I was studying this morning for a part of a message I will be delivering on Sunday. I am actually going back to a verse that was in my message last Sunday but I did not have time to fully explain. The verse is Acts 2:38 (NASB95), "Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Catholic thought takes this verse to mean that if you don't baptize (in their eyes sprinkle) babies (or anyone for that matter) and they die, they are dead in their sins and cannot go to heaven. Church of Christ followers believe this verse teaches that if you are not baptized after salvation, you cannot enter heaven. In other words, you must be baptized for salvation to be complete (baptismal regeneration).
When studying Scripture, there are a few rules that I follow when it comes to interpreting a passage. One of these rules is to NEVER take one verse by itself to make a doctrine or teaching. This is the only verse in the Bible where it apparently says you must be baptized to be saved. In fact, the rest of the New Testament scriptures point to salvation being by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. There is nothing else to corroborate this interpretation.
Therefore, when studying this verse, I look to the original Greek text to look for other possible meanings. The word "for" in this verse is the Greek transliterated "EIS." Many times, this word is translated as "for." But this word can just as easily (and still be hermeneutically correct) be translated "as a result of." In light of the rest of the New Testament I think the last half of this verse should be translated “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ as a result of the forgiveness of your sins."
Wow, this verse makes so much more sense this way. Because we have been forgiven of our sins, we will want to be baptized... to be identified with Jesus Christ. It fits with the rest of the teaching of the New Testament. Let me know what you think!
Funny that I was just mulling over that exact verse and line of thoughts this past weekend. My husband was raised Church of Christ and the majority of his family still is. We even attend their church frequently here (in Shreveport) right now. I am always trying to understand how their beliefs differ from what I've grown up believing and what they base their beliefs on. I do find it interesting to try to understand why people believe what they believe (including myself) and whether or not it has a sound Biblical basis to stand on. It can be very confusing at times, so any enlightenment, such as you mentioned here, is very helpful.
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