Acts 2:38 Comparison: Evangelical vs. Oneness / Baptismal-Regeneration View

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mailmandan said:
That sounds like the Mormon gospel from the book of Mormon. 2 Nephi 25:23 - For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do. In other words, do all you can or else the Lord will not be able to save you. Yet God's word says, "saved by grace through faith, not of ourselves, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9) So, is it after all YOU can do or after all that Christ has DONE?
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You're simply mischaracterizing assertions that God must be obeyed to be saved in order to conform them to your work-phobic PCTSD (Post Catholic Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Doing everything we can to be saved is just basic common sense. Any child would want to please his father.

But you turn that around to mean doing everything we can to earn salvation. No it's not that at all. It's doing everything we can to guard the salvation we haven't earned so that we are not led astray and fall from the faith
 
mailmandan said:
That's not just my opinion. That's Scripture. (Luke 8:12; John 3:15,16,18; Acts 10:43; 13:38-39; 16:31; Romans 3:22-26; 4:5-6; 1 Corinthians 1:18-21; 1 John 5:13 etc..).
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Those verses don't exclude baptism, which is specifically mentioned in other verses. We have to take all of scripture together and not pick and choose what we want. If several things are mentioned, then it all has to be added together without excluding anything.
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
Those verses don't exclude baptism, which is specifically mentioned in other verses. We have to take all of scripture together and not pick and choose what we want. If several things are mentioned, then it all has to be added together without excluding anything.
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Those verses do exclude baptism. Faith is not baptism and faith precedes baptism and we are saved through faith. It's just that simple. We need to consider the totality of scripture then properly harmonize sripture with scripture before reaching our conclusion on doctrine. We must not distort and pervert passages of scripture in an effort to "patch together" a different gospel plan that culminates in salvation by works.
 
Abraham was justified by faith at the age of 75. But that justification by itself wouldn't have saved him. He needed a people through whom the messiah would come. And that people was created by God through the covenant of circumcision. So at the age of 99 Abraham obeyed God, and thus ensured his salvation
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
Abraham was justified by faith at the age of 75. But that justification by itself wouldn't have saved him. He needed a people through whom the messiah would come. And that people was created by God through the covenant of circumcision. So at the age of 99 Abraham obeyed God, and thus ensured his salvation
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In James 2:21, notice closely that James does not say that Abraham's work of offering up Isaac resulted in God accounting Abraham as righteous. The accounting of Abraham's faith as righteousness was made in Genesis 15:6, (also see Romans 4:2-3) many years before his work of offering up Isaac recorded in Genesis 22. The work of Abraham did not have some kind of intrinsic merit to account him as righteous, but it showed or manifested the genuineness of his faith. (James 2:18) That is the "sense" in which Abraham was "justified by works." (James 2:21) He was shown to be righteous.
 
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Noah was justified by his faith, but that justification by itself wouldn't have saved him. He needed a boat through which his progeny could survive the flood, through whom the messiah would come. So Noah obeyed God by building the ark, and thus ensured his salvation
 
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mailmandan said:
Those verses do exclude baptism. Faith is not baptism and faith precedes baptism and we are saved through faith. It's just that simple. We need to consider the totality of scripture then properly harmonize sripture with scripture before reaching our conclusion on doctrine. We must not distort and pervert passages of scripture in an effort to "patch together" a different gospel plan that culminates in salvation by works.
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No they don't because it's explicitly stated eleswhere. Just because it's not explicitly stated every time doesn't mean exclusion. That's the specious reasoning of work-phobic salvationists
 
LightBearer316 said:
Water and Spirit aren’t two separate requirements for salvation—they describe one spiritual birth. The Spirit is the agent, and the “water” symbolizes cleansing and renewal, not a ritual. Salvation rests in faith in Christ’s finished work, not the physical act of baptism.

Grace and Peace
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There is no point in Jesus adding "water" into this passage if the water simply symbolizes salvation.

As a believer in faith alone regeneration theology you are forced into this thinking.

If believing is the only thing needed for salvation then the verbiage used in Mark 16:16 is wrong.
 
Ouch said:
So you keep saying, but still isn't true.

According to JESUS they are.

But if you don't have HIS spirit inside of you I can see why you can't "SEE".

We all have choices to make, follow JESUS and HIS words or your own.

It's not to late to repent!!

Best of luck, I'm out.
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You’re right — we all have choices to make. I’ve simply chosen to trust what Scripture actually says about faith and regeneration through the Spirit, not to add something Jesus never made a condition for salvation. Grace still works the same way it always has — through faith.

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
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ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
No they don't because it's explicitly stated eleswhere. Just because it's not explicitly stated every time doesn't mean exclusion. That's the specious reasoning of work-phobic salvationists
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This has always been the MO of mailmandan.

James 1:27
Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Where is belief?
 
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
You're trying to use exceptions to avoid having to face the reality that we have to obey God's word. Faith alone doesn't cut it because faith alone only produces justification/reconciliation, ie, being declared righteous. His life is what saves and that requires work to walk in.
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Faith isn’t passive—it always leads to obedience. But Scripture keeps the order clear: salvation is by grace through faith, unto good works, not because of them (Eph. 2:8-10). The works prove life is there; they don’t create it. That’s the difference between root and fruit.

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
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ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
That's just your opinion that you got saved when you believed. Scripture doesn't make a distinction between faith and being baptized, but work-phobic salvationists sure do.
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That’s not just an opinion — it’s what Scripture consistently shows. Acts 10:43 says “whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Faith in Christ brings salvation, and baptism follows as obedience, not as a condition. The order matters because grace comes first.

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
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ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
Water baptism doesnt save anymore than faith alone saves. Obeying God's voice is what saves. Water baptism is obedience to God's voice
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That’s close, but Scripture makes it clear that salvation starts with faith, not with any outward act. Obedience follows because we’re saved, not so we can be saved. Baptism is the fruit of belief — not the root of it.

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
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ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
The penalty of sin is death. Justification by itself doesn't save you from death; Christ's life does.
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But justification is the result of Christ’s life. His death paid the penalty; His resurrection gives life. Faith connects us to both — that’s why Paul says we’re “justified by His blood” and “saved by His life” (Romans 5:9–10). You can’t separate the two.

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
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LightBearer316 said:
That’s not just an opinion — it’s what Scripture consistently shows. Acts 10:43 says “whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.” Faith in Christ brings salvation, and baptism follows as obedience, not as a condition. The order matters because grace comes first.
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No it's not what scripture consistently shows. Acts 10 was an exception to the rule that God used to inform Peter that he had accepted the gentiles. Otherwise Peter would not have baptized them
 
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ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
You're simply mischaracterizing assertions that God must be obeyed to be saved in order to conform them to your work-phobic PCTSD (Post Catholic Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Doing everything we can to be saved is just basic common sense. Any child would want to please his father.

But you turn that around to mean doing everything we can to earn salvation. No it's not that at all. It's doing everything we can to guard the salvation we haven't earned so that we are not led astray and fall from the faith
Click to expand...
The issue isn’t about wanting to please God — it’s about what saves us. Scripture’s clear that salvation isn’t something we guard to keep; it’s something God secures for us. Obedience flows from salvation, not anxiety about losing it. (Philippians 1:6 KJV ; 1 Peter 1:5 KJV)

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
  • Like
Reactions: mailmandan
ChristRoseFromTheDead said:
Those verses don't exclude baptism, which is specifically mentioned in other verses. We have to take all of scripture together and not pick and choose what we want. If several things are mentioned, then it all has to be added together without excluding anything.
Click to expand...
Agreed — but taking all of Scripture together also means keeping distinctions clear. Baptism is mentioned after belief because it’s the response of someone already saved, not the condition for it. The sequence matters, and Acts 10:43–48 makes that plain.

Grace and Peace
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
https://ergonis.com/typinator
Highly Recommended - great for often cited scripture versus!
 
  • Like
Reactions: mailmandan
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