Luke 7:48-50
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Here’s the Latest Question I’ve Found in the Question Box:
“What About the Woman in Luke 7:48-50 Who was Saved By Jesus - No Baptism?”
Let’s Start By Reading the Whole Passage:
Luke 7:36–50 (NASB95)
36 Now one of the Pharisees was requesting Him to dine with him, and He entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster vial of perfume, 38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he replied, “Say it, Teacher.”
41 “A moneylender had two debtors: one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 “When they were unable to repay, he graciously forgave them both. So which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have judged correctly.”
44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. 46 “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume.
47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.” 49 Those who were reclining at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this man who even forgives sins?” 50 And He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
It Seems Likely that the Woman was a Former Prostitute
Verse 47, as Well as the Perfect Tense of “Forgiven” Indicates…
That She had Already Been Forgiven Before Anointing Jesus’ Feet
Up in Verse 29, John’s Baptism is Mentioned as Something “All the People” Did
It’s Likely that this Woman was Either Baptized By John…
In Anticipation of the Coming Kingdom
Or She could have Experienced Jesus’ Teaching/Miracles…
And Repented and Confessed Her Faith to Him and Been Forgiven
Back in Luke 5:24, Jesus Explains that He has the Authority to Forgive Sins
Regardless, it Seems that Her Loving Act of Anointing Jesus’ Feet…
Was Not What Brought About Her Forgiveness
She Anointed Jesus’ Feet Because She was Forgiven
When and How that Happened, We Aren’t Told
But it Does Seem that Her Act of Love was Done Out of Gratitude
But Even if that isn’t the Case
Let’s Say that Jesus Forgave Her as She was Anointing His Feet
She Still could have Been Baptized By John at an Earlier Time
But Even if She hadn’t Been Baptized By John…
Jesus had Authority on Earth to Forgive Sins
Let’s Talk About How Baptism Relates to Salvation for a Minute
Where Many in the Religious World Don’t Put Enough Emphasis on Baptism…
Many of Us in the Churches of Christ May Be Guilty of Overemphasizing Baptism
We’re Often Guilty of Over-Correcting on Biblical Issues
Is it Immersion in Water that God Wants From People…
Or is it Their Faith, Trust, Loyalty, Allegiance?
From a Scriptural Standpoint, it is Obviously Their Faith
Baptism is Where the Covenant Relationship is Established
A Person, By Faith, Enters into a Covenant Relationship with God Through Baptism
This is Where a Person is Born Again as a New and Sinless Creation
They are Made Citizens of God’s Kingdom and Members of Jesus’ Church/People
They are Adopted into God’s Family
They are Given God’s Holy Spirit as a Seal/Down Payment of the Resurrection
All of These Things Take Place in Baptism…
Which is Why We Believe that Baptism is Extremely Important
But Baptism that isn’t Done…
In Faith/Trust/Loyalty/Allegiance to Jesus is Useless
And Baptism that isn’t Followed Up by…
A Life-Long Pursuit of Faith/Trust/Loyalty/Allegiance to Jesus is Useless
This Woman was Forgiven, Not Necessarily Because She was Baptized…
But Because She Chose to Place Her Faith/Trust/Loyalty/Allegiance in Jesus
She Proved Her Faith and Her Gratitude with an Act of Loving Service to Him
Jesus is Not Longer Here on Earth with Us
Nobody should Be Expecting Him to Physically Show Up and Forgive Us
He’s Given Us All the Information We Need…
To Know How to Enter into a Covenant Relationship with Him…
Whenever We’ve Placed Our Faith/Trust/Loyalty/Allegiance in Him
Matthew 28:18–20 (NASB95)
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
The Imperative Command in Verse 19 is “Make Disciples”
“Go”, “Baptize”, and “Teach” are All Participles
They Explain How You “Make Disciples”
The Most Important Thing to Jesus is that He have Disciples (Faithful Followers)
And the Way Disciples are Made is By Baptizing Them and then Teaching Them
The Emphasis in Evangelism shouldn’t Be Baptism
The Emphasis should Be Life-Long Faith, Trust, Loyalty, and Allegiance to King Jesus
If People are Willing to Give Him that…
Then We Tell Them How They can Enter into a Covenant Relationship with Jesus
The Answer is the Same as the One Peter Gave on Pentecost:
Repent and Be Baptized By the Authority of Jesus and in His Honor