Jethro Bodine
Member
I'm sorry. I don't know how I missed your post here.Jethro, all these people HAD BEEN WATER BAPTISED ALREADY.
THEY WERE DISCIPLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST, remember?
Therefore this receiving of the HSp was BY WATER-BAPTISED PEOPLE, contrary to your argument.
This is exactly what Peter is now telling the crowd, as you correctly quote:[/COLOR]
This is on WATER-BAPTISED PEOPLE, viz. the apostles, contrary to your argument.
"38 Peter said to them, “ Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise (of the Holy Spirit) is for you and your children and for all who are far off (because that's what the prophecy says he just quoted), as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” (Acts 2:38-39 NASB parenthesis mine)
They repented, AND WERE BAPTISED, in WATER.
I respect the challenge you have put forth here. But it still doesn't explain Cornelius' experience. We don't know if he had John's baptism or not. The Bible doesn't tell us as far as I know. But, whether he had been baptized or not by John (probably not, IMO--he was a gentile) he still violates the argument about the one and only way a person can be saved in regard to water baptism. Let's look at the only two possible scenarios there are:
1) Cornelius does not have John's baptism.
This would be the exact scenario of the crowd on the Day of Pentecost (assuming none of them had John's baptism). He receives the Holy Spirit prior to, and apart from his water baptism. Not possible according to the 'baptism saves' argument based on Acts 2:38 that says the giving of the Holy Spirit can only happen at, and through water baptism for previously unrepentant, and unbaptized people (which is why they say baptism saves).
2) Cornelius does have John's baptism.
This would be the case you point out of the Apostles and believers who were the first to receive the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The problem is, why does Peter then have Cornelius and his family re-baptized if he has already repented through John's baptism, as the Apostles themselves had been, and satisfied both requirements that the 'baptism saves' argument says must be met in order to receive the Holy Spirit? Not to mention he already has the Holy Spirit. Peter seems to be showing us that he did not understand the role and purpose of water baptism as some are suggesting he did in Acts 2:38--that is, as the only way a person can get the Holy Spirit to be saved.
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