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Baptism Did Not Remit Paul's Sin

 

1. Acts 22:12-16 is not a detailed or consecutive account of all the facts, as in Acts 9:17-18, which states:

 

(1) Reception of sight (Acts 9:17-18)

 

(2) Filling of the Spirit (Acts 9:17)

 

(3) Arising from prayer (Acts 9:11,18)

 

(4) Baptism in water (Acts 9:18)

 

2. Paul's own testimony elsewhere proves he was saved by faith in the blood (Rom. 3:24-25; 5:1; Eph. 1:7).

 

3. He was already saved, healed, and filled with the Spirit before he was told to "arise" (Acts 22:16 with Acts 9:17-18).

 

4. "Wash away thy sins" is clearly a ceremonial washing, as are all washings by man (Mt. 8:3-4 with Lev. 14-15). The Greek: apolouo (GSN-<G628>) is used only twice: once here of ceremonial cleansing and once in 1Cor. 6:11 where it is the same in meaning as the baptism "without hands" of Col. 2:11.

 

5. No scripture says that sins are washed away by baptism other than ceremonially. Cleansing is done:

 

(1) by God (Ps. 51:1-13; Tit. 2:11-13)

 

(2) by Christ (Mt. 1:21; Rev. 1:5)

 

(3) by the Holy Spirit (1Cor. 6:11)

 

(4) by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9)

 

(5) by faith in the blood (Rom. 3:24-25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; 1Jn. 1:7; Mt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22; 1Pet. 1:18-23; Rev. 1:5)

 

(6) by faith without works (Rom. 2:24-29; 4:1-25; 5:1; Gal. 3:19-29)

 

(7) by confession of sins (1Jn. 1:9; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 2:38; 3:19)

 

(8) by the Word of God (1Pet. 1:23; Jas. 1:18; Jn. 3:5; 15:3; Eph. 5:26)

 

6. Ananias, a Jew, was well acquainted with ceremonial cleansings. He knew that washing was outward and ceremonial and did not cleanse from:

 

(1) Leprosy (Lev. 14:1-9; 15:1-27)

 

(2) Guilt (Ps. 26:6; 73:13)

 

(3) Sins (Isa. 1:16; Jer. 2:22)

 

(4) Wickedness (Jer. 4:14)

 

(5) Defilement (Mk. 7:1-23)

 

Washings only typified cleansing by blood (Heb. 9:7-15,21-26; 10:1-23).

 

7. Many words describing redemption are found 3,322 Times in Scripture and not once is water baptism required to make anyone phase effective.

 

8. Many convincing examples of remission of sins without and before water baptism are recorded in Scripture:

 

(1) Christ (Mt. 3:16; Lk. 3:21)

 

(2) Old Testament saints (Heb. 11:1-40; Lk. 1:15,41,46,67; 2:25-38)

 

(3) Palsied man (Mt. 9:1-7)

 

(4) The publican (Lk. 18:9-14)

 

(5) Zacchaeus (Lk. 19:1-10)

 

(6) Thief on the cross (Lk. 23:43)

 

(7) The nobleman's house (Jn. 4:53)

 

(8) The sinner woman (Lk. 7:48)

 

(9) Many Jews (Mt. 9:22; Mk. 5:34; 10:52; Lk. 17:19; 18:42; Jn. 7:31; 8:30-31; 11:45; 12:11,42)

 

(10) The eunuch (Acts 8:37 with 1Jn. 5:1; Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9)

 

(11) The lame man (Acts 3:16; 4:12)

 

(12) Paul (Acts 9:18-19)

 

(13) Cornelius and house (Acts 10:44-48; 11:14-18; 15:7-11)

 

(14) Multitudes both healed and saved (Acts 5:15-16; Jas. 5:14-15; Mt. 13:15)

 

9. Both Peter and John state baptism to be a "figure" and "witness" of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1Pet. 3:21; 1Jn. 5:6-10).

 

10. Peter plainly says it does not save to the point of putting away the filth of the flesh (1Pet. 3:21; Gal. 5:19-21).

 

11. Paul definitely says sins are put off by circumcision without hands (Col. 2:11-13). This is the baptism of Rom. 6:1-8; 1Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:29; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12.

 

12. Since water baptism is not the real, literal, physical death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, then it has to be figurative of it (1Pet. 3:21; 1Jn. 5:6-10).

 

13. Washing of sins by baptism is ceremonial and symbolic, like the ceremony of the leper after he was cleansed (Mt. 8:3-4 with Lev. 14:1-9; 15:1-27) and like the garments washed in the blood (Rev. 7:13-14).

 

14. Paul did not teach baptismal regeneration (1Cor. 1:13-24; 15:1-5; Rom. 1:16; 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9).

 

15. Jesus did not teach baptism as a means of salvation. He forgave multitudes without it (see point 8, above). Not one time did He baptize anyone (Jn. 4:2). He once mentioned faith and then baptism (Mk. 16:16).

 

16. Texts used to teach remission of sins by baptism (Mt. 3:6-8,11; Mk. 1:4-5; Lk. 3:3,8-16; Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16) do not say sins are remitted by it, but "for" or because of repentance (see note, Mt. 3:16). Repentance and faith always precede baptism in these passages. See Mt. 28:19; Acts 2:38,41; 8:12,37; 10:44-48; 18:8; 19:4.