Baptism - Salvation - Bible Contradictions ... ???

[duval]

Hi Sparrow

Acts 11:15 reads: "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." Acts 10 and 11 identify this as the baptism of the Spirit. I believe this is different from Acts 2:38 which gift all believers receive upon being baptized scripturally in water.

I hope this clarifies.

God bless,
duval

 

[bleitzel]

Re: Various Stages of Salvation ... ???

So, is our salvation really progressive, that is going through various stages ...

Hmm, good question. Progressive? I know I've never considered it progressive, as I can't identify any stages, as you put it. Just that Christ died as a permanent sacrifice for our sins so that God can look at us, not as the sinners we are, but as His children. But we do have to accept this gift. That means humble ourselves, recognize that He alone is God, repent and be baptized. As we go through the rest of our lives we will still fail from time to time and go back to our sinful ways, but we need to do all we can to fight the good fight, to run the race, until we die.

Then, once we've completed our lives in this flesh, then we will receive the everlasting life that has been reserved for us.

 

[Heneni]

Few thoughts for consideration:

Baptism wasnt a new thing in the OT, the jews were baptising long before jesus, or john arrived on the scene.

Baptism by water was done because they were once baptised into the name of moses. And the whole splitting of the red sea was gods way of baptising the entire nation into the name of their 'saviour' moses. The entire nation, went throught the waters.

And so i guess, it became tradition to baptise the next generations of jews in the name of moses as well, in water. (but god wasnt going to split it every time )

In any event. When john started to baptise, along came the pharisees. They figured it was appropriate to baptise themselves. John was not too happy about that. The isrealites of old were baptised into moses's name because moses was the frontman for their salvation. But they relied on moses's clout with god, and didnt think they needed to have a change in heart! So he said they should REPENT!

Now the gentiles have jesus as their frontman. Their saviour. And we too had to be baptised into his name. We were baptised in his name on the cross, baptised into his death, so that when he arose from the dead (or when he emerged from the 'red sea') we too would come along right with him, on our way to the promised land.

I dont think that there is anything wrong with being baptised in water, its an outward act of what happened inwardly already.

Heneni