Why Acts 2:38?

[BroGary]

Originally Posted by jfrog

Romans 8:9-11

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Romans 8:14-16

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

Did Cornelius receive the Holy Ghost before being baptized? YES!
So then Cornelius was not in the flesh before his baptism but instead in the Spirit. In fact since he was in the Spirit and had the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him then Romans 8:11 says that his mortal body would also be quickened. Further, since he had the Spirit of God then Romans 8:14-16 says he was a child of God.

The only conclusion I can draw is that Cornelius must have been saved before his baptism.

No offense intended bro, but obviously the apostle understood the necessity of also being baptized in water and that is why he commanded them to be baptized, because it wasn't simply a nice "extra" but a must -

Acts 10:47,48 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord....

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.