Subject: Unforgivable sin |
Bible Note: Greetings Teacher! Thanks for the response my friend! Actually, I have appealed to more than one Scripture: Gal. 2, Eph. 2: 8-10, Rom. 4, ect....! :-) However, the reason I focus on Acts 10 is because if your interpretation of Acts 2:38 is correct, then Acts 2:38 and Acts 10 are in direct contradiction. Your intepretation of Acts 2:38 says: to repent AND to be baptized result in forgiveness of sins and reception of the Gift of the Holy Spirit. In this interpretation, both commands must be obeyed in order to acheive the two promised results. However, you then say that this is not true in Acts 10. You claim that there: They received the Gift of the Holy Spirit then They repented and were baptized and they then received forgiveness of sins. So, which is it? If one can recieve the 'gift of the Holy Spirit' without obeying either the command to repent or to be batized, can one also receive 'forgiveness of sins' without obeying either command? You see my friend, Acts 10 is a fatal flaw to this interpretation of Acts 2:38. You have to deny the express order of your understanding of Acts 2:38 in order to make Acts 10 fit your intepretative scheme. Now, let's suppose that I am correct in my understanding of Acts 2:38. The order would then be like this: Obedience to the command to repent results in forgiveness of sins and the reception of the Gift of the Holy Spirit after which, each one is commanded to be baptized. Does this fit the context of Acts 10? Yes, it does. Those who heard the message of Peter repented. How do we know? How did Peter know? They had received the gift of the Holy Spirit, therefore, in accord with Acts 2:38, they must have repented and also received 'forgiveness of sins'. Because of these facts, Peter baptisms them as a result of their salvation. In this interpretation, Acts 2:38 and Acts 10 are in perfect harmony. One does not have to claim special circumstances, or change the meaning of Acts 2:38 to make them fit. This interpretation also is in harmony with all of the other passages which teach that one does not have to be baptized in order to be saved. 'Faith', 'belief', 'acceptance' (synonomous terms) are consistently said throughout Scripture to be the only 'requirement' for salvation. Consider all of the following verses my friend. If your position is true, then all of these verses are misleading and inaccurate, because more is required for salvation than is actually mentioned: 1) Acts 2:21 - "And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.?" 2) Acts 16:30 - "He then brought them out and asked, ??Sirs, what must I do to be saved?? 31 They replied, ??Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved?you and your household.?" 3) Rom. 10:13 - "for, ??Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.?" 4) 2 Thess. 2:13 - " But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth." Simply put, Scripture consistently lays out only one requirment for slavation. One must accept, repent, call out, believe, what ever one wants to call this act. The act is simply one of acceptance. If accept the gift of salvation, we are saved. Further, our salvation is not dependent upon our continuing obedience, works, or anything else. It is entirely based upon what Christ did for us on the cross. This is why this topic is so important my friend. Ever since the beginning of the church, this very same debate has been going on. Someone is always trying to add something else that we must do in order to be saved. Yet, Scripture continually rejected any such notion. Go back and read everything Paul said about the Judaizers and the issue of circumscion. That debate is identical to this one. The Judaizers taught that it took both faith and obedience to the command to be circumscized in order to be saved. Paul rejected this notion firmly. The same arguments are being raised today over and over again. People are being taught that they most do this, or do that, or that they must be perfect and not sin in order to really be saved. We must reject this preaching of 'another gospel' as Paul called it in Galatians. This is why I spend so much time interacting with individuals on this forum about this issue. It seems to be very hard for many to accept that Christ really did do it all for us! :-( Well, my granddaughter needs my attention now, so I must go! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |