to obtain salvation (cf. Mark 16:16).
Still, someone might wonder why
Ananias told Saul neither to believe nor
repent when he informed him about how to have his sins washed away. The
reason: Saul already was a penitent
believer in Christ by the time he came in contact with Ananias. Saul did not need to be told to believe or repent, since he had already done so. He knew the Lord existed, having spoken directly with Him on the road to Damascus, and he expressed a penitent attitude by praying to God and fasting for three days (Acts 9:9,11). At this point, Saul lacked only one thing: he needed to be baptized (Acts 22:16).
The reason these sinners were told three different things regarding salvation was because they were at different starting points when given the various answers. It is as if the jailor were in Jackson, Tennessee, the Jews on Pentecost in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Saul in Fort Smith. All wanted to go to the same place, but were at different starting points when they asked the question,“What must I do to be saved?” The unbeliever was told to believe. The
believers were told to repent. And the
penitent believer was told to be
baptized. The three statements may be
different, but they are not contradictory.
For a person to become a child of God,
he or she must do all three (see John
8:24; Luke 13:3,5; Matthew 28:19; Mark
16:16).
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 8:12pm On Aug 07, 2015 |
. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 9:03am On Aug 09, 2015 |
Evangelism thread deserve to be on the homepage moderators. Seun, Ishilove, Lalasticlala. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by Nobody: 7:04pm On Aug 09, 2015 |
Nice one. That is both believe, repentance and baptism are necessary for one to be saved.Can I add that doing one or two of the three and leaving the other undone is not enough for salvation  e.g. You preached to someone, the person believed, is pricked in his heart, then you ask him/her to say this prayer after you "Lord Jesus I know I am a sinner ..... " then you tell the person that he is now Born again and has salvation. 1 Like |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 10:05pm On Aug 15, 2015 |
malvisguy212:
Evangelism thread deserve to be on the homepage moderators. Seun, Ishilove, Lalasticlala. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 9:41pm On Aug 22, 2015 |
Hellow |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 8:42am On Sep 03, 2015 |
malvisguy212:
by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Three times in the book of Acts, Luke the physician recorded non-Christians asking what they needed to do to be saved, and three times a different answer was given.
The heathen jailor from Philippi asked
Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” and was told: “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED” (16:30-31).
The Jews on Pentecost asked the apostles, “Men and brethren,what shall we do?,” and were instructed to“REPENT AND BE BAPTISED ” (2:37-38).
A few years later, Saul (later called Paul
Acts 13:9) asked Jesus, Who appeared to
Saul on his way to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6; 22:10). After being told to go into Damascus to find out what he “must do” to be saved, Ananias, the Lord’s servant, commanded Saul to “RISE AND BE BAPTISED, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16).
The question that many ask is: “Why are three different answers given to the same question?” Are these answers contradictory, or is there a logical explanation for their differences?
The reason that three different answers
were given to the question of salvation is because on each occasion the
questioners were at different “locations”
on the road to salvation. The rationality
of such answers can be illustrated by
considering what a person is told in
reference to his physical distance from a certain city. If a friend calls me to ask
how far it is from his house in Jackson,
Tennessee to my parents’ house in
Neosho, Missouri, I would inform him
that he is 475 miles from Neosho. If he
calls me back the next day, notifying me
that he is now in Little Rock, Arkansas,
and asks about the distance to Neosho, I would give him a different answer. He
now would be 260 miles from Neosho. If,later that evening, he called me one last time and asked how far Fort Smith is from Neosho, again I would give him a different answer— 130 miles. No rational person would accuse me of contradicting myself, since each question was asked from a different reference point. Three different answers were given, but all three were correct. Likewise, the New Testament records three different answers given to the question, “What must I do to be saved,” because the sinners who asked these questions were at different places of understanding on the road to salvation.
The Philippian jailor was commanded to
believe in Christ, because he had not yet heard and believed the saving message of Jesus (Acts 16:31-32; Romans 10:17). It would have been pointless for Paul and Silas to command the jailor to repent and/or be baptized when he had not yet even heard the Gospel. If today, a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, asked a Christian the same question the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, the same answer would need to be given.
Before ever teaching a Muslim about the essentiality of repentance and baptism, he first must express belief in Jesus as the Son of God. If this step (i.e.,
believing) is never taken on the road to
salvation, the other steps are
meaningless. [NOTE: The Bible reveals
that after Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” to the jailor and his
household, they believed and
“immediately” were baptized (Acts 16:33).
By implication, Paul and Silas must have
taught the jailor and his family about the essentiality of baptism after stressing the need to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Acts 8:35-36,38). Question: If water baptism has nothing to do with salvation, then why were the jailor and his household immersed in water not long after midnight (cf. Acts 16:25,33)?]
The Jews on Pentecost had already heard Peter’s sermon when they asked their question about salvation (Acts 2:37). Peter knew that they already believed,and that such belief came from hearing the message he preached (cf. Romans10:17). The Jews had passed the point of belief (being “pricked in their heart”), and were told to “repent and be baptized” in order to obtain salvation (cf. Mark 16:16).
Still, someone might wonder why
Ananias told Saul neither to believe nor
repent when he informed him about how to have his sins washed away. The
reason: Saul already was a penitent
believer in Christ by the time he came in contact with Ananias. Saul did not need to be told to believe or repent, since he had already done so. He knew the Lord existed, having spoken directly with Him on the road to Damascus, and he expressed a penitent attitude by praying to God and fasting for three days (Acts 9:9,11). At this point, Saul lacked only one thing: he needed to be baptized (Acts 22:16).
The reason these sinners were told three different things regarding salvation was because they were at different starting points when given the various answers. It is as if the jailor were in Jackson, Tennessee, the Jews on Pentecost in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Saul in Fort Smith. All wanted to go to the same place, but were at different starting points when they asked the question,“What must I do to be saved?” The unbeliever was told to believe. The
believers were told to repent. And the
penitent believer was told to be
baptized. The three statements may be
different, but they are not contradictory.
For a person to become a child of God,
he or she must do all three (see John
8:24; Luke 13:3,5; Matthew 28:19; Mark
16:16).
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 6:32am On Sep 06, 2015 |
Happy Sunday. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 10:32pm On Sep 11, 2015 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 11:46pm On Sep 26, 2015 |
malvisguy212:
Evangelism thread deserve to be on the homepage moderators. Seun, Ishilove, Lalasticlala. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 8:34am On Oct 04, 2015 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 6:28am On Oct 11, 2015 |
Lalasticlala. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by timilehing(m): 8:03am On Oct 11, 2015 |
All the 3 answers are correct, |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 3:43am On Oct 25, 2015 |
malvisguy212:
Evangelism thread deserve to be on the homepage moderators. Seun, Lalasticlala. happy Sunday |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by Princewell2012(m): 9:41am On Oct 25, 2015 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by Princewell2012(m): 9:41am On Oct 25, 2015 |
malvisguy212:
happy Sunday
Op how about been being borngain
Nice piece though.. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 5:54am On Nov 15, 2015 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 9:50am On Dec 06, 2015 |
Lalasticlala |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 10:33am On Dec 17, 2015 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 9:53pm On Jan 16, 2016 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 7:36am On Mar 13, 2016 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by Flexherbal(m): 8:09am On Mar 13, 2016 |
The 3 answers are the same. Believing in Jesus is the centre of the matter. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 9:26am On Mar 26, 2016 |
malvisguy212:
by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Three times in the book of Acts, Luke the physician recorded non-Christians asking what they needed to do to be saved, and three times a different answer was given.
The heathen jailor from Philippi asked
Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” and was told: “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED” (16:30-31).
The Jews on Pentecost asked the apostles, “Men and brethren,what shall we do?,” and were instructed to“REPENT AND BE BAPTISED ” (2:37-38).
A few years later, Saul (later called Paul
Acts 13:9) asked Jesus, Who appeared to
Saul on his way to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6; 22:10). After being told to go into Damascus to find out what he “must do” to be saved, Ananias, the Lord’s servant, commanded Saul to “RISE AND BE BAPTISED, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16).
The question that many ask is: “Why are three different answers given to the same question?” Are these answers contradictory, or is there a logical explanation for their differences?
The reason that three different answers
were given to the question of salvation is because on each occasion the
questioners were at different “locations”
on the road to salvation. The rationality
of such answers can be illustrated by
considering what a person is told in
reference to his physical distance from a certain city. If a friend calls me to ask
how far it is from his house in Jackson,
Tennessee to my parents’ house in
Neosho, Missouri, I would inform him
that he is 475 miles from Neosho. If he
calls me back the next day, notifying me
that he is now in Little Rock, Arkansas,
and asks about the distance to Neosho, I would give him a different answer. He
now would be 260 miles from Neosho. If,later that evening, he called me one last time and asked how far Fort Smith is from Neosho, again I would give him a different answer— 130 miles. No rational person would accuse me of contradicting myself, since each question was asked from a different reference point. Three different answers were given, but all three were correct. Likewise, the New Testament records three different answers given to the question, “What must I do to be saved,” because the sinners who asked these questions were at different places of understanding on the road to salvation.
The Philippian jailor was commanded to
believe in Christ, because he had not yet heard and believed the saving message of Jesus (Acts 16:31-32; Romans 10:17). It would have been pointless for Paul and Silas to command the jailor to repent and/or be baptized when he had not yet even heard the Gospel. If today, a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, asked a Christian the same question the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, the same answer would need to be given.
Before ever teaching a Muslim about the essentiality of repentance and baptism, he first must express belief in Jesus as the Son of God. If this step (i.e.,
believing) is never taken on the road to
salvation, the other steps are
meaningless. [NOTE: The Bible reveals
that after Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” to the jailor and his
household, they believed and
“immediately” were baptized (Acts 16:33).
By implication, Paul and Silas must have
taught the jailor and his family about the essentiality of baptism after stressing the need to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Acts 8:35-36,38). Question: If water baptism has nothing to do with salvation, then why were the jailor and his household immersed in water not long after midnight (cf. Acts 16:25,33)?]
The Jews on Pentecost had already heard Peter’s sermon when they asked their question about salvation (Acts 2:37). Peter knew that they already believed,and that such belief came from hearing the message he preached (cf. Romans10:17). The Jews had passed the point of belief (being “pricked in their heart”), and were told to “repent and be baptized” in order to obtain salvation (cf. Mark 16:16).
Still, someone might wonder why
Ananias told Saul neither to believe nor
repent when he informed him about how to have his sins washed away. The
reason: Saul already was a penitent
believer in Christ by the time he came in contact with Ananias. Saul did not need to be told to believe or repent, since he had already done so. He knew the Lord existed, having spoken directly with Him on the road to Damascus, and he expressed a penitent attitude by praying to God and fasting for three days (Acts 9:9,11). At this point, Saul lacked only one thing: he needed to be baptized (Acts 22:16).
The reason these sinners were told three different things regarding salvation was because they were at different starting points when given the various answers. It is as if the jailor were in Jackson, Tennessee, the Jews on Pentecost in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Saul in Fort Smith. All wanted to go to the same place, but were at different starting points when they asked the question,“What must I do to be saved?” The unbeliever was told to believe. The
believers were told to repent. And the
penitent believer was told to be
baptized. The three statements may be
different, but they are not contradictory.
For a person to become a child of God,
he or she must do all three (see John
8:24; Luke 13:3,5; Matthew 28:19; Mark
16:16).
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 6:41am On May 30, 2016 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 8:07am On Jun 05, 2016 |
malvisguy212:
Evangelism thread deserve to be on the homepage moderators. Seun, Ishilove, Lalasticlala. |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 6:47am On Aug 07, 2016 |
malvisguy212:
by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
Three times in the book of Acts, Luke the physician recorded non-Christians asking what they needed to do to be saved, and three times a different answer was given.
The heathen jailor from Philippi asked
Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?,” and was told: “BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED” (16:30-31).
The Jews on Pentecost asked the apostles, “Men and brethren,what shall we do?,” and were instructed to“REPENT AND BE BAPTISED ” (2:37-38).
A few years later, Saul (later called Paul
Acts 13:9) asked Jesus, Who appeared to
Saul on his way to Damascus, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” (9:6; 22:10). After being told to go into Damascus to find out what he “must do” to be saved, Ananias, the Lord’s servant, commanded Saul to “RISE AND BE BAPTISED, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (22:16).
The question that many ask is: “Why are three different answers given to the same question?” Are these answers contradictory, or is there a logical explanation for their differences?
The reason that three different answers
were given to the question of salvation is because on each occasion the
questioners were at different “locations”
on the road to salvation. The rationality
of such answers can be illustrated by
considering what a person is told in
reference to his physical distance from a certain city. If a friend calls me to ask
how far it is from his house in Jackson,
Tennessee to my parents’ house in
Neosho, Missouri, I would inform him
that he is 475 miles from Neosho. If he
calls me back the next day, notifying me
that he is now in Little Rock, Arkansas,
and asks about the distance to Neosho, I would give him a different answer. He
now would be 260 miles from Neosho. If,later that evening, he called me one last time and asked how far Fort Smith is from Neosho, again I would give him a different answer— 130 miles. No rational person would accuse me of contradicting myself, since each question was asked from a different reference point. Three different answers were given, but all three were correct. Likewise, the New Testament records three different answers given to the question, “What must I do to be saved,” because the sinners who asked these questions were at different places of understanding on the road to salvation.
The Philippian jailor was commanded to
believe in Christ, because he had not yet heard and believed the saving message of Jesus (Acts 16:31-32; Romans 10:17). It would have been pointless for Paul and Silas to command the jailor to repent and/or be baptized when he had not yet even heard the Gospel. If today, a Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist, asked a Christian the same question the Philippian jailor asked Paul and Silas, the same answer would need to be given.
Before ever teaching a Muslim about the essentiality of repentance and baptism, he first must express belief in Jesus as the Son of God. If this step (i.e.,
believing) is never taken on the road to
salvation, the other steps are
meaningless. [NOTE: The Bible reveals
that after Paul and Silas “spoke the word of the Lord” to the jailor and his
household, they believed and
“immediately” were baptized (Acts 16:33).
By implication, Paul and Silas must have
taught the jailor and his family about the essentiality of baptism after stressing the need to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Acts 8:35-36,38). Question: If water baptism has nothing to do with salvation, then why were the jailor and his household immersed in water not long after midnight (cf. Acts 16:25,33)?]
The Jews on Pentecost had already heard Peter’s sermon when they asked their question about salvation (Acts 2:37). Peter knew that they already believed,and that such belief came from hearing the message he preached (cf. Romans10:17). The Jews had passed the point of belief (being “pricked in their heart”), and were told to “repent and be baptized” in order to obtain salvation (cf. Mark 16:16).
Still, someone might wonder why
Ananias told Saul neither to believe nor
repent when he informed him about how to have his sins washed away. The
reason: Saul already was a penitent
believer in Christ by the time he came in contact with Ananias. Saul did not need to be told to believe or repent, since he had already done so. He knew the Lord existed, having spoken directly with Him on the road to Damascus, and he expressed a penitent attitude by praying to God and fasting for three days (Acts 9:9,11). At this point, Saul lacked only one thing: he needed to be baptized (Acts 22:16).
The reason these sinners were told three different things regarding salvation was because they were at different starting points when given the various answers. It is as if the jailor were in Jackson, Tennessee, the Jews on Pentecost in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Saul in Fort Smith. All wanted to go to the same place, but were at different starting points when they asked the question,“What must I do to be saved?” The unbeliever was told to believe. The
believers were told to repent. And the
penitent believer was told to be
baptized. The three statements may be
different, but they are not contradictory.
For a person to become a child of God,
he or she must do all three (see John
8:24; Luke 13:3,5; Matthew 28:19; Mark
16:16).
A |
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by malvisguy212: 7:43am On Apr 29, 2018 |
|
| Re: One Question, Three Different Answers by GoodMuyis(m): 8:19pm On Apr 29, 2018 |
bump |
