I read something the other day that I had never considered. It’s an idea that is glaringly obvious once it is read, but I never thought about it until I read it. In Acts 2, when Peter and the others were preaching on the day of Pentecost, just 50 days after the crucifixion of Jesus, some Jews became convicted at the message of Scripture being fulfilled before their very eyes; they had realized that they had crucified the Messiah. They, then, asked a very simple, yet an important question, “What shall we do?” They knew and understood that they were guilty and outside of the covenant, but they wanted to get back into a covenant relationship with God. Therefore, they inquired what needed to be done.
Peter, therefore, gave them the answer. “…Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38 NKJV). When they received their answer, there was no retort about John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10 or Ephesians 2:8-9. Why? Because those passages had not been written yet. Similarly, when Ananias told Saul to be baptized (Acts 22:16), there was no argument; he did as he was instructed.
Keeping that in mind, now think about the next 40 years as the New Testament was being written, and notice baptism is cited as uniting us with Christ in His death (Romans 6:3), is where our hearts are circumcised (Colossians 2:11-12), is how we clothe ourselves with Christ and become Abraham’s offspring (Galatians 3:27) and how we appeal to God for a good conscience (1 Peter 3:21). John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10 and Ephesians 2:8-9 are surely important passages, but they do not represent the whole picture, and neither does baptism alone. All of these elements work together, and all are a “must.”
