Before Christ left this earth and ascended to His Father, He said to the disciples, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16). At this point in time, 11 of the original 12 apostles were present to hear Jesus (Judas was dead, Matthew 27:5).
After a short number of days passed, the apostles were preaching the gospel on Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-11). Upon hearing of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and the need for their belief in Jesus as Lord and Christ (vv. 22-36), the Jews asked, “What shall we do?” (v. 37). Peter, who had heard Christ speak a few days earlier concerning what to do to be saved, told those who believed (v. 36), to “repent and be baptized … for the remission of sins” (v. 38). In other words, Peter taught the people exactly what he had been taught a few days earlier, and those who “gladly received his word were baptized …” (v. 41)!
Did the teaching concerning baptism change over time? In the last article, we noted that Mr. Hiscox claimed in the Baptist manual, “Now it is different.” Is this true? Why not read the scripture? After about 30 years passed in the life of the apostle Peter, did his thoughts change about baptism? Did he teach that it is not important like it once was at the beginning of the gospel? After all that time, he still said, “Baptism doth now save us …” (1 Peter 3:21).
In other words, Peter taught exactly what he had so many years earlier. Why are we not satisfied to just obey and teach what the New Testament has consistently taught? Stop arguing with the Lord and simply obey Him!
Adapted from Jarrod Jacobs
