PART TWO
What is the gospel/good tidings/good news? Acts 2:38 Repent & be baptized? Or, Christ died for your sins, was buried & rose on the 3dr day (1 Cor 15:1-4) For your justification (Rom 4:25)
Paul never says: justified by water, sealed by water, Spirit received through water, Spirit baptism = water baptism. In every one of his 13 epistles, Paul ties salvation & Spirit reception to faith & never to ritual.
Peter agrees with Paul & says: Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins (Acts 10:43/Rom 10:13). NOT: Everyone who believes & is baptized, not everyone who completes water immersion.
And the very next verse proves it: The Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word (Acts 10:44). NOT on all who were baptized, NOT on all who entered water, NOT on all who completed a ritual. IT FELL ON THEM ALL WITHOUT WATER!
Now lets harmonize Acts 2:38 with Acts 10. You're treating Acts 2:38 as if it overrides: Acts 10 & 11, Rom 10, Eph 1) & all of Paul's repeated FAITH ALONE teaching. Peter's "everyone who believes" (acts 10:43), 1 Cor 12:13 (Spirit baptism by Christ, not water) & Paul not being sent to baptize (1 Cor 1:17)
That is not harmonizing Scripture — that is isolating one verse (Acts 2:38) & forcing all others to bow to it.
Real harmonization means Acts 2:38 must fit the pattern established by:
Acts 10:44 (Spirit before water), Acts 10:13 whoever believes, Acts 11 (Peter ties it to Pentecost), Eph 1:13 your heard, believed & were sealed with the H/S. Paul's repeated doctrine of justification by faith, Peter's own preaching of forgiveness through belief, Spirit baptism being Christ’s work, not a water ritual & Paul explicitly saying he was not sent to baptize (1 Cor 1:17). Acts 2:38 doesn't harmonize.
Jesus > not water > is the One who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11 I baptize you with water but He who comes after me… He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (John the Baptist makes the distinction unmistakable: his baptism = water; Christ's baptism = Spirit.)
Paul says there is only ONE saving baptism. Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism.
If there is only one, then we must ask: Which baptism does Scripture consistently present as saving, water or Spirit?
The interpretation you presented requires: water to give the Spirit, water to regenerate, water to perform what Scripture assigns to Christ & human administers to Spirit baptism. Yet, Acts 2:1-4 & Acts 10:44 the Spirit acred on it's own, NO water & no human agent.
So provided scripture harmonization gives us:
Acts 2 Spirit given without water
Acts 10, Spirit given at faith, before water, without water
Acts 11, Peter says the Spiritual baptism happened at Acts 2 Pentecost & Acts 10 Cornelius house BEFORE WATER!
Paul', repeated salvation & Spirit reception by faith alone
Peter, forgiveness given to "everyone who believes"
1 Cor 12:13, Spirit baptism performed by Christ, not by humans
Acts 2:38, must be interpreted in light of these, not against them
Additionally,
John 1:12 — “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
John 3:15 — “Whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”
John 3:16 — “Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:18 — “He who believes in Him is not condemned.”
John 3:36 — “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life.”
John 5:24 — “He who hears My word and believes… has everlasting life, and will not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
John 6:47 — “He who believes has everlasting life.”
John 7:38–39 — “He who believes… out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (This He spoke of the Spirit.)
John 10:26–28 — Those who believe are His sheep and receive eternal life.
John 11:25–26 — “He who believes in Me will live… Do you believe this?”
John 20:31 — “These are written so that you may believe… and that believing you may have life in His name.”
John’s salvation formula is always: Believe > Life Believe > Not condemned Believe > Eternal life Believe > Receive the Spirit. Exactly what Acts 10,11, Rom 10, Eph 1, 1 Cor 1 demonstrates
Matt 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
(NOTE: John the Baptist made clear that Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit)
Eph 4:5One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
1 Cor 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
(NOTE: Translators capitalized Spirit to identify when referring the Holy Spirit. Only Christ can baptize with/in/by the Holy Spirit.)
Col 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision """made without hands""", in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
(NOTE: OT circumcision covenant done PHYSISIALLY/with human hands. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a SPIRITUAL circumcision/new covenant done without hands)
Deut 30:6 (A) the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart
Now please show how your interpretation of Acts 2:38 harmonizes with Acts 10,11, Rom 10, Eph 1, 1 Cor 1. Where the Spirit is given at faith, before water & without water & with Paul, who repeatedly ties salvation and Spirit reception to faith alone & with Peter's Acts 2:21. If you can't you’re not harmonizing Scripture, you're overriding it.
If your interpretation requires water to do what Scripture assigns to Christ & His Spirit, then it cannot be harmonized with the Word of God.”
