Hardly. The only reason that you can come to such a conclusion is because you do not want to truthfully weigh what I have to say. Since you are assuming that I "skip Acts" let me ask you, why do you skip the gospels and go straight to Acts? Did nothing Jesus say matter? Or do you only pick and choose what you want, like for example you'll take
John 3:3-8 but reject what follows later in the chapter, not even finishing the dialogue, glossing over 3:15-16, and 36, or the tons of scriptures in the gospel of John, the words of Jesus himself, which explicitly teach that genuine faith in Him is sufficient to save:
John begins by noting that "as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." (
John 1:12) and ends his book by stating that his intent was to write so that the reader "might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (
John 20:31)
(* for scriptures that reflect a direct link between belief and salvation/eternal life)
*1:12-13
John 1:49-50
John 2:11
John 2:23-25
*3:15-18
*3:36
John 4:39-42
*5:24
John 6:29
John 6:35
*6:40
*6:47
John 6:68-69
John 7:37-39
John 8:30-32
John 9:35-38
John 10:26-28
*11:25-27 (cf.
John 4:41-42 &
John 6:68-69)
John 11:42,45
John 12:11
John 12:42-46
John 13:19
John 14:10-12
John 14:29
John 17:3
John 17:21
John 19:35
John 20:29
*20:31
What's your point? Was ACTS written to lost people? Scripture interprets scripture, we should see what scripture says as a whole on any given subject. All scripture is profitable for doctrine. The oneness pentecostal way of overemphasizing one book is the sure way to come to a faulty conclusion, and what do you know, they arrived at a conclusion that no one in Christianity has arrived at prior to the early 1900's. That should be a red flag right there.
Jason, here is how your Bible was actually put together by the translators for your reading. It is in 3 categories....#1, the Gospels(to teach folks about Jesus)...#2, Acts(to teach us how to be saved)...#3 Epistles (to teach us(born again saints only) how to STAY saved). Reading it out of order causes false doctrine as your guys are experiencing in your "alternative" plan of salvation.
I challenge your assertion that conversion in Acts was not faith and repentance. Oneness Pentecostals who hold to the 3 step salvation error typically pick and choose what they want out of Acts. It is a very inconsistent hermenutic and does not all reflect the truth of the matter:
Conversions in the Book of Acts
There are roughly 21 accounts of conversions to the Christian faith in the book of Acts. Some of these are direct reactions to a message preached, others are statements made in passing by the writer of Acts. Here is a list of the conversions in Acts, if they were in response to a preached message the text of that message will appear in parenthesis.
Conversions
Acts 2:41 (
Acts 2:14-40)
Acts 4:4 (
Acts 3:12-26)
Acts 8:12
Acts 8:36-38 (
Acts 8:35)
Acts 9:6,17-18
Acts 10:44-48 (
Acts 10:34-43)
Acts 11:20-21
Acts 13:12
Acts 13:48
Acts 14:1
Acts 16:14-15
Acts 16:30-34
Acts 17:4 (
Acts 17:3)
Acts 17:12
Acts 17:34 (
Acts 17:22-31)
Acts 18:8
Acts 18:24-28
Acts 19:18-19
Acts 19:1-7
Acts 28:24
Conviction as a result of Apostolic Preaching in the Book of Acts
Acts 2:37
Acts 5:33
Acts 7:54
Acts 24:24-25
What Must We (I) Do?
Acts 2:37
Acts 9:6
Acts 10:6
Acts 16:30
Sermons in the Book of Acts
Acts 2:12-40 (Peter) Resurrection-
Acts 2:24,32 Repentance-
Acts 2:38
Acts 3:12-26 (Peter) Resurrection-
Acts 3:14-15 Repentance-
Acts 3:19
Acts 4:8-12 (Peter) Resurrection-
Acts 4:10 Repentance (by implication)
Acts 4:12
Acts 5:29-32 (Peter) Resurrection-
Acts 5:30 Repentance-
Acts 5:31
Acts 7:2-53 (Stephen) Resurrection (by implication)
Acts 7:52,55 Repentance (by implication)
Acts 7:51
Acts 8:5,12 (Phillip)
Acts 10:34-43 (Peter) Resurrection-
Acts 10:39-41 Repentance (by implication)
Acts 10:43 cross reference w/
Acts 11:18
Acts 13:16-41 (Paul) Resurrection-
Acts 13:30,37 Repentance (by implication)
Acts 10:38-39
Acts 14:15* (Paul) Repentance-
Acts 14:15
Acts 14:22 (Paul)
Acts 17:3 (Paul) Resurrection-
Acts 17:3
Acts 17:22-31* (Paul) Resurrection-
Acts 17:31 Repentance-
Acts 17:30
Acts 20:18-35 (Paul) Repentance-
Acts 20:21
Acts 24 (Paul before Felix)
Acts 26 (Paul before Agrippa) Resurrection-
Acts 26:23, Repentance-
Acts 26:20
*When preaching to pagans the common method was to preach about God as Creator and Judge. When preaching to Jews the common method was to prove from the scriptures that Jesus was the promised Messiah.
Scriptures in Acts that Support Salvation by Faith:
Acts 2:21
Acts 10:43
Acts 11:17-18
Acts 15:11
Acts 16:31
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