Notes From the Margin of My Bible (Baptism)

This is another installment of the popular series by Wayne Jackson. This comes from the July 1989 edition of the Christian Courier which was published by the Church of Christ in Stockton, California. Jackson was also the editor.

In one of his famous defenses of the Christian religion, Paul discusses the details of his conversion to the Lord. In relating that matter, he mentions that he was confronted by the devout preacher Ananias, who addressed him as "brother Saul" (Acts 22:13). Subsequent to this, Ananias commanded Saul to, "arise, and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on His name" (22:16).

Denominational preachers who deny the necessity of baptism for the remission of sins, occasionally appeal to these passages in an attempt to prove that immersion is not a condition for salvation. Their reasoning goes like this. Ananias referred to Saul as a "brother" prior to his baptism, hence the Jewish zealot was a child of god before and without the rite of baptism. In response, we note the following points.

a. If such was the case, then Saul became a child of god without having his sins washed away, for Acts 22:16 is quite clear that baptism was preliminary to the cleansing of sin.

b. The term "brother" is not employed by Ananias in the Christian sense. Rather, it is used in a nationalistic sense. They were Jewish brethren. Note Peter's similar usage of the term in Acts 2. Addressing those who had murdered the Lord and who, accordingly, needed to repent of that evil deed, the apostle declared, "Brethren, I may say unto you..." (2:29). Thus, if the use of "brother" in Acts 22:13 proves that baptism is nonessential to salvation, the use of "brethren" in Acts 2:29 demonstrates that repentance is unnecessary as well, for these Jews had not yet repented of their sins (cf. 2:38).

Hence, underline "brother" in Acts 22:13 and in the margin of your Bible write, "See Acts 2:29,38). There are several conditions requisite for the reception of salvation and baptism is one of them (Mark 16:16; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:27; I Peter 3:21).