Sunday, August 26, 2012 am
BELIEF IN THE BOOK OF
ACTS
Typically, we will produce a chart (which we will look at in a moment)
which gives us a clear pattern of our part in the plan of salvation.
But is that all the book of Acts has to say about salvation?
In our lesson today we want to notice some of the examples of
conversion of conversion in the book of Acts.
We will begin with examples we typically look at, then we will
notice some other passages that deal with subject.
a.
It is no secret that we
teach the necessity of baptism as the final step that leads to one’s
salvation. This is not merely our creed, but what scriptures clearly
teach.
This is presented in numerous passages such as Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38,
22:16, Gal. 3:27, Rom. 6:3-4, 1 Pet. 3:20-21, etc.
Of course we understand that baptism does not stand by itself.
It is not a meritorious act with which we earn our salvation.
It is based upon faith, repentance and confession after we hear
and are convicted of our need to come in contact with the blood of Jesus
so that our sins can be washed away.
b.
To further support this,
in the book of Acts we find a number of examples of individuals whom we
are told they were baptized.
Consider the following examples:
i.
Acts 2:38
– On the day of Pentecost, they were told to repent and be baptized
for the remission of sins.
That day some 3000 souls obeyed the gospel and the numbers continued
from there.
ii.
Acts 8:12-13
– Philip preaching in Samaria after persecutions caused disciples to
leave Jerusalem, converted many including Simon the sorcerer.
Of those in Samaria we are told they believed and were
baptized.
iii.
Acts 8:36-38
– the Eunuch, a proselyte Jew, on his way back to Ethiopia, was reading
the scriptures when Philip joined him in his chariot and began preaching
Jesus to Him (fulfilled in prophecy).
As he taught, the Eunuch said, “See, here is water, what hinders
me from being baptized?”
Immediately he was baptized.
We find in this example, he heard the word (35- preached), believed
(36-37), confessed Jesus (vs. 37*[1]),
and was baptized immediately.
iv.
Acts 9:18
– Saul (later Paul) was on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians
when the Lord struck him blind and spoke to him.
He was instructed to go and wait in the city for further
instructions. When Ananias
came to him we read that Saul again received his sight and was
baptized. Later Paul
would recount this conversion and mention that he was told, “And now why
are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins,
calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts
22:16)
v.
Acts 10:47-48
– Cornelius was the first Gentile convert.
His conversion was spectacular.
Peter preached to him and after some remarkable events,
(Cornelius already being very receptive) he was commanded to be
baptized in the name of the Lord (10:48).
Vs. 43 finds Peter saying, “Whoever
believes in Him will receive remission of sins.”
vi.
Acts 16:13
– Lydia, in the city of Philippi, was converted.
She gave “heed the things spoken” (vs. 14) and was baptized with
her household.
vii.
Acts 16:31-33
– the jailer was told by Paul, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
you will be saved…” He heard
the message, believed (vs. 31) and was baptized (vs. 33) along with his
family.
viii.
Acts 18:8
– in Corinth, we are told they believed and were baptized.
ix.
Acts 19:1-5
– While in Ephesus, Paul found 12 men who had been baptized with John’s
baptism. Paul taught them
further – the heard (vs. 5), believed (vs. 4) and were baptized (vs. 5)
c.
In these examples we
find everything we are required to do in order to be saved.
It is worthy of note, that no single account mentions all 5
steps, but if you were to examine the accounts you could see how some of
the steps not mentioned in specific accounts are implied (for example –
we know that all heard and all believed).
By looking at the lives of those converted, we find repentance
and confession of Jesus in their lives.
d.
BUT, are these the only
examples in Acts that deal with conversion?
Let us take a few moments and dig a little deeper.
a.
In times past, some have
said that every example of conversion in the book of Acts mentions
baptism. That is not an
accurate statement. AT best
it is a statement that needs to be adapted to say that many examples
mention baptism or INCLUDE baptism is describing what they did.
b.
There are several
examples in Acts that speak of people who became followers but only
“belief” or something similar is mentioned.
In fact, these passages are actually more numerous than the 9
listed above. Sometimes
these passages are mentioned to deny the necessity of baptism in order
to be saved. Let us notices some
of these.
i.
Acts 4:4 – some 2000+
men who were added to the original number in Jerusalem.
We are told, “many of those who heard his word, believed.”
ii.
Acts 5:14, “And
believers were increasingly added to the Lord.
iii.
Acts 6:7 – many priests
were obedient to the faith
iv.
Acts 9:35 – those in
Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord
v.
Acts 9:42 – in Joppa,
many believed on the Lord
vi.
Acts 11:21 – and a great
number believed and turned to the Lord
vii.
Acts 13:12 , on the Isle
of Paphos we read of Sergius Paulus, the proconsul, “believed.”
viii.
Acts 13:48-49 – as many
as had been appointed to eternal life believed
ix.
Acts 14:1 – a great
multitude of both Jews and Gentiles believed
x.
Acts 17:1-4 – in
Thessalonica, some were persuaded, including devout Greeks and several
leading women.
xi.
Acts 17:34 – some joined
Paul after his sermon in Athens and believed.
Mentioned specifically are Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman
named Damaris.
xii.
Acts 19:18-19 –In
Ephesus, many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds
xiii.
Many others could be
added to these. I encourage you to read the book of Acts and notice how
many times we have reference to those who believed.
BUT the question is do these passages NULLIFY the necessity of
baptism for the remission of sins?
c.
These passages do NOT
nullify the need for baptism!
Consider the following:
i.
The term belief can mean
more than simply believing in something –
1.
It can have reference to
merely believing in something.
That is, being exposed to information and accepting it as true or
reliable. This is the
typical way that believe is used.
1 Cor. 11:18, “For first of
all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions
among you, and in part I believe it.”
Matt. 24:26, “Therefore if they
say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is
in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.”
Matt. 9:28, Jesus asked two blind men, who had cried to Him for mercy
(and healing), “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
Matt. 21:22 – when you pray, you have to believe
Acts 26:27, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?
I know that you do believe.”
Paul spoke of facts he knew the king acknowledged.
James 2:19 speaks of demons
believing that there is one God and trembling.
2.
Sometimes it is a belief
that responds
– much like faith (which
is based upon the same root word as believe; typically, in the Greek –
believe is the verb form and
faith is the noun form) we
often find belief that leads to obedience.
Hebrews 11 describes faith that did something, namely whatever God said
to do.
Acts 8:12, concerning those in Samaria we read, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the
kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were
baptized.” Vs. 13, “Then
Simon also believed, and he was baptized…”
3.
But often, it can be an
inclusive statement for everything associated with one who believes God.
Sometimes the word believe means that one responds, without the
details being specified.
They are included in the word.
Grammatically this is called
synecdoche which means
a figure of speech which expresses either more or less than is literally
stated. For example, when we
say, “those are nice wheels” we may be referring to the whole car, or
“give me a hand” which actually means you want the help of a person
doing something.
Luke 7:6 speaks of a centurion who had sent for Jesus to heal his
servant, he sends servants telling him not to trouble himself, “For I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.”
The term “under my roof” is a
reference to his whole house. Psalm 24:4 speaking of those who will
ascend to the presence of God says, “He
who has clean hands and a pure heart,…”
The hands and heart are representative of the whole person
and describe his honorable.
It is in this sense that the word
believe is often used to describe everything one did as a result of
believing in God.
For example, in Acts 18:8 it says, “Then
Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his
household.”
The Philippian jailer was told by Peter, “Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
(Ac 16:31)
You can investigate these accounts (as we shall do) and see the
inclusive nature of belief.
It is in this sense that we find many of the above passages, as
we shall see.
ii.
Consider the following passages as to how the word “believed” is used in
Acts:
1.
Acts 2:44,
“Now all who believed were together and had all things in common.”
a.
Who were those who
believed? When you examine
the entire context, we know this has reference to the 3000 who obeyed
the gospel and others who had responded since that time in Jerusalem.
We know what the 3000 were commanded to do, “Repent
and let everyone of you be baptized, in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38)
b.
Notice the word,
“believed” would mean more than mere mental assent.
These brethren had obeyed and continued to obey God’s word.
c.
Yet all that is summarized in the
word “believed” in vs. 44.
2.
Acts 10:43,
“To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes
in Him will receive remission of sins.”
a.
A unique account of
conversion is the household of Cornelius.
And there are many lessons.
Cornelius, was the first Gentile convert.
He was a godly man who feared God and was generous, etc. (Acts
10:1-2) Peter was sent to him understanding that it was now time to go
to the Gentiles. The events
that unfold in this chapter must keep that in mind.
b.
As Peter was teaching we
read the above verse. It is
sometimes used to teach that all one needs to do is believe to receive
remission of sins.
c.
But consider the
following. After the Holy
Spirit fell upon the household of Cornelius (as upon the 12 on
Pentecost), Peter asks, “Can
anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received
the Holy Spirit just as we have?
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.”
(Ac. 10:47-48)
NOTE: Time will not permit a discussion of why the Holy Spirit fell upon
Cornelius here, but it was NOT to save him, rather to confirm the
message that the gospel was now to be declared to Gentiles.
d.
We can infer from this
text, that the baptism Peter commanded was the same baptism we read of
in Acts 2:38 which was immersion for the remission of sins.
e.
But the point is that in
Ac. 10:43, the term believe is
more inclusive than mere mental acknowledgment of belief in Jesus.
f.
Notice also Ac. 11:17.
When Peter returns to Jerusalem,
he is asked to defend why he went to the uncircumcised and ate with them
(vs. 1-3). Peter recounts
the events of chapter 10, and concludes in vs. 17, “If therefore God gave them the same gifts as He gave us when we
believed on the Lord Jesus
Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?”
As you study the account of the apostles, it is clear that they
did more than simply believe.
Whether it dealt only with the apostles as they received the Holy
Spirit, or with the 3000 that obeyed on Pentecost, the term believe was
more inclusive than mere mental assent.
3.
Acts 14:1-2
–“Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of
the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of
the Greeks believed. 2 But
the unbelieving Jews stirred
up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren.”
a.
We find again another
example of where believed would be more than mere
mental assent.
But what is interesting about this passage is that in vs. 2 we
read, “But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles…”
The NKJV, KJV and NASU all use the word “unbelieving” or
“disbelieved”. The ASV
says, “But the Jews that were
disobedient.”
b.
The word for
unbelieving is based upon a different root word (apitheo) than the
word belief (faith). It is a
word that indicates a strong rejection and refusal to obey or believe.
c.
The same word is found
in
Rom. 10:21, “All day long I have stretched out MY hands to a
disobedient and contrary people.”
Heb. 3:18, “And
to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those
who did not obey?”
1 Pet. 2:7–8, “Therefore,
to you who believe, He is precious; but
to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief
cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being
disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.”
1 Pet. 3:20, “Who formerly
were disobedient, when once
the Divine longsuffering of God…”
1 Pet. 4:17, “…what will be the end of those
who do not obey the gospel of God?”
Also used of disbelieving in Heb. 11:31, John 3:36, Acts 19:9
d.
The point is that those
who were unbelieving were also disobedient.
The opposite would also be true, proper belief will always be
accompanied by obedience. It
ought to be clear that those who believe will obey. Is that not what
Matt. 7:21-23 says? Also
James 2:17 says that faith without works is dead.
Of interest is how James proceeds to use the example of Abraham,
who was known for his faith to demonstrate the type of faith (belief)
that is pleasing to God. (Jas. 2:21-24)
4.
Acts 16:34
– “Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them;
and he rejoiced, having believed
in God with all his household.”
a.
The account of the
Philippian jailer is remarkable and needs special attention because of
Paul’s answer when the jailer trembling before him asked, “Sirs, what
must I do to be saved?” (16:30)
The answer of Paul and Silas was, “Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
(vs. 31)
b.
Because this sounds so
convincing, it is often used as a conclusive statement of all one needs
to do to be saved – believe (mental assent).
BUT, is that what the text teaches?
It is not unusual for one who quotes this verse to stop right
there and fail to finish the account.
c.
NOTICE how Paul’s
statement was an introduction to everything he was about to say.
As you continue to read the context you find, “THEN
they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.”
(vs.32) When Paul said, “believe”
he hadn’t even introduced the message of Jesus to the jailer.
d.
As you read further, you
find the response, “And he took
them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes.
And immediately he and all his family were baptized.” (Vs.
33) it is implied in
the text that a part of preaching the word of the Lord included the need
to be baptized. The jailer
and his family responded “the same hour of the night” demonstrating the
urgency of it being carried out.
e.
NOW, notice vs. 34, as
Paul and Silas were brought into the jailer’s house, he fed them and
rejoiced, “having
believed in God with all his
household.” (Vs. 34).
Did belief in this verse mean only mental assent or would it
include all that we have read in this context?
5.
Acts 18:8 – “Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all
his household.”
a.
Even though the next
thing we read in the text is that many Corinthians, “hearing, believed
and were baptized” (Vs.8), it is not specifically stated here that
Crispus was baptized. So
does that mean that he was NOT baptized?
b.
We read again about
Crispus in 1 Corinthians 1:14-15, “I
thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest
anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name.”
In that text we find not only was Crispus baptized, but he was
baptized BY Paul himself.
c.
This account lends
strength to the point we are trying to make about
believe sometimes meaning more
than mere mental acknowledgment.
Acts 18:8 says Crispus believed, but we KNOW He did more and it
would be included in that word!
6.
Acts 19:2 – “He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed?’”
a.
On his 3rd
missionary Journey Paul comes to Ephesus where he meets a group of 12
disciples. He asks them the
quote of our text. They
respond, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
b.
Vs. 3, this prompts Paul
to ask, “Into what then were you
baptized?” NOTICE how
Paul ties their baptism to “when
you believed” demonstrating that the expression is inclusive of the
belief process.
c.
This is followed by
further teaching as he finds out they had been baptized with John’s
baptism (which was no longer valid) so Paul more accurately taught them
beginning at that point. Vs.
4, “When they heard this, they
were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.”
d.
AGAIN we find a response
that goes beyond merely saying, “I believe that Jesus is the Son of God”
or “Lord, Save me.” As Paul
taught them saw a need to be properly baptized (for the right reason),
because their previous baptism was not valid.
7.
Other examples could be
added to these.
a.
In our initial list of
passages, we find expressions such as, those who “turned to the Lord”
(Ac. 9:35, 11:21), priests being “obedient to the faith” (6:7), etc.
b.
You also find other
passages that simply mention disciples being multiplied without
mentioning what they did (Acts 5:14, 6:1, 9:31, 11:24, 31; 12:24, etc.)
– another indication that we don’t have every detail of every account,
so we MUST put together a summary of what we need to do.
c.
The conclusion is that
the term belief can be
inclusive of all that was done as a result of their belief.
d.
That is why Jesus did
not have to say in Mark 16:16, “
iii.
Other thoughts:
1.
How many times does
something have to be mentioned for it to be the truth?
Whatever view we take of salvation, we have to address the 9 examples
mentioned at the beginning of this study, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, etc.
And WE have to address passages such as Eph. 2:8-9, Romans 4,
James 2:24, etc. They do not
contradict one another.
We understand the importance of context and we understand the importance
of examining everything the Bible says about a subject.
That is how we reconcile supposed contradictions and sound bites
that are often used to justify to sinful conduct (such as “judge not,
lest you be judged) or to teach some pet doctrine.
2.
Imagine how the Bible
would read if in every instance every detail had to be stated.
Imagine how our conversations would go if that were true.
It might remove doubt, but it
would be redundant! And is
that really necessary?
It is this reasoning that causes many to misapply Mark 16:16b, “He who
does not believe shall be condemned.” They
say that since Jesus didn’t say, “He who does not believe AND/OR IS NOT
BAPTIZED shall be condemned” that baptism is not necessary for
salvation.
BUT, His positive statement, “He who believes and is baptized SHALL be
saved” stands by itself. The
negative warning was further emphasis.
Based upon multitudes of others texts as we have seen, Jesus
saying, “not believe” is inclusive of all associated with rejecting that
belief, which we have shown includes rejecting the commands we are
expected to keep.
3.
How many examples of
salvation “by faith only” mention “the sinner’s prayer”? Do we find
Paul telling the jailer to pray the sinner’s prayer?
Yet, that is what you are told to do by many who deny that you
have to do anything. MY point,
their rules of interpretation are not applied consistently.
And
thus we can see the book of Acts as it deals with belief and our part in
salvation. It is important
that we understand these things and that we be ready to give a defense
for the hope that is in us.
When it comes to our salvation we need to make sure of it!
What about you? Have
you obeyed the gospel? Are
faithfully following it as a child of God? If not, you have opportunity
right now to do so. Come!
[1] *While
some early MSS do not have this verse in the text, it accords
with other passages such as Rom. 10:9, 10, etc.