[Originalist]

Originally Posted by Sean

.Brother, forgive me for butting in, but I beg to differ on the highlighted statement. I will just post this verse. I will not get further into it here, we did that months ago. God Bless

Acts 22:16
And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

I dont see another concept presented here to wash away sins, but to be baptized. If I was on the receiving end of that statement, I would have equated baptism with my sins being washed away. (you know..WATER(baptized)....WASH, (I kinda see it like that), just most folks use water to wash stuff, but what do I know?, maybe baptism is like a "waterless car wash"...LOL....respectfully

Brother, do you not know figurative language when you read it? There is nothing literally washed at baptism. Peter made it clear that is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh by which baptism doth now "save" us. Even Peter used the term "like figure". This verse you quoted does not in any way contradict what I posted. Not at all. The term "remission" in Acts 2:38 literally means "forgiveness". Water is not a living person. Only a person can forgive sin. I am clearly connecting baptism as a step towards forgiveness. But a baptismal candidate needs to know why he is bring baptized. At most Oneness churches all a baptismal candidate would hear about is the "name being invoked" and that baptism literally washing away his sins. That is not Apostolic teaching. In Acts people repented and got baptized because they "believed those things preached concerning the kingdom of God and the name (authority) of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12) And what were those "things" that the Apostles preached concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ?

24 But God hath raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

32 This Jesus hath God raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

33 Therefore, being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (Acts 2:24,32-33,36)

13 The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let Him go.

18 But those things which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath thus fulfilled.

19 Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

26 Unto you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you in turning every one of you away from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:13,18-19,26)

Act 4:2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

10 be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11 This is ‘the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.’

12 Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.”

Act 4:33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. (Acts 2,10-12,33)

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

31 Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

32 And we are His witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to those who obey Him.” (Acts 5:30-32)

36 The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) —

37 that Word, I say, ye know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem — He whom they hanged on a tree and slew.

40 Him God raised up the third day and showed Him openly,

41 not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

42 And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge of the quick and dead.

43 To Him all the prophets bear witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:36-43)

Sean, we don't preach much of this as the apostles did. Rather, in our zeal to correct all the other churches' doctrine, we skip all of this and preach baptism in the name of Jesus as the gospel. We give the credit to releasing someone from the condemnation of sin to the preacher invoking the name in baptism instead of to Jesus himself!! Too many people in our churches even understand why they're being baptized because we do not follow the Apostolic method of preaching "things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name (authority) of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Yes, to be forgiven one must repent of their sins and be baptized. But it's not the repenting and baptizing that is giving the forgiveness. Only God in Christ can do that.