INTRODUCTION
Baptismal regenerations use Acts 22:16 for support of their doctrine. Dr. Jack Cottrell uses this text in his book Baptism – Biblical Study (College Press Publishing, Joplin, MO (1989) [7th printing in 2006]) to support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. On pages 73-74, Dr. Cottrell writes:
In this chapter we have explored the teaching of Acts 22:16 on the meaning of baptism. First, we recounted the basic facts of Saul’s encounter with Jesus and Ananias, and concluded that he was not yet saved when Ananias instructed him concerning baptism. … Next, we concentrated on the relation between baptism and the washing away of sins. We concluded that the only reasonable understanding of Ananias’ words is that the washing takes place in the act of baptism. … Finally, we saw that “calling on His name” refers to calling on the name of Jesus for promised salvation. That this precedes baptism is shown by the participle construction and confirms the fact that baptism is for salvation. The sinner approaches baptism calling upon the Lord to save him as He has promised.
Posts 27 and 28 report the results of my exegesis of Acts 22:16, which resides in the textual unit of Acts 22:6-21, to answer the question:
Does Acts 22:16 support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration?
Post 27 reports my observations about Saul’s conversion per Acts 22:6-21, which includes my attempt to examine the NT Greek text of Acts 22:16. Post 27 also reports my observations of and comments about the relevance of the other accounts of Saul’s Damascus road conversion experience as found in Acts 9:1-19 and Acts 26:12-18.
Post 28 discusses the impact the analogy faith has on my analysis. Post 28 concludes with my interpretation of Acts 22:16 and the application of Acts 22:16, as properly interpreted, to answer the question-under-study. The answer is that Acts 22:16 DOES NOT support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
THE BROADER LITERARY CONTEXT – ACTS 22:6-21
Observations of Acts 22:6-15 (as enhanced by Acts 9:1-22 & Acts 26:12-23
Saul was on his way to Damascus for the purpose of persecuting members of the Way, i.e., followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 9:1-3 (NASB95) shows the intensity with which Saul was persecuting Christians:
1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;
Saul was a man on a mission to single-handedly destroy Christianity. Logic dictates that only the strongest, most persuasive evidence imaginable would deter him from his goal.
Before Saul reached Damascus, Acts 22:6b-7 (NASB95) reads:
about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’
Saul answered the voice with a question, and he received a most surprising answer:
‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’
The NASB95 translates the expression τίς εἶ, κύριε as “Who are you, Lord?” According to Louw et al. [Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 138). United Bible Societies], the noun κύριε means:
(a title for God and for Christ) one who exercises supernatural authority over mankind—‘Lord, Ruler, One who commands’ (see also 37.51).
Here, because Jesus had not yet identified Himself to Saul, the meaning had to be one who commands with no reference to Jesus Christ. This is consistent with Louw et al. definition 37.51 of κύριε, which says, “one who rules or exercises authority over others—‘ruler, master, lord.’”
Upon learning that he had been persecuting Jesus Christ, Paul responded and Jesus answered:
“And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’
Here, after learning that the voice was that of Jesus Christ, Saul’s two uses of κύριος (κύριε and κύριος) had to mean Jesus Christ. As spelled out in the Wuest translation, prior to knowing the identity of the voice, Saul called him “Sir.” After learning that Jesus was the voice, Saul called him “Lord.”
The WUEST translation reads:
And as for myself, I answered, Who are you, Sir? And he said to me, As for myself, I am Jehoshua, the One from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And those with me saw indeed the light but did not hear the voice of the One speaking to me so as to understand the words, but heard it merely as a sound. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Having arisen, be going on your way into Damascus, and there it shall be told you concerning all things which have been appointed for you to do.
Acts 22:8, 10 of The Complete Jewish Bible reflects Saul’s change from “Sir” to “Lord” when it reads [emphasis added]:
I answered, ‘Sir, who are you?’ ‘I am Yeshua from Natzeret,’ he said to me, ‘and you are persecuting me!’ … I said ‘What should I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up, and go into Dammesek, and there you will be told about everything that has been laid out for you to do.’
The same is true for the God’s Word translation, by which Acts 22:8, 10 (GW) reads [emphasis added]:
8 “I answered, ‘Who are you, sir?’ “The person told me, ‘I’m Jesus from Nazareth, the one you’re persecuting.’ … 10 “Then I asked, ‘What do you want me to do, Lord?’ “The Lord told me, ‘Get up! Go into the city of Damascus, and you’ll be told everything I’ve arranged for you to do.’
Note that the change in the New Living Translation of κύριε per Acts 22:8, 10 (NLT) is from “lord” to “Lord” and it reads [emphasis added]:
8 “ ‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ … 10 “I asked, ‘What should I do, Lord?’ “And the Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are to do.’
Notice that those with Saul, who had to have been Jews and not Christians, did not experience the full “Damascus road experience” per Acts 22:9:
9 “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me.
Polhill (Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, pp. 459–460). Broadman & Holman Publishers) makes the point about the difference between Saul’s travelling companions and himself with respect to the comprehension of Jesus’ message [emphasis added]:
The companions were witnesses to the experience and could verify that something objective took place. It was not merely an inner experience of Paul’s psyche. On the other hand, the companions were not participants in the experience: they heard a sound but did not receive the message, saw a light but not the risen Lord. The vision itself was solely Paul’s experience.
Another commentary (Larkin, W. J., Jr. (1995). Acts (Vol. 5, Ac 22:6–11). IVP Academic) makes the same point [emphasis added]:
Paul’s encounter with Christ was objective yet personal. His companions saw the light surrounding Paul but not the risen Lord who appeared to him (Acts 22:9, 14; 9:7). They heard a voice addressing Paul but were not privy to its message (9:7; 22:9).
The fact that Saul, who had been bound and determined to eradicate Christianity, was willing to follow the instructions of Jesus the Nazarene is strong evidence persuasive of the fact that he was saved during his “Damascus road experience.” Saul’s salvation on the road to Damascus is consistent with the remainder of the Acts 22 account including his meeting with Ananias.
Those with Saul helped him go to Ananias:
11 “But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus. 12 “A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near said to me,
Ananias said to Saul:
‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him.
The Greek noun ἀδελφέ, which the NASB95 translates as “brother,” can mean a physical brotherhood such as described by Louw et al., supra, at Vol. 1, p. 124:
a person belonging to the same socio-religious entity and being of the same age group as the so-called reference person—‘brother, fellow countryman, fellow Jew, associate.’
Or, it can mean a spiritual brotherhood (see Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Abridged in One Volume (p. 22). W.B. Eerdmans) [emphasis added]:
. 2. Spiritual Brotherhood. adelphós also refers to fellow believers some 30 times in Acts and 130 in Paul. This usage has an OT and Jewish basis (cf. Acts 3:22; Mt. 5:22–23; Acts 2:29; 3:17, etc.). Jesus uses the term in Mt. 23:8; 25:40. Christians are his brethren (Rom. 8:29) and are to love one another as such (1 Jn. 2–3). adelphótēs denotes the brotherhood (1 Pet. 2:17) and means brotherly disposition in Hermas (Mandates 8.10). [H. VON SODEN, I, 144–46]
In light of the fact that Jesus had spoken to Ananias about Saul and Saul’s future mission (see Acts 9:10-16), it makes sense that Ananias was addressing Saul as a fellow believer. The Logos 9 sense of ἀδελφέ is:
a male (believer) understood as one’s own sibling in God’s family; sometimes used of any sibling (regarding of gender) in God’s family.
The preceptaustin.org website (link: https://www.preceptaustin.org/acts-22-commentary#22:13) supports the position that Ananias’ usage of ἀδελφέ refers to a fellow believer:
Brother (80)(adelphos from a = denotes unity + delphus = a womb) means literally from the same womb. Believers are all born from one Spirit and thus have a common “birth.” Adelphós generally denotes a fellowship of life based on identity of origin. Adelphos in this contextdescribes a spiritual brother, a fellow Christian, a fellow believer.
Ananias’ use of ἀδελφέ to address Saul is consistent with the position Saul experienced conversion. Therefore, when he met Ananias, Saul was a believer.
Ananias then told Paul about his upcoming ministry:
14 “And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 15 ‘For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.
For Ananias to tell Saul about his missionary journey makes more sense if Saul was a believer than if he had not experienced conversion. The fact that Saul was already a believer when he met Ananias shines a bright light on the meaning of Acts 22:16 with reference to baptismal regeneration.
Observations of Acts 22:16 (as enhanced by Acts 9:1-22 & Acts 26:12-23)
Verse 16 (NASB95) records Ananias encouraging Saul to move forward:
16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
Verse 16 (WUEST) in the Wuest translation reads:
And now, why are you delaying? Having arisen, be baptized and wash away your sins, having previously called upon His Name.
In Nestle-Arndt 28th Edition, Acts 22:16 (NA28) reads:
16 καὶ νῦν τί μέλλεις; ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι καὶ ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου ἐπικαλεσάμενος τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.
Verse 16 begins with the conjunction καὶ, which the NASB95 does not translate. Grammatically, it functions as a logical connective, which is a conjunction that connects an additional idea or grammatical element (word, phrase, clause) to a previous idea or grammatical element. See Heiser, M. S., & Setterholm, V. M. (2013; 2013). Glossary of Morpho-Syntactic Database Terminology. Lexham Press. Here, καὶ connects Saul’s future mission with his first steps to carry out that mission.
The adverb νῦν follows καὶ,and the NASB95 translates νῦν as “Now.” It has the Logos 9 sense of the present time. The pronoun τί comes next and the NASB95 translates it as “why.” Then, verse 16 continues with the verb μέλλεις, which the NASB95 translates as “do you delay?” It is in the present active indicative second person singular. According to Louw et al. (Louw, et al., supra at Vol. 1, p. 645, it means:
to extend time unduly, with the implication of lack of decision—‘to wait, to delay.
The next work is the Greek verb ἀναστὰς, which the NASB95 translates as “Get up.” According to Louw et al., it means, “to cause someone to stand up—‘to cause to stand, to raise up.” See Louw et al., supra at Vol. 1, p. 215. This verb is aorist active participle singular nominative masculine. Ananias was calling Paul to get going with his God-ordained ministry.
The following word is the Greek verb βάπτισαι, which the NABS95 translates as “be baptized.” This verb is aorist middle imperative second person singular. The Greek conjunction καὶ follows βάπτισαι and functions as a logical connective. What follows is the phrase ἀπόλουσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας, which the NASB95 translates as “wash away your sins.” According to Louw et al., supra at Vol. 1, p. 745, the Greek verb ἀπόλουσαι means:
(a figurative extension of meaning of ἀπολούω ‘to wash off, to wash away,’ not occurring in the NT): to cause a state of moral purity—‘to purify, to cause to be pure.’
This verb is aorist middle imperative second person singular. The NASB95 translates the expression τὰς ἁμαρτίας as “sins,” and the personal pronoun (second person genitive singular) σου as “your.” The NET Bible (Biblical Studies Press. (2006). The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Ac 22:16). Biblical Studies Press) notes read:
60 sn The expression have your sins washed away means “have your sins purified” (the washing is figurative).
The NASB95 translates the Greek verb ἐπικαλεσάμενος as “calling on,” and it means, “to use an attribution in speaking of a person—‘to call, to name.’” See Louw et al., supra at Vol. 1, p. 402. This verb is aorist middle participle singular nominative masculine. The NASB95 does not translate τὸ, but the NASB95 translates the expression ὄνομα αὐτοῦ as His name. The noun ὄνομα is accusative singular neuter and the personal pronoun αὐτοῦ is third person genitive singular masculine.
The UBS translation handbook (Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1972). A handbook on the Acts of the Apostles (pp. 425–426). United Bible Societies) reads:
The participle by calling on his name is an aorist participle and must be taken as action prior to the main verb or verbs with which it is connected. In the present context it is difficult to know if this participle is connected with both verbs, be baptized and have your sins washed away, or only with the latter of the two.
The John MacArthur Study Bible reads (p. 1676) at the note for Acts 22:16:
Grammatically this phrase “calling on the name of the Lord” precedes “arise and be baptized.” Salvation comes from calling on the name of the Lord (Rom. 10:9, 10 11:5), not from being baptized (see note on 2:38).
Polhill (Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 461). Broadman & Holman Publishers) teaches that the profession of faith is what saves [emphasis added]:
The first step obviously was to be baptized into the community of believers. “Be baptized and wash your sins away” could be taken as a proof text for baptismal regeneration. The overarching term, however, is “calling upon the name of the Lord,” the profession of faith in Christ that is the basis for the act of baptism.
Robertson (Robertson, A. T. (1933). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Ac 22:16). Broadman Press) comments that baptism is a picture of the washing away of sins by the blood of Christ [emphasis added]:
As in Rom. 6:4–6 where baptism is the picture of death, burial and resurrection, so here baptism pictures the change that had already taken place when Paul surrendered to Jesus on the way (verse 10). Baptism here pictures the washing away of sins by the blood of Christ.
Newman et al. supra at p. 425 notes that the NT does not teach baptismal regeneration:
In the New Testament (and especially in the book of Acts) there is a close connection between baptism and the forgiveness of sins. However, the New Testament does not imply that baptism is the means by which one’s sins are forgiven.
The parallel text of Acts 9:10-19a (NASB95) adds some more facts to the account of Saul’s encounter with Ananias [emphasis added]:
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother [ἀδελφέ] Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; 19 and he took food and was strengthened.
Verses 17-19a identify the following actions: (1) Ananias laying hands on Saul (vv. 12, 17), (2) Saul regaining his sight (vv. 12, 17) and (3) Saul being filled with the Holy Spirit. Per verse 18, the order of events was the scales fells from Saul’s eyes so that he regained his sight and he was baptized. There is no second mention of Saul being filled with the Holy Spirit, but that it occurred is apparent from his subsequent preaching per Acts 9:21b-22 (NASB95):
Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, 20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” 22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
The takeaways from this passage are below. First, Ananias called Saul ἀδελφέ which the NASB95 translates as “brother.” Like with the usage in Acts 22:14, ἀδελφέ (brother) refers to a fellow believer. Polhill (Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 238). Broadman & Holman Publishers) writes [emphasis added]:
Ananias fulfilled his commission, going to Paul and laying his hands upon him as he had been instructed. Ananias’s greeting is striking: “Brother Saul.” He could have said this as a fellow Jew, but it was surely as a brother in Christ that Ananias greeted Paul. Something of a “conversion” had taken place in his own heart through his vision of the Lord, so that now he could receive as a fellow disciple the one whom he so shortly before had feared and distrusted.
Lange(Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Gotthard, V. L., Gerok, C., & Schaeffer, C. F. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Acts (p. 169). Logos Bible Software) agrees that ἀδελφέ refers to a fellow believer [emphasis added]:
The manner in which he addressed Saul (Σαοὺλ ἀδελφέ) does not refer exclusively, nor even primarily to their common nationality as Israelites, but to the connection or fellowship now existing between them for Christ’s sake, of which the former had already been assured by the words of the Lord.
Ananias’ greeting to Saul reveals that Saul was saved before he met Ananias.
The account in Acts 26 does not mention Ananias or baptism. While Paul’s silence about the role of Ananias or baptism in his testimony before King Agrippa is not determinative, it casts some doubt on the role of water baptism in Saul’s conversion experience.
Observations of Acts 22:17-21 (as enhanced by Acts 9:1-22 & Acts 26:12-23
Acts 22:17-21 tells of Jesus’ and Paul dialog ending with Jesus’ instructions to Paul to leave Jerusalem:
17 “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
Acts 9:21b-22 quoted above provides details about Saul’s preaching.
Acts 26:15-22 (NASB95) gives more details about Saul’s post-conversion preaching:
15 “And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 ‘But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’ 19 “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. 21 “For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. 22 “So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place; 23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”
CONCLUSION
The relevant takeaways from my observation of Acts 22:6-21 with the focus on Acts 22:16 are:
(1) Saul was on a mission to single-handedly eradicate Christianity. Therefore, it makes sense that only the strongest, most persuasive evidence imaginable would deter him from his goal.
(2) When Saul first encountered Jesus, he did not know who He was and addressed Him as “Sir.” Yet, after Saul learned he had been persecuting Jesus, Saul called Jesus “Lord.”
(3) Only Saul, and not his travelling companions, encountered the message of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
(4) The fact that Saul, who had been bound and determined to eradicate Christianity, was willing to follow the instructions of Jesus the Nazarene is strong evidence persuasive of the fact that he was saved during his “Damascus road experience.”
(5) The interaction between Saul and Ananias, especially the use of the word ἀδελφέ, shows that Saul was saved when he first met Ananias.
(6) The grammar of Acts 22:16 shows that Saul called on the name on the Lord and was saved prior to being baptized.
(7) In Acts 22:16, baptism was a post-conversion action symbolic of the washing away of sins by the blood of Christ.
Post 28 discusses the impact the analogy faith has on my analysis. Post 28 concludes with my interpretation of Acts 22:16 and the application of Acts 22:16, as properly interpreted, to answer the question-under-study.
VERY IMPORTANT IF YOU BELIEVE IN BAPTISMAL REGENERATION
Finally, let me quote gotquestions.org (link: https://www.gotquestions.org/baptism-Mark-16-16.html ):
If you believe in baptismal regeneration, you would do well to prayerfully consider whom or what you are really putting your trust in. Is your faith in a physical act (being baptized) or in the finished work of Christ on the cross? Whom or what are you trusting for salvation? Is it the shadow (baptism) or the substance (Jesus Christ)? Our faith must rest in Christ alone. “We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).
Please read and take to heart what I write in the section entitled “IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN.”
IF YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT YOUR SALVATION
If you are unsure about your salvation, you need to check out my book The Salvation Meter: Biblical Self-Diagnostic Tests to Examine Your Salvation and Spiritual Growth (book link at Xulon Press: https://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781662828638 ). At Amazon the book link is https://www.amazon.com/Salavation-Meter-Biblical-Self-Diagnostic-Spiritual/dp/1662828632 . I also have a website in which I am updating the content in the book. The link to my website for the book is https://thesalvationmeter.com .
IF YOU ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN
… please (1) read through “God’s Plan of Salvation” so you can understand what God did for you through His only unique Son, Jesus Christ, and (2), from the bottom of your heart, pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” meaning every word. If you do, you will be reconciled to God – saved – through Jesus Christ.
God’s Plan of Salvation
In the beginning, God, who is holy, created the entire universe. As a part of His creative actions, He made humans in His image to know Him. For a while, everything was right between God and our ancestors, Adam and Eve. But Adam sinned, and his sin was passed down to all of humankind whereby we became separated from God. Nothing we could do on our own could bridge that separation so that without God’s intervention, hell would be our eternal destination.
Fortunately for us, in His great love and mercy God provided humankind with the only means of salvation, which is through Jesus Christ who is God’s only unique Son. While retaining His deity, God the Son became a man in Jesus, lived a perfect life, and died on the cross, thus fulfilling the law Himself and taking on Himself the punishment for the sins of all those who would ever repent and trust in Him for their salvation. Jesus rose from the dead, showing that God the Father accepted Christ’s sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us has been exhausted. He now calls us to repent of our sins and trust alone in what Christ did to save us.
If we repent of our sins and completely trust in Christ alone that He died for our sins and rose to life from the dead, we are born again into a new life, an eternal life with God.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:1, 27, 31; Habakkuk 1:13; Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-25; Genesis 3:1-7, 23-24; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 3:19-20, 23; 5:17-19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 John 4:10; John 3:16-18; Mark 1:15; Romans 1:4; 4:25; John 3:5-8; 1 Peter 1:3.
“Sinner’s Prayer”
Lord, Jesus Christ, the only unique Son of God, thank You for Your free gift of eternal life. I know I’m a sinner who cannot save myself no matter what I do, and I deserve to spend eternity in hell. But, I know that because You loved me so much, You voluntarily died on the cross for me taking my sins upon Yourself, and You physically bodily rose from the grave showing that Your sacrificial death was sufficient payment to give me eternal life in Heaven. I now repent of my sins and trust alone in what You did for my eternal salvation. Please take control of my life as I now receive You as my Lord and Savior. Thank You so much for saving me. I am now Yours forever! (Scripture references: John 1:1-4, 11-14; John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:21-26; Isaiah 53:4-6; Mark 1:15; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-10, 13; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; John 10:27-29).
Upon your salvation, you must find a spiritually solid Bible-believing church that (1) teaches that the sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, (2) believes in the doctrine of the Trinity, which means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – and each Person is fully God, and (3) teaches that salvation is by grace through faith and not by works (e.g., water baptism by immersion).
ONE CAUTIONARY POINT. Please do not make the mistake of thinking that once you become a Christian, your life will become easy. Most likely, it will become more difficult. God’s blessing of salvation and life’s difficulties are not mutually exclusive. Jesus told His disciples, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first.” John 15:18 (NLT). Always keep in mind that you have an eternal home in heaven waiting for you per John 14:2–4 (NLT):
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
.
APPENDIX A
Acts 22:6-21 in the New American Standard Bible -1995 update and the Wuest translation as follows:
Acts 22:6–21 (NASB95) – 6 “But it happened that as I was on my way, approaching Damascus about noontime, a very bright light suddenly flashed from heaven all around me, 7 and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 “And I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 9 “And those who were with me saw the light, to be sure, but did not understand the voice of the One who was speaking to me. 10 “And I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Get up and go on into Damascus, and there you will be told of all that has been appointed for you to do.’ 11 “But since I could not see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me and came into Damascus.
12 “A certain Ananias, a man who was devout by the standard of the Law, and well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, 13 came to me, and standing near said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very time I looked up at him. 14 “And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth. 15 ‘For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard. 16 ‘Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’
17 “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19 “And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 ‘And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21 “And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”
Acts 22:6–21 (WUESTNT) – 6 And it came to pass that as I was proceeding on my journey and nearing Damascus, about noon, suddenly out from heaven there flashed around me like lightning a great light, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And as for myself, I answered, Who are you, Sir? And he said to me, As for myself, I am Jehoshua, the One from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. And those with me saw indeed the light but did not hear the voice of the One speaking to me so as to understand the words, but heard it merely as a sound. And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said to me, Having arisen, be going on your way into Damascus, and there it shall be told you concerning all things which have been appointed for you to do. And when the ability of looking upon surrounding objects was taken away from me because of that light and I was not seeing, being led by the hand by those with me, I came into Damascus.
And a certain Ananias, a pious man who reverenced God according to the law, being well recommended by all the Jews who resided there, having come to me and standing over me said to me, Saul, brother, look up at once and recover your sight. And as for myself, I looked up to him that very hour and recovered my sight. 14 And he said, The God of our fathers chose and appointed you to come to know experientially His will and to see with discernment the One who is righteous and to hear the voice of His mouth, because you shall be one who bears testimony for Him to all men concerning the things you have seen and heard. And now, why are you delaying? Having arisen, be baptized and wash away your sins, having previously called upon His Name.
17 And it came to pass that after I returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I entered into a new experience, that of having my mind drawn off from surrounding objects and wholly fixed on things divine, and I saw Him while He was saying to me, Hurry, and at once get out of Jerusalem, quickly, because they will not accept your testimony concerning me. And as for myself, I said, Lord, they themselves know that I was continually imprisoning and beating in every synagogue those who put their trust in you. And when the blood of Stephen your witness was shed, the witness who bore testimony to you by his death, I myself also was standing by and exulting, and was guarding the clothes of those who were putting him out of the way. And He said to me, Be going on your way, because, as for myself, to Gentiles afar off I will send you forth on a mission.
NOTICE OF PERMISSIONS
I am mindful of and respect the rights other authors and/or publishers possess in their works. I thus try my best to not violate any copyright rights other authors and/or publishers possess in their works. The below copyright permission statement is the result of my best efforts to understand that limited usage or “fair use” is available and/or to secure direct permission for specific works. The quotations from commentaries are considered to be “fair use.”
Scripture quotations marked “ESV” are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked “NASB95” are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.”
Scripture marked “NCV” is taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
The Scriptures marked “NET” are quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved”.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture marked “GW” is taken from the God’s Word Bible that is a copyrighted work of God’s Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission.