INTRODUCTION
As reported in Post 27, an examination of the text (Acts 22:16), the relevant literary contexts (Acts 22:6-21), the parallel accounts (Acts 9:1-19 and Acts 26:12-18), developed the following takeaways:
(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. More specifically, the analogy of faith teaches that Acts 22:16 cannot be interpreted to support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration. Post 28 next presents my interpretation of Acts 22:16. Acts 22:16 as properly interpreted reads:
Now Saul, why are you delaying with carrying out your God-ordained mission? You previously called upon the Name of Jesus and were saved. Therefore, get up and submit to being baptized as a symbol of the washing away of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Finally, Post 28 applies 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 ANALOGY OF FAITH
Introduction
Per the Chicago Statement on Biblical Hermeneutics, ARTICLE XVII reads:
We affirm the unity, harmony and consistency of Scripture and declare that it is its own best interpreter.
Any interpretation of Acts 22:16 must be consistent with the entirety of Scripture. For this discussion, I first looked at passages from Acts that use pisteuō in the context of salvation. Then, I looked at passages in John and 1 John that use pisteuō in the context of salvation.
Analogy of Faith – Acts
Because of the same writer, i.e., Luke, the passages in Acts that use pisteuō are very relevant to the application of the doctrine of analogy of faith. I will very briefly look at thirteen passages in Acts that use pisteuō.
Acts 4:4 (NASB95) records the results of Peter’s preaching his second sermon:
4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
Even though his second sermon came on the heels of his Pentecost sermon, Acts 4:4 does not even hint at water baptism as a requirement for salvation. The expression “those who had heard the message believed” reveals that faith alone in Jesus Christ is the sole requirement for salvation. Note that Peter’s second sermon called for repentance with no mention of water baptism per Acts 3:19–21 (NASB95) [emphasis added]:
19 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.
Acts 4:32 (NASB95) describes the early church congregation in terms of faith alone in Jesus Christ with no mention of water baptism:
32 And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them.
Acts 9:42 (NASB95) reports the results after Peter raising Dorcas from the dead:
42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
There is no mention of water baptism in connection with these conversions.
Acts 10:42-43 (NASB95) records a part of Peter’s message to the Gentiles:
42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”
If water baptism was necessary for salvation, Peter would have set out that requirement, but he did not do so. Only after conversion were believers water baptized per Acts 10:47 (NASB95):
47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”
Acts 11:15–18 (NASB95) contains a part of Peter’s description of him taking the gospel to the Gentiles [emphasis added]:
15 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. 16 “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” 18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
The reference to “after believing” is to faith alone in Jesus Christ and does not infer water baptism is necessary for salvation. Verse 18 mentions that only repentance is necessary to receive eternal life.
Acts 11:21 (NASB95) describes the conversion of many at Antioch:
20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.
The sole requirement was faith alone in Jesus Christ with no mention of water baptism.
Acts 13:38-39 (NASB95) records Paul’s gospel message of salvation through faith alone in Jesus Christ:
38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.
Paul’s gospel message did not contain water baptism as a component.
Acts 13:48 (NASB95) reports the Gentiles’ response upon learning that Paul would be taking the gospel to the Gentiles:
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
Notice that eternal life dependent upon faith alone in Jesus Christ with no mention of water baptism.
Acts 14:1 (NASB95) reports the results of Paul’s preaching:
1 In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.
If water baptism was critical to the salvific efficacy of the gospel message, one would think it would have been mentioned along with faith.
Acts 15:7, 11 (NASB95) records some of what Peter said at the Jerusalem council:
7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. … 11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
If water baptism was necessary for salvation, one would think it would have been in the content of a passage like this. Notice the content of verse 11, “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” Emphasis added.
Acts 16:29–33 (NASB95) reports Paul’s straightforward reply to the jailer’s cry for salvation:
29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his household.
Paul did not say believe and be baptized, but only “believe in the Lord Jesus.” The water baptism was that of believers and not unbelievers. The water baptism in this passage is post-conversion.
Acts 17:12 (NASB95) describes how the Bereans responded to Paul’s message:
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.
Like with so many of these passages from Acts, if water baptism was necessary for salvation, the text would say so, but it does not.
Acts 17:34 (NASB95) reports the results of Paul’s sermon on Mars Hill:
33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.
This verse mentions faith alone in Jesus Christ. There is an absence of any mention of water baptism as necessary for salvation.
Analogy of Faith – John
The purpose statement of John reads at John 20:30–31 (NASB95) [emphasis added]:
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.
D. A. Carson (Carson, D. A. (1991). The Gospel according to John (p. 661). Inter-Varsity Press; W.B. Eerdmans) writes:
20:31. What he chose to write, John tells his readers, was written that you may believe. This not only expresses the purpose of the book, but is ‘the shortest summary of Johannine theology’ (Blank, p. 191).
Belief alone is all that is necessary for salvation, i.e., “life in His name.” If baptism were necessary, the fourth evangelist would have been terribly remiss not to have mentioned it in his purpose statement.
Set out below are a total of twenty usages of pisteuō without any connection to water baptism.
John 1:12-13 (NASB95) reads:
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
Here, belief is the only requirement for salvation. There is no mention of water baptism.
John 3:14–18 (NASB95) records a part of Jesus’ discourse with Nicodemus in which belief is the only requirement for salvation:
14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life. 16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
John 3:36 (NASB95) records words from John the Baptizer:
36 “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
John the Baptizer said that belief alone results in salvation. If water baptism was necessary for salvation, it would have made perfect sense for John the Baptizer to have said so, but he did not.
The following thirteen usages of pisteuō are a part of Jesus’ teaching that belief was enough for salvation:
John 5:24 (NASB95) – 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.
John 6:35 (NASB95) – 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst.
John 6:40 (NASB95) – 40 “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:47 (NASB95) – 47 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
John 7:38–39 (NASB95) – 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 8:23-24 (NASB95) –23 And He was saying to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. 24 “Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.”
John 11:25–26 (NASB95) – 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
John 11:40 (NASB95) – 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
John 12:35-36 (NASB95) –35 So Jesus said to them, “For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. 36 “While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light.” These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them.
John 12:44-46 (NASB95) –44 And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45 “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.
The Scriptural evidence in John overwhelmingly teaches that faith alone in Jesus Christ is the sole requirement for salvation.
Analogy of Faith – 1 John
Like with the Fourth Gospel, if water baptism was a requirement for salvation, 1 John would teach this principle, but it does not. The purpose statement of 1 John clearly teaches that faith alone in Jesus Christ is the requirement for salvation per 1 John 5:13 (NASB95):
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
The following six usages of pisteuō in 1 John cry out that faith alone in Jesus Christ is what is necessary for eternal life. These usages are below:
1 John 3:23 (NASB95) – 23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
1 John 5:1 (NASB95) – 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.
1 John 5:5 (NASB95) – 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
1 John 5:10 (NASB95) – 10 The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
There are at least thirteen usages of pisteuō by Luke in Acts that teach only faith alone in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation. There are at least twenty-two usages of pisteuō by the Fourth Evangelist in John that teach only faith alone in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation. There are at least seven usages of pisteuō by the Apostle John in 1 John that teach faith alone in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation.
In just these three books there are over forty usages of pisteuō that teach faith alone in Jesus Christ is necessary for salvation. The doctrine of the analogy of faith mandates that Acts 22:16 cannot teach the validity of the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
The doctrine of the analogy of faith supports the below interpretation of Acts 22:16.
INTERPRETATION OF ACTS 22:16
The proper interpretation of Acts 22:16 reads:
Now Saul, why are you delaying with carrying out your God-ordained mission? You previously called upon the Name of Jesus and were saved. Therefore, get up and submit to being baptized as a symbol of the washing away of your sins by the blood of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION- APPLICATION OF ACTS 22:16
In conclusion, for the reasons cited in Posts 27 and 28, Acts 22:16, as properly interpreted, does not support the doctrine of baptismal regeneration.
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.”
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