Some people have heard for years in their churches that Acts 2:38 says something like, “with the evidence of speaking in tongues” at the end. It is ingrained in them that the Scripture actually states this and it does not. When it is pointed out and they look it up in their Bible, they are shocked. Yes, they have previously read it on their own, but it was repeated in sermons so much that the faulty version stuck in their mind.
Similarly, many have heard that the preceding verse has the people asking, “What shall we do to be saved?” But the ‘to be saved’ is nowhere to be found. What happened is that Peter preached to them that they had crucified their awaited Messiah. Their response to this was “what shall we do?” What were they supposed to do, now that they realized what actually happened?
Yet there IS a place in the New Testament where that question is indeed asked in the book of Acts. Chapter 16 sees Paul and Silas thrown into prison. As they sung hymns of praise to God late at night while their fellow prisoners listened, there was an earthquake and everyone in the prison was freed. The jailer awoke, and seeing the doors ajar, he thought to kill himself as the authorities would take his life when they discovered the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out to him and said to do himself no harm, that everyone was still there. Fearful, the jailer fell at their feet. Verse 30 says he asked them, “What must I do to be saved?”
What did Paul and Silas say in response? They told the jailer to believe in Jesus and he and his household would be saved.
They then spoke the word of the Lord to the jailer and those at his home. He washed the wounds of Silas and Paul. Then he and all his household were water baptized. He then fed them and all rejoiced in their newfound faith.
Did Paul and Silas say there were three steps to salvation and if one was not met, they would be lost? Did they show a list of rules that had to be kept afterward, in order to keep their salvation? There was not even a mention of speaking in tongues, either. It has been, and always will be, to believe in Jesus and you will be saved. This isn’t easy believism, as true belief brings about actions and a changed life through the working of God’s Spirit.
Examining Teachings #1: Drunk In The Spirit?
Examining Teachings #2: Jezebel and Shamefaced
Examining Teachings #3: Peculiar And Separate
Examining Teachings #4: What Must I Do To Be Saved?
Examining Teachings #5: Faith Without Works Is Dead
If you are In a house burning down all around you and you say, what shall we do? , it is no stretch to see what is really meant is ” how can I be saved from this burning house”. That part of the response is dis-ingenious and should be better addressed.
But the topic wasn’t about a burning house. Read in context, it is wrong to add that these people were asking what to do in order to be saved.
If we do not add or take away from the scrupture, then we must stop at, “What must I do to be saved?” After that, we must then hear what the answer to the question is. According to the answer, we must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ… After that, the scripture declared, “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord…” What was the word that was spoken unto him? I would supposed that he was informed that he should be baptized. I came to this conclusion because he and all his household were baptized. There was nothing recorded about them speaking in tongues. This is not adding or taking anything away from what is recorded.
You kind of had me up till this point.
But all Bible subjects are “precept upon precept line upon line here a little in there a little”. Salvation, is to be born again. That is of water and spirit, and without this no one can enter the kingdom of God. How can we go only by the philippian jailers account of just “believing on the Lord”.
How is that being ‘born again of water and spirit’?
The full account of being born again of water and spirit can only be ‘water’ baptism and the infilling of the ‘Holy ghost’…. Why is this such a legalistic thing? And then, however one wants to execute this I suppose is his own business, but you are now ‘taking away from the scriptures’ by just referring to the few and not the whole account of what all the word says on this subject.
Thanks for hearing me out.
The articles in this series are brief, non in depth pieces and as such obviously do not cover every possible aspect of an issue. The purpose of this particular article was addressing where the Bible gave an account of this question (what must I do to be saved) being asked and how some wrongly add this to Acts 2:37, where it was never asked. The jailer account was the focus as it is the only place in the New Testament where the question is found. Thus, the article in no way is ‘taking from the scriptures.’
You are referencing John 3:5 in your comment, but consider this. Jesus was not speaking of water baptism, but rather was referencing Nicodemus’ mention of being born of water in the natural birth. Unfortunately, Oneness Pentecostals learn to read things into passages which are not stated, such as here in making it about water baptism. They do the same with adding speaking in tongues in places where it is not mentioned.
Being born of the water and spirit. To say the water Jesus spoke of is water baptism is adding to the scripture. He does not mention baptism. He says if you’re born of flesh, you are flesh and if you are born of spirit, you are spirit. Jesus was born in the flesh and raised from the dead a life giving spirit. And he is the first born from the dead. We must be born again as he was, from the dead, as spiritual beings in spiritual bodies. A new creation. The Holy Spirit is the earnest of the inheritance, but we are still flesh until the resurrection from the dead. As for water, remember the Earth was made new when the Spirit of God hovered over the water. A new creation.
Paul said in Galatians 1:8-9
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, rlet him be accursed.
What Gospel did Paul preach?
1 Corinthians 15:1-6
15 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.