Pictured to the left is a copy of a version of the Holy Bible, known as THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE; being entitled: THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE WITH THE APOCRYPHA. Acts 10:34-48 read as follows:
"34 Peter began : 'I now see how true it is that God has no favourites, 35 but that in every nation the man who is godfearing and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 He sent his word to the Israelites and gave the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 I need not tell you what happened lately all over the land of the Jews, starting from Galilee after the baptism proclaimed by John. 38 You know about Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we can bear witness to all that he did in the Jewish country-side and in Jerusalem. He was put to death by hanging on a gibbet ; 40 but God raised him to life on the third day, and allowed him to appear, 41 not to the whole people, but to witnesses whom God had chosen in advance-to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to proclaim him to the people, and affirm that he is the one who has been designated by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 It is to him that all the prophets testify, declaring that everyone who trusts in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.' 44 Peter was still speaking when the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening to the message. 45 The believers who had come with Peter, men of Jewish birth, were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit should have been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they could hear them speaking in tongues of ecstasy and acclaiming the greatness of God. Then Peter spoke : 47 'Is anyone prepared to withhold the water for baptism from these persons, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did ourselves?' 48 Then he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. After that they asked him to stay on with them for a time."
Moreover, Acts 19:1-7 read as follows:
"While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul travelled through the inland regions till he came to Ephesus. There he found a number of converts, 2 to whom he said, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?' 'No,' they replied, 'we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.' 3 He said, 'Then what baptism were you given?' 'John's baptism', they answered. 4 Paul then said, 'The baptism that John gave was a baptism in token of repentance, and he told the people to put their trust in one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.' 5 On hearing this they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus ; 6 and when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke in tongues of ecstasy and prophesied. 7 Altogether they were about a dozen men."
Trusting in Jesus of Nazareth ( see verse thirty-eight, above ) results in one receiving "forgiveness of sins through his name" ( as we read in verse forty-three ). Additionally, once Paul told the converts into John's baptism ( see verses one through three ) that they must put their trust in Jesus ( see verse four ), they were "baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus" ( see verse five ). In both of these passages from the Holy Bible, the receiving of the Holy Spirit is associated with trusting in Jesus of Nazareth, which means being baptized into His name, by immersion in water, for the forgiveness of one's past sins ( see Acts 2:38; 8:26-40 ( especially verses 36-39, for example; KJV, for example ); Romans 3:21-26 ( especially verse 25, for example ); 6:1-4 ( especially verses 3 and 4, for example ); and Galatians 3:26, 27, for example ).
When one is raised from the watery grave of baptism, stating that he or she is a Baptist, for example, this one clearly shows that he or she wrongly believes that salvation is in the name of John Smyth ( see Acts 4:5-12 ( especially verses 10-12, for example ) and 2 Corinthians 4:13, for example ), for example, and, therefore, that one has put his or her trust in the wrong name: he or she has put his or her trust in the name of John Smyth, for example, rather than in the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Since the receiving of the Holy Spirit is only associated with putting one's trust in His name, putting one's trust in the name of John Smyth, for example, does not result in the receiving of the Holy Spirit. A similar argument can be used for all of the other denominational baptisms and, thus, all such baptisms do not result in the receiving of the Holy Spirit: the one who has been baptized in this manner has not been saved.
This trust factor is extremely important with regard to the subject of baptism, for example. Since all denominational baptisms involve putting one's trust in the name of a human being, rather than in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, anyone who has been given such a baptism must be rebaptized, putting his or her trust in Him, and then that one is saved. Please study the Holy Bible ( which is God's word - see Psalm 119:65-73, 142, and 151; John 17:1, 3, and 17; and 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16, 17, for example ).
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:
<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>.
NOTE: Please read the Thursday, October 29, 2015, Friday, October 30, 2015, and Saturday, October 31, 2015 entries to this weblog to find additional facts regarding this subject. Also, sprinkling and pouring are other examples of denominational baptisms: as indicated above, all such baptisms do not save anyone. Finally, the word "gibbet," as used in the first verse thirty-nine ( above ), is defined as follows:
". . . n. An upright timber with a crosspiece projecting at right angles from its upper end, upon which criminals were formerly hanged; hence, any gallows. . . ." [ See NEW ILLUSTRATED WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY Including THESAURUS of SYNONYMS & ANTONYMS, PMC Publishing Company, Inc., 118 EAST 28th STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10016, dictionary portion: pages 1-1150, Copyright 1992, by J.G. Ferguson Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, p. 409. ]
