Unbaptized Believers
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
Paul takes for granted that every member of the Corinthian church has been baptized, and uses that as a basis for their unity. They, together with Jesus, have all shared in the same baptism and given the same Spirit.
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, in which he also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison who in the past were disobedient, when God patiently waited in the days of Noah while the ark was being prepared. In it a few—that is, eight people—were saved through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you (not as the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a good conscience toward God) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
Most important sentence for our purposes: Baptism, which corresponds to eight people in the ark being saved through water, now saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not as the removal of dirt from the body, but a pledge of a good conscience toward God. The comparison between the flood and baptism means we can assume Peter is saying we are saved by baptism in the same way that Noah and his family were saved in the flood. In both cases we obey God and He does the salvation. Noah was not saved by an ark, he was saved by God. Baptism effects our salvation in the same way that faith and public confession effect our salvation. Believing something and saying words don’t save you, God saves you on the basis of your faith and public confession and commands you be baptized.
When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!”
So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.
When the people asked Peter what to do after he told them that Jesus was the Messiah he replied by telling them to do two things: repent and be baptized, both in the name of Jesus, with the promise that they would receive the Holy Spirit. Key here is that repentance and baptism are only effective because of Jesus and the death and the resurrection, which baptism is a symbol of.
But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
They respond with belief and then are baptized.
Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed.
When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”
“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
Simon though baptized is clearly not saved merely by being baptized. Peter says that his heart is not right before God. He does however ask them to pray for him. We never find out if he truly repented.
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
“Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them.
“Into John’s baptism,” they replied.
Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. Now there were about twelve men in all.
When they find out that these men weren’t baptized in Jesus name, they were then re-baptized in Jesus’ name. When they believed seems to be equated with when they were baptized.
And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’
Paul recalls when Ananias encouraged him to immediately be baptized and call on Jesus’ name in order to be saved. Could be translated “get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, after calling on his name.” though most tranlate it the CSB way, and some translate it as “as you call on his name.” The important thing is that the baptism is done in congruence with calling on the name of Jesus. It’s never just baptism, always baptism with repentence and belief in Jesus.